On the occasion of the release of “An Affair of Honor”, here are five things to know about this period film by Vincent Perez.
What is it about ? Paris 1887. At that time, only the duel was used to defend one’s honor. Clément Lacaze, a charismatic fencing master, finds himself caught in a spiral of destructive violence. He meets Marie-Rose Astié, a feminist ahead of her time, and decides to teach her the complex art of dueling. They will face provocations and join forces to defend their respective honor.
On the advice of Jean Dujardin
Vincent Perez always wanted to make a film around the theme of duels, without ever really finding how and at what time. But above all he wanted to be ready as a filmmaker. He explains : “In my acting career I have had more than thirty fights, with epee, saber and foil, notably in The Hunchback, Queen Margot And Fanfan the Tulip. I worked with Chinese, Russian and American stuntmen. Among them very great masters of arms including William Hobbswho signed some of the most beautiful duels in cinema, including those of Duelists of Ridley Scottuntil the famous Game Of Thrones.”
“On the set of I accusein a discussion, Jean Dujardin told me I should make a film on the subject of combat. He then reopened this Pandora’s box that I had closed. I realized that the desire to make a film on the subject had remained intact. But this time I felt ready. I immediately started researching.”
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Valuable documents
Vincent Perez then discovered on the Internet The Duel Directory, 1880 -1889a document which lists the greatest duels of these nine years (at a time when they experienced, in France, a real boom). Another work was very important for the film: The art of duelingwritten in 1886: “It was the Bible of all the duelists of France. Written by Adolphe Eugène Tavernier, who owned a weapons room and who was at the same time collector, author and journalist and fencer.”
“The book is a mine of information on the duel, its technique, its weapons, its rules, its nobility and its protocol. At the time The art of the duel replaced the other absolute reference written in 1836, the work by Count de Chatauvillard, which contains fascinating pages on the evolution of different combat techniques. I had great material to build a story…”confides the filmmaker.
Guy Ferrandis – 2022 – Gaumont – France 2 Cinema Guillaume Gallienne and Roschdy Zem
Why 1887?
1887 was a pivotal year, with the first ups and downs of electric lighting, the arrival of the gramophone, the motorization of vehicles, the construction of the first floor of the Eiffel Tower and the beginnings of feminism. It announces the arrival of the 20th century and its modernism. Vincent Perez says: “But it is an era still very marked by the traditions of the 19th century, notably those of societal codes. The practice of dueling further intensified from 1881 with the promulgation of the law on freedom of the press.”
“Authorized overnight to publish what they wanted without risk of censorship, the scribblers of all sides, journalists and writers alike, multiplied the provocations, giving rise to an unprecedented increase in demands for reparation. The result was that the major national newspapers like Le Figaro, Le Gil Blas or Le Petit Journal and many others, equipped themselves with fencing rooms to train their journalists in dueling techniques, and they granted a bonus to their collaborators engaged in a fight.
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A sword point!
Vincent Perez is once again collaborating with fencing master Michel Carliez, whom he met on Cyrano. “He trains me for every film where swords are involved. I met Michel when he was assisting William Hobbs. Will was the great reference of the Anglo-Saxons, a wonderful man, who loved improvisation in fights. Michel’s technique is directed towards training and work. He instills control and precision in speed. He is the only legitimate heir to fencing that I know in cinema.”
“He is part of this noble school of weapons, and continues the long path of his ancestors and his father Claude Carliez. He knows the history of the handling of weapons, like few people. Michel is a precious man, because he holds the memory of the history of this discipline, which is disappearing”he remembers.
Roschdy Zem returns to fencing
Roschdy Zem has already practiced fencing, in 2001, for Blanche’s needs. In this film by Bernie Bonvoisin, the actor played a spy in the pay of Mazarin. He remembers : “As his fight scenes were numerous, I had to practice a lot and I loved it. My only regret was that most of these scenes had been cut during editing. In An Affair of Honor, like them were the heart of the plot, they were not likely to suffer the same fate.”
“I got back into fencing with great joy. I like films that force you to try new physical activities or that you haven’t done for a long time. It deflates egos because you are forced to approach them with humility. Fencing in particular, because it is a discipline of great intensity, and which requires exceptional physical condition.”