They also weren't liked in the other German states... However the mensur was more bourgeois in fraternities of our university cities. Greeting from Berlin.
I wonder how much Napoleon shaped the inferiority complex that the Prussians had, which lead to their hyper-militarism in the mid to late 19th century? In the wars against Napoleon, the Prussians were usually utterly humiliated by the French until the Russians or the English had them on their hind legs and then the Prussians jumped in a helped defeat them. This was the case in the last two Coalition Wars at Leipzig and Waterloo.
@@kingjoe3rd Without being an expert, the upheavals in 1848 in Germany and the grassroots push towards German unification, very likely came about with the experiences of the Napoleonic wars as backdrop.
And the trick was for Bismark to be such a phenomenally accurate saberist he could make the scars match exactly those of the king whom Flashman would be impersonating.
Weeell, Flashy having, very accuratelly, a black coloured basket "schläger", as he isn't properly a student-corps member ("schwarze partie"), alltogether the cadence is FAR to slow, AND Oliver Reed (one of my favourite actors!) as Bismarck is taking a slight roghthand forward "crouch" when serving the first "Schmiss" on Flashy's cheek, which "ist nicht nach dem Comment" (irregular) as you are supposed to stand ramrod-stiff while auf Mensur! (Unless "fliegende Mensur", in case of Akademisches Säbelfechten)
Pity no more attempts were made at the Flashman character. I could imagine English comedians of the 80's putting together a great film. Rik Mayall, John Cleese and Rowan Atkinson spring to mind.
A Mensur has some rules and a opponent has to be fluent in student academic floret fighting. As a once fighting student i would never had start a mensur with a non combatant and i thougt 9 Mensures.
The purpose of this bout was to inflict scars on ol' Flashy so he resembles another person, while also giving Bismark vengence for an earlier misadventure.
@@martinwhite7053 I agree with your nephew. McDowell was really good in A Clockwork Orange but Harry Flashman just wasn't his kind of role. He was miscast and it showed all the way through the movie.
@@dontaylor7315 on the contrary, McDowell did it the way Roger Moore played James Bond - with humour. Richard Morant, who played ‘Flashy’ in TVs Tom Browns’ Schooldays, would also have been superb. FYI THE brilliant Palin/Jones series ‘Ripping Yarns’ shows a perfect parody, by Ian Ogilvy, on school bully aka Flashman, in the episode ‘ Tomlinson’s Schooldays’ equally brilliant and done ‘tongue- in- cheek’
@@ianwalker4030I agree that Malcom did a good job but I don’t think he fits flashman. Part of the charm of flashman is physical attributes. Flashman in the novels is a big dude 6’2 which for back then was a even bigger man. And was also quite built, which makes it all the funnier that he’s a damn coward and scoundrel because he in any other novel would be the ideal description of a hero in physicality.
Mensur was a type of fraternity of stylized dueling. Ever see the old films in which German officers had scars on their faces? It was from Mensur, and it was actually not very uncommon. The "blinkers' were a real thing, so the eyes and nose would not be damaged or destroyed.
great movie.macdowell is very good if not quite the flashman of the novels.then again gm fraser said who wrote the books perfect casting was impossible. he envisioned erroll flynn in the part long since dead.erroll was the only person i ever thought could play it!
Apparently (my own conjecture) if you met Mr.Reed while he was alive you would have two options: A drinking duel or a fencing duel. This guy was a maniac.
Schlimm schlimm. Liegenbleiben, Muck, incommentgemässe Hiebe, ungleiche Bandagen, verlegen, verdrehen, aus der Mesnur gehen. Schlimm, schlimm, schlimm..... Vielleicht als Lehrfilm in der Fuxenstunde?
They really missed the mark on this movie. The whole point of Flashman is he keeps his composure to everyone around him and only through his internal monologues does the reader get the truth. Without that critical element all the humor and nuance is lost from the character and he looks like sniveling baby. Flashman is only a 'coward' in the sense that he prioritizes only his reputation over his life rather than his duty.
@@ColoradoStreaming A genuine coward would not have had even a quarter of his adventures. In the book "Royal Flash", after getting his scars, he lashes out furiously and stabs Bismarck's assistant, though not fatally. I can't recall if he does that here, though I doubt it.
Just checked and as Bismarck is turning away in the film, Flashman gives him a slight injury to the arm. But in the book I recall it is Bismarck's assistant and Flashman is actually going for the kill. MacDowell's film version of the character makes him snivel a bit too much. The book Flashman is more pragmatist than coward.
Captain Flashman is a British officer, you don't demand nothing ( Bob Hoskins playing a policeman to Ollie Reed when Ollie said he was a German officer earlier in the film 🤣👍)
@@LandersWorkshop to be fair he is a fuckwit in the novels too. just more of a horrid person rather than anything..think ciaphas cain except without any of the morality and way more political incorrectness.
