Swashbuckler

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D'Artagnan and the three musketeers
D'Artagnan and the three musketeers
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Swashbuckler is a term that developed in the 16th century[1] to describe rough, noisy and boastful swordsmen. It is based on a fighting style using a side-sword with a buckler in the off-hand, which was filled with much "swashing and making a noise on the buckler".[2]

Today the term "swashbuckler" has changed, and refers to both a type of fictitious character and to a fiction genre, especially in the world of film.

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The word "swashbuckler," as applied to human beings, generally describes a fearless romantic archetype, a fictitious, adventurous, sword-wielding, male character who seeks to win the heart of a beautiful lady while rescuing society from the clutches of a dastardly villain. A classic swashbuckler exhibits exceptional courage and swordfighting skill, a strong sense of honor and justice, a chivalric romantic sense, and the capacity for wit, style, and resourcefulness under pressure. Such characters include the Three Musketeers, the Scarlet Pimpernel, Robin Hood, and Zorro. There have also been a few female swashbucklers, such as Maureen O'Hara in the film Against All Flags.

Actors famous for their portrayals of swashbucklers include Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power, Burt Lancaster, and (arguably) Basil Rathbone, an extremely skilled fencer who often played villains.

We can compare the portrayal of folk hero characters played by N T Ramarao, Akkineni Nageswara Rao and T L Kantha Rao in Telugu films from 1940s to 1970s. The lead character has always been portrayed as savious of masses from the cruel Kings, Ministers or Bandits and sword fighting used to to be the highlight of those films.

"Swashbuckler" also denotes a fiction and film genre that is characterized by dazzling swordplay, an adventurous and romantic plot, a historic setting, and black-and-white heroes and villains. This genre traces its origins to the chivalry tales of Medieval Europe, such as Robin Hood and the King Arthur legends. Among its most famous works are "The Three Musketeers", "The Scarlet Pimpernel", "Scaramouche", "Ivanhoe", "Cyrano de Bergerac", and a large number of pirate stories. Authors who specialized in swashbuckler fiction include Alexandre Dumas, Rafael Sabatini, the Baroness Orczy, Sir Walter Scott, Johnston McCulley, and Edmond Rostand.

Stylized, jaunty, and wildly entertaining, swashbucklers are one of the most flamboyant Hollywood film genres, the opposite of cinema verite and modern realistic filmmaking. They first became popular during the heyday of actor Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., who became world famous for his cocky and charismatic portrayals of heroes such as d'Artagnan and Zorro. The genre subsequently attracted large audiences who loved the escapist adventure, historic romance, and exciting athleticism.

During the 1960s, as popular culture became more cynical and morally ambiguous, the plots and morality of swashbuckling heroes were interpretted to be simplistic and quaint. Nonetheless, the romantic appeal of the swashbuckler still endures; contemporary examples include Pirates Of The Caribbean, The Mask of Zorro, and Lives No Longer Ours.

Notable swashbucklers from literature and other media include:

The swashbuckler is also a type of men's shirt of the sort worn in swashbuckling movies. It is usually white, with an open neck and chest with a lace up front.

  1. ^ Oxford English Dictionary notes a first usage in 1560.
  2. ^ The Buckler. The Sussex Rapier School. Retrieved on 2007-05-13.
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