The Biggest Swashbuckler Films of All Time to Make Swords Conflict
Action cinema wouldn’t have the following it does today without the emergence of a sub-genre of films that blended historical drama with rousing adventure: swashbuckler movies. These films relied on the charm of their leading heroes, skillful swordplay, and the romantic draw of their often-historical settings.
For decades, swashbuckler movies ranked as one of the driving genres of Hollywood filmmaking, particularly during the industry’s Golden Age period, before falling out of favor by the mid-1950s. The genre would see a brief resurgence in the 1990s, but few films today capture the same glorious sense of adventure as the classic swashbuckler movies.
Wealth of Geeks thus presents the greatest examples of this bygone genre of action films, where audiences can find themselves in rousing adventures and charming romance in equal measure.
1. Captain Blood
One of the original great pirate swashbuckler movies, Captain Blood launched both Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland to stardom and marked their first of eight films together. Flynn portrays an Irish doctor sentenced to slavery in the West Indies, only to escape his imprisonment and become a notorious pirate in turn.
As Douglas Fairbanks left the cinematic stage, Flynn’s performance as Peter Blood saw him anointed as the actor’s swashbuckling successor, setting him up for a prosperous future in the genre. The symphonic score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold would be nominated for an Oscar, ensuring the composer’s swelling orchestral sound would become a staple of Warner Bros. swashbuckler movies.
2. The Man in the Iron Mask
A loose sequel to The Three Musketeers, 1998’s The Man in the Iron Mask marked Leonardo DiCaprio’s first film role following the massive success of Titanic the previous year. P
ortraying the title character and his insidious twin brother in a dual performance, DiCaprio is joined by Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, and Gérard Depardieu as older versions of Aramis, Athos, and Porthos, respectively, as the older musketeers conspire to replace the king of France with his kind-hearted double. Both historical drama and rousing swashbuckling adventure, The Man in the Iron Mask remains one of the more beloved adaptations of the later D’Artagnan Romances and an homage to classic romantic swashbucklers.
3. On Guard
Of the many 1990s swashbuckler movies that emerged following the genre’s resurgence, On Guard remains a hidden gem amongst the bigger blockbusters from the United States.
A French-language swashbuckler, On Guard followed brash swordsman Lagardère, who befriends the Duke of Nevers and becomes his loyal bodyguard. When the Duke’s wicked heir, Gonzague, murders Nevers for his estate, the dying duke entrusts Lagardère to avenge him and protect his infant daughter until the day they can both exact revenge. A throwback to the Golden Age era of swashbuckler movies in plot and style, the film is a classic waiting to be rediscovered for all audiences to enjoy, especially for lead actor Daniel Auteuil’s charming performance.
4. Alatriste
Based on a series of Spanish novels revolving around its titular lead, Alatriste starred Viggo Mortensen as a Spanish soldier active throughout the mid-1600s, striving to raise the young son of a killed comrade while contending with the societal decay of his home country.
Far grittier and realistic compared to most swashbuckler movies, the film boasts a lived-in production design that saw it become the second most expensive film made by the Spanish film industry. If audiences wish to seek out a vastly different tone of swashbuckler while keeping the requisite sword-fighting action, Alatriste is worth a watch.
5. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
A perfect mix between epic war film and rousing adventure drama, Master and Commander retains a fierce following twenty years after its release. Starring Russell Crowe and overseen by the acclaimed Peter Weir, the film follows the exploits of English Captain Jack Aubrey as he pushes his crew to their breaking point while pursuing a powerful French frigate in the midst of the Napoleonic Wars.
With stunning attention to historical detail, Master and Commander is an elegant take on naval adventure and a rich character study that lies just underneath the roar of cannon fire.
6. The Duellists
Ridley Scott’s feature film directorial debut after making his name in advertising, The Duellists boasts lavish attention to detail and commanding lead performances from its titular leads, particularly the narrow-minded obsessiveness of Harvey Keitel’s Feraud.
The film follows the intense rivalry between two Napoleonic officers over the course of several years, with a keen focus on their central duels fought between sabers and pistols. More dramatic than most typical swashbucklers, The Duellists remains acclaimed for its historical realism, Scott’s direction, and the choreography of the duels as orchestrated by stage combat specialist William Hobbs.
7. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
Animated swashbuckler movies remain rare, with exceptions including the Disney-animated Robin Hood and DreamWorks Animation’s own Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. However, Dreamwork’s last hand-drawn animated film more than proves its mettle in the swashbuckler department, combining the high-fantasy charm of its Arabian Night inspiration with rollicking adventure.
Though one can’t escape the film’s shift to a Greek-inspired design, its voice cast, led by Brad Pitt and Catherine Zeta-Jones as both Sinbad and leading lady Marina, more than alleviates. Though a box-office failure in 2003, Sinbad has, much like all of DreamWorks Animation’s hand-drawn films, remained a beloved cult favorite.
8. Ivanhoe
The defining work by Scottish author Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe told the story of Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a Saxon noble who fights to restore King Richard the Lionheart to the English throne following his capture by Leopold of Austria. The text proved foundational not for what it did for its lead hero but for characterizing the modern interpretation of Robin Hood, who appears as a significant supporting character in Ivanhoe’s adventure.
This 1952 film version is the most famous of the book’s many adaptations, combining the medieval chivalric romance of the original Scott text with the historical adventure trappings of a classic swashbuckler. Though overlooked in favor of adventures with its vastly more famous supporting character, Ivanhoe rouses outstanding medieval fantasy.
9. Adventures of Don Juan
Loosely inspired by the legendary Spanish lover, Adventures of Don Juan reimagines the character as a swashbuckling rogue working to defend his queen and country from the machinations of a plotting duke.
Retrospectively seen as a return to form for Errol Flynn after a lean mid-1940s output, Adventures of Don Juan is a more adult-oriented swashbuckler, subtly incorporating elements of Flynn’s offscreen persona to portray an older star making good for something bigger than himself. It boasts a stunning set design for its era and a standout final sword fight on grand palace steps, emphasizing the scale of the proceedings.
10. Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson’s legendary pirate adventure saw many adaptations over the decades, notably a few well-loved takes by Disney as both a sci-fi reimagining (Treasure Planet) and a beloved take with the Muppets starring Tim Curry (Muppet Treasure Island). However, Disney’s first adaptation of the material stands definitive not only as the company’s first all-live-action feature film but also as prime swashbuckling material.
Robert Newton’s performance as the charming but dangerous Long John Silver stands definitive and Bobby Driscoll proves his mettle as Jim Hawkins in a pre-Peter Pan performance. Set pieces from the novel are given loving attention to detail and proved that Disney could make quality action/adventure films as the more established studios of the era.
11. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
A darker and somewhat more grounded take on the Robin Hood story built for the 1990s, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves remains a favorite for a generation of fans.
Despite a distinctly non-English Robin in the form of Kevin Costner, the film perseveres with a supporting cast featuring Morgan Freeman and a deliciously villainous performance by the late Alan Rickman as the film’s Sheriff of Nottingham. While this interpretation may not match its vastly acclaimed cinematic predecessor, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves ensured that the swashbuckler movies would see a return in various forms throughout the 1990s.
12. The Crimson Pirate
At once a rowdy pirate adventure and a loving send-up of the swashbuckler tradition, The Crimson Pirate hails from the 1950s at a time when the old swashbuckler movies began to phase out in favor of other popular film genres.
Burt Lancaster stars as the dashing pirate Captain Vallo, who plans to sell weapons to a Caribbean revolutionary before double-crossing the man and turning him in to the local officials. However, Vallo’s plans change when he falls in love with the revolutionary’s daughter and finds himself joining the cause. Taking advantage of Lancaster’s acrobatic training and topped by the most absurd finale ever seen in a swashbuckler, The Crimson Pirate pokes fun at and plays a loving tribute to classic pirate adventure.
13. Scaramouche
Something of a forgotten swashbuckler from the tail-end of the genre’s dominant years, Scaramouche followed the adventures of Andre Moreau, a minor noble seeking to avenge his friend’s murder at the hands of France’s best swordsman in the years before the outset of the French Revolution. Vastly outmatched, Moreau goes into hiding as an actor playing Scaramouche, gradually learning to become a master swordsman until the right moment comes to exact his revenge.
Hailing from the same director who had overseen Gene Kelly’s The Three Musketeers, Scaramouche demands to be seen for its prolonged final swordfight inside a crowded grand theatre and the gorgeous pre-French Revolution production design.
14. The Prisoner of Zenda
The source for a genre of literature taking place in fictional Central European countries, The Prisoner of Zenda fueled royal intrigue and swashbuckling adventure that proved to endure for decades, culminating in this definitive interpretation from producer David O. Selznick.
Following the story of an Englishman who must pose as his kingly doppelganger, Zenda is a more modern form of classic swashbuckler tropes, taking place closer to the turn of the 20th century while retaining the romantic adventure inherent in the genre. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. subverts his father’s legendary swashbuckler persona as the charming but nefarious Rupert of Hentzau, stealing the film with his performance, particularly during the climactic sword duel between himself and hero Ronald Colman.
15. Cyrano de Bergerac
Many movies have adapted Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, most famously a 1990 French-language production starring Gérard Depardieu. Still, this English-language production from 1950 remains the one to beat.
José Ferrer stars as the titular Cyrano, a renowned swordsman and poet with an equally famous nose, who’s infatuated with Roxanne. Upon learning she’s in love with the handsome but less lyrical Christian, Cyrano endeavors to help the guardsman earn her affection, even though he cannot shake his love for her. Ferrer’s performance as the equally boastful and melancholic Cyrano won the actor an Oscar for Best Actor and remains the most beloved take on this famous swashbuckler.
16. The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers stands as Alexandre Dumas’ great masterpiece and has been widely adapted in live-action and animation across the globe for almost as long as film itself has been a medium. Between a celebrated 1948 Gene Kelly-starrer and a nostalgic 1993 romp, the Ilya Salkind/Richard Lester two-part production from 1973 stands out as one of the work’s more definitive interpretations.
Boasting an ensemble cast including Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, and Christopher Lee, The Three Musketeers brings a healthy dose of humor to its William Hobbs-choreographed sword fights, blending the spirited camaraderie of the musketeers with more realistic action.
17. The Mark of Zorro
The codifying film that created the swashbuckler sub-genre and laid the groundwork for action/adventure cinema. The Mark of Zorro marked Douglas Fairbanks’ career shift from the silent romantic comedies he was previously known for to the costume adventure features that defined his cinematic legacy.
Serving as the first adaptation of the famous Zorro character a mere four years after his literary debut, The Mark of Zorro combined a historical setting, thrilling adventure, and a charming lead hero to cement Fairbanks as Hollywood’s first proper action star. Though the Tyrone Power/Basil Rathbone production from 1940 is the far better-known version of this story, the 1920 interpretation earns its place by being the first to do it.
18. The Sea Hawk
Another well-loved entry in Errol Flynn’s catalog of swashbuckler movies, The Sea Hawk followed the adventures of English Captain Geoffrey Thorpe just as the Spanish Armada was set to launch against his nation in 1588. Equal parts historical costume drama and high-seas action/adventure, the film boasts arguably composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s most acclaimed film score, capturing a sense of daring-do and romance inherent in the swashbuckler.
In addition to its place as a prime sea-faring action film, The Sea Hawk also served to help rouse the American public to support Britain during the early years of World War II.
19. Rob Roy
A rousing swashbuckler disguised as a loose historical drama, Rob Roy brought adventure to the Scottish Highlands at the height of the genre’s 1990s resurgence by taking inspiration from a real-life folk hero.
Rob Roy McGregor is an honorable Scottish clan chief who finds himself wronged by a local nobleman and his vile henchman, Archibald Cunningham. Declared an outlaw, McGregor fights to restore his name and seek revenge for his wife’s dishonor at Cunningham’s hands.
A commanding lead presence from Liam Neeson and Tim Roth’s deliciously evil performance as Cunningham, as well as a captivating final duel between the pair, ensure Rob Roy remains a contender for one of the all-time great swashbucklers.
20. The Count of Monte Cristo
Alexandre Dumas’s tale of the revenge-seeking Edmond Dantès in post-Napoleon France has inspired numerous adaptations, but the latest film version from 2002 remains a beloved take on this famous story.
Boasting a lead performance from Jim Caviezel and a villainous turn from Guy Pearce, The Count of Monte Cristo delivers a vengeful take on the swashbuckler while delivering the requisite sword fighting and sense of adventure that the genre demands. A bonus for superhero fans is the appearance of Henry Cavill in one of his earliest film appearances, nearly a decade before he’d take on the role of Superman.
21. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Hollywood saw pirate movies as old hat by 2003, and the industry feared this adaptation of the Disneyland ride would fare no better, especially in light of the failure of the similar romp Cutthroat Island eight years prior. However, the assured direction of Gore Verbinski and a transforming star-turn by Johnny Depp as the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow helped launch a new movie franchise for Disney.
Whatever can be said of the quality of its sequels, the original Curse of the Black Pearl is an inspired supernatural swashbuckler that goes beyond its roots as a theme park ride.
22. The Mask of Zorro
A loose follow-up to the original The Mark of Zorro story, Don Diego de la Vega is now a revenge-driven older man after his wife is murdered and his daughter spirited away to be raised by his archenemy. He endeavors to train Alejandro Murietta, a bandit and former admirer of Zorro, to become his successor and take vengeance upon their respective enemies.
Martin Campbell, fresh off of the success of GoldenEye, directs a cast led by Antonio Banderas as the captivating new Zorro in a swashbuckler equally stylish and capturing the genre’s traditional heart. The greatest of the 1990s swashbuckler movies renaissance and perhaps the last true practical effects-driven blockbuster, The Mask of Zorro is the definitive Zorro adventure.
23. The Thief of Bagdad
Douglas Fairbanks and director Raoul Walsh’s masterpiece production and one of the great silent films, The Thief of Bagdad, continues to enthrall audiences with its spell-binding production design a century after its first release.
Taking inspiration from the classic Arabian Nights stories, this fantasy swashbuckler stars Fairbanks as the thief Ahmed, who falls in love with a princess while thwarting her villainous suitor’s plot to take over Baghdad. Dreamlike and featuring a fantasy scale unlike any film before it, The Thief of Bagdad casts a broad reach over the history of the swashbuckler and was a personal favorite of Douglas Fairbanks himself when assessing his filmography.
24. The Princess Bride
Highly quotable, packed to the brim with some of fantasy’s greatest characters, and anchored by an engaging love story, The Princess Bride spun a swashbuckling fairy tale that remains unbeaten. Rob Reiner’s classic follows the story of Westley, a farmhand turned dashing pirate who sets out to be reunited with his one true love, Buttercup, who herself is engaged to be married to the odious Prince Humperdinck.
Memorable turns from Mandy Patinkin and Wallace Shawn, as well as a witty script from the acclaimed William Goldman, ensure The Princess Bride continues to enchant audiences for generations to come.
25. The Adventures of Robin Hood
No name has been so closely associated with swashbuckler movies as Errol Flynn’s and no role has been as defining as his turn as the legendary Robin Hood in this 1938 masterpiece. If Ivanhoe established the modern characteristics of Robin Hood in literature, then Adventures defined the character in the cinematic realm, creating the look, personality, and sense of adventure intrinsically linked to the Robin Hood myth and the swashbuckler genre.
Sherwood Forest has never looked as beautiful in Technicolor autumn and the set piece sword fights between Flynn and antagonist Basil Rathbone are paid homage to again and again for all time. Over eighty-five years after its debut, The Adventures of Robin Hood remains a high-water mark in adventure cinema.
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