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When you think of celluloid fight scenes, certain examples spring immediately to mind: De Niro in Raging Bull; Stallone in Rocky; Pitt in Fight Club. But now there's another you can add to that illustrious list: Grant and Firth in Bridget Jones's Diary.
Yes, really. It's a classic. Set against the pulsating anthem that is Geri Halliwell's It's Raining Men, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth square up to each other outside Bridget's flat to decide who's really worthy of our comely heroine's affections. Jaws set, fist clenched, it appears to have the makings of an almighty punch-up - until they actually start wading in. As fight scenes go, it has all the clout of a wet fish - and that's the beauty of it. Effeminate kicking and girly left hooks that lack any power whatsoever combine to make on of the most hilarious scraps we've ever seen in a long time. Even the moment when our two protagonists crash through the restaurant window is so ridiculously camp it induces gales of laughter. Can't see that happening with Sly, somehow.
Q: How fun is it to take part in a brawl, especially with Hugh Grant as your opponent? Colin: It was a lot of fun. And we didn't choreograph it, to make it seem more real. Obviously, there were one or two things that had to be disciplined, and not just to protect ourselves. In order for a punch to be convincing, you need an expert to tell you from what angle the camera has to shoot it. But most films would have you believe that ordinary guys in suits, if it comes to fighting each other, will be fully accomplished in the art of, you know, breaking somebody's jaw. When in fact, they probably scrap like a couple of seven year old girls, which is what we did. And I'm sure if Hugh and I came down to that in real life, that's probably what we'd do! Although Hugh would probably have you believe that he's been militarily trained. And that we were safely in his hands! But that was one of the few occasions where shooting the fight was as funny as the result. Because very often it doesn't work out that way. It's often a bad sign if we're laughing. It means that the audience isn't going to! [PlanetHollywood Online] Full interview here
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What's so brilliant about this scene is that it's been superbly choreographed to reflect the fact that real fights aren't always the dramatic blood bath movie makers would have us to believe. Because these two posh blokes can't fight at all. The can slap, pinch and swing handbags with the best of them, but they can't hit you so it hurts. And we wouldn't have it any other way. [Heat Magazine April 2001]