A tragi-comedy about the hate-love-hate relationship between two French officers (Keith Carradine, Harvey Keitel) in Napoleonic times, one of whom persists in fighting duels with the other over some obscure quarrel for the best part of 20 years.

Ridley Scott makes it almost absurdly beautiful, as if seeking the best photography Oscar while letting the theme of the story settle its own course.

As a result, the duel scenes are dwarfed by the bleak beauty of the landscapes. A fascinating oddity.