Savate (1995 film)
Encyclopedia
Savate - is a martial arts film starring Olivier Gruner
, promoted as the allegedly true story of the world's first kickboxer.
of the French Foreign Legion
in Mexico
. Looking for the murderer, Charlegrand is heading for a martial arts
tournament in the USA because the murderer takes his pride in being a skilled fighter.
On his way from Mexico
to Texas
some American rogues take him for a Yankee
and ambush him. He can fight them off but loses his horse. On foot he runs out of water and eventually breaks down. Two young farmers
(Ashley Lawrence
and Ian Ziering
as Mary and Cain Parker) save his life.
When the farmers go to town for purchases they are molested and eventually seriously attacked by the roustabouts of a local business man
who wants their land very badly. The film's protagonist
returns the farmer's favour by applying his savate
. Yet it is obvious they need further support.
Consequently he stays with them and even instructs Cain how to fight, so that he might win the martial arts tournament
and hereby earn the money they need to pay the new taxes. But during one night masked riders burn their barn and one of them loses a precision dice
. Cain recognises this object, follows the culprit
into town and confronts him. After Cain has been shot dead, all farmers are ready to sell out.
The hero
decides he mustn't let that happen, hence he takes the dead farmer's place in the tournament and tells the farmers to bet all their money on him. In order to prevent him from being successful, his friend's murderer, the German
-speaking von Trotta (Marc Singer
) is hired.
But the bad guys leave nothing to chance and also take Mary Parker as hostage
. Charlegrand manages to cause enough confusion to disappear between two fights, so that he can free Mary and force Colonel Jones (James Brolin
) to spill the beans. The alleged new taxes
turn out to be a hoax
but the farmer's savings are on Charlegrand and so they still need him to win the tournament.
Therefore his final battle with von Trotta mustn't be postponed, even though Charlegrand has been shot in the course of action.
had been founded in 1831, one year after the Garde Écossaise
had been officially dissolved. Right from the beginning many German-speaking men joined the forces, often hiding behind false names. In 1861 Napoleon III used the Legion for the French intervention in Mexico
. It lasted until 1967. At that time Charles Lecour
had already created and established French boxing as a blend of savate and English boxing. Hitherto savateurs had used their hands mainly to block kicks or to fence with sticks (canne de combat
) at the same time. One of Lecour's students was former army instructor Joseph Charlemont
. Against this background it is imaginable a savateur like Joseph Charlegrand could have served in Mexico and that he might have met a German-speaking legionnaire during this time. Yet in spite of the claim the story was true it seems to be mere (even though entertaining) fiction.
Olivier Gruner
Olivier Gruner is a former Commando Marine and World Kickboxing Champion. He became an actor specializing in the field of physical fitness.- Early life :...
, promoted as the allegedly true story of the world's first kickboxer.
Plot
1865. Joseph Charlegrand is a former French soldier whose best friend and comrade was murdered by an officerOfficer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
of the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion in popular culture
Beyond its reputation of the French Foreign Legion as an elite unit often embroiled in serious fighting, its recruitment practices have also led to a romantic view of it being a place for a wronged man to leave behind his old life to start a new one, yet also being full of scoundrels and men...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Looking for the murderer, Charlegrand is heading for a martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
tournament in the USA because the murderer takes his pride in being a skilled fighter.
On his way from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
some American rogues take him for a Yankee
Yankee
The term Yankee has several interrelated and often pejorative meanings, usually referring to people originating in the northeastern United States, or still more narrowly New England, where application of the term is largely restricted to descendants of the English settlers of the region.The...
and ambush him. He can fight them off but loses his horse. On foot he runs out of water and eventually breaks down. Two young farmers
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
(Ashley Lawrence
Ashley Lawrence
Ashley Macdonald Lawrence, born Hamilton, New Zealand, on 5 June 1934, died Tokyo on 7 May 1990 was a New Zealand conductor mainly active in the UK and Germany, and particularly associated with ballet.-Career:...
and Ian Ziering
Ian Ziering
Ian Andrew Ziering is an American actor best known for playing Steve Sanders on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210.-Personal life:...
as Mary and Cain Parker) save his life.
When the farmers go to town for purchases they are molested and eventually seriously attacked by the roustabouts of a local business man
Business magnate
A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a capitalist, czar, mogul, tycoon, baron, oligarch, or industrialist, is an informal term used to refer to an entrepreneur who has reached prominence and derived a notable amount of wealth from a particular industry .-Etymology:The word magnate itself...
who wants their land very badly. The film's protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
returns the farmer's favour by applying his savate
Savate
Savate , also known as boxe française, French boxing, French kickboxing or French footfighting, is a French martial art which uses the hands and feet as weapons combining elements of western boxing with graceful kicking techniques. Only foot kicks are allowed unlike some systems such as Muay...
. Yet it is obvious they need further support.
Consequently he stays with them and even instructs Cain how to fight, so that he might win the martial arts tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
and hereby earn the money they need to pay the new taxes. But during one night masked riders burn their barn and one of them loses a precision dice
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
. Cain recognises this object, follows the culprit
Culprit
A culprit, under English law properly the prisoner at the bar, is one accused of a crime. The term is used, generally, of one guilty of an offence. In origin the word is a combination of two Anglo-French legal words, culpable: guilty, and prit or prest: Old French: ready...
into town and confronts him. After Cain has been shot dead, all farmers are ready to sell out.
The hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
decides he mustn't let that happen, hence he takes the dead farmer's place in the tournament and tells the farmers to bet all their money on him. In order to prevent him from being successful, his friend's murderer, the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
-speaking von Trotta (Marc Singer
Marc Singer
Marc Singer is a Canadian-born American actor best known for his roles in the Beastmaster film series and as Mike Donovan in the original 1980s TV series V.-Personal life:...
) is hired.
But the bad guys leave nothing to chance and also take Mary Parker as hostage
Hostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
. Charlegrand manages to cause enough confusion to disappear between two fights, so that he can free Mary and force Colonel Jones (James Brolin
James Brolin
James Brolin is an American actor, producer and director, best known for his roles in soap operas, movies, sitcoms, and television. He is the father of actor Josh Brolin and husband of singer/actress Barbra Streisand.-Early life:...
) to spill the beans. The alleged new taxes
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
turn out to be a hoax
Hoax
A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
but the farmer's savings are on Charlegrand and so they still need him to win the tournament.
Therefore his final battle with von Trotta mustn't be postponed, even though Charlegrand has been shot in the course of action.
Background
The French Foreign LegionFrench Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
had been founded in 1831, one year after the Garde Écossaise
Garde Écossaise
The Garde Écossaise was an elite Scottish military unit founded in 1418 by the Valois Charles VII of France, to be personal bodyguards to the French monarchy. They were assimilated into the Maison du Roi and later formed the first Company of the Garde du Corps du Roi...
had been officially dissolved. Right from the beginning many German-speaking men joined the forces, often hiding behind false names. In 1861 Napoleon III used the Legion for the French intervention in Mexico
French intervention in Mexico
The French intervention in Mexico , also known as The Maximilian Affair, War of the French Intervention, and The Franco-Mexican War, was an invasion of Mexico by an expeditionary force sent by the Second French Empire, supported in the beginning by the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Spain...
. It lasted until 1967. At that time Charles Lecour
Charles Lecour
Charles Lecour , who had started his studies of Savate at an early age, was a student of Michel Casseux who merged Savate and English Boxing to a fighting style he eventually called French Boxing....
had already created and established French boxing as a blend of savate and English boxing. Hitherto savateurs had used their hands mainly to block kicks or to fence with sticks (canne de combat
Canne de combat
Canne de combat is a French martial art. As weapon, it uses a cane or canne designed for fighting. Canne de combat was standardized in the 1970s for sporting competition by Maurice Sarry. The canne is very light, made of chestnut wood and slightly tapered...
) at the same time. One of Lecour's students was former army instructor Joseph Charlemont
Joseph Charlemont
Joseph Charlemont was a French savate and Canne de combat teacher.. His son Charles Charlemont was also a noted savateur.-Career:...
. Against this background it is imaginable a savateur like Joseph Charlegrand could have served in Mexico and that he might have met a German-speaking legionnaire during this time. Yet in spite of the claim the story was true it seems to be mere (even though entertaining) fiction.
Cast
- Olivier GrunerOlivier GrunerOlivier Gruner is a former Commando Marine and World Kickboxing Champion. He became an actor specializing in the field of physical fitness.- Early life :...
as Joseph Charlegrand - Ian ZieringIan ZieringIan Andrew Ziering is an American actor best known for playing Steve Sanders on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210.-Personal life:...
as Cain Parker - Ashley LaurenceAshley LaurenceAshley Laurence is an American film and television actress. She is noted for her appearances in horror films, particularly the Hellraiser series.-Career:...
as Mary Parker - Marc SingerMarc SingerMarc Singer is a Canadian-born American actor best known for his roles in the Beastmaster film series and as Mike Donovan in the original 1980s TV series V.-Personal life:...
as Ziegfield Von Trotta - James BrolinJames BrolinJames Brolin is an American actor, producer and director, best known for his roles in soap operas, movies, sitcoms, and television. He is the father of actor Josh Brolin and husband of singer/actress Barbra Streisand.-Early life:...
as Col. Jones - Rance HowardRance HowardRance Howard is an American actor who has starred in film and on television.-Life and career:Howard was born Harold Rance Beckenholdt in Oklahoma, the son of Ethel Cleo and Engel Beckenholdt, a farmer. He changed his name to "Rance Howard" when he became an actor. He married Jean Speegle Howard...
as Farmer