The Fencing in Branagh's Hamlet

I fence saber, and you might want to know that I probably have no right to criticize anybody's fencing considering my skill level, but hey...

My first thought is that they are using the wrong kind of sword.  Saber was traditionally used by cavalrymen on horseback.  In a duel, they should be using epees. 

Also, Branagh and Michael Maloney (Laertes) both have terrible footwork--nonexistant, actually.  Just running around like that is a good way to get yourself disqualified from a bout, especially since in saber you're not allowed to put the back foot in front of the front foot.

And I almost wanted to laugh when I saw the way both of them kept swinging their left hands in front of their body like a pendulum.  In saber the hand is target, which means that if you did that in a bout your hand would end up black and blue, and if you did that in an actual duel your hand would probably get cut off.

The equipment was decent enough, though not exactly typical--I wonder where I can get padded-muscle vests like that!  Oh, and most fencers would never take off their masks in the middle of a bout, and we don't strip down to undershirts in the middle of bouts either...not me, anyway.

In a saber match, Hamlet's hit on Laertes' rear end would not count, because the target area does not go below the waist.  But you can whap someone on the butt if you really want to.

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