9. The Duellists (1977)

It’s Ridley’s directorial debut, but it makes the list. I always give a lot of credit to period pieces that don’t bore me, and The Duellists definitely falls into that category. I really don’t have much to say about this one. I just find it fascinating to go through a whole movie where every few years of a person’s life, you have to deal with this tense confrontation that never goes away. D’Hubert (Keith Carradine) and Feraud (Harvey Keitel) are ticking time bombs, and you’re glued to screen on how their epic duel will finally end. The duels are pretty intense and bloody at times, and the performances from the main leads are solid, although Keitel is definitely the better of the two. It’s a great first effort, and an early sign of Ridley Scott’s potential.

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