Over-Analyzing a Fight in The Witcher 2019 (NOT a Critique)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ส.ค. 2024
- If you're interested in elements of realism in fantasy and like over-analyzing of fight scenes, you'll probably enjoy this. Just a geeky rant about how Geralt (Henry Cavill) moves and what is plausible for him to get away with, considering his enhanced reflexes, speed, etc.
Of course the multiple attackers are politely waiting their turn instead of ganging up on him at the same time, that's just a standard movie trope. The epic hero wouldn't look so badass if he got knocked over the head by one dude while trying to defend against three others coming at him from the front and sides.
There's crossbow bolt deflection, reverse grip sword handling, spinning, and other shenanigans to comment on.
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I’ll have you know that losing a game of Gwent is worse than dying.
Straight Facts
WTH, he has another god#### Scorch!!
@@DapperPeregrinus Ok...he's used two scorches and got no draws. No way he has a third.
**fwooooosh**
Are you fucking kidding me?
@@AlibifortheAfterlife "Ok, so we are tied, the game is 22-20, this field is covered except for long distance row with bad weather. This guy has some blue level 2 soldier, so he barely loses, while I win. He can't use his leader, imma spam hurry up till this guy.......
"For Maid Bilberry's honor!"
F****** wins!!!!!!! _WTH_ , 22-23 How did he use Ronvid again, he was in the last round. How can he get played if he is already 6 ft under!!
Lmao that's why I don't even play that shit
Geralt stab bald guy in the chest
Geralt: How about a round of gwent?
Bald guy: Nods
Okay, you won the internet...
...and a Nilfgaardian crossbowman for your second rank.
Hol up a minute you wanna play some gwent?
as soon as the guy said something about cards i went looking for this
Hmmm
@@AvgJoeCrowe nu all of u
5:45 "the sword kinda glitches out of his hand" sounds much like the witcher 3 to me, 10/10 show for realism
Geralt was deflecting a crossbow bolt
You most definitely need to watch this:
th-cam.com/video/fqlUWWg6aYo/w-d-xo.html
"I'll give it a pass based on the law of surprise"
Fucking nice dude 👌
underrated comment
>pavetta throws up
it's finally here th-cam.com/video/_HAuSkW-1ek/w-d-xo.html
5:50 The sword glitchin out of his hand shows how faithfull they are to the games
XD
If you look really close, you can see Roach on the roof in the background.
or he had nothing in his hand until they put it in as a 3D object so the could show the blade inside his victim.
movie magic
Lol
@@mr.dalerobinson nope. The actor did all the stunts himself and used realistic weighted swords. He worked his ass off for this role.
It’s mentioned in the games and stuff that Witchers spin and twirl all the time because in the time it takes for one person to do a normal swing, a Witcher can whirl around and swing his sword with the force of his whole body even faster. They could attack normally and pick up the pace, but when you learn to fight huge ass monsters, swinging your sword as hard as you possibly can becomes the most important bit of training.
Yeah, it's crazy how much effort the author put into the world building in his game, down to the way fighting techniques are planned out. This series just doesn't do the fighting techniques in the games and books any justice at all. Cavill may have done his best, and it's clear that he did, he still would not be able to match the elegance of a witcher. Nobody can.
@@the_furry_inside_your_walls639 I think the show made it pretty clear that Geralt's a beast.
@@the_furry_inside_your_walls639 I'd say that the combat is probably the weakest part of the games.
@@the_furry_inside_your_walls639 Yeah, the show couldn't capture that same level of pure physical ability because, well... people can't actually do that since they're not witchers. You could try using tricks like doing it in slow-mo and speeding it up, etc, but imo shots like that never look that great, so I prefer this style. And yes, as HohHoch said, the show did a really good job of showing that Geralt is NOT someone to want to cross blades with if you can avoid it, because you're in for a really bad time if you do.
@Ryder GS the books has dragons. ...
I love dark souls , but no way a skeleton can swing a sword that way without any muscle attached and fight the way it does(just imagined a magical aura wrapped around them).
...
But the enemies moves and build in witchers 3rd game are alligned intentionally with realism. These beasts' moves and agility even alligns with their weight.So what r u trashing about the game?
He was just saying that, the show is based on the books that enables and justifies Geralt to move faster, so ....it wouldnt hurt if the show showcased geralt in the same way as the book series which it is based on showcased geralt.
I loved that scene though.
... so maybe not fuck the books. Or the game either.
"he is physically superior" damn right he is.
Hmm yes.
*cue bathtub scene*
Alright, now, Yennefer. TMI.
It's not gay if it's Geralt of Rivia.
He's basically Mediaeval Captain America.
I'd rather have an actual gamer and fan of the source material like Cavill play Geralt then someone who just sees it as another role.
Cavill is extremely passionate about playing Geralt, and it comes across in his performance.
He done a interview with ign I believe and he was saying that hes played all the games and read the book and when he found out he got the role he was like uber stoked about it lol
@@marshal-marshan in another interview he said that he pestered his agent almost daily until he found out he got the role lmao
I think he would have made a great Batman.
Jim Gumble but he was already Superman. And doubt he’d want anything to do with dc anymore
Agreed! Love that hes a fan because I want my fandom matched at least by the actor playing the main character.
the bigger context in the duel with Renfri (the woman with dual weapons) is Geralt/Henry Cavill didn't want to kill her, that's why he mostly deflects, took her main sword, slap her too, until he was forced to end her unfortunately.
Yeah thats really a good point you have there
Gotta love that Backhand xD felt like a pimp slap
you means "end her rightly"?
This cannot be overstated enough. In fact this is why he is holding the sword backwards at the beginning. It is a non-agressive stance. He didn't WANT to kill all the people until he absolutely HAD to.
He would smash her in 1st few sec. if he would want
"He looks like someone who has been beaten at a card game". You know, death is nothing when you lose a game of gwent
To the Shadow Realm!
That is why I always ignore gwent playing the game.
@AwwwhYyyyeah agreed
@@neildrunkmaam7040 Heretic!
FUCK you're so right. God damn quest.
''If that is what he trains because he wants to be a special snowflake with the sword'' Yep, sounds like Geralt.
It does. Wasn't the story behind "Geralt of Rivia", just young Geralt trying to be a pretentious fuck, making up some super long, titled name for himself (Witchers make up names for themselves, to give an illusion of fitting in society etc.).. it was just a happy coincidence he actually recieved a Rivian title later in life.
@@cyryl3827 not coincidence, destiny 😉
Cyryl Geralt Roger Eric du Haute-Bellegarde was supposed to be his name that he picked until Vesemir told him to stop being a jackass. He then pointed on the map randomly and it happened to be on Rivia so Geralt of Rivia it was, he did get that as an official knight’s title later tho. Even learned a Rivian accent for it to be believable lmao
Geralt is a bit of a fabulous f*ck sometimes! Giving his swordsmanship a certain flourish is very in character. And we just know that Vesemir is heavily criticising him for it. „Stance X lacks flair, but it is efficient. Simplicity is elegance, Wolf…“
At 5:18 he actually blocked another arrow
@Despising Censorship that's right mah man
bolt* :p
With the spinning, from the source material it's kind of implied that only a Witcher could fight in the way he does, because of his increased speed and reflexes. All of the fights are pretty damn good in this show, especially for a Netflix Series, I think they did a really good job on them.
That's right, only Witchers can fight in that weird way, it's like that, Sapkowski implied every time as it's physical impossible for a human to fight as a Witcher, because they're enhanced and humans not. They moves faster than eye can see.
BigZ7337 it’s to confuse, misdirect, and bamboozle.
But Renfri fights in the same way though. Overall the scene is very nice. No shaky cam, no jump cuts ever 30 milliseconds, very good angles and wide frames and whenever they do zoom in to a specific point, it manages to show off a move without making it confusing. The whole scene is just very fluid and easy to follow. It's fantastic even if the techniques are not historical or even realistic.
@@mrkiky well she's also not human. Take note how literally only non humans fight this way so far in the show. Even so it can also further be argued that she is stronger and faster than the average human.
@@gino1802 I guess you're right, even though the scene kinda implies Geralt's combat ability is far superior to hers. "If we cross swords.." implies he is still open to not killing her, and the fact that he doesn't immediately kill her when he gets the upper hand also suggests that he's still open to bargaining with her so he holds back the whole fight. He gets stabbed and slashed a few times but he's still confident enough to not consider her a real threat to him. No matter how different from the books the scene is, taken as standalone it's great.
5:06 “there’s something about this gesture” bro he deflected another arrow so fast no one noticed - epic.
Pretty cool ! I hadn't noticed, took me a few times to see it.
Thanks for pointing that out.
ddo san you’re welcome. 🙂
holy crap you're right. And the cutters had to know this would be missed by 99% of those watching, so I'm rather impressed they added that.
Chris Kell yeah I didn’t see it watching the show. Just noticed the sound watching this vid and was like...no way. Gonna have to watch the season again to pic up these details.
I didn't even noticed it and I watched this scene at least 5 times
The reason for the spinning is because in the books Gearlt’s fighting is described as dancing.
Hope this helps.
lots of pirouettes/half-pirouettes
@@mathieushifera9555 Season 2: Introducing the combat fouetté.
@@zoria2718 lmao! I'm just citing the books. But your comment is too good
That explains nothing. That's not an explanation at all. That's not even remotely the point here.
@@BigPuddin read the other comments. The explanation is accurate. Geralt, and the other Witchers of Kaer Morhen, use a fighting style which includes lots of pirouettes (spinning) among other acrobatics used to evade enemy attacks
I believe the whole reverse grip thing was purely just him gloating that he's so superior to them that he doesnt need to fight properly to win cause to my knowledge he never does it again
Geralt doesnt really seem like the kinda guy to endanger himself to look cool
I saw it more as a bait, "They think im a pretentious ass hole who is over hyped so I will pretend to be one so they come at me like morons."
I feel like in the scenerios he does it though he uses it well rather than just hey look at me im cool....
Even though it is cool.....nd hes cool
Think more about where he is fighting, its a small closed in area, and its hard to make a human as fast as a fictional super human. I won't deny the cool factor but he is faster and stronger so technically some of the stuff he does is more plausible like the spins, he would theoretically be moving too fast for that opening to matter with an ordinary person. Now think about his fight with the striga, she over powers him even with his potion but he still keeps up, hell he runs from a table to stop a halbard and save the porkupine knight from death
He has a disdain for killing humans. To me it feels more like a tired "Ok, see what I just did? Can you please stop?". Intimidation over the efficiency.
I normally dislike fancy exaggeration of sword fighting... but even in books Sapkowski describes Witcher fighting style with pirouettes so they stay true to source material
These spinns are nothing compared to the ones in the books
In them geralt is basicaly spinning all the time
@@brakdanych4329 I mean it's impossible for a human to really mimic fictional characters that are superhuman. Would be damn cool though
@@brakdanych4329 it's for monster fighting. He spins to keep his blade everywhere, so fighting a kikimore, it's legs can't surround him. Fighting many necrophages, they can't find openings, etc. This working against humans because he is super quick... it's just a side effect really
" - So they stay true to source material" **TRIGGERED**
@@HarbingerOfTruth1 it's also probably impossible for an actor to fly in a full body armor shooting rockets out of his wrists and back while shooting energy weapons from his hands.
I wonder how they did it in MCU.
Maybe he unlocked that talent where backstab damage doesn't count
The spin at 9:00 is justifiable though. I've seen enough kick boxers pull that off even at lighter weight classes after dodging a hook. And that's a woman handling a sword so it'd take more time to recover from that than the usual kick boxer.
edit: I'm more surprised by the fact that the backhand didn't knock her out. I mean Geralt is at least a super middleweight with enhanced strength and agility. So a woman *should* get KO'd even if she's got steel jaws.
There's a ring for that
@@NyangisKhan She's also a mutant. The show doesn't explain much of what she's capable of other than being immune to magic and being able to influence people, but that was why the sorcerer wanted to autopsy her corpse.
Well, the "behind the back block" he does at one point proves that he's at least self-aware.
Dragonscale ring
Skal: “I haven’t seen The Witcher.”
Me: “But come on...” _gestures to Geralt, Yen, and Jaskier_ “These views.”
I see what you did there!
I sort of read the Geralt and Renfri duel as Geralt simply defending himself and not having any real killing intent until the very end. Usually he swiftly kills his opponents.
that dude with the pseudo dussack you were looking at, it's a butcher blade not necessarily a fighting impliment
swdfsdft
We had those in school to cut paper.
Seems like a stupid thing to have around 8 yr olds now that I think about it.
I think the handle on the blade is for swinging the weapon so as to use the pommel as a club to end the foe rightly.
@@jmgollde843 but if you cant detatch it, can it really end rightly?
A lot of stupid-looking weapons make more sense if you consider that they are as much for intimidation as actual fighting.
That's why it looked familiar. It's a variation of a mezzaluna, which is a curved blade with handles on both ends so you can rock it back and forth over what you're cutting and therefore mince it easier.
"That throw looks akward. Sword just like glitches out of his hand."
Game/Book to series fidelity: 10/10.
Perfect adaptation so far.
Expected roach to fly.
3/10
9/10 , it's missing some flying horses
Actually 7.5/10 - short stories much better in the books, much more depth and emotions
It's good TV series overall all, but it isn't project the book very well;/ I still love the books, but TV series could be better
I'm just glad Superman didn't blow it. I did expected more neckers, like everywhere, but maybe that's just the game...
5:08 he's not just doing a nice move, he's casually deflecting a crossbow bolt.
I'm quite disappointed that so many people missed it.
@@B3MMi i thought that the dude with the axe tried to swing on him and he blocked it but it's so fast so i cant really tell
@@B3MMi true but it shows geralts above your average human in reflex
That actually makes a lot of sense, i was wondering whether the crossbow guy only managed to get one shot in before he died
7:00 the guy looks like he wants to tell Geralt, that "THEY'RE NOT ROCKS THEY'RE MINERALS"
Jesus Christ Marie
Mmh...
Care for a round of gwent?
*Geralt smells a virgin*
you better be commenting on every wither video on youtube you clever bastard.
*Fvck*
Vesele Vianoice!
On the first point, you can see he did evade the crossbow bolt. Deflecting it midair was just him doing a Witcher flex
Right. Seems he takes a slight step back....but still knocks it out of the air because he's Geralt and why not do both. :D
@@miss.g-shun-w Maybe its his instinct to reduce the collateral damage a stray arrow may cause. Good Guy Witcher lol
It's also written in the book that he deflects arrows and bolts with ease.
there`s an ongoing joke in the books about witchers deflecting crossbow bolts ,they even did it in the game
In all fighting arts, u block and dodge attacks, just as an extra precaution
If skal doesn’t like unnecessary spinning then by the gods he better avoid picking up wild hunt 😂
He must really really hate general grievous then
in the game if you keep spinning and being offensive like an idiot you die horribly. At least on the dificulty i played. You have to be really aware of when do to which type of attack against human oponnents, which are, imo, much harder to beat than monsters. With monsters you just dodge and do whatever the fuck you want with the sword, as long as you dodge.
@@ArtilleryAffictionado1648 literally every one of his attacks is a spin and after leveling up sword skills he continuously spins as a combo but Ight probably my difficulty.
damn I hate these random spin that Gerald does for no purpose.
*Skallagrim stabs Geralt*
Geralt: How?!
Skallagrim: You were showing me your back.
Et tu, skallagrim?
Considering how many contact points occurred in a continuous scene before a camera switch (separate take) occurred...I thought Henry did VERY well learning how to look competent with a sword. The choreography was also very well done despite the overly risky spinning.
Am soooooo tired of a camera switch occurring every 1 to 3 contact points because the actors are complete SHIT with a blade, or just not athletic enough.
I came to the video for comments like this.
You have to realize with fantasy series you have to approach fight scenes with a sense of curiousity not pessimism.
Geralts a trained fighter, all this talk about this part not being realistic and that part not being realistic. Hes a mutant with super human abilities and strength. Christ the guy hunts down monsters for a living. Of course regular infanty and brigands are gonna hesitate around him.
Christopher McCarthy to be fair if anyone played the games you know your character (Geralt) does these risky spinning moves all the time
Read the books. The fighting style of The Wolf is centered around dancing of sorts but with swords.
Guys, you're all missing my point. I LIKED the choreography, despite the spins. My main comment was about how good the fighting actually was.
You know like Keanu Reeves doing continuous fight scenes, and not like Liam Neeson having a camera switch every half second.
@@bradenglenar7006 yeah and also there is a video of Henry talking about that fight and he said that he wanted it to feel like he was dancing while fighting, that's why it has so much spinning also
In the books, getalts combat style is described as whirling, almost dance like. His inhuman speed, thanks to him being a mutant, enables him to pirouette for a more powerful strike before his enemy can raise their sword.
Yeah, that technique is also explained to be very effective against monsters, as the constant dance-like movement makes witchers harder to hit. And the added power and momentum of a spinning strike can more easily penetrate the hide of tougher monsters.
Ethen Millard And lets you see all around, which is another useful advantage against monsters with multiple limbs.
Conservation and redistribution of forward momentum. I love how fantasy settings can use science. It’s a lot like deflecting an arrow, predict the path of an arrow’s trajectory and you can parry it.
I think spinning makes sense combined with erratic (unpredictable) movements if you fight multiple opponents. And are faster and stronger and better trained than humans:)
It sorta reminds me of that greatsword style of fighting that skald has mentioned before. The zone of death one, meant to be used on a battlefield
They have good foley artists. The sword hits are satisfyingly high pitched and lethal sounding.
7:00
Skallagrim
: "He looks like somebody who's just been beaten at a *card game* "
Me: (has the sudden urge to play Gwent)
The face of a man who got fucked by 4 scorch cards
not gonna lie, the background outside makes this video calming.
you lie
So Nordic 👍🙌
What is a good Death?
No warrior wishes to face his end in his bed, nor from deceit or dishonor,
In battle then?
No, for many may fall in a day and the Gods cannot see all heroes at once,
Illness, old age or ignominy are insults to such as he,
A good Death my child?
To draw your last breath surrounded by beauty,
Knowing the world that you fought for lives on past you, and seeing those you love still in it to do so.
I know right?
I spent the first time watching the video just looking at it
The original books loved to mention that witchers performed "pirouettes" frequently enought to be a mark of their style. Granted, the action scenes in the books were written with being dynamic in mind, and kind of vague beyond an occasional specific action, like deflecting. It was mostly important to make people realise that the witchers don't fight like anyone else, and why would they, they were trained to fight monsters, not humans.
Personally, I think the show did a decent job making the fights look like something that could be believably performed by a person, rather than the "let's, like, spin the character model super fast for a second or two" of the games.
Yeah it's okay if Geralt spins because that's the Witchers' style plus he has enhanced reflexes and physical abilities. The thing is that Renfri spinning is a no-no.
@@Mr.Sax. Renfri is a mutant as well
@@kyre4189 She's not a mutant. A mutant is made, she was born with some kind of special ability and inmunnity to magic. But she's not physically enhanced and as stated in other comments spinning is parte of Witchers' fighting style, something she's not. The fact that she survived more time against Geralt is because Geralt didn't want to kill her but in the end she left him no choice. She's human with some special abilities, a human nonetheless.
this may just be me but i would probably rather not spin and take my eyes off and leave myself completely open for attack while fighting a monster that can rip me in half with it's bare hands faster then i can blink.
@@theldraspneumonoultramicro405 I would rather not fight a monster in the first place, we are not witchers.
You know his reflexes are 11/10 when he can take the time to throw in a bitchslap 8:55
For the first minute you talk about how it is easier to just dodge an arrow - which it is - however, Geralt has increased reaction timing and hand-eye-coordination skills so I think it was more of a flex if anything. Reflexes are just body responses to a stimuli; like the patellar reflex.
Also, his grip I also think was a flex. Basically flexing through the whole fight lol.
It's pretty normal for a Witcher to parry an arrow, if I remember correctly Geralt has parried two in a row in one of the books (and that's his jest result, he said that).
He literally mentioned the enhanced reflexes and speed along with how Geralt would easily hit the arrow so ig you just didn't watch enough before commenting
Ozkan No, I mentioned reflexes... which he doesn’t understand. I also think you misread my comment. Sure, you could say I’m cherry picking if you want to be cynical like how I am, but whatever.
@@user-vr5zk9ox8d Yeah I misread, that's my mistake sorry about that I don't know what I was on about
Ozkan Lol, no worries 🤙
“He really shouldn’t spin there”
*Renfri spins three whole times in the same cut*
He focuses on geralt
He said that he just wanted to point it out one time and that it was about to happen multiple times. No use beating a dead horse.
Renfri can get away with the spins to be deceptive about from where exactly her strike is going to come because Geralt is holding back since he doesn't want to fight her. That's her only way to beat him. Notice that she stops spinning after Geralt grabs her dagger, which means her tactic no longer gives her any advantage. Also, he then starts using heavier attacks so that she has to use both weapons to block him.
@@Sharikacat Well noticed
She lost, you know, so it's still believeable. xD
typically, i dont like the spinning trope, but because this is a fantasy world and geralt has enhanced speed and strenght and thats how his fighting is described in the books, i accually like it in this show
You don't like good fighting? lmao
@@tzukishiro spinning isnt good fighting its good dying
@@tzukishiro It IS for witchers, in universe.
From a serious perspective, it isn't, but if you are to be true to the source material that's how witchers fight.
They are so fast and reactive that they use those movements to hit multiple targets, confuse movements and move around monsters body parts at the same.
It's realistic? No. But they are fucking monstrious human beings that can hit a rat by throwing a fork in the dark. Can you do it?
I find it bearable for similar reasons. But they could have executed it better so that it reads well on screen. I got the impression that for one of his spins, he was supposed to force his opponent's sword out wide so they couldn't counter easily. Obi Wan had some good spins where he maintained his guard throughout. Or maybe if they did a 300-like slo-mo, where it looks like Geralt is moving in the stopped time, that would help drive home the point
@@ebreshea I am not a fan of stopping time in action scenes, but I see your point.
Anyway, yeah, it's not the best scene, but there is a reason why it has been made like this.
"There has to be something special about him so he uses the sword backwards.
"
I blame mallNinja producers
Which is complete BS because Geralt already has an absurdly flashy and special fighting style as described in the books and portrayed in the games. No one else is pirouetting around the battlefield like him. If they wanted to make him look special they just should have had him spin MORE expect speed it up more because the only reason he pirouettes in the first place is because he moves absurdly, superhumanly fast.
@@Butch273 Well the reason is more because he needs the rotational momentum to kill monsters. But he can do it against humans to straight cut people in half. It's basically him dunking on people.
But anyway speeding it up will look strange. Like honestly, it's a bitch to try to get sped up footage to look normal when compared to normal speed footage. I don't doubt they could make a good show of it, but it just wouldn't look good. Not to mention, when you have characters moving that speed along normal characters, it's much harder for the viewer to understand and follow their actions because they go by so quickly.
I love renfris spinning in this scene because she’s not only fast but is using the momentum of geralts swings to carry her around. It’s also a great way to highlight geralts strength.
Well... she does stand with her back to him for quite some time there. How is she even blocking when she can't see him? And he's a witcher. Not someone you turn your back to. You're of course allowed to like it anyway because it looks cool etc. :) But it's not realistic or smart. That said, I love the series.
Syster Yster lol I didn’t say it was perfect and he spends a good deal with his back to her so it’s even.
@@kingjamestres Oooh yeah, they both do it! XD Made me wince. But hey, it's the only battle where they do that so I'm ok with it I guess. :P And they look cool.
You can tell Cavill is totally stoked to play this character. He's really into it. **sigh** **resubs to Netflix**
the dude read all the books and played the games just to not make it bad I love this man
@@yupi749 He sought out the role himself because he was a huge fan of the books and games
Dead on..I understand the he applied for that job when heard about them making this series because he was so jazzed at playing that character(big Witcher nerd he played the games & read the books)...and he is fantastic as Geralt.
People can say what they want about the reverse grip or the choreography not being realistic or whatever, none of that was Henry. The fact is, he fucking NAILED this role. I didn't like the casting either when I first heard about it but I was wrong and the casting director was right, Henry was spot on perfect to play Geralt.
Some of the other casting choices I'm not so keen on *coughTrisscough* but Geralt was exactly right.
@@chriswhinery925 Yeah, Triss wasn't the greatest, and I was honestly disappointed with Yennefer as well. She played her well enough, but didn't look the part as well as I was hoping. She still looks like a child, and not as mature as the games depict her as.
Henry Cavill flashing his tight glutes in leather pants is a perfectly valid distraction tactic
Big Byrd num num num num num
Big Byrd 😋.... I wish I was a woman
Dummy THICC
I just thought geralt was annoyed, but being lazy with them.
When Skallagrim says “I’m actually ok with that” you know it’s great sword fight.
"His decapitated head will always hold this expression of disdain, and disappointment, and annoyance."
NIGH IS THE TIME OF MADNESS AND DISDAIN!
"He looks offended."
Appropriate, 'cause he sure wasn't defended.
See yourself out
The thing that's impressive to me is that Henry Cavill not only did all of his own stunts for this show but he was ALWAYS Geralt every time he's in the frame without using stand-ins even for scenes where you don't need to see his face. I also quite enjoyed the fight choreography here as they made the fight very pleasing to the eye but still tossed in some real techniques here and there.
I felt throughout this fight that Geralt didn't really want to be there, didn't want to kill them, and his actions throughout the fight are basically saying "I'm way better than you. All of you won't be able to touch me. Just give it up, I'm not even being serious". His impractical crap is basically an intimidation tactic, giving them a chance to give up (which they aren't interested in doing)
With moves like those, he would be a fantastic dancer.
SkelMiguelTon that’s the point
@Hans Hanzo Henry Cavill said in an interview that he based Geralt's style on dancing
In books and a lot of fiction including the Witcher books, swordsmen learn to dance first before they learn to fight because it teaches footwork and balance
@@SitInTheShayd which other books?
Well, martial arts and dancing have a lot of things in common: The focus on precision, form, coordination, rhythm, tempo, timing, spatial awareness, conditioning etc.
To be fair Geralt isn't trying to kill her in that fight.
Dredgen One you clearly don’t know who he is then
@Dredgen One no thanks, i'll leave you to it
are you used to being wrong
Ohh my video cut.)) this is.
@Dredgen One well i dont watch this guy regularly but im pretty sure he practices sword fighting and participates in hema in general
Love how you bring that sharp analysis without forgetting it's entertainment, thus giving it a chance.
I really appreciated the choreography in this scene. It was a nice blend of Hollywood flashiness and proper technique. The actors went through a decent amount of training, and the choreographer knew what they were doing. Some of the stuff is a little silly, sure, but sometimes the choreographers just want to do some silly flashy stuff.
What REALLY sucks in this show are big battles. Especially Nilfgaard soldiers, whose answer to everything is to Yell and charge with you sword raised high up.
Cavalry incomming? Yell and charge
Closed city gate? Yell and charge
Magical impenetrable field? Yell and charge
Arrows raining from the sky? Yell and charge
Their AI is worse than Skyrim's citizens xD
I mean nilfgaard wasnt able to threaten Redania and burn Cintra to the ground because of blitz tactics. If thats all they did then they wouldve been defeated by the first country to properly prepare themselves for the charge.
@@morpheusbutasasquirtle4431 Two word: Fringilla Vigo
@@jamie_d0g978 exactly. Too bad for her i played the witcher 2 and didnt like her lol
@@morpheusbutasasquirtle4431 I hate her too
its a show, it wasn't meant to realise realism fetish, it was odd but it showed the hardness and despair of the battle ^^
I think it's important to note that Witchers fight monsters, not humans. They are also inhumanly fast and strong. So these spins and such could be said to be techniques used typically against monsters, building momentum to cut through abnormally tough skin. They also probably happen so quickly, a human with a normal response time probably has difficulty exploiting it.
Spinning doesn't make your cuts stronger, if anything you'd have less power.
Laughing Man Not true. A good strike is powered from the hips, if you can manage that with added momentum, the strike would be more powerful. I understand that's not something you would want to do in an irl fight, but we are talking about a fantasy world and fighting styles that developed under very different conditions and for very different purposes
@@rooski1191 Cringe
@@LaughingMan44 Right so that's why roundhouse kicks are so ineffective huh?
Spinning ADDS energy.
If the cut is following the direction of your spin it will gain momentum.
It's quite a simple concept.
@@LaughingMan44 have you ever seen track and field athletes throw a discus or shot? They spin to build up momentum. Foot placement and form are really important, and all the power comes from that. I think that spinning into an attack, with proper form, could add quite a punch to it, and if you had superhuman speed, strength, and balance, proper form would be trivial to accomplish.
Reverse grip in Korean martial arts (and I think also Japanese) is pretty much for use indoors, where the walls are close, like in a hallway. So, confined spaces. Also supposedly for moving through a group of opponents where you want to move up close.
But as you say, the limited range of cuts and thrusts reduce its efficacy.
"Reverse grip is worse"
*Ahsoka would like a word with you*
I mean it's a little different when you have blades that cut through almost everything
Yeah, but space monks with wizard magic do not play by the same rules. :P
I read word as ‘sword’ lol ‘ a sword with u’
@@taehyungsduality9565 imma AXE him a question
@@jaywu4804 das racis
After stabbing the guys leg he deflected another arrow. He wasn’t just being flashy
he knows??
In book only one arrow go
But i like this this
@@sionnicholas7243 no he doesn't lmfao
@@lx5tgp Watch it at minimal speed. There really is an arrow visible for a split second. Took me like six views to catch it when someone else pointed it out.
@@sebastianb.3978 i know that, im saying skallagrim doesn't know that. look who i'm replying to, that person says that skallagrim knew he deflected an arrow but he really didn't know
"It's great to get away from this world and how much it sucks and immerse ourselves into the world that sucks differently"
Annokh have fun losing to Gwent because your deck is not as good as the opponent’s
Or "it's great to immerse into a fantasy world that suck worst than your current world so that you can feel better."
Welcome to Warhammer 40,000.
Being several years late, I think the thigh stab at ~4:00 is supposed to depict massive blood loss from cutting an artery, which might be enough to instantly stop some one. I am unsure how quickly severing the Femoral artery would cause someone to lose blood but I know it is VERY fast.
You don't feel bloodloss that instantly. It takes literally minutes, and if it's that severe, it would require him to just destroye muscle tissue etc, and just bring the guy stumbling and falling
Geralt is around 200 years old I believe. He's been fighting and witching (witchering?) all his life. He's had his whole life dedicated to perfecting his techniques and skills. At this point every careless spin and mistake he makes seems more like a challenge. Just him silently saying "I can get away with this, I dare you to try and kill me."
Around a 1oo I think.
It is, as far as I am aware, just him being flashy and a bit arrogant and the books describe him as toying with opponents and generally not taking fights overly seriously because of the skill difference, thus flourishing and playing around. (Which I think is pretty cool)
In witcher 3, its stated by Vesimer that Geralt is "nearly a century old." So considering time gaps and stuff from the books and games, Geralt is roughly 70-80ish in this scene
Skall, I hope you see this for your own convenience: You can go frame by frame on youtube by pressing "," and "." one for going back and one going forward in that respective order. And in the case our keyboards don't have the same symbols at the same place, it's the two keys to the right of the letter "M".
RexusprimeIX shit i never knew
Ty man
Thanks, I hope he sees this too.
Geralt fights like a helicopter in the games so it makes sense
I did like that his style in the show matched the style in the game pretty well
It's true to the source material in that regard, yeah. :)
In the books as well. He abuses his super speed
@@Skallagrim theres a certain raging author that resents the fact that people believe the game is the source lol
@@blahblahboii From what I hear there's spinning in the books too.
the axe bit depends on where in his leg he stabbed him. we are presented with a side view which limits our exposure to WHERE he stabbed him an axe is mostly meant for blunt trauma (if you disagree go grab an axe and chop some wood) and due to the way they are designed swinging one requires a firm base for you to build the kinetic force necessary for the axe to work as intended. if you dont plant your self properly (this doesnt count with hand axes) you will not even be able to cut LEATHER (sure its tough stuff but a decently sharp sword or knife will slide right through it) you might break a few bones and THAT can be ignored due to adrenaline unfortunately if your tendons have been sliced and your bones damaged badly enough your body itself will basically just drop you to the floor.
Its also fair to point out that Geralt claims to be extremely precise in where he stabs/cuts
9:25 "This, of course, is shenanigans."
I laughed pretty hard at that. Lol
I do apreciate they don't jump cut all the time, makes it look more realistic.
Yeah agree, way easier to follow the action with your eyes.
If it's done well (something like how Mad Max did it) then you can get away with it (and a lot of it), but that's a bit of a rarity.
@@Arbeta10000 That's the big benefit of Henry doing all his own stunts and swordfights, usually jumpcuts are done to prevent the audience from noticing that it's the "wrong" person in the fighting. No need here, since the camera can just stay focused on Henry the whole time as he fights stunt doubles. Note the only real jumpcuts start showing up once he's fighting another actor.
@@ciaphas Ah, yeah I didn't think of that initially. I think it's quite impressive of him, or any other actor for that matter, when they perform their own stunts!
@@ciaphas They are also used cause one shots are hard as fuck.
@@ciaphas yeah but still, when there are jumpcuts it's not shaky cam and 15 cuts per second, you can still follow the action. The jumpcuts are efficient
"The sword just kind of glitches out of his hand into the guy's chest" Welcome to The Witcher.
*The Glitcher
right. They could have at least done that minor detail better. I don't really care, but it just shows that all it takes is paying a little but more attention to detail to notice where things are invisible. Pretty sure the sword was attached to something.
That was an easter egg
@@TechSupportDave have you seen the breakdown of the fight scene in the last jedi where kylo and rey fight the red guys
@@puppy_pope It's a feature.
If you look close at the guy who got pinned to the door, Geralt actually pins his hand into his chest with the guard of his sword
The strength of the strong female character is directly proportional to the amount of spinning she does. :)
Idk if you're joking or making a point about momentum adding to the impact of Renfris blows but pretty much yea
*Gets stabbed with a dagger*
"I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed..."
The weird blade the guy has is based on a beidana. Its a farming tool
Hmm, another farming tool used to kill instead of farming. Kama, Sai, oh yeah and tridental pitchfork (this one is a deadly weapon in the Witcher world).
@@Zireael_1251 Random Florida farm boy kills murder machine.
@@owainthetrueexalt6723 Florida Man used weed whacker to kill zombies.
@@Zireael_1251 To be fair, most farming tools are used to cut, stab or crush.
@@Artrysa Yeah, and people are able to kill each other even with their bare hands. Cutting, stabbing and crushing tools only make it easier and faster.
I've seen the behind the scenes of season one, and the sword Henry Cavill is using here is the handle, the cross guard, and the first six to ten inches of the blade. Based on the way the guy reacts, I think he was told his character was going to be hit in the chest rather than the thigh.
Specifically on the choice of actor for Geralt, I'm not sure they could have picked someone better. Not because I like Henry Cavill more than other actors, but because he's a fan of the games, can't remember if he's read the novels, but isn't a "fanboy". He gave his input and helped the show with his knowledge of the character of Geralt.
7:11 - I literally watched that part twice when I first watched the show, and I literally said exactly that, "He doesn't look like he just got stabbed in the chest, he looks like he just had a candy taken from him and he's offended."
I could be wrong, but I think the point of that awkward death glare @6:45 is still showing us that Geralt is still moving super fast;
As in, this guy hasn't even processed fully that Geralt is in his face with two swords yet, about to die.
He sliced him under his left armpit. Breathing problems etc. But yes, you could be right about that.
@Chase Bond thug can't learn axii as he's not a Witcher type you fool
Maybe the head was a cast for the decapitation effect.
@Chase Bond I know it was a joke, I was trying to play off it, hence why I said he isn't a Witcher *type*
@@popitrekker1543 Actually, according to the books non-Witchers can learn signs, but they require some slight access to magical power. Signs are just a very weak form of magic, so technically anyone could learn it with even a tiny bit of magical aptitude.
Remember he's a superhuman with a sword.... that has trained with a sword since he was 10.... aaand he is like 85 years in this season.
Skallagrim, Its important to remember the trial of the grasses gave him heightened speed and awareness .
Spinning is the Witcher style but in the books he does is insanely fast so he leaves no openings
Yeah I believe its all about having more momentum on each strike so you can hit harder, which is useful if you're fighting a big-ass monster. So in Geralts case spinning actually makes complete sense.
@@OkurkaBinLadin says someyone with czech/slovakian name
Imagine witchers getting constantly dizzy because of this spinning while they're fighting.
By the sound accompanying the thigh stab, I'm pretty sure that he didn't just stab the thigh, he broke the bone.
Also, if the stab cut the femoral artery, that will ruin your day real fast. Rapid loss of strength within about 30 seconds, unconscious in a minute, dead in 2 minutes.
I think he also deflects another crossbow bolt after he pulls it out
"he is physically superior" damn right he is.
@@mikebienlein3739 still doesnt make you stop a strike a millisecond after
Just some food for thought about those turn cuts: witchers were never trained to fight humans, and an attack from something the size of a grizzly is impossible to parry, thus dancing out of the way seems like the better option; also, to damage a beast that big, having some extra momentum (by turning yourself into a beyblade) doesn't hurt (or does, that's the point). Turning your back against a human oponent might not be a good idea, if he is fast enough to exploit it...
Usually I get those vids recommended only 4 years after they got uploaded. So I am kind of early and this feels fresh to me.
the spins are a part of the witcher fighting style. However they should be done inhumanly fast and only he should be trying to pull them off.
Darton It is probably very difficult and EXPENSIVE to use CGI to make Henry move that fast. But I'm still hoping they make him do some crazy shit while high on a Blizzard potion :)
@@chad1682 You don't need CGI to speed up his spins. You just play those particular frames faster, at say, 1.2x normal speed. The challenge is speeding them up without making it look like they were sped up, which is a special effect itself!
@@chad1682 right. However, I don't really mind the way he fought so far. As long as they are consistent with the quality then I have no complaints. It is clear that they are far from perfect, but as he stated in the video, this show is perfect if you just want to turn off your brain and enjoy the action.
I'll only have issues if the witcher ever loses in a sword battle against a human in the series. There is no way, especially for Geralt, to lose in a sword fight. It would simply not be right because of the skill and potions he has.
@@GonzoTehGreat no you do, if you speed up the shot by 1.2x you speed up everyone
@@shoumikjahangir Films are made of frames, so you can edit each frame and only speed up the ones Cavill's in. If you don't have enough frames of him alone then you can use a separate camera focused only on him.
At least, Geralt have an excuse. He is several times faster than any human so he can do this kind of nonsense and still stay alive
In fact, he is so fast that should just walk among the enemies without any technique, just chop, chop, chop...
It's mentioned in the books that he doesn't move while talking to a certain character because he doesn't want him to realise how fast his reactions really are when he's all potioned up.
@@Ghostface1982 the dark potion, the "adrenalin shot" for witchers.
Every time I see this, I remember Panoramix saying "No, Obelix. You can't have anymore potion because you felt on a cauldron when you was a baby"...
@@CopernicoTube Lol I used to love Asterix
Not to mention his enhanced strength, durability and near unlimited stamina that would make such risky moves not so risky.
@@murderousmayhem6362 Obelix is a Witcher with some fat issues... kkk
At 6:15. That man probably thought that Geralt was going to use both blades in that strike but if u noticed Geralt’s left hand, he pulls away slightly and keeps it from striking at the man, giving the him the illusion that he blocked both blades when in reality he didn’t, leaving him open to attack. Also he stared at him because in the beginning of the show they were at odds with each other and he was probably satisfied with the fact that he “blocked” the Witcher’s attack. I wonder how many people are gonna read this lol
Guy : *stabbed in the chest*
“Ah, fuck. I can’t believe you’ve done this.”
this isn't just over-analysing, this is over analysing the over analysis
Are you over-analysing the over-analysing of the over analysis?
@@wolfsection1367 are you over analysing the analysis of over analysing an analysis video that over analyses an analysis?
Lee Doyle are you gay
@@captainjayb3151 you like it? :-)
@@tommyfortress7515 Ooh, daddy.
I know the sword fighting isn't the most realistic but it does look exactly like it's out of the games. If you pay attention to Geralt , lots of his attacks come in and out of full body spins and a lot of his parries look very fast and easy for him to perform.
If I remember correctly, one move he does in the Witcher 3 is kinda like a spinning half-flip or whatever. It's the second or third perk in the light attack tree, so you have to unlock it, but when you do it's a beautiful move with some wild finishers. Cuts dudes in half diagonally.
The thing that people want realism in a fantasy serie bruh ....... I just don't understand them
@@lordodysseus The last light attack skill is literally him whirling around with his blade cutting everything that gets close to him continuously until you run out of stamina. With another perk you can go even longer by using up adrenaline to keep it going as well and with alot of combat perks you basically build up your adrenaline with each successive hit so you can be an unstoppable tornado haha
tbh in games and books he is spinning far more than in the netflix series
@@nightgodd7865 that's exactly what I chose skill wise in my playthrough lol
I don' know if anyone has mentioned it already but the reason geralt is holding the sword "backwards" is because before the fight, he was walking throug the town expecting a fight to happen but not wanting anyone to see he was holding a sword. Probably to not scare the other townsfolk, to seem unarmed to attackers or to blend in. Thought I'd mention it since you said you hadn't seen the rest of the episode
idk man but with all that snow in the background, i imagine that room you are in is mighty toasty and cozy.
About the backhand grip: Geralt might be going for intimidation factor with it. Kinda showing that "come on guys, you have no chance". That leg stab might cut in to the bone and at that point it might be quite painful? Geralt is about 100 years old or so when this scene happens and he has fought his whole life. With that last thug, he might be realizing that there is nothing to do and kinda accepts his fate: his weapon hand is locked and there is nothing he can do with his left hand that would change his fate at this point.
Yeah, I am a bit biased for I really like The Witcher ;)
Technically he should be like 50. At the end of the books he's in his 80s and at the beginning of the games he's in his 90s
Nah he's way younger but Geralts always been a naturally good swordsman, probably because his father was a warrior
If you're a fan then at least read the subtitles or anything about the series. Because the main character is Geralt not Gerald...
Hypno Toad sure buddy I’m sure that’s what Geralt was thinking. People will defend anything I swear
@@Geralt546 autocorrect, fanboy. autocorrect.
In the books he is literally “twirling” around EVERY TWO SECONDS. Andrej describes it like ballet. He is pirouetting all over the place.
I imagine that witchers get bored of all the killing, and turn their battles into ballet to keep themselves amused.
@@mrgabest I fucking love that idea
While true i feel like there could have been so much more done with the idea. I feel like the choreography was rushed. The issue is that doing a proper ballet of death would require literally the raid levels of choreography, training, and shooting and wilkingness to just get hit. But my god would it be amazing. Imagine geralt twirling and spinning blocking atacks kivking punching grappling and thrusting with no real effort while people who look actually commited having their blades blocked oarried and missing by millimeters. It would all look far more dynamic than kverexaggerated swinging and pauses.
@@boguslav9502 To make is more realistic and more entertaining, they could have showed how fast and strong he really is, in the very first fight against the spider thing, and slowed down to show that for visual purposes, he was slowed down. This would have made his fighting ability more believable.
I enjoy how you break down the fight scene and explain each section. Fake Sword but you explain the reason behind it for being good, passable or Doesn't even exist method.
i had a dream that i met skallagrim while doing setup work at a rhythm games convention
"I actually prefer fantasy over history" he said stroking through his beard reaching his chest after throwing his hair behind his shoulders.
*Suprised*
I believe that the part where the guy gets stabbed in the chest implies that he's slowed down(?)
Like Geralt is so fast the guy doesn't get to really react
I got distracted for 2 minutes looking at the background. What a beautiful place you live in skall
The soft rain on the background gives the video a very comfortable feel
As a wise man once said,
“Seeing an opening is one thing, exploiting it is another”
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”. - Mike Tyson
Skall is just jealous he can’t dance with a sword like Witcher’s do.
Spoken like a true primarch! Hear hear!
Mjølnir ✊
The Flying Dolphin ✊
The problem with the handle on the cleaver thing is that it would throw off the weapon's balance, no? Unless you held it that way all the time, in which case say goodbye to your fingers and reach.
5:07 to 5:09 Witcher’s sometimes use blade oils that could explain it