Combat in Film - Historical Martial Arts

Historical Martial Arts

Historical martial arts reconstruction developed in the later 20th century and became influential in cinema only from ca. the 1990s. Earlier sequences of combat with pre-Renaissance weaponry were typically based on classical fencing techniques, or choreographed as ad-hoc "blade whacking".

Influential movie heralding renewed interest in pre-modern swordsmanship were Excalibur (1981) and Highlander (1986). Lightsaber combat in the Star Wars films takes some elements from kendo, and The Lord of the Rings film trilogy employs some elements of historical fencing.

Historical drama films that feature combat based on historical swordsmanship include Rob Roy (1995), Gladiator (2000), Troy (2004), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Alatriste (2006).

A Knight's Tale is an example of a movie that includes jousting performances (2001).

Read more about this topic:  Combat In Film

Famous quotes containing the words historical, martial and/or arts:

    We need a type of theatre which not only releases the feelings, insights and impulses possible within the particular historical field of human relations in which the action takes place, but employs and encourages those thoughts and feelings which help transform the field itself.
    Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956)

    Strike the concertina’s melancholy string!
    Blow the spirit-stirring harp like any thing!
    Let the piano’s martial blast
    Rouse the Echoes of the Past,
    Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (1836–1911)

    The arts are not just instantaneous pleasure—if you don’t like it, the artist is wrong. I belong to the generation which says if you don’t like it, you don’t understand and you ought to find out.
    John Drummond (b. 1934)