David Rawlings, a full-time swordsmanship instructor from the London Longsword Academy, critiques various movie fight scenes from a Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) perspective. He analyzes scenes from "The Witcher," "Princess Bride," and "Star Wars," focusing on aspects like sword handling, technique, and strategy.
Rawlings praises certain scenes for their realistic portrayal of sword fighting, such as the duel between Inigo and Westley in "Princess Bride," which he considers one of the best fight scenes in any film. He also appreciates the fight choreography in "The Witcher," citing its emphasis on awareness of space and simple, effective movements.
However, Rawlings is critical of many scenes, pointing out mistakes in technique, unrealistic movements, and a lack of understanding of historical sword fighting. He notes that longswords are often misrepresented as clumsy and heavy, when in reality they are agile and versatile weapons. Rawlings also criticizes the use of wide, spinning movements, which he considers impractical and unsafe.
Throughout the critique, Rawlings provides insights into the world of HEMA and offers a nuanced understanding of what makes a fight scene effective and realistic.
Here are the extracted facts from the text:
1. David Rawlings is a full-time swordsmanship instructor with the London Longsword Academy.
2. A longsword is generally a sword held in two hands, regardless of the grip length.
3. A longsword typically has a pommel, crossguard, grip, and blade.
4. In fencing, a sword is often divided into strong and weak halves, with the strong half being from the middle to the hilt and the weak half being from the middle to the point.
5. In historical European martial arts (HEMA), it is not recommended to carry swords on the shoulder.
6. Carrying a sword in the hand is a good practice.
7. A rapier is a type of sword held in one hand.
8. The quillons of a rapier are designed to prevent the sword from being taken away by an opponent.
9. Pattern-welded blades were often given mirror polishes to highlight the pattern.
10. In Japanese swordsmanship, swords are often highly polished to bring out the pattern of the steel.
11. European swords were also highly polished in various places.
12. In a fight scene, it's not recommended to drive people apart to fight, as it can lead to a loss of control and space.
13. In a fight, it's generally not a good idea to stand still and let the opponent manage the space.
14. In a cohesive fight scene, the movement should be constant, and neither party should sacrifice control or pause excessively.
15. The "Princess Bride" fight scene between Inigo and Westley is considered one of the best fight scenes in any film.