The Duellists
Fact or Fiction?
Introduction
by Mark Ashley, UK
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As every Napoleonic devotee who has ever seen the film knows, these are the opening credits of the film The Duellist, narrated by Stacy Keach. I first saw the film in 1977. I was with a group of friends; we had been thrown out of a pub after a lunch time session and wondered what to do next, we decided to go to the cinema. I remember it was a very cold day with snow on the ground and on entering the cinema the manager told us that there was no heating. It was to make us appreciate the scenes from Russia very well! To me the film was a visual treat and it was to trigger in me an interest in the Napoleonic soldier's way of life, as well as the story behind the film. Who was Feraud? Was that his real name? Who was D'Hubert? Was the storey really true? All questions to which I wanted answers.
The Film
The very talented Ridley Scott directed the film and it was produced by David Putnam. It also featured Ridley's equal talented brother Tony Scott. The script is by Gerald Vaughan –Hughes. It stars Harvey Keitel as Gabriel Feraud, and David Carradine as Armand D'Hubert and features such notables as Robert Stephenson (From the Royal Shakespeare Company) Tom Conti, Alum Armstrong, Maurice Colbourne (From the TV drama "Howard's Way) and Edward Fox. Albert Finney plays Fouche. Most of the film was shot in Sarlouse, France; the scenes of the Russian retreat were filmed in Aviemore Scotland.
The film opens in Strasbourg in 1800; a young girl is marshalling a heard of geese down a narrow country lane when a Hussar steps out of the bushes (This is the silent hussar played by Maurice Colbourne). The girl then observes a dual between a civilian and another Hussar, Feraud, in which the civilian is dispatched rather easily. This then leads to the encounter between Feraud and D`Hubert, who is an aide-de-camp to General Treillard (Robert Stephenson).
Treillard has sent D`Hudert to arrest Feraud, whom he finds "posing" in the drawing room of a well to do lady. Feraud's defence is the classic line, "What was I to do? Was I to let some Sauerkraut-eater wipe his boots on the uniform of the seventh Hussars?"
After a brief argument in which Feraud makes all the insults, a duel is fought in the gardens of Feraud's lodgings. It is obvious from this early scene that Feraud is at least slightly unhinged. D`Huhubert is then returned to his regiment for fighting a duel when he was on duty but is saved from a court of enquiry by war. His surgeon friend (Tom Conti) Explains, "Duels of nations take absolute precedence." The tone of the film is now set; where they fight another four duels.
Respite from the duelling, and war, comes in the form of the lovely camp follower Laura. She arrives to save D'Hubert from another challenge to a duel, this time made by Feraud`s number two, who is the silent hussar. She leaves D'Hubert only to return before the duel, which is fought, on horseback. The year is 1806 and Feraud now displays the Legion of Honour. This is for my money the best duel in the film. The build up to it is excellent with Alum Armstrong arriving out of breath, complete with wet weather shako cover, having liased with Feraud's number two, calmly announcing to D'Hubert "We thought on horse back."
D'Hubert does not share his enthusiasm. Whereby his enthusiastic number two declares "As a compliment to the cavalry" D'Hubert retorts discouragingly "I'm, to be killed responsibly, on horse back, as a compliment to the cavalry!" Prior to the charge D'Hubert has flash backs of his previous encounters with Feraud and recalls Laura's warning "This time he'll kill you".
Thankfully for D'Hubert, Feraud's regiment is now posted to Spain. Their next encounter is in Russia during the retreat. Both have now risen to the dizzy heights of Colonel, although their regiments have long since been destroyed. D'Hubert for a time had been part of the sacred squadron, (mentioned in both books). Until his horse had joined thousands of others and died. During a minor skirmish they both see off a small band of Cossacks with their pistols. D'Hubert try's a stab at a reconciliation but he is rebuffed; D'Hubert then declares "Pistols next time, don't you think?"
This returns to haunt him at the end of the film. The scenes of the retreat are like the rest of the film excellent and feature all the misery you could expect; this part of the film closes with D'Hubert staring at a frozen sitting Hussar; I didn't realise the significance of this until I read the book and discovered this was the silent Hussar, Feraud's faithful number two.
We now move forward in time to 1814 and see D'Hubert hobbling around Tours in civilian clothing. No explanation is given in the film but it appears from conversation that he has been wounded at some time; it was in fact at Bautzen and he is now a General of brigade. On meeting the man who will be his future father- in-law he is told "I've hitherto not been privileged to meet a General of Bonaparte's army". He responds jokingly, " A mere imp of Satan; I cannot claim to be one of his major demons " They get on famously and D'Hubert becomes engaged to the old fellows niece who is the heiress to a large estate.
The hundred days is dealt with, by showing D'Hubert being offered a place with the army by a staff colonel (played by Edward Fox). Fox manages to rub him up the wrong way by suggesting that the cause of his long running quarrel with Feraud stems from his lack of love of the Emperor, Fox then returns to Feraud, who is also now a general of Brigade. When reporting his encounter with D'Hubert he manages to upset Feraud as well, especially when he rests his behind on a table. Feraud snarls at him "Get your damn backside off the table!"
Fox looks suitable surprised, and so he should, as those words were not in the script. Apparently Harvey Keitel (as stated in his autobiography) felt a sense of outrage that a colonel would sit like that in the presence of a senior officer. Scott liked it, agreeing with Keitel and kept it in the film -- not bad for a man who had initially turned the part down, because he was worried about his American accent.
D'Hubert marries the niece, thus showing his true royalist feelings (Being part aristocrat himself) and whilst recuperating on his sister's estate he is offered a role with the King's army whilst Feraud is all lined up for the block for being a " Raving Bonapartist" and having a "Busy tongue". D'Hubert secretly saves Feraud from the guillotine and is rewarded for his efforts by being challenged to a final duel by a scruffy one-eyed chasseur and one of Feraud's old Hussar buddies. This then takes place in the garden of an old walled ruin.
The film ends with Feraud walking, and having flash backs, as to this final encounter. He stands overlooking a river and the sun emerges from behind a cloud to bathe the entire scene in sunlight, at the right moment. You look in to Feraud`s eyes and it is obvious he is remembering the glory days of the Empire, the great cavalry charges. Marengo, Austerliz, Eyelau and Waterloo.
Alex Cox the film director, who featured the film on his cult movie programme. Movie Drome described the film as 'Unengaging ' but for me it captures the whole essence of life (and death) in the grand Army. The script is excellent, the photography is superb, and the uniforms are accurate. If you haven't seen the film look out for it, every now and again it appears on TV.
I keep making references to 'The book' Vaughn- Hughes translated his screenplay into a book. I have only ever seen one copy, it was in a library if anybody out there knows were I could of a copy I `d be most grateful. I've searched second hand bookshops the length and breadth of the country and never tracked it down. As usual the book is even better than the film; the author gives Feraud and the silent hussar a certain satanic malevolence, which I believe is unfair but it certainly makes for a good read.
After reading the book the film is much easier to understand. For instance there is a scene set in 1806 after the double Prussian defeat of Jena and Auerstadt. D'Hubert is attempting to escape from a tavern in which Feraud is drinking, to avoid another duel (there are exonerating circumstances). For some reason D'Hubert is stopped by a cuirassier who has had rather to much to drink and who insists on shouting out D'Hubert's name. Feraud, now aware of his presence, insists on forcing another duel. The cuirassier seems rather proud of the fact he can remember D'Hubert's name. The reason he should want to do this seemed a complete mystery to me until I read the book when I discovered that D'Hubert had taken part in the great cavalry charge and had been riding alongside Murat as he waved his riding whip disdainfully at the Prussians. D'Hubert had thus acquired something of a reputation and was well known within the army. Vaughan-Hughes also reveals that Feraud had a friendship with the celebrated Marbot. He recounts the time they were roistering, reliving the old times and the occasion when Feraud almost split an Austrian Uhlan in two with a single blow!
Both the books and the film appear to give Feraud a bad press, but I believe that he was a true soldier of Napoleon; he sided with him during The Hundred days and earned the Legion of honour. But for me his final epitaph comes from the colonel, played by Edward Fox who bumps into D'Hubert after the Hundred days sitting outside a café in Paris. Fox is obviously on half pay looking very tatty and sorry for himself; They both exchange pleasantries Fox harangues D'Hubert for "Playing Safe" and then declares "Feraud poor Devil." Now there was a man who would ride straight at anything" What more could you ask of a French cavalry general?
Duellist: The Real Gabriel Feraud
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Fencing is a science