The Last Duel could be argued as a metaphor for the whole #MeToo movement and on the surface, the parallels are pretty hard to miss. Another way to see it is some of Hollywood’s best returning to their best in a film that’s engrossing made with splendid detail and packed with performances that are acted with conviction and weight.
The movie opens in medieval France and centers around three individuals: Knight Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon), his wife Marguerite (Jodie Comer), and squire Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver).
Le Gris is accused of rape by Marguerite and de Carrouges wants to defend her honor by challenging him to a duel. As the movie progresses, we’re told the story through each of their perspectives and their morality isn’t exactly black and white.
Ben Affleck also costars as well, co-penning the script with Damon. This script marks their first time working together since their Oscars for Good Will Hunting. Affleck plays Count Pierre d’Alençon who is named the overlord to de Carrouges by King Charles VI (Alex Lawther), de Carrouges starts to see him as a threat to his chance at achieving justice.
The Last Duel was directed by Ridley Scott who finds himself returning to the historical epic genre that he works so well in — such movies as Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Robin Hood and Exodus: Gods and Kings. Once again, he features spectacular detail for crafting an absorbing world that makes us feel like we’re in 12th century France, but importantly, he begins in the classical style by putting the story and the characters at the forefront.
As mentioned, these are people who have a soupy morality and their intentions are not always clear in terms of their motivations. Sometimes the Matt Damon character is fueled by honor and other times, he can be fueled by keeping his social standing.
However, Driver and Comer supply excellent work, and their stories make The Last Duel swerve off into unexpected directions. Their perspectives on the events are so layered that we’re not even sure how this duel is going to end.
The Last Duel is a terrific character study surrounded by true events and brought to the screen by masters of their craft who know how to make this material relevant as well as placing its audience in the thick of the setting.
Grade: A-
(Rated R for strong violence including sexual assault, sexual content, some graphic nudity, and language.)
