Introduction

Reclaiming the Blade is a documentary written and directed by Daniel McNicoll and produced by Galatia Films on the topic of swords.

The feature-length film was distributed by Starz and Anchor Bay Entertainment.

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Outline

The Medieval and Renaissance blade, a profound and beautiful object handcrafted by master artisans of old. An object of great complexity, yet one with a singular use in mind- it is designed to kill. The truth of the sword has been shrouded in antiquity, and the Renaissance martial arts that brought it to being are long forgotten. The ancient practitioners lent us all they knew through their manuscripts. As gunslingers of the Renaissance they were western heroes with swords, and they lived and died by them. Yet today their history remains cloaked under a shadow of legend.

Notable interviewees from the film industry include Viggo Mortensen, Karl Urban, Richard Taylor, and Hollywood sword master Bob Anderson (fencing instructor to Errol Flynn and Johnny Depp among others). Interviewed as an expert on swordmaking was bladesmith Paul Champagne.

Narration is by British actor John Rhys-Davies. The documentary was produced with the support of Peter Jackson, Weta Workshop, Skywalker Sound and the Royal Armouries.

The soundtrack for the film, which included major label artists and an orchestral score from David James Nielsen, was released on Lakeshore Records. 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 – 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 (UK), Stockholm’s Historical Fencing Society (Sweden), The School of Traditional Medieval Fencing (UK).

Trivia

• Reclaiming the Blade was a number one movie rental on iTunes.
• Bob Anderson’s role in the original Star Wars trilogy is highlighted in the documentary, where he shares his experiences as the fight choreographer developing the lightsaber techniques for the movies.

Star Wars Series

• Overview of the Star Wars Franchise.
• Overview of Star Wars Films.
• Overview of Star Wars Parodies.
• Overview of Star Wars TV Series.
• Overview of Star Wars Documentary Series.
• Overview of LEGO Star Wars.

Production & Filming Details

• Narrator(s): John Rhys-Davies.
• Director(s): Daniel McNicoll.
• Producer(s): Richard Black, Erica Black Walker, Ayme Richard, and Daniel McNicoll.
• Writer(s): Daniel McNicoll and John Clements (additional writing).
• Music: David James Nielsen.
• Cinematography: Erica Black Walker.
• Editor(s): Tim Goodwin.
• Production: Galatia Films.
• Distributor(s): Galatia Films Home Entertainment (US), Starz Entertainment (UK), Anchor Bay Entertainment (UK), New KSM (Germany), and Vision Films (worldwide).
• Release Date: 07 July 2009.
• Running Time: 78 minutes.
• Country: US.
• Language: English.

Video Link