Warning: There are spoilers ahead for The Witcher Season 1!
One of the best surprises of last year was Netflix’s The Witcher. A lot of hype surrounded the new adaptation of the epic fantasy saga by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, and the show ultimately lived up to the expectations. The series started on the right foot from the very first episode, in which Henry Cavill’s Geralt of Rivia locked swords with Emma Appleton’s Renfri — Shrike, for the book fans — in an epic sequence in Blaviken.
Recently, Cavill sat down and analyzed that fighting scene, in which Geralt takes on Renfri’s gang. Cavill revealed some interesting behind the scene details, like the fact that they used half swords for all those shots involving “blood and gore.” On top of that, that one-shot scene required a lot of skill from both the actors and filmmakers.
“The problem with a one-shot scene is that if any bit slows down, or if anything doesn’t work perfectly, it ruins the whole scene,” Cavill pointed out. “There’s no time for mistakes; there’s no space for mistakes.”
You can watch Henry Cavill’s analysis in the player below.
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Then Cavill went on to add details on Geralt and Renfri’s deadly dance. According to the British actor, it went exactly like in the book.
“Her viper-like actions were exactly what Shrike or Renfri’s are described like in the books,” Cavill explained. Then he pointed out that the main focus of that scene is still the story. “It’s not just a random fight of people swinging swords at each other,” he added. “These are two people in a dance and through that dance, a story is told.”
All these tiny little technical details are part of the reason the majority of fans and critics alike appreciated the first season of The Witcher. The producers are now focusing on a sophomore season which will likely debut in 2021.
The Witcher is now available on Netflix. What do you think about the Blaviken fighting scene? Let us know in the comments section below.
