Nothing beats a good fight when it comes to action movies. And if the fight is great it elevates the film to a classic, like any of these ten scenes. Sometimes it takes just the bare fists to deliver the killing blow, or it might be a graceful sword duel to the death. Either way, these dynamic scenes are imprinted in our memory for all the tension and raw energy they bring on the screen!
10. Andrzej Kmicic vs. Michal Wolodyjowski in Potop (1974)
We start the list with a sabre duel that is very far away from the Hollywood’s over-the-top mode of sword-fighting. The 1974 Polish history epic Potop is considered one of the best examples of its genre in the European cinema and it depicts the Polish crisis of mid-17th century, when the kingdom is overrun by Sweden.
The scene between Kmicic and Wolodyjowski is in the very beginning of the movie and sets the tone for what the audience can expect. Both of them are expert sword fighters and great military captains, but Kmicic relies heavily on his body strength and show-boding, while the much smaller hussar Wolodyjowski is a true master in his craft and is never threatened by his foe. The scene remains in history as one of the best examples of authentic sword fighting, though it lacks the drama and emotional weight of the other episodes on this list.
9. Achilles vs. Hector in Troy (2004)
Arguably the greatest and most famous duel in all of culture, the clash between Hector and Achilles has captured the imagination of people for nearly three thousand years. Two great heroes, fighting for completely different reasons but with the same passion, skill and determination. Hector is of course the tragic figure here, as he stands no chance against the demi-god that is Achilles, the ultimate ancient killing machine.
Wolfgang Petersen paid a rightful tribute to this clash by orchestrating one of the most memorable fighting scenes of the new century. Brad Pitt was brilliant as the invincible Greek warrior while Eric Bana was his more than worthy opponent in the role of the doomed Trojan prince.
8. The Bride vs The Crazy 88 in Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)
This modern and bloody tale of revenge, directed by the incomparable Quentin Tarantino, culminated in the epic murderous bacchanalia at The House of the Blue Leaves. The Bride, played by Uma Thurman is on a count of Monte Christo-like path of lethal vengeance that leads her to Tokyo and a showdown with a former assassinating partner O-Ren Ishii. But before they face off in a memorable samurai swords duel, the Bride has to deal with all of O-Ren’s crazy minions. And she does so emphatically, cutting and slicing, dancing around with her lethal katana, the perfect combination between ballet, kendo, kung-fu and sheer blood-thirstiness.
7. The Grey Fight in Hero (2002)
A stunning visual masterpiece by legendary director Yimou Zhang, Hero is the highest grossing movie ever produced in Asia. The fight scenes in this film are so beautifully choreographed that they take your breath away – you almost have the feeling you watch a Shaolin monks’ performance combined with Chinese opera. And we should not be surprised – the movie features some of the industry greatest martial arts masters, including Jet Li and Donnie Yen.
These two face off in the most brilliant fighting sequence of the whole movie – the Grey fight. Employing all sorts of weaponry under the relentless downpour of rain, Li and Yen dazzle the audience with their athletic abilities and craft in weapon control. And the most brilliant part of it – once the fight is over the audience realizes it was all a mental duel between them, an exercise in meditation.
6. Jen Yu vs. Yu Shu Lien in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Another Asian production that thoroughly relies on the magic of martial arts, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is the only movie of its kind that has ever been nominated for Oscar in the Best Motion Picture category. Director Ang Lee, one of the people who single-handedly define the action-genre, takes us on a journey to Medieval China, where a shady thief steals the legendary Green Destiny sword.
While the movie features a handful of magnificent fight scenes one stands head and shoulders above the others – the epic duel between Jen Yu and Yu Shu Lien (played by Ziyi Zhang and Michelle Yeoh respectively). While Jen Yu wields the Green Destiny, Yu Shu Lien has to make due with a wide variety of weapons, unable to conquer the all-powerful steel of her enemy. Until today this scene remains the best example of Asian weapon martial arts depicted on the big screen.
5. Batman vs. Bane in The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
In the last installment of his hugely successful trilogy director Christopher Nolan decided to put the capped crusader against his toughest enemy – the killing machine Bane. For the first time Batman met an adversary that was not only his match physically but completely annihilated the Dark knight in a one-on-one fist fight. Presumably feeling no pain, Bane withstands Batman’s initial assault and then turns the clash around with his sheer brutal force.
Delivered in IMAX 3D, you can almost feel every single punch while you sink in the movie theatre seat. In the end the viewer is emotionally drained by this animalistic fight, not able to believe that the almighty Batman is thoroughly destroyed in his own game.
4. Robert McGregor vs. Archibald Cunningham in Rob Roy (1995)
Liam Neeson vs. Tim Roth in a swordfight duel to death. If this does not make you clench your fists in anticipation, you should not be reading this article. The classic 1995 history epic tells the story of an 18th-century Scotsman who finds himself at odds with the English authorities. When the ruthless and spoiled aristocrat Archibald Cunningham destroys Robert McGregor (Rob Roy) home and rapes his wife, the feud between them can only be settled in blood.
The two bitter antagonists face off in a duel for the ages where “no quarter be given or asked”. Cunningham’s supreme fighting skills do not prove enough to counter Rob Roy’s sheer hatred and will to avenge his family.
3. Neo vs. Agent Smith subway fight in The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix, apart from anything else, pretty much redefined the way we expect an action movie to look like. The bullet-time technology was jaw-dropping, but it was the martial arts supreme mastery that kept us on the edge of our seats.
Yet the most legendary, tense and dramatic of all fights in this action-packed post-modern classic remains the subway clash between Neo and Agent Smith. And while the human gives his all in an inspiring effort to bend destiny, the relentless onslaught of the software program that is Smith proves superior. In a last desperate effort Neo summons all his energy to escape death by a fingernail – the first step he made to become the One.
2. Jake La Motta vs. Sugar Ray Robinson in Raging Bull (1980)
While the boxing fights in the Rocky series might be more famous, the animalistic brutality and intense authenticity of Raging Bull make it the greatest boxing movie of all time. Martin Scorsese is not the kind of a director who would shy away from controversy and the way he shot the second fight between heavyweight legends Jake La Motta and Sugar Ray Robinson is not for the faint-hearted.
Robert De Niro trained feverishly for the role and even fought in a few boxing matches in New York, winning a couple of them. He was trained by La Motta himself, who told him he would have made a decent boxer if he had taken it up earlier. Hence the authentic spirit of the fighting scenes in the movie.
1. Tang Lung vs Kolt in The Way of the Dragon (1972)
The two greatest fighting legends of cinema – Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris – faced-off in a titanic martial arts duel in the Coliseum that sent ripples through the ages. In a nail-biting scene that went on for more than eight minutes, the two supreme fighters show us the full range of their lethal craft and deliver a breathtaking presentation of how the human body can turn into a ruthless weapon.
Lee is at his inhumanly fast, sensational best, dancing around and delivering blows that you can hardly follow with your eyes. And given the fact that he has inspired people like Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Jean-Claude Van Damme he has to at the very top of this list.
