THE LAST DUEL REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

In 2005, Ridley Scott directed the medieval drama, Kingdom of Heaven, which starred Orlando Bloom and Eva Green. It received a mostly positive response from critics who praised the action packed battle sequences. Sixteen years later, Scott returns to the genre with The Last Duel, which is set in the midst of the Hundred Years War that explores the ubiquitous power of men, the frailty of justice and the strength and courage of one woman willing to stand alone in the service of truth. Based on actual events, the film unravels long-held assumptions about France's last sanctioned duel between Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver), two friends turned bitter rivals. Carrouges is a respected knight known for his bravery and skill on the battlefield. Le Gris is a Norman squire whose intelligence and eloquence make him one of the most admired nobles in court. When Carrouges' wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer), is viciously assaulted by Le Gris, a charge he denies, she refuses to stay silent, stepping forward to accuse her attacker, an act of bravery and defiance that puts her life in jeopardy. The ensuing trial by combat, a grueling duel to the death, places the fate of all three in God's hands.


Although The Last Duel is a compelling and thought provoking drama with strong performances by its talented cast, it is difficult to watch at times, especially the graphic and gruesome rape scene which is shown twice from the perspective of Le Gris and Marguerite. Those who are affected by rape are best off avoiding The Last Duel as Scott doesn’t shy away from showing the rape twice. I think that this is definitely the most controversial aspect of The Last Duel as a lot of people will feel uncomfortable watching this scene once, let alone twice.
Aside from the graphic rape scene, The Last Duel is a powerful drama. Although it takes place in the late fourteenth century, the story couldn’t be more relevant. Its exploration of significant themes are what make it an effective watch. The story is told from the three perspectives of Carrouges, Le Gris and Marguerite. In Carrouges’ story, it’s revealed that he is friends with Le Gris, however, they soon become enemies when the latter is given a piece of land owed to Carrouges by Count Pierre (Ben Affleck). Although Damon delivers a solid leading performance as The Last Duel, this is where the film is at its weakest. The second chapter, which is told from Le Gris’ point of view, is where the drama and tension increases, with Driver delivering a perfectly creepy and intimidating portrayal. Because Le Gris is in love with Marguerite, he believes he’s being charming and thinks that she feels the same way. The Last Duel is at its best during the final hour, with Marguerite’s story being told, leading to the titular final battle between Carrouges and Le Gris. Comer impressed with her performance as the fierce assassin, Villenelle, in the thrilling series, Killing Eve, and stood out alongside Ryan Reynolds in the action packed comedy, Free Guy. Now, in The Last Duel, Comer continues to establish herself as a talented actor. In the beginning, Marguerite is simply seen as Carrouges’ wife, however, after she is attacked by Le Gris, she becomes braver and more self assured. Despite being accused of lying by those around her, Marguerite stands by her truth, making her a respectable and inspiring individual.

The script for The Last Duel is written by Damon, Affleck and Nicole Holofcener, and is based on Eric Jager’s 2004 novel, The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France. Although the story takes place thousands of years ago, the story is still relevant. I can imagine a lot of people being shocked by medieval society’s view of sex. When Marguerite struggles to conceive a baby with Carrouges, a fertility doctor tells her that it’s because she isn’t being pleasured at the same time as him, which is untrue as a woman can still become pregnant even if she hasn’t achieved orgasm. When Marguerites first accuses Le Gris of raping her, instead of questioning the latter, it’s the former who faces judgement from the public. It’s unfortunate that, in the thousands of years since this story took place, there’s been little to no progress, as women are still being asked what they were wearing and/or if they were drunk when they were attacked. The Last Duel is definitely one of the most thought provoking films to be released this year.

All of the drama and tension builds up to the climatic duel between Carrouges and Le Gris. Because I hadn’t read the book that The Last Duel is based on, I had no idea how it was going to end. The final duel is where The Last Duel is at its most intense as, if Le Gris wins the battle and kills Carrouges, Marguerite’s accusation will be deemed false and she’ll be burnt alive. Both Carrouges and Le Gris are both strong fighters so it’s hard to predict who will win the duel. 

With impressive performances by Jodie Comer and Adam Driver, The Last Duel is a powerful medieval drama. 

8/10