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6
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2021
18
director: Ridley Scott
starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Comer, Adam Driver, Ben Affleck, Harriet Walter, Alex Lawther, Nathanial Parker, Tallulah Haddon etc
Based on the true story of France's last trial by combat in the Middle Ages. Knight Jean de Carrouges challenges his former friend Jacques Le Gris to a duel after Jean's wife Marguerite accuses Le Gris of rape. Told in multiple Rashomon-style points of view. What an incredible and powerful film this was.
My first few positives would be the amazing cinematography, set locations and action. As well as the strong use of gore, great plot structure and fantastic performances. This film was visually stunning, it bought to life the medieval period in such a striking and realistic way. The action scenes were so well shot and crafted; the film made the most out of its budget. The set locations were also amazing and so large in scope, it really made me just escape to the past in the best way as I was invested at the grandness and sheer scale of each location. I also thought the action and gore was very strong. It was gritty, gruesome, and hard hitting. Certainly not for the faint hearted. But the gore really added impact. The film showed how easy it was for the knights and people of the time to die so young. As the chaos of the battles and how brutal they were really showed how intense the fighting was within the war. I also thought the plot structure was fantastic. Splitting the film into 3 parts from 3 different perspectives was fascinating and an interesting dynamic to the film. Seeing similar scenes repeated but from a different perspective or hearing a conversation that wasn’t heard the first time around was cleverly done. Plus, how the film manipulated what the audience knows due to who the perspective was from was fantastic. The performances from the whole cast here were also fantastic. Matt Damon, Adam Driver and Ben Affleck delivered passionate, hard hitting and often uncomfortable performances and were incredible. But the true star for me was Jodie Comer. She is an incredible actress. Her performance was moving and powerful, bringing so much emotion to her character.
My Next few positives would be the character conflict and likeable characters. as well as the chemistry between the cast and fantastic pacing. And the great tone, dynamic between characters and fantastic themes. I thought the character conflict was very strong, it played into the films themes with its male characters very well. The conflict felt very personal so therefore the tension and stakes were high not just for the plot but for the characters as well. I also thought the characters were likeable in particular Marguerite, she had such a caring charm to her. Despite the limitations of what she could do, she still made the most out of her opportunities and was a genuinely kind person. I also liked how the film manipulated the audience into believing Jean (Matt Damon) and Jacques (Adam Driver) were likeable and good characters but once we saw the truth it was the complete opposite. I also thought the whole cast had fantastic and believable chemistry which made it so much easier to get invested in the plot because you cared about the characters. Next, I thought the films pacing was perfect. For me there wasn’t one single dull moment, and I was intrigued and glued to the screen from beginning to end. With the constant action and the fascinating storytelling, I was always invested so the runtime went very quickly. I also thought the film balanced its different tones perfectly. The blend of gritty action and gruesome gore, and more personal and emotional drama was fantastic and there was a great balance of them both that never felt like the film was going too far in one direction tonally which I loved. I also loved the interesting dynamic the film gave the characters. Depending on what point of view was being told the relationships were always conveyed in a different way. Which was fantastic storytelling for me as it made characters look better than what they were. So, when we saw the truth the dynamics between relationships changed completely. One of the strongest elements of the film for me was its themes. Themes such as power, honour, and pride were handled brilliantly and in depth. Whilst also highlighting the disgusting way women were treated at the time.
My final few positives would be the building of stakes and plot development. As well as the fantastic script and uncomfortable tone. And the fantastic final act. This film-built stakes incredibly. The duel that was built up throughout had so many lives on the line, but Marguerite risked that to be heard and to speak her truth. I also loved the development to the plot. Each scene had purpose and was important to the plot, and as it developed into the different point of views any pieces of information missing was given a scene to explain or explore. This just further proves how fantastic the script was. The attention to detail was incredible, the dialogue was powerful and moving and it was just incredible writing. I also appreciated the attention it gave to the horrors of rape and the lack of people who get prosecuted. It was very uncomfortable seeing the scene twice, but also seeing it from the point of view of the man making it seem consensual and the truth was awful but also a sad reflection of issues in today’s society. The final act for this film was incredible. It was entertaining, intense, and moving. The duel was incredibly shot and gruesome and ended the film incredibly well.
Overall, the last duel for me is what cinema and film is all about. with powerful performances, a clever and well-constructed plot. And its themes handled in a powerful and thought-provoking way. It gave a voice to a woman who refused to be silenced.
Overall score 100/100
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2/5
After Marguerite (Comer) accuses Jacques Le Gris (Driver) of rape, her husband, Jeane De Carrouges (Damon), must face Le Gris in a duel to the death, the outcome of which will determine the fidelity of her testimony.
The film, based on a true story, is told in three parts, with each part highlighting the unique perspectives of the three main characters. Rather than enhancing the story, this method merely shows the same events happening multiple times with slight tweaks. After seeing the same interaction for a third time, a woman behind me loudly exclaimed, “Oh dear lord, now we have to watch the whole thing again!?” The repetitive storytelling was unnecessary, inflating the runtime and making it feel like an episode of Showtime’s “The Affair.”
The writers are transparent in their choosing of sides in this diegesis—heralding Marguerite’s account as the truth despite historians debating both her veracity and Les Gris’s guilt. As a result, the film is less a historical retelling and more a diatribe against problematic medieval gender, sexual, and religious politics. While cinema can be a good platform to address the difficulties of the past, this film regularly crosses the line from timeliness into preachiness, something I personally have little patience for.
An uncomfortable watch due to its weighty subject matter and unflinching portrayal of sexual violence, this is not an enjoyable film. Ridley Scott’s directing choices also felt jarring, a disappointment from one of my all-time favorites. While the final duel is visceral and engrossing, by the time it arrived, I was anxious for the film to be over.
Damon, Driver, and Comer are all perfectly suited for their roles and Comer specifically is incredible throughout, her facial expressions conveying so much depth and feeling. The true standout here is Ben Affleck whose too-infrequent appearances provide not only some much-needed comic relief but also a truly hateable villain. The film is almost worth watching for these great performances.
Hot take: This could have been a riveting and important film—a necessary exploration of the injustices of the past—but instead it lands as a heavy-handed, preachy mess. Also, Matt Damon’s mullet is unforgivable.
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Score: 8.7/10
I saw The Last Duel last night and decided to do my first written review on Instagram! You can find all of my written reviews on Letterboxd!
I was extremely surprised by how great of a film The Last Duel is. There is so much to unpack with this film, and I do not think I will get into all of my thoughts about this movie so I can avoid spoilers since it was just released. With that said, The Last Duel is an incredibly original film, and I truly cannot think of another film that tells the same story three times from different perspectives (which is an extremely daunting task). On top of that, it manages to become more interesting with each version of the story. As writers, Nicole Holofcener, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck deserve serious props for delicately crafting this story for the big screen.
From a technical standpoint, The Last Duel is a true masterpiece, and the production on all levels is amazing. The replication of the medieval setting through the production design, costume design, and lighting is phenomenal. Additionally, the cinematography is stunning. Furthermore, one of the best qualities of The Last Duel is Harry Greyson-Williams’s phenomenal score, and I think it is one of the best, if not the best of the year. Lastly, the action in this film is shot and choreographed very well and is extraordinarily tense and brutal in the finale.
Also, every performance in this film is fantastic. Adam Driver and Ben Affleck do a great job with playing detestable people in this film, Matt Damon does an incredible job with portraying a character depicted in two drastically different perspectives, and Jodie Comer delivers an amazing performance as a very brave and conflicted character. Plus, I cannot not mention Ridley Scott, who was at the helm of this film, and I truly believe this is some of his best directing of all time.
Now, as audience members, we obviously know which version of the story is the truth; but, what I find so interesting about The Last Duel is how it showcases the inhuman behaviors of which the human mind is capable. This movie highlights that people mentally rewrite their own history and begin to believe their own lies and construct false narratives that benefit their self-image. The horrible true events that are focused on in this movie still happen to this day, and, unfortunately, people do not learn from history but repeat it. I believe this is an important message to take away from this film. However, what we can do with that message is up to us collectively, but we need to be on the side of truth and morality in order to grow as a society.
The Last Duel is a movie that frankly deserves more recognition than it is receiving, and it is a true shame that it is underperforming in the box office (screw you, Halloween Kills). This is a film that could easily seem very slow to some audience members (because it is a bit slow during the first act), but I think it gets more and more interesting as it goes along, and the third act will have audiences at the edge of the seats. The Last Duel may not be for everybody, as it can be tough to watch at times, but I think it is one of the best films of the year thus far, and I believe it deserves to win some awards at the Oscars next year. Check out The Last Duel in the theaters, if you can!
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