The Duellists

During the era of the Napoleonic wars, a conflict arises between two of the emperor's cavalry officers when one of them, the aristocratic Lt. D'Hubert (Keith Carradine), is sent by his superior to deliver the message to commoner Lt. Ferraud (Harvey Keitel) that he's to be placed under house arrest for having wounded a man in another duel. Since Ferraud is with a woman at the time, he takes offense at the intrusion and challenges D'Hubert to a duel. Their match, though fierce, is without resolution. Whenever their paths cross, they continue their battle, fighting a series of six duels over the course of 14 years, paralleling Napoleon's major battles of the period. (official distributor synopsis)