The BEST ARMORED SWORD FIGHT duel in a movie? Netflix's 'The King' (2019)

[@dequitem]

Great video and thanks for mentioning me. I would like to see more Halfswording thrusts and less exhausted breathing. It was a little bit to much for a trained knight. The last duel has the better duel, but I like it too.

[@dashrendar5320]

The legend has been sighted 💪⚔️

[@Lamawalrus]

Thank you for your service

[@batteredwarrior]

Yeah, I feel The Last Duel is unfairly maligned due to the brief appearance of the stupid half-helmets. Otherwise I think it's a pretty decent film.

[@dequitem]

@@batteredwarrior but the choreography is descend, even when the costume design failed on multiple levels.

[@ArmourArtist]

I'm still waiting for that review on the actual best movie sword fight. The black knight from the holy grail. 😃

[@willek1335]

I appreciate it. I was disappointed with how many other youtubers trashed the movie or the outlaw king for its unhistorical things, rather than focus on the fact that a medieval movie that nods in the right direct is once in a generation event.

[@davidsachs4883]

I hadn’t thought of it as an historical movie but as a rewriting of Shakespeare to make it easier to watch

[@FlabbergastedFish88]

True until the last fight. The reason the English won was because of their position and the mud so the archers could rain arrows on the french, not bcs they took their armor off to have more mobility in the mud because in reality the english also had their armors on. The last ”duel” was a joke too, just to make the armor look like a joke that could be easily countered or whatever. All the things before was rly good tho

[@Adonnus100]

@@davidsachs4883 but branagh's shakespeare is easier to watch, for me, lol. i had no idea what the point of the movie was when i finished it, if it was historical they changed it massively from history (which was interesting as it was), if it was shakespeare they did it without any of his dialogue, which is you know, kind of the whole point of shakespeare. so it just seemed like a movie made for no reason

[@Liberty-Works1111]

Exactly... People think the events they read in manuscript or books is without flaw in accuracy but that's not the case most times. Both of those are movies excellent and yes, they might have taken some liberties but it brings history alive for more people than would ever have read the book and so keeps the main points of the events memory alive. 'Kingdom of Heaven" is another great one... The Count of Montecristo although not historic, did have a basis for some individual but was awesome all the same...

[@TarpShooter]

I'm just glad they're wearing helmets at all honestly

[@clark5242]

good point because the director usually wants the faces and emotions to be seen.

[@BigUriel]

And truth be told...I can see why a director would look at a pig face helmet and say "no we're not using that", it's hideous lol

[@tods_workshop]

Hi Matt, I made all the daggers and sword scabbards for this film, though not the swords. I agree the fighting was well done, but my favourite moment was actually an accident. Toward the end, maybe the last fight they are wearing scabbards and one gets broken and they carry on fighting with a floppy scabbard. I told the armourer I thought this was fantastic detail. I had actually made 3 of these scabbards and the previous two had already been broken. So in fact when this broke they had no choice but to carry on and so it made the edit. Generally this kind of thing cause hell with continuity so they avoid it but in this case they had no choice and it worked out.

[@Hylonomus]

I took a drink every time Matt said "Pig faced bassinet" and I don't know where I am now.

[@Tankbuff]

Bascinet, not bassinet

[@hurnn1543]

@@Tankbuff give the man a break he is lucky to be alive right now

[@JohnsonLobster]

What are you talking about, he said it about three times...

[@otrupper4869]

It is so refreshing to see critique and explanations without a youtuber getting irritated through the whole video, awesome video Matt!

[@TheBaconWizard]

36:03 I notice he IS indeed, actively holding his visor shut!

[@voratittchunharuckchot9711]

I think apart from holding his visor shut, he also pull his visor in order to pull his head out of a lock.

[@peterjenisch6757]

Matt, thank you as always. Everyone loves "hack and slash", but pedantic and nickpickedy is what those of us always truly appreciate and feast on from your evaluations and education. Please continue to defend history.

[@burgundian-peanuts]

Yup. "Going with the flow" is fine when you're just trying to enjoy a movie, but pedantic/nitpicky is useful when you're actually trying to learn.

[@zombiehampster1397]

And with loads of context.

[@brittakriep2938]

Being german, born 1965. Became sceptical when i in early 1970s hit large tin cans ( as substitute for great helmet/. Kübelhelm).with a hazelnut , Stecken '.

[@peterjenisch6757]

@@brittakriep2938 Ja, ich stimme zu. Die wahren Helme waren nicht so „erfunden oder heroisch“ wie das, was zu dieser Zeit typischerweise dargestellt wurde. Ich schätze die Wahrheit des Krieges,

[@RobertDeanWare]

Yes! Pedantic & nickpickedy (and nitpicky, for that matter) is what we are here for! The more details & context the better.

[@Tripledot]

I think the way the fight ended makes sense from a characterization perspective- Hotspur is done in by his aggression and foolhardiness when he loses balance, resulting in the fatal blow, and likewise, while it wasn't the most "logical" thing to do, Hal desperately backing away from Hotspur's aggression sells that he's still an inexperienced fighter who ends up winning less because of superior skill and more due to his opponent's arrogance.

[@danieldionne9709]

Good point, and inexperienced fighters can definitely get stuck in a reactive loop, instinctively dodging or blocking without immediate effective follow-up

[@timwilson5410]

Pity he spent an hour Nitpicking armour from a fictional movie....🙄

[@ericaugust1501]

26:45 also 28:57 and 31:09 and 31:10 Hal has his own dagger. 41:29 looks like he is also drawing his own dagger. easy to miss but looks like its on his hip. 42:50 you can see his empty dagger sheath dangling in front now. it slipped around. it would be pretty weird that he had to grab it from one of his soldiers. personally, he should have drawn hotspurs own dagger during the first grapple. incidentally, is it considered 'dishonorable' to draw your opponents dagger during such a duel?

[@skepticalbadger]

Yep, they both have daggers from the outset. I thought that was quite clear.

[@jedpcuk]

Oh no, is it dishonorable? Don’t know historically, in a HEMA context I have “killed” a few of my opponents with their own dagger, and I think everyone tries it….. 😊

[@dashrendar5320]

Awesome! I was hoping you would do this one as i thought it at least did a good job with the grappling aspect that can be very often overlooked

[@yowza234]

I also remember watching 28:57 and thinking "his dagger is right there!" but people are different, and you tend to forget things under pressure it's still quite a fun thing to do in sparring

[@eirikronaldfossheim]

Fighting on the ground with someone on top of you, trying to hit you in the face, is extremely exhausting. Every muscle in your body would hurt if you're not used to it. I can feel it, watching this scene.

[@balaurbondoc9101]

Enjoyed the video as always! I really appreciate how you’re a bit more forgiving and less overly pedantic than some of the other channels that make these kinds of videos, and you try to understand why some inaccuracies are there. Another armored fight I think would be worth giving a look is the fight between Peter and Miraz in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian!

[@RevanAlaire]

Or the last duel in The Last Duel.

[@kylewood554]

Fantastic video! I love this movie it's awesome to see you cover this fight. I do think Hal was wearing that dagger though as he seems to have a small sheath on his belt!

[@thespiritofmetal]

New Scholagladiatoria video when I'm about to start cooking. My evening just got better!

[@gastonjaillet9512]

Same haha ! As a french, I Cook at least 1h every evening and when Matt releases a video it's perfect ! The longer the better !

[@Kamamura2]

Just don't confuse pauldron with cauldron - a classic rookie mistake.

[@samuelhenning1841]

I watched this one while cooking dinner as well!

[@1jimmarch]

Remember, if you get a booboo in one of Matt's classes, you might get a HEMAtoma!

[@argophontes]

It seems to me that the pummeling (at least in Hotspur's case) is trying to break the opponent's hands away. Hotspur is definitely trying to grab Hal's visor right before he goes for the sword on the ground. I love this kind of nitpicking! (also, I love that you use the word "unpleasant" to describe what feels like being inside a bell while someone wails on it, lol)

[@SirLionel13]

I also see it as just Hotspur's personality. Hal was just on top and punching him, now that he's on top, he's gonna give him a taste of the same, and when the first round of it doesn't seem to be effective, he'll punch AGAIN and HARDER.

[@argophontes]

@@SirLionel13 There's definitely something to be said about the rage of the moment, for sure.

[@Nimno74]

He actually was wearing the dagger the whole time. You can see it in earlier shots.

[@skepticalbadger]

Yeah, and then you see the empty sheath.

[@Kamamura2]

I used to be a historical character just like you, but then I got an arrow to the face...

[@ycplum7062]

I would not have withdrawn the dagger to stab again. There is the danger of my opponent twisting and I can't restab. A bit more gruelsome, but I would be twisting and leveraging the blade around while it was in the opponent. Must less tiring and I would be tired. Once he stops struggling or struggling a lot less, lift the visor for the coup de grace.

[@blackjackjollyroger]

But if you open the other guy's visor, we could see he's a stunt man!

[@theborderer1302]

I'd bet they could edit it, but good point. It would mean shooting another scene and that expense.

[@coolsenjoyer]

The moves that don't make much sense in an armored fight are definitely easier to overlook when the scene also shows some actual historical technique. If it was just the former it would feel like nonsense and just the latter would feel like rehearsed choreography so a good balance of both seems to make this kind of life and death fight feel most real

[@arthurclaymore4995]

I keep hoping for a fight review of ANY fight from the 1970s, Oliver Reed, version of The Three Musketeers.

[@Kamamura2]

Before Hong Kong actors showed everyone how to do it, all melee combat in films sucked.

[@jamesgreear4247]

@@Kamamura2I disagree I think a lot of Hong Kong stuff is too over the top and unnecessary. It doesn’t look like a real fight.

[@Kamamura2]

@@jamesgreear4247 You may disagree, but you miss the point. The point of film choreography is not to present a realistic fight - real fights are messy, short and ugly. A well choreographed fight is a cross between a dance, martial arts show-off and storytelling. John Wick is a prime example of taking the lesson from Hong Kong stuntmen to another level (hence the many nods in the movies) - it's by no means realistic (one man shooting through a crowd of armed opponent is totally unrealistic), but it's a marriage of traditional archetypes with modern medium. Epos of Gilgamesh was not realistic, nor was Mahabharata or Norse sagas.

[@jamesgreear4247]

@ no you miss the point. The point of a fight is dramatic tension. Case in point the fights in the first Star Wars trilogy were far superior as story devices because they were less flashy and felt dangerous. The prequels were very flashy and looked like dances it’s why movies like the Duelists, Rob Roy, Dune 1&2 feel more real because they feel dangerous but the Hong Kong stuff and whatever it inspired looks like dancing and acrobatics. Don’t get me wrong sometimes it is well done. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is one of my all time favs. Several Jackie Chan movies etc… but over all and the especially the western movies inspired by it look silly

[@Kamamura2]

@@jamesgreear4247 Thank you for illustrating my point. The original Star Wars wheezy, tired fight between Kennobi and Vader is a prime example of a fight choreography from the era when nobody knew better - one that would not fly today.

[@polymathart]

17:16 In one video, Seki Sensei demonstrates waving the blade against the sun in order to blind an opponent. I was skeptical at first but after hearing it come up here, I’m inclined to believe it was a real tactic.

[@Kamamura2]

I am still skeptical. 3242 ronin waved at the sun while being impaled by a yari.

[@aspiringmarauder666]

Happy to hear Dequitem mentioned

[@normanquednau]

Thank you for the great video, Matt. At 31:00 Lying on top of the opponent, my sword trapped under the opponent, I would draw the kinfe and look for an opening in the armor while trying to keep him on the ground.

[@nikhosinthemachine]

I think he stabbed him in the throat, not the armpit. You can hear the gurgling sound of him drowning in his own blood.

[@skepticalbadger]

It was very clearly the throat.

[@pRahvi0]

If your lungs are penetrated, you get blood into throat from there.

[@dorkangel1076]

Yeah, I was thinking that. When they went down it looked like it could have been the armpit, but the side view, especially when he withdrew the knife afterwards looked like it was actually up under the helmet. I reckon it would have been sliding up his chest to go in under his chin.

[@NM-wd7kx]

I think this is one of those layman/nerd things. To the layman being stabbed in the armpit is nasty but doesn't seem all that lethal but the nerd knows it's deadly & that it was done

[@ajax31990]

My only exception to your commentary is about Posta Breve, which Fiore cites as being more effective in armor. At least that's what it says in the Hatcher translation of the Pisani Dossi. Having used it in and out of armor it makes sense it would be for the same reasons you bring up. You don't care as much about the cover Posta Longa gives in favor of a braced central thrusting position since cuts on the outer lines don't matter as much. There's my pendantry for the day.

[@hrodvitnir6725]

Yes pls give us a video about the arrow to the face!

[@MythicFool]

From looking at it, I don't think Hal's finishing stab was to the armpit. It looks like he went straight under the aventail into Hotspur's neck. You can even hear a bit of the gurgle immediately after. That would explain why he didn't go for the multiple stabs or the visor lift.

[@Zoco101]

Many thanks. Some narration was rather repetitious, but I can't fault you on the detail.

[@samuelmoffat2874]

Matt your appreciation is palpable over the years you’ve become the goat 👍

[@鳄鱼人鳄鱼人]

nice video. It seems that all armored knights' duels will eventually turn into wrestling and dagger stabbing each other.

[@Victor-lr2xr]

Informative and educational. Well done.

[@carsonm7292]

As soon as I saw the dagger come out, I knew who was going to win this fight. The reach disparity of course looks a bit silly, but if you can get in close with that thing, oftentimes that's it, it's over. As I understand it, one of the main ways to take out a knight is to ring his helmet with something blunt or otherwise get him on the ground, then if you can't get his visor off, get your dagger somewhere soft. Great breakdown of this cool scene.

[@clonegreivou]

“Is this the most realistic AAAHHRGmored fight that we ever seen on film?”

[@martinshephard6317]

I think this has to be one of your best videos, and I’m pleased that comparatively, there wasn’t too much to criticise. 👍🏻😁

[@dogmaticpyrrhonist543]

For the final thrust, a 2 handed rondel through an eye slit would be pretty brutal looking, AND easier on the CGI budget than a visor lifting. :D

[@henryplantagenet219]

Great video! Although I don’t like the movie overall, the fightscene is solid. Please Matt, more of that and never forget the context ;-) Maybe the endfight in Rob Roy? Just because you mentioned it. The story with the arrow in the face and how Hal survived it - the special Bradmore work - is an amazing piece of history. Was it a bodkin? How deep could it really be? So many questions! All the beets and keep up the great content. Maybe should some arrows together with Tod on dummy heads. Take care!

[@clark5242]

I love that film and the end fight is so gritty! He knows he is done for and still finds a way to survive.

[@wgabrys88]

This is what we want, more this kind of content, analysis of dynamic events like fights, attacks on castles, these things please ❤

[@josephbrown-ut9ty]

Loved this break down and as I've fought in armor in the past, that heavy breathing is definitely a thing. As is the exhaustion

[@SaltyChickenDip]

I think its good how you phrase how out of time the armor is. This is 16th while the battle is 15th. Vs this armor is 100 to 150 too early . Saying the number of years really helps drives home the ount of time.

[@galidornelkenmeer]

I don't know if you do any more modern type of combat but there is a scene from what is probably my favorite movie, Glory, that would be cool if you could take a look at it. It is the first time that the 54th Mass Regt goes into battle. After they form a line to repulse a cavalry charge the regiment is approached by an opposing line of Confederate infantry. After exchange of volleys the lines bayonet charge at each other and it becomes a mad scramble of close in fighting.

[@gebatron604]

This film blew me away with how authentic it felt. It may not have been perfect but my god it’s so much more historically accurate than anything I’ve ever seen before

[@frogwaffle7]

love this well done! (yankee watching from oz

[@Liberty-Works1111]

#1 For anyone who has never seen the movie "The King"... Its a Masterpiece by so many metrics... #2 From everything I've ever heard about the brutal, smothering & gritty nature of armor warfare, this is the best armor fighting sequence I've ever seen...

[@xKaAnoRx]

Heyyy I asked on another video for this duel and a few days later you had a video up! It's like early Christmas!

[@repeat_defender]

This nearly had me screaming at the screen! Hotspur is wearing a dagger the whole time, when he was on top he could have grabbed it instead of uselessly pummeling Hal’s visor. Also, when they’re on the ground, why would the guy on top not go for the wide open crotch of the guy on the bottom? It’s right there, with all those squishy parts. In fact, at one point it looks like one of them almost got punched in the twig n berries accidentally.

[@danhodg1]

Matt a great one for you to review is the sword & buckler training scene from "Becoming Elizabeth" the series. It's just a random scene in the show, but clearly they have taken some advice from a person who knows a thing or two about sword and buckler. It seems rare enough to even see bucklers in medieval shows, never mind them being used in a way that actually looks like HEMA. As always brilliant video, my partner usually hears your videos as I play them whilst cooking or other chores and she asked if we could watch this one together as we are both fans of The King (despite it's faults).

[@ODonnchadhaBrian]

Excellent video, sir. The one thing I would say is, I'm fairly sure that's Hal's own dagger that he draws from a sheath on his right side as he moves away. Which, "if it was me", I think I would have drawn when they went to the ground the first time and, as you said, opened the visor.

[@charlottesimonin2551]

Much better than any of the fights I've seen on screen. I was a little surprised that punches were thrown twice before the dagger was used. Both fighters had daggers at the waist.

[@chengkuoklee5734]

Actually understandable. The act of pulling out dagger may pose an opening. It's better to secure a better position to deny enemy's counter. Or.... in the heat of battle you don't think much.

[@dashcammer4322]

@@chengkuoklee5734 Plus they need the scene to last a certain amount of time. It's why film and TV streetfights last far, far longer than real-world streetfights, complete with witty banter exchanges spoken in complete sentences.

[@chengkuoklee5734]

​@dashcammer4322 i am doubtful that armour combat could end as fast as street fight. Armour makes killing difficult, even more difficult when your enemy is as skillful as you.

[@ps3nickolia12]

I would imagine that blows dealt with gauntlets/elbows/spurs would have been pretty prevalent in historical combat. If you're getting held down in top mount with a guy with 60 pounds of armor while getting hammer fists and elbows rained down must have sucked, even with a full helm like a bascinet.

[@GreenMachine1975]

Such a great analysis… I’m watching it AGAIN!!! ❤

[@DerekSVNLD]

43:27 It's interesting that later, during the Agincourt scene, Hal actually does what you say he should've here. A French knight takes a haymaker swing at his head, Hal dodges backwards as he had just turned around to see this new opponent, and then rushes the guy and stabs him in the side of the neck (through the aventail unfortunately and not under it, but we can ignore that for now)

[@whoswoo9070]

Love the analysis and its great to see a realistic feeling armoured fight scene. two things though,1. That actually is Hal’s own dagger, you can see it dangling from his belt earlier and the empty sheath after he draws it. 2. I think he actually stabs Hotspurt in the throat, you can hear him kinda choking on his own blood.

[@jackcoulson5347]

Last duel from Rob Roy please 😁

[@johnnywoods5549]

The bit where Rob takes off half his great kilt is unexpectedly funny.

[@DemonOfGadara]

I love Matt's Movie/TV fight reviews

[@dashcammer4322]

I'm sure the primary reason they have visors is that these are stuntmen doing the scene, not the actors.

[@Specter_1125]

They probably would’ve had visors down in the fight either way. When you only have one person in front of you to worry about, hearing and peripheral vision become significantly less important.

[@dashcammer4322]

@@Specter_1125 No, Matt said it would have been more period-accurate to have them visorless than to have the visors that they did use.

[@guyplachy9688]

Bill the Playwright had to fit his battles onto quite a small stage, so duels between the main protagonists, whether historical or not, were a means of projecting the essence of the battle onto the stage with each character representing their entire army *and* the consequences for themselves.

[@AhSageHumor]

Loved the analysis. I did notice that Harry WAS, in fact wearing a dagger earlier in the duel, though it doesn't always appear clearly. I do not think he took it from another soldier. In 18:36-18:40, you can observe the dagger in his scabbard on his right hip as he charges Hotspur.

[@boydgrandy5769]

Henry Prince of Wales was terribly wounded at Shrewsbury, taking an arrow in the face that went in on his right cheek and embedded in his upper jaw and nasal passages. He very nearly died from the wound and was saved by a surgeon who invented a special clamp to withdraw the arrow and then treated the wound to prevent infection. Henry V never had a portrait done that showed the right side of his face as a result of the scarring.` Hard to believe that a 17 year old kid could fight a duel after taking an arrow to the face. Even though he remained on the field after the wound, he was not in fighting mettle after that.

[@clark5242]

A miracle he survived!

[@harkonen1000000]

So, Hotspur there has a fancy old heirloom sword while Hal has the latest and the greatest. Could be a characterization choice.

[@davidioanhedges]

I suspect the helmets are the usual - "but we can't see the actor's faces!"

[@Warrior_Culture]

16:58 I was taught never to let your ankles cross when moving sideways. Maybe not so bad in this situation since he has some distance from his opponent, but if a savvy swordsman moves on you just as you're making that step and crossing your ankles, you require a moment to adjust your stance. I've tripped up a lot of people by starting a circle, seeing them cross their ankles, and then leading them into doing it again to start them off on the back foot. Some people literally trip themselves, trying to get their footing corrected in that small instant. Footwork is underrated to a lot of people, and it's as important here as it is in MMA or boxing.

[@sd3457]

Hotspur was something of a mentor to Prince Hal as a teenager. It was Shakespeare that put them close in age for dramatic purposes.

[@sometimesoccasionallyme7834]

The Slippy feet is such a thing, I have reenacted in bare feet in the rain, and despite the fear of shield tacks it really helps!

[@Glenn-WHU]

Just came across this. I love the film The King and found explanations and historical references very interesting. I do like Shogun, Vikings (Valhalla), don't laugh but Kingdom of Heaven. etc. just subscribed 👍

[@COSMOKRAT_616]

Even with all of its historical inaccuracies, i still love this film. So well done, and robert Pattinson does a great version of an arogant Dauphine, even if he wasn't actually killed in the battle of agincourt

[@francescosirotti8178]

I'm noticing how big the rings in the movie mail are VS how small the rings in the historical mail are. I guess there are sensibile reasons for that (a mail made of smaller ring will cost more), but even a knitted shirt sprayed with metallic paint would look more realistic. Even Monty Python did it better (not surprising, since Terry Jones was a medievalist).

[@richardmcginnis5344]

schwing! that's awesome i got a sword i bought from a dope head that rings like a bell when you pull it from the scabbard or even if you flick the blade with your finger

[@redjacc7581]

i think a 39 year old veteran of many battles would wipe the floor with a 17 year old.

[@Shreds111]

LISAN-AL-GYIB!

[@touristguy87]

Keep thinking that.

[@By-The-Sword]

This is one of my favorite movies ever :D Im 11 mins in so perhaps you mention it later but what type of longsword is it? You mention it as an earlier 14th century version rather then early 15th but I am dying to know what it is :D

[@joecromwell2471]

I did notice Hotspur seemed to be going for Henry's visor near the end of his pummeling frenzy. Then when Henry has him from behind it looked like Hotspur was trying to protect his own visor as Henry was grappling it... Also...could blunt pummeling of the side of the helmet be an effort to damage the hinges of the visor? ????

[@moreparrotsmoredereks2275]

I would love to see a breakdown of Peter and Miraz's duel from Prince Caspian. I think it's pretty good.

[@jameswilliams3241]

What about the fight between Sean Connery and Robert Shaw in Robin and Marian? What do you think about that one?

[@raidersnoozer8064]

been a while since ive seen it, but the last duel between robin hood and the sheriff of nottingham in "Robin and Marion" from the 70s was pretty good? Could you review that one?

[@steeltrap3800]

Interesting review, thanks. I suggest if you slow it down enough I'm almost certain you'll see the final thrust is into his throat and not armpit, as it's above Hotspur's arm/shoulder. It also seems that way when you see how it's withdrawn; the gurgling sound is more immediately likely from a thrust into the airways in your throat vs into your lung. I may be mistaken of course, but that's how it looks to me when played at 0.25 speed. Cheers

[@xuicoyotl]

Fantastic video! Thank you for looking at duels from a historical / HEMA perspective! . Fights I would like to see broken down (apologies if you've done some of these already): . - Gladiator fight scene from Rome, the series - Season 1, Episode 11, "The Spoils" . - I'd like to see some more decent shield fighting scenes get broken down, but they can be hard to find: one that comes to mind is a shield fighter from Ong Bak 2. I recall the character did some cool moves, but it might be too movie martial arts to yield a good review on useful historical techniques, though I felt the Kali type aspects were neat to see . Maybe the shield duel scene from the 13th Warrior? But *spoilers* - one of the fighters was sandbagging, so it may not make for a good breakdown, either. . You did state unarmed scenes, what about a scene from Redbelt by David Mamet? . Thanks for the fantastic content, sir! Good fortune and many blessings upon you and any reading this! Peace!

[@Red80008]

Great video, as usual! I would argue, though, concerning the longsword topic at around 12:00, as long as it's older than the period of time in which a movie plays, it's fair. Definitely better than the other way around and it's younger. Maybe some fighters preferred older styles of swords, who knows? I mean, we do too, right? Or are there accounts that tell us about it not having been done?

[@bruhlordofthemoment]

Loving these fight reviews! It would be cool if you did another fight review for 1981 Excalibur in this style.

[@stephenbarlow2493]

The real Hotspur, was initially buried in the church, just outside my window. That was until they dug him up, put him on display, then chopped him up. I think he was just found dead on the battlefield, and no one knew how he was killed.

[@clark5242]

wow!

[@HeadCannonPrime]

Great breakdown. I also really liked this movie when I watched it.

[@hjorturerlend]

23:50 A pet peeve of mine in armor tests is only testing it against full power inline thrusts with your entire body weight behind it. In many situations (like when thrusting around a shield) you might only be able to make weaker offline jabs powered by your bicep. Likewise I'd also argue that if your opponent is forced to abandon quick sliding thrusts with their spear or funne their attacks towards a single weak spot the armor is *already giving you an advantage.*

[@benjaminjohnson6936]

Amazing fight! I also can't think of a better fight in armor. Usually swords just cut through armor like clothing, so this is really great to see.

[@pRahvi0]

The standard is so low that even this ok-ish fight is extraordinarily good by comparison.

[@F4R4D4Y]

Great stuff 👏

[@bertokleine280]

Sire your making brilliant vids.

[@rictusmetallicus]

I think the most realistic medieval film is FLESH AND BLOOD with Rutger Hauer. That and LADYHAWKE, of course. Especially the latter.

[@helifanodobezanozi7689]

Flesh and Blood is actually set in the Renaissance. The opening title card reads 1501 in Italy. Tom Burlinson's character's embrace of reason and technology is a represtation of the Renaissace man.

[@burgundian-peanuts]

​@@helifanodobezanozi7689 Modern historians don't consider the (Italian) Renaissance to be a separate period from the middle ages. Instead, it is a cultural era that overlapped with the late middle ages (c. 1300-1500) as well as with the beginning of the early modern period (c. 1500-1600). The year 1501 is right on the cusp of those two periods. They blended into one another, without a clear demarcation between the two.

[@MrCtosov]

Great breakdown

[@Tankbuff]

Great documentary with excellent narration and enjoyable analysis, and a model for other - woefully amateur - video makers. One nitpick is to do with the English meaning, that the knights are not 'throwing away their scabbards', no; they are casting them away. To throw away suggests dispensing with, getting rid of; casting away means to temporarily discard to pick up later. If one, or both, knights survive, of course.

[@SteinTel]

Hal does have a dagger, he did not take one from the men watching.

[@davidharriss3792]

Thanks for the analysis! It is possible that the helmet choices were, in part, to accommodate the fight choreography. The headbutt, the wrestling, and the final stabs would have all been more awkward with that pointed Pig Snout.

[@Sum_INTJ]

Saw this movie for the first time last year and thought it was fantastic. This fight definitely stood out to me as memorable in the cinematic world due to its seemingly high realism which I appreciated - same for the larger fight/battle late on in the film (all the mud etc). Soundtrack was also epic and great acting. Really highly recommended movie.

[@OzymandiasMD]

the sword fight from the end of Polanski's MacBeth would be fun to take a look at, I feel like it inspired the fight scene in The King in a lot of ways

[@richardcolbourne6151]

The King was a unexpected find on netflix. Became an instant favourite. Watched half a dozen times now. The combat is brilliant not to mention the wardrobe, sets and dialogue. Love it.

[@ptonpc]

To me it seems the difference in armours is to create different shapes, making it easier to follow which combatant is which.

[@clark5242]

For sure there has to be a way to easily tell them apart. That is why they painted the cuirass.

[@stax6092]

"If there were people, wearing horses, wearing horse armour" Hmm, an interesting image.

[@Riceball01]

Great fight review, your fight reviews are always the best. You don't nitpick too much and neither do you look at each part of the fight going frame by frame, in slow motions, and going back and forth like Shad does. I feel that's being dishonest and not really the best way to look at a choreographed because you're likely to find flaws in all but the best choreographed fights if you look that them in that manner.

[@GreenMachine1975]

Mr. Easton!!! I’m loving these combat breakdowns! Alatriste was one of my favorites!!! This is a great one too! Can you do one for the final duel between D’Artagnan and the Comte De Rochefort from Richard Lester’s The Four Musketeers (1975)?

[@prosto_potomuwto]

Неплохо да... Неплохо. Но вот славяне в древнем прошлом.

[@Leftyotism]

30:55 Take the enemies dagger so he has none to grab. He might think you grabbed your own and then might grab into nothingness and you can eventually use the element of surprise and confusion. >:D

[@Spielkalb-von-Sparta]

38:14 _There wouldn't have been people at the battle of Shrewsbury wearing this type of horse armour._ Yes, I believe there wouldn't have been, wouldn't they?

[@Subutai_Khan]

Sometimes in mounted knightly duels/jousts of war they would go from lance to mace, sword, and then dagger if for whatever reason they end up dismounted. Interesting that maces seem to primarily appear in that horseback fighting context for these formal single combats. Which I think adds to your thesis that maces in the Late Middle Ages certainly, are primarily for mounted combat. I think there are examples of bludgeons in judicial duels but they do not seem to be favored for on foot armored combat. At least not one-handed bludgeons because the force you can deliver is minimal compared to a poleaxe or polearm of some kind, and it is a bit easier to jab a sword into the gaps, plus a sword is more versatile and can be used to bludgeon with the handle in a pinch as well as being a better grapple assist as Dequitem has argued before.