The Last Duel (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Based on a stunning - and all-too-relevant - true story, 'The Last Duel' (directed by Ridley Scott, Alien, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, et al) is an epic period drama which explores the power of men, the corruption of justice & the courage of one woman 'daring' to tell her truth at such a time & place. The movie begins in 1386 with proud war hero Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) & fellow warrior Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) prepping for France's last King-approved duel. Just as the jousting begins, we are taken via flashback to what brought them to this point. Told from 3 different perspectives - Carrouges, Le Gris, and the "truth" from Carrouges' wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer) - the film rivets with an account of betrayal, greed & lust.
Back in 1370, Carrouges, a Normandy knight known for his battle prowess, and Le Gris, son of a squire, are friendly rivals. Whereas Carrouges is a bit of a brutish oaf, Le Gris is literate, eloquent, dashing & charming. His benefactor, vainglorious Count Pierre d'Alencon (Ben Affleck, bringing levity to a Serious with a capital S story), prefers him to Carrouges and, thusly, lavishes Le Gris with land + titles meant for Carrouges. Because of this, Carrouges is broke, so he agrees to marry the beautiful & intelligent Marguerite, who enters the marriage with an impressive dowry. A year later, Carrouges & Le Gris meet again at a Christening. They tentatively patch things up {with Marguerite's help} & Carrouges introduces Le Gris to his lovely wife.
Le Gris is enamored, despite the fact that she is married to his 'friend'. When Carrouges leaves on another bloody campaign for king-&-country, Le Gris appears at Carrouges' estate to profess his love & then savagely rapes a protesting Marguerite. Upon Carrouges' return, she tells him of the assault; of course, he initially blames her. Marguerite insists that Le Gris be punished, but women were considered property of their husbands then and, have NO standing in court. It is up to Carrouges to insist upon justice and, getting shut-down from Pierre, he heads to Paris to present his case to King Charles VI (Alex Lawther), a sniggering teen interested in the prospect of a duel-to-the-death. If Carrouges dies, God means for Marguerite to burn at the stake for her 'lie'. To that, we circle back to the grim, wintery setting where France's last sanctioned trial-by-combat unfolds.
What a movie. Sure, it's gorgeous to look at, scintillatingly performed, & provides a thrilling climax. But it also shows how we haven't come all that far since the 14th c. Women still fight to be heard in a court of law. Rape victims still struggle to be believed. It is always 'somehow' the woman's fault. And like Marguerite, they are cruelly questioned & reviled. In 1386, it was stated as medical FACT, that a woman could not get pregnant if she did not enjoy sex {since Marguerite was pregnant on trial ... how could the rape have occurred?}. Also, the idea that the man who wins the duel is telling the truth & the man who loses dies {with his wife in-tow} is laughable, and YET, it provides a white-knuckle climax with the highest stakes imaginable.
Ridley Scott is masterful at directing films of this ilk {Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Robin Hood}. His resume is varied, but when it comes to period spectacles, there is no one better. 'The Last Duel' is pure cinematic splendor. The battle scenes are well-choreographed. Dariusz Wolski's {who has worked with Scott on 5 of his films} cinematography is tactile & breathtaking. Scott's stalwart designer Arthur Max utilizes France & Ireland's grimy locales very well, and his massive, stone-cold palaces are incredible. Janty Yates' costumes {gowns}, including the full armor/chain mail are amazing. Everything looks & feels lived-in. The sound design crackles. And Harry Gregson-Williams' thunderous music score is vital to the action.
The 1st segment of the film is Matt Damon's 45 minutes where - in this perspective of the story - he is almost depicted as a loving husband. The middle 45 min. shows Adam Driver's perspective {the rape, differing perspective on matters}. And the final 55 minutes shows Jodie Comer's perspective + the grueling 'last duel'. Matt Damon is well-suited for the character of Carrouges, a crude brute who defends his wife -- even if it is for all the wrong reasons. Adam Driver is compelling, as always; lending a charismatic arrogance that is so necessary for Le Gris. And Jodie Comer is scintillating as the defiant wife who stands her ground amid insane adversity. She is commanding, beguiling, and hits every emotion on the spectrum of what her role calls for.
'The Last Duel' won't be for everyone {lengthy, bleak, violent Medieval epic). But I was transfixed by the 'he said, she said, he said' complexity of the story. I commend Marguerite de Carrouges' bravery. And this really is the kind of towering cinematic achievement that 'they just don't make anymore'.
Back in 1370, Carrouges, a Normandy knight known for his battle prowess, and Le Gris, son of a squire, are friendly rivals. Whereas Carrouges is a bit of a brutish oaf, Le Gris is literate, eloquent, dashing & charming. His benefactor, vainglorious Count Pierre d'Alencon (Ben Affleck, bringing levity to a Serious with a capital S story), prefers him to Carrouges and, thusly, lavishes Le Gris with land + titles meant for Carrouges. Because of this, Carrouges is broke, so he agrees to marry the beautiful & intelligent Marguerite, who enters the marriage with an impressive dowry. A year later, Carrouges & Le Gris meet again at a Christening. They tentatively patch things up {with Marguerite's help} & Carrouges introduces Le Gris to his lovely wife.
Le Gris is enamored, despite the fact that she is married to his 'friend'. When Carrouges leaves on another bloody campaign for king-&-country, Le Gris appears at Carrouges' estate to profess his love & then savagely rapes a protesting Marguerite. Upon Carrouges' return, she tells him of the assault; of course, he initially blames her. Marguerite insists that Le Gris be punished, but women were considered property of their husbands then and, have NO standing in court. It is up to Carrouges to insist upon justice and, getting shut-down from Pierre, he heads to Paris to present his case to King Charles VI (Alex Lawther), a sniggering teen interested in the prospect of a duel-to-the-death. If Carrouges dies, God means for Marguerite to burn at the stake for her 'lie'. To that, we circle back to the grim, wintery setting where France's last sanctioned trial-by-combat unfolds.
What a movie. Sure, it's gorgeous to look at, scintillatingly performed, & provides a thrilling climax. But it also shows how we haven't come all that far since the 14th c. Women still fight to be heard in a court of law. Rape victims still struggle to be believed. It is always 'somehow' the woman's fault. And like Marguerite, they are cruelly questioned & reviled. In 1386, it was stated as medical FACT, that a woman could not get pregnant if she did not enjoy sex {since Marguerite was pregnant on trial ... how could the rape have occurred?}. Also, the idea that the man who wins the duel is telling the truth & the man who loses dies {with his wife in-tow} is laughable, and YET, it provides a white-knuckle climax with the highest stakes imaginable.
Ridley Scott is masterful at directing films of this ilk {Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Robin Hood}. His resume is varied, but when it comes to period spectacles, there is no one better. 'The Last Duel' is pure cinematic splendor. The battle scenes are well-choreographed. Dariusz Wolski's {who has worked with Scott on 5 of his films} cinematography is tactile & breathtaking. Scott's stalwart designer Arthur Max utilizes France & Ireland's grimy locales very well, and his massive, stone-cold palaces are incredible. Janty Yates' costumes {gowns}, including the full armor/chain mail are amazing. Everything looks & feels lived-in. The sound design crackles. And Harry Gregson-Williams' thunderous music score is vital to the action.
The 1st segment of the film is Matt Damon's 45 minutes where - in this perspective of the story - he is almost depicted as a loving husband. The middle 45 min. shows Adam Driver's perspective {the rape, differing perspective on matters}. And the final 55 minutes shows Jodie Comer's perspective + the grueling 'last duel'. Matt Damon is well-suited for the character of Carrouges, a crude brute who defends his wife -- even if it is for all the wrong reasons. Adam Driver is compelling, as always; lending a charismatic arrogance that is so necessary for Le Gris. And Jodie Comer is scintillating as the defiant wife who stands her ground amid insane adversity. She is commanding, beguiling, and hits every emotion on the spectrum of what her role calls for.
'The Last Duel' won't be for everyone {lengthy, bleak, violent Medieval epic). But I was transfixed by the 'he said, she said, he said' complexity of the story. I commend Marguerite de Carrouges' bravery. And this really is the kind of towering cinematic achievement that 'they just don't make anymore'.