Revenge, and it's served cold.

Ever hate someone? I mean, really hate someone? So much that their destruction becomes everything that you focus on, to exclusion of your sanity, your career?

That's the theme of this film. Based upon Joseph Conrad's The Duel, it's engaging and sweeping, moving from France to Russia and back again.

It's the very end of the eighteenth century, and Napoleon has taken hold of the French army after the chaos of the Revolution and Robespierre. Instead of seeing mighty armies clashing on the field, this is told from the viewpoint of a single man, giving the period a much more intimate touch, and we get to see what harrowing war can do to the human soul. Will it make him a monster, or a human being?

D'Hubert (Keith Carradine) and Gabriel Feraud (Harvey Keitel) are two calvary officers, and when an imaginary insult is exchanged, D'Hubert finds himself in an untenable position.

Knowing that Feraud's the better fighter, he knows that he will loose. But if he runs, not only will he be charged with desertion, he'll also be branded a coward. Forbidden by military code to duel during a time to war, D'Hubert tries to get himself transfered to another unit, and evade the duel.

But to Feraud, to whom honor is everything, and despite D'Hubert's tries to apologize and gain some sort of security and reconcilliation, he discovers that he can not evade Feraud. All he can do is hope that he'll be cut down in some engagement with the enemy.

Covering over sixteen years, from Napoleon's first wars, to the hellish slaughter of 1812 Russia, this film is intriguing for watching D'Hubert's maturing from a callow young man to a mature and much more wise one is what keeps the viewer interested. Having survived Napoleon's wars, all he wants to do is retire, court and wed a young woman that has captured his heart, and discover what is living again.

But he did not count on Feraud's hatred....

Meticulous in the research, in uniforms and customs, this is a terrific film for anyone interested in sword play, duelling or history. Both Keitel and Carradine are convincing, and the cast of secondary characters are also very watchable. Best of all, William Hobbs (The Three and Four Musketeers) was the fight co-ordinator for this one, and the action scenes, done the old way without any CGI or special effects, are fantastic. They're daring, dangerous and look right.

Suitable for children 13 years of age and older.