X
  • 2017
  • The California Film Institute
  • 1 h 39 m
  • 2017
  • The California Film Institute
  • 1 h 39 m

Summary A young man, Endel Nelis, arrives in Haapsalu, Estonia, in the early 1950s. Having left Leningrad to escape the secret police, he finds work as a teacher and founds a sports club for his students. Endel becomes a father figure to his students and starts teaching them his great passion – fencing, which causes a conflict with the school’s ...

Directed By: Klaus Härö

Written By: Anna Heinämaa

  • 2017
  • The California Film Institute
  • 1 h 39 m
  • 2017
  • The California Film Institute
  • 1 h 39 m

The Fencer

Metascore Mixed or Average Based on 13 Critic Reviews
60
User Score Generally Favorable
7.5
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Summary A young man, Endel Nelis, arrives in Haapsalu, Estonia, in the early 1950s. Having left Leningrad to escape the secret police, he finds work as a teacher and founds a sports club for his students. Endel becomes a father figure to his students and starts teaching them his great passion – fencing, which causes a conflict with the school’s ...

Directed By: Klaus Härö

Written By: Anna Heinämaa

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 13 Critic Reviews
60
46% Positive
6 Reviews
46% Mixed
6 Reviews
8% Negative
1 Review

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 13 Critic Reviews
60
46% Positive
6 Reviews
46% Mixed
6 Reviews
8% Negative
1 Review

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
80
Aug 31, 2017
Despite the film's predictable nature, it's hard not to become engaged. The performances are excellent and Härö directs with a clean hand, pushing toward a suspenseful, stirring climax that hinges on the team's success as well as Endel's freedom.
By Randy Cordova FULL REVIEW
80
Sep 26, 2016
Props should go to director Klaus Härö for making such a predictable premise feel fresh and his cast of characters – from a suspicious, disapproving headmaster, to the foil-swinging kids – feel engaging.
FULL REVIEW
70
Aug 17, 2017
Director Klaus Härö, working from a script by Anna Heinämaa, deftly captures the grayish gloom and day-to-day paranoia of postwar Soviet life, while infusing this absorbing tale with affecting emotion.
By Gary Goldstein FULL REVIEW
60
Jul 19, 2017
The set-up is a bit schmaltzy and the only guesswork is how bitter the bittersweet ending will be, but Haro coaxes strong performances from the cast.
By Leslie Felperin FULL REVIEW
50
Jul 21, 2017
None of this is particularly difficult to watch; the cinematic competence, the sincerity with which the clichés get served up, and so on, make a relatively smooth viewing experience. But they also render what would have been an at times harrowing real-life story into something safe and bland.
By Glenn Kenny FULL REVIEW
50
Jul 20, 2017
The Fencer is ultimately too staid: It’s at its best when Nelis shows the art of fencing to his students and the elegant yet dangerous swords are wielded.
By Abbey Bender FULL REVIEW
37
Aug 10, 2017
Finnish Director Klaus Haro has a sharp eye, and his shots deftly juxtapose the delicate beauty of the Estonian lowlands with the harsh reality of life under Soviet rule. But the script, written by Anna Heinamaa, gives him little more than an aesthetic landscape to work with.
FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 4 User Ratings
7.5
75% Positive
3 Ratings
25% Mixed
1 Rating
0% Negative
0 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 4 User Ratings
7.5
75% Positive
3 Ratings
25% Mixed
1 Rating
0% Negative
0 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

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Production Company Making Movies, Allfilm, Kick Film, Making Movies Oy
Release Date Jul 21, 2017
Duration 1 h 39 m
Genres
Tagline A new beginning. A mission. A shadow from the past. Destiny. Love.
Website http://www.cafilm.org/thefencer/
View All Details

Awards

Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Nomination
Jussi Awards
• 2 Wins & 3 Nominations
Stony Brook Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination

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