Raised Sword

Alexander Willard, a former fencing champion, runs a sports school. Max Suba, an elderly man with a vague past, introduces himself to Willard as a trainer and asks him to take him to work at school. Willard, initially not satisfied with Max's skill, offers him a job as a hall keeper (cleaner). Over time, Max gets back in shape and shows high sword skills. Willard is “arrogant but very kind,” and ultimately gives Max the chance to teach, giving him a group of novice athletes.

While Willard prefers a ruthless approach in his work, encouraging students to show cruelty and prudence to win, Suba takes a more subtle approach, encouraging fencers to turn their own weaknesses into strength. Following this advice, one of Suba's students succeeds in defeating Willard's strong student during a school competition. The conflict is developing, flashbacks send the viewer back, showing how Suba killed Willard's father in a fencing duel. The film climaxes in the inevitable dramatic duel between Willard and Suba.

• The film premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival in October 1991.
• The film was released on VHS in 1994.

• Raised the Sword on the Internet Movie Database  
• Review of the film (Russian) . Date of treatment February 22, 2011. Archived on August 28, 2011.