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Before bringing us two masterpieces of horror and science fiction as "Alien" and "Blade Runner", Ridley Scott signed this opera prima, unknown to many.
It is the story of two men who for reasons of "honor" live fighting a duel during the turbulent years of Napoleonic France.
The film is visually impressive. Its landscapes, its use of light and the pictorial nature of many of the shots are reminiscent at times of "Barry Lindon".
The setting is also remarkable, from the great salons to the hovels where the soldiers drowned their sorrows. Harvey Keitel hogs the screen every time he comes out and makes the other protagonist a little bit less attractive, although he also fulfills his role.
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The facts are happening through ellipses and that makes the action develops with more speed than a story like this requires, so many characters disappear from the story abruptly.
One of the evils of today's cinema is the excessive length of many films and the problem of this one is the opposite, it could have used half an hour more and thus be able to close the dramatic arc of a secondary and better develop the story of its protagonists.