The Duellists

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The Duellists

PG

1977

1h 41m

History

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

75%

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61 Reviews

83%

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5,000+ Ratings

Armand d'Hubert (Keith Carradine) and Gabriel Féraud (Harvey Keitel) are French soldiers under Napoleon. A trivial quarrel between d'Hubert and Féraud escalates into a lifelong grudge, and, as war rages on, the officers repeatedly challenge one another to violent sword and pistol duels. After 15 years, both men have distinguished themselves through their service and become generals, however, their mutual hatred never ceases, even when the initial cause of their rivalry is forgotten.

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Critics Consensus

Rich, stylized visuals work with effective performances in Ridley Scott's take on Joseph Conrad's Napoleonic story, resulting in an impressive feature film debut for the director.

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John Stanley

San Francisco Chronicle

Sep 18, 2025

4/4

A forgotten masterpiece.

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Rex Reed

New York Daily News

Nov 21, 2023

Rarely have I seen a movie so drenched in persuasive style and ambience soar so brilliantly above its trappings to emerge as a first-rate, captivating entertainment.

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Charles Champlin

Los Angeles Times

Nov 21, 2023

[Ridley Scott's] strength is visual and his genius is economy. The Duellists is said to have cost well under $2 million, but it has every millimeter the same feeling of period that Barry Lyndon had with more pace and vitality.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

May 7, 2026

5/5

…a handsome, thoughtful movie that was completely out of step with what audiences wanted in 77…underseen and underrated, The Duellists stands as a key film in Ridley Scott’s cinematic development…

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Apr 10, 2024

3/4

The all-American duo of Carradine and Keitel is rather incongruous in this decidedly European production, but the actors acquit themselves well enough.

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Russell Davies

Daily Mail (UK)

Nov 21, 2023

Scott's film is a success. It is also something of an oddity.

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Huntin P

@PaxVobiscum80 Oct 31, 2026

Ridley Scott's best movie. Yup, really. Forget Alien or Blade Runner or Gladiator. This one, The Duellists. It carries something of that obsessional quality that distinguishes various 70s movies. In this case, not the obsession of a loner but rather a fatalistic obsession that ties two men together, both officers in Napoleon's army. Their conflict keeps resurfacing, like a bad memory, over several years, as the more bloody-minded of the two, Keitel's offended chasseur, keeps (literally) calling-out Carradine's generally good-natured fellow officer. The duels become increasingly more alarming, and the immediacy of what's at stake, life and death, past vs future, grows with every devastating meeting. The Duellists shows Scott at his best, before sometimes shoddy scripts and a careless disdain for historical accuracy blighted his legend. Today he is one of a cadre of directors who are long overdue retirement.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 29, 2026

The Duellists = a *4* star Movie!

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Everardo C

@Everardo1996 Sep 16, 2026

Con una cinematografía bien cuidada y un mensaje profundo y poderoso la película nos recuerda una época donde el director hacía las cosas con pasión y no solo por el cheque.

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KarthiK P.

@madkarthi Jul 11, 2026

It is an amazing debut film from Ridley Scott and I really like it. real locations and real natural lights. The real fights and all that stuff are just amazing. The story of how friends become enemies and how it unfolds 👌. It is all nicely shown. Keith Carradine is so young and he is absolutely amazing in his role.

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Robert L.

@bobdaboss Nov 14, 2025

Strife without reason. Quarrel pursued for its own sake. Only death will satisfy honor. Ridley Scott makes his directorial debut with Proverbs 20:3 as the entire plot (I made that up but it’s accurate). Simple, yet powerful.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Sep 15, 2025

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Ridley Scott

Director

Keith Carradine

D'Hubert

Harvey Keitel

Feraud

Albert Finney

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Edward Fox

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Synopsis

Armand d'Hubert (Keith Carradine) and Gabriel Féraud (Harvey Keitel) are French soldiers under Napoleon. A trivial quarrel between d'Hubert and Féraud escalates into a lifelong grudge, and, as war rages on, the officers repeatedly challenge one another to violent sword and pistol duels. After 15 years, both men have distinguished themselves through their service and become generals, however, their mutual hatred never ceases, even when the initial cause of their rivalry is forgotten.

Director: Ridley Scott
Producer: David Puttnam
Screenwriter: Gerald Vaughan-Hughes, Joseph Conrad
Production Co: Scott Free Productions, Paranoid Pictures, Enigma Productions
Rating: PG
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2013
Runtime: 1h 41m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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