
Set in 19th century Imperial Russia, the story revolves around a retired army veteran who makes a good living by settling duels for aristocrats, a common practice of the era. Shot in IMAX.... (Full plot summary below)
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Set in 19th century Imperial Russia, the story revolves around a retired army veteran who makes a good living by settling duels for aristocrats, a common practice of the era. Shot in IMAX.
Leave your thoughts about The Duelist.
| RogerEbert.comGodfrey CheshireWith The Duelist, Rodnyansky is taking a more commercial turn, one that depends less on art-house refinements than on plush production values, action-movie tropes and a couple of stellar lead performances. |
| Screen InternationalWendy IdeDespite some pacing issues and a slightly repetitive second act, this is a polished production which establishes writer/director Aleksei Mizgirev as a talent to watch |
| Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinThe sumptuously shot, costumed, designed and scored Russian import The Duelist dazzles and provokes as it makes little real sense beyond the confines of its hermetic milieu. |
| Village VoiceSimon AbramsWhat's most arresting is the way Mizgirev's vision of 1860s Russia shines through in the perspiration on Champagne goblets, the flicker of candlelight on faces, and the sheen of polished-steel dueling pistols. |
| The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyThe premise of intrigue and revenge in a high-society Tsarist underworld is irresistible and pulpy, but Mizgirev’s script is an indigestible, soap-operatic mess of backstories, clichés, and the kind of ambiguous mystic overtones that have become an unbreakable addiction for Russian film. |
| Philadelphia InquirerTirdad DerakhshaniThe film is too formulaic and far too prone to melodrama, with outsize emotions as ridiculous as its comic-book villains. |
| Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzIt’s so ridiculously overstuffed it’s kind of fun. That extends to, or perhaps begins with, the look of the film. It’s rich, overripe, yet still kind of seedy. |
| Washington PostStephanie MerryThe Duelist will leave viewers scratching their heads over any number of questions, but the most gnawing one might be: Why did everyone get so dressed up for a bloodbath? |
| We Got This CoveredBrogan MorrisThe Duelist isn’t deep enough for the viewer to attempt to draw meaning from beneath its glam surface, but it’s still interesting to watch the film as a look at where Russia is at as a nation. |
| The New York TimesGlenn KennyThe clichéd story line pursues turgidity with a relentless determination. |