''Reclaiming the Blade'' is a 2009 documentary written and directed by

Daniel McNicoll Daniel McNicoll is an American independent film producer, screenwriter and director, most known for his film, ''Reclaiming the Blade''. ''Reclaiming the Blade'' was a number one movie rental on iTunes and was distributed by Starz and Anchor B ...

and produced by Galatia Films on the topic of

sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...

s. ''Reclaiming the Blade'' was a number one movie rental on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

. The feature-length film was distributed by

Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...

and

Anchor Bay Entertainment Anchor Bay Entertainment (formerly Video Treasures and Starmaker Entertainment) was an American home entertainment and production company. It was a subsidiary of Starz Inc. Anchor Bay Entertainment marketed and sold feature films, television ser ...

. Notable interviewees from the film industry include

Viggo Mortensen Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr. R (; born October 20, 1958) is an American actor, writer, director, producer, musician, and multimedia artist. Born and raised in the State of New York to a Danish father and American mother, he also lived in Argentin ...

Karl Urban Karl-Heinz Urban (born 7 June 1972) is a New Zealand actor. His career began with appearances in New Zealand films and TV series such as '' Xena: Warrior Princess''. His first Hollywood role was in the 2002 horror film ''Ghost Ship''. Since t ...

, Richard Taylor, and Hollywood sword master Bob Anderson (fencing instructor to

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia ...

Antonio Banderas José Antonio Domínguez Bandera (born 10 August 1960), known professionally as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish actor and singer. Known for his work in films of several genres, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Antonio Ba ...

, Mortensen, Urban and

Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...

among others). Interviewed as an expert on swordmaking was bladesmith Paul Champagne. Narration is by British actor

John Rhys-Davies John Rhys-Davies (born 5 May 1944) is a Welsh actor best known for portraying Sallah in the ''Indiana Jones'' franchise and Gimli in ''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy. His other roles include Michael Malone in the 1993 series ''The Untoucha ...

. The documentary was produced with the support of

Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...

, Weta Workshop,

Skywalker Sound Skywalker Sound is the sound effects, sound editing, sound design, sound mixing and music recording division of Lucasfilm. Founded in 1975, the company's main facilities are located at George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch in Lucas Valley, near Nicasio, ...

and the

Royal Armouries The Royal Armouries is the United Kingdom's national collection of arms and armour. Originally an important part of England's military organization, it became the United Kingdom's oldest museum, originally housed in the Tower of London from ...

. The soundtrack for the film, which included major label artists and an orchestral score from David James Nielsen, was released on

Lakeshore Records Lakeshore Entertainment Group, LLC is an American independent film production, finance, and former international sales and distribution company founded in 1994 by Tom Rosenberg and Ted Tannebaum (1933–2002). Lakeshore Entertainment is headquart ...

. Commentary track from director Daniel McNicoll and John Rhys-Davies included details on the making of the film and Rhys-Davies experiences with swordplay on the London stage. Seven

Western martial arts Historical European martial arts (HEMA) are martial arts of European origin, particularly using arts formerly practised, but having since died out or evolved into very different forms. While there is limited surviving documentation of the martia ...

(WMA) groups located in five countries in Europe provide footage for ''Reclaiming the Blade'': Arts of Mars (Germany), Boar's Tooth Fight School (UK), De Taille et d'Estoc (France), Ringschule Wrocław, ARMA-PL (Poland),

Schola Gladiatoria ''Schola Gladiatoria'' (SG) is a historical European martial arts (HEMA) group based in Ealing, west London, Great Britain, founded in 2001 and led by Matt Easton (nom de guerre "Captain Context"). It provides organized instruction in the serious ...

(UK), Stockholm's Historical Fencing Society (Sweden), The School of Traditional Medieval Fencing (UK).

Critical response

The ''

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...

'' said, "Hardcore gamers into cyber swordplay — or any ''

Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...

'' geeks out there, for that matter — ought to check out the interesting new documentary film" and that it was "an in-depth documentary on the culture and craft of swords and their role in entertainment". The

Association for Renaissance Martial Arts Association for Renaissance Martial Arts (ARMA) is a US-based non-profit organization dedicated to the study and practice of historical European martial arts of the 15th to 17th centuries.

said, "This is an unprecedented effort very well put together, entertaining as well as informative." But felt it "doesn't fully portray the fact that the legitimate revival of historical European fencing actually requires acknowledging the need for 'reclaiming the blade' from the usual suspects... stunt fencing, sport game, and escapist role-play." Marina Antunes on RowThree.com said, "What begins as a look at the art of the sword on film quickly transforms into a history lesson on the loss, the find and the eventual re-emergence and rise of traditional western martial arts, an art form that had been lost for centuries." Adding it is "an informative, engaging and entertaining documentary that sheds light on a subject that most of us see constantly but know nothing about".

Notes and references

External links

* *Traile
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* * * 2009 films American documentary films Documentary films about the film industry American independent films Swordsmanship 2000s English-language films 2000s American films {{arts-documentary-film-stub

Critical response

See also

Notes and references

External links