“Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
(the line is actually used later in the film, not during this scene)
In the scene, while dueling to the death, at the same time showing overwhelming sportsmanship, Inigo Montoya and the Man-In-Black (Westley) casually (and humorously) discuss complex fencing tactics
Inigo Montoya: You are using Bonetti’s Defense against me, ah?
Man in Black: I thought it fitting considering the rocky terrain.
Inigo: Naturally, you must suspect me to attack with Capa Ferro?
Man in Black: Naturally, but I find that Thibault cancels out Capa Ferro. Don’t you?
Inigo: Unless the enemy has studied his Agrippa… which I have.
The quotation begins with Inigo, pushing Wesley (The Man in Black) back in retreat with his consistent attacks
“Bonetti’s Defense” refers to the Italian swordmaster Rocco Bonetti, who established a “School of Arms” in London in 1576
By cautiously stepping back and relying on defense, it helps to ensure that he doesn’t make a fatal blunder by attacking from an uneven, unpredictable surface ie. “rocky terrain”
Inigo’s second question to Wesley is, “…You must suspect me to attack with Capa Ferro?”
In this instance, “Capa (Capo) Ferro” is a term given to the powerful attack known as “The Lunge,” after Italian swordmaster, Ridolfo Capo Ferro, who taught a linear style of fencing
Wesley’s retort was of, “…but I find that Thibault cancels out Capa Ferro. Don’t you?”
This refers to Gérard (Girard) Thibault d’Anvers (1574-1627), a Dutch fencing master and author of the rapier manual, Academie de l’Espée (1630)
Thibault utilized both logic and geometry to aid in his swordfighting defense
Therefore, Wesley felt that his Thibault studies in using such tactics as, for example, “higher ground” and angulation on attack, gave him added measure when defending against linear thrusts such as “The Lunge.”
To this, Inigo concludes, “Unless the enemy has studied his Agrippa…”
– a term named after Italian short sword master, Camillo Agrippa who wrote, Treatise on the Science of Arms with Philosophical Dialogue (1553)
Historically, Agrippa simplified fencing techniques, i.e. Shortened Marozzo’s eleven guards, to a “fundamental four”, emphasizing defensive tactics, and logic above techniques that he deemed over-stylized
since he was a master of the short sword, he would be quite knowledgeable in “closing distance” - because in closer proximity, the short sword rules
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Though we have talked about this in Class over the years, everyone has seen the film, and everyone knows the clip, we never had a whole thread for this
Posts from 2013 - ten years ago:
in April
shirotoratiger.proboards.com/thread/1064/april-24
end of December
shirotoratiger.proboards.com/thread/1162/dec-18
Thread for Spanish Sword
shirotoratiger.proboards.com/thread/1086
Thread for European Sword
shirotoratiger.proboards.com/thread/1067/european-sword
There is some obvious repetition, though this was the year we did the most discussion and reference
the Princess Bride sword fight clip
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-66KBi_NM0
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Though it sounds technical to the layman it is like a pair of kickboxers having this conversation:
Inigo Montoya: You are using Kenpo Blocking against me, ah?
Man in Black: I thought it fitting considering the rocky terrain.
Inigo: Naturally, you must suspect me to attack with Muay Thai?
Man in Black: Naturally, but I find that Savate cancels out Muay Thai. Don’t you?
Inigo: Unless the enemy has studied his Karate… which I have.
makes the same amount of sense
Keeping in mind, the point of sword fencing is to hit your opponent - the point of movie fencing is to hit your "opponent" sword - it isn't a real sword fight
