“The Last Duel” is “Rashomon” (1950) set in late 14th-century France with a great cast and an effective screenplay.
Director Ridley Scott balanced the three-act theatrical piece by juxtaposing minute characterizations into each act that either heightened or diminished drama.
Loved the setting. The colorist got the hue just right—cold, stoney, rugged. The lighting was mostly (if not exclusively) natural, with candlelight used to supplement night and dark indoor shooting.
I appreciated the lightning most in scenes with Ben Affleck as “Lord Pierre d’Alençon” because of his blonde-dyed locs with beard and goatee to match. The flames from the fireplaces he frequented illuminated his profile beautifully. And his fashions. 👌🏾🔥👌🏾
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I’m handing acting prizes to Jodie Comer as “Lady Marguerite de Carrouges” 🥇 and Affleck 🥈 for this one. And I hate using the term “nuanced” to describe anything artistic, but Comer’s performance had to be due to the bold specificity of Scott’s direction, the pointed cinematography by Dariusz Wolski, and the smooth editing style. Without those elements, each refocused perspective of her actions would have been absolutely identical.
And that’s why I enjoyed the screenplay, which is based from a 2004 book “The Last Duel: A True Story of a Trial by Combat in Medieval France” written by Eric Jager. The film is an ode, of sorts, to its predecessors that have attempted some type of semi-fractured order storytelling. But what “The Last Duel” gets right is its mise–en–scene: every element worked together.
☑️ The changes in score leading up to Lady de Carrouges’ rape in acts II and III.
☑️ The perspective shifts from mid shots to close-ups on the kiss (the climax) across the three acts.
☑️ The new information gleaned from each act, which followed each main character’s perspectives of the lead up and aftermath of the crime.
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
The film is structured as three chapters sandwiched between the lead up and aftermath of the duel. Each chapter focused on “The Truth according to…” one of the three main characters: first with Sir Jean de Carrouges (played by Matt Damon), the husband of Marguerite; then Jacques Le Gris (played by Adam Driver), who is accused of raping Marguerite; and finally with Marguerite (Comer). The screen setting up the chapters is identical, except for the latter. Marguerite’s “…Truth” text lingered longer than the others and it made me physically readjust in my theater seat.
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Artistically, I could not gauge whether the specificity in allowing those words to linger signified that her account of the crime was the absolute truth. Was her perspective of the situation, given that she was indeed the victim, the end-all?
Plainly, was Lady de Carrouges’ recollection of events the complete truth?
Well, her chapter’s accounting of introducing Le Gris into her home and the violent rape mirrored his own perspective’s account. So, perhaps?
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Concluding the film with Lady de Carrouges’ perspective of the crime, the trial and the duel elevated the piece. The audience could break into her suffering, the bitter coldness she felt emotionally from her peers and her family, especially from her husband who was set to honor her name in a trial by combat opposite the accused Le Gris.
I think I audibly gasped at the idea that men “of honor” dueled to definitively prove their guilt or innocence of committing a heinous crime. And depending on how it ended, the victor would be immediately seen as innocent and regaled as an instant celebrity, and the conquered’s name would immediately fade into nothing. But for the Lady de Carrouges, the victim of the crime…
…no one cares.
It does not matter.
Life goes on.
She’s just property.
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The finale—de Carrouges’ baby frolicking in the yard with Marguerite looking on—was perfect. Her expression gave demure and relaxed and relieved and proud, yet peculiar and vague. 🙃 I love an ambiguous conclusion.
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I was not familiar with the story from which the film was based, and I think going in blind was the best decision!
The duel was exquisitely choreographed—compelling and raw. Shouts to the stunt department! The action was barbaric, thrilling and totally uncomfortable to watch at moments. It almost felt like watching Pedro Pascal as “The Viper” fighting “The Mountain” on S4E8 of “Game of Thrones” (2011-2019) for the first time. (…almost.)
The one qualm I had was that this film is set in France, but other than the actors reciting each other’s names, not a lick of French was spoken. Latin came through and made a cameo though, but no French. (…étrange)
I’d urge anyone with trouble watching violent sexual abuse in art to refrain from viewing this film. It’s an effectual piece. I’d recommend, but with the ⚠️ trigger warning ⚠️ caveat for repetitive sexual assault scenes.