During Anderson’s brief time with the actors, Ruge made certain he went over the fundamentals and imparted as much of his technical skill as possible. Learning to be a pirate was not only about imitating the swagger and demeanor of a brigand, it was a serious study in brandishing a boarding cutlass or rapier. “Pirates films are my favorite,” says Anderson. “But modern fencing, like the competitions you see in the Olympic Games, is highly technical and very precise in its actions, unlike screen fighting which is choreographed in such a way that the combatants make the action as large as they can for the camera. But whether it’s ancient or modern swordplay, you start by learning to hold the sword properly and to manipulate it for attack and defense. And even though we use aluminum replicas, I’m religious about safety because working with any sword is dangerous.
“Swordplay is a conversation,” he explains. “The opponents talk to each other with their blades. The style of fighting varies with each character. If I can make the sword work talk about what’s happening in the script in the same way the dialogue conveys the story, then I feel I’ve succeeded.”
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