IMDb > By the Sword (1991) > IMDb user comments

IMDb user comments for
By the Sword (1991) More at IMDbPro »

Filter: Hide Spoilers:
Page 1 of 4:[1] [2] [3] [4] [Next]
Index 31 comments in total 

3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Pointless?, 15 April 2003
6/10
Author: Torch-6 (fencer1964@gmail.com) from Sacramento, CA

There is exactly one group of people who will watch this film more than once: fencers. And even we wince. So much of this story is anathema to *everything* fencers hold dear: honor, romance and SAFETY!

No maestro worth the name would encourage any kind of deliberate roughness such as is exhibited in BtS.

Neither would anyone imagine a choreographed dance routine with pirouettes. THE HORROR!

But beneath the ugly scum of detail, there *is* a story...who is Suba (excellently underplayed by F. Murray Abraham), and why does he come to the Maestro's studio? Why does he think he can teach fencing? Oh, and we get to see the lovely Mia Sara in a tight fencing uniform, a small bonus.

It's not the best film, no. It's far from the worst. Do not expect to see real Olympic style fencing; for that, go to the next competition nearest you!

Was the above comment useful to you?

2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Were it not for the blood ..., 29 March 2008
9/10
Author: gherstein-1 from United States

There is not blood in this movie. The title of my comment has to do with the fact that, were it not for the blood, any contemporary Olympic style fencer could beat the tar out of a 16th or 17th Century duellist. The skills of a contemporary fencer are unmatchable; but the will to kill is something you cannot pick up in a fencing salle.

This difference plays a role in the story, as characters come to grips with their personal traumas and inner demons. The original movie One-Sheet is informative for the Spartan purity of its text:

.......By The Sword......

Live by it ..... Die by it .....

The folks who pule and whine about the "safety" issues in this film are as confoundingly ignorant of the definition of "metaphor" as are the historical purists who insist on mewling about the Russian roulette sequence in "Deer Hunter." This is not a documentary, so it simply beggars the imagination why anyone would be so ruthlessly misguided as to hold it up to documentary standards of factual accuracy.

This movie is a classic morality tale -- and a nicely crafted one at that -- told within the strictures of a fencing salle. Abrams and Roberts give fine performances, while Mia Sara, Chris Rydell, Elaine Kagan and others provide good support. The movie, for all of its obvious mythological framework, offers some nice insights into the reality of fencing. For example, when was the last time you saw an Errol Flynn movie devote so much attention to the *footwork* of sword play? (And for you non-fencers out there, here is a clue: fencing is *ALL* in the footwork; the sword is just there to let the other person know that they lost the bout.) At the level of world-class competition, the differences between life/death and win/lose engagements blur; personal trauma can blur them even more. It is only in confronting our demons that the distinctions return to us, and the genuinely meaningful things in life can be regained. That is why this film is a morality tale.

Filmatically, the cinematography bears some attention: so many subtle hues of brown that pop out rather than disappear under the surface. Bill Conti's score, particularly as it emphasizes classical guitar, is a joy all by itself. The images of stair-cases and the allegory of Jacob's Ladder appear throughout.

Was the above comment useful to you?

2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
A skillful movie with depth and moral lessons., 3 April 2002
10/10
Author: McLowery Elrod (mack@mentorproducts.com) from Americus, Georgia, USA

By the Sword has depth to it that I seldom see in film. It also displays a morality play, skillfully embedded in the story that make this one of my all time favorites. I recognize that By the Sword will not be for everyone. It was not made with the cookie cutter approach.

Was the above comment useful to you?

2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Excellent "life lesson movie" about redemption- almost, 3 December 2001
8/10
Author: eshank from Oregon, USA

Masterfully acted by F Murray Abraham (Amadeus) and Eric Roberts; this movie attempts to uncover one of the deep lessons of life. As such it is one of my favorite movies. The movie is tastefully done and underplayed- not a sports movie at all, but a spiritual one. Alas the directing is not quite up to snuff and the movie leaves me with a vaguely unsatisfied feeling.

The theme of the movie is very real- redemption. A young fencer (Suba) makes a terrible mistake and pays for it with years in prison. When he gets out he feels driven to make amends and he goes straight to the place where he can do that- which is also the only world he still knows, the fencing school run by the son of the man whom he killed.

When he confronts the man who he has come to redeem (Villard), he can only stammer "I have come to teach"- but his skills are so rusty he is offered only a humble janitor position. In Villard's school Suba regains enough strength to face his task... but this is where the movie lets us down a bit. It never explains why Suba must best Villard in combat in order to teach the lesson.

That, is the critical failure of the movie. It is the central thesis of the film, yet it is not explained!! Why must they fight??! If you know, please drop me an email. This is the critical piece of the lesson- without it the movie is incomplete. I can't help but wonder if the critical piece is lying on a cutting room floor somewhere, or whether the director intentionally left it out or whether the writers were content with asking the question without answering it.

Alas, I remain unsatisfied-- until and unless I become enlightened.

Was the above comment useful to you?

2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Talented Actors Rise To The Occasion, 25 October 2000
8/10
Author: denny-32 from Victoria, Australia

I thought this movie was very good for several reasons. The first was that the plot was woven very well around a sport that does not receive much attention, fencing. I know very little about fencing but this was a good introduction. It is almost an artform, and the aura of the training school added another dimension. Having novices being taught fencing allowed the viewer to pick up on the basics.

Secondly was the casting. Eric Roberts in my opinion is one of the best actors going around and pairing him up with F. Murray Abraham, you really can't go wrong acting wise. The supporting cast was merely there to add to the plot and to help develop some atmosphere.

Without giving too much away, this is a movie about revenge that chips away at the start through flashbacks but builds to an inevitable but pulsing showdown. Eric Roberts plays the part of an egotistical past fencing champion and present training supremo. F Murray Abraham is a man with a hidden past, linked to fencing that you feel must come out sooner or later.

The action scenes involving fencing were admirable and while people take acting for granted, for both the afore mentioned actors to handle foils as they did would indicate they had some previous understanding of the sport.

I don't think I am giving too much away by saying F. Murray Abrahams character Max, in addition to attempting to break in as a fencing instructor is also taking cautious steps in trying to establish relationship ties after being incarcerated for a very long period.

All in all a very pleasing time filler, that also exhibited the hustle and bustle of the city it was filmed in, despite most of the action taking place inside the training school for aspiring fencers.

Was the above comment useful to you?

2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
not for professional fencers, 24 September 1999
7/10
Author: blakduke from alabama

Hey, so the fencing is a bit hokey. The movie is "not" about fencing, if it were we would all be asleep in 10 minutes. I have fenced on and off for over 30 years so I know a little bit about it. I would rather watch something like this than any fencing bout ever put on. So all you purists out there, lighten up. Like the movie for what it is, don't dis-like it for what it isn't. The story was not about fencing, the fencing was only a backdrop to the story.

Was the above comment useful to you?

1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
A very entertaining motion picture, 29 December 2002
9/10
Author: George041

F. Murray Abraham and Eric Roberts gave outstanding performances. The supporting cast did very well. This film is not just about fencing. It is about people who interact with other people in different ways; that is, some people treat other people in compassionate ways while others do not. And in the final act, kindness and respect becomes paramount instead of selfishness, arrogance and the desire to win at all costs.

Was the above comment useful to you?

1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
A pretty good film about the courage to go on, 21 December 2002
9/10
Author: paulof-1 from Porto Alegre, Brazil

I've liked a lot. It is a pretty good film with good leading actors and altough previsible, it is a very good tale about the courage of a man who did something really bad, trying to heal himself and to heal the one he blessed most (the son of his victm), even if this blessed man is not aware of that. A beatiful film, and with a good music too. I don't know about the reality of the fencing scenes, but I've paid much more attention to the human conflicts, and for that I think it is a great film.

Was the above comment useful to you?

1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
A pretty good film about the courage to go on, 21 December 2002
9/10
Author: paulof-1 from Porto Alegre, Brazil

I've liked a lot. It is a pretty good film with good leading actors and although previsible, it is a very good tale about the courage of a man who did something really bad, trying to heal himself and to heal the one he blessed most (the son of his victim), even if this blessed man is not aware of that. It is a beautiful film, and with a good music too. I don't know about the reality of the fencing scenes, but I've paid much more attention to the human conflicts, and for that I think it is a great film.

Was the above comment useful to you?

1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
A pretty good film about the courage to go on, 21 December 2002
9/10
Author: paulof-1 from Porto Alegre, Brazil

I've liked a lot. It is a pretty good film with good leading actors and although previsible, it is a very good tale about the courage of a man who did something really bad, trying to heal himself and to heal the one he blessed most (the son of his victim), even if this blessed man is not aware of that. It is a beautiful film, and with a good music too. I don't know about the reality of the fencing scenes, but I've paid much more attention to the human conflicts, and for that I think it is a great film.

Was the above comment useful to you?
Page 1 of 4:[1] [2] [3] [4] [Next]

Add another comment

Related Links

Plot summary Ratings Newsgroup reviews
External reviews Plot keywords Main details
Your user comments Your vote history