The Last Duel (2021)

The Plot of The Last Duel: This film is presented from the viewpoints of the protagonists, but this is ignored in this description. Two young men Jean de Carrounges and Jacques Le Gris, grow up as friends and from being squires become knights in the service of the king of France, and engage with the king’s enemies. But Jacques becomes a favourite of Count Pierre d’Alencon, while Jean falls on hard times, despite his military service. Jean marries Marguerite de Thibouville and gains financial status but the Count awards Jacques tenancy of an area claimed by Jean, hence they become enemies. Later while Jean is away, Jacques gains entry into Marguerite’s chambers and rapes her. When Jean returns she tells him and a process is set in motion which will end with the death of one of the two men and, should it be Jean, the death of Marguerite by burning at the stake.

Content of The Last Duel: There is a bit of distant female nudity, with young women engaged in sexual activity, the rape fully clothed but with thrusting and a lot of talk about sex and the enjoyment of it, or not, particularly in the court. At times the knights go to war and there are battles where people are killed bloodily. Due to the film’s technique the same scenes are often seen from different viewpoints, and therefore different emphasis. Jean de Carrouges is mostly seen on his way to war or coming back from it, and Jacques is mostly sitting at the count’s right hand looking smug.

A View of The Last Duel: You have to read a bit of the background to see why the film makers might have selected this story to present to us. And it is implied that most women were raped at some time back in those days, but Marguerite was the first one to complain about it, a sort of MeToo event. But despite the  presence of the stars, and the effective direction by Ridley Scott it did not make any money. He was quite insulting about the possible audience, but if anything it seemed to me that Matt Damon, Adam Driver and Jody Comer did not quite fit into the roles, and it may not have received the necessary publicity.

Three swords and sandals movies directed by Ridley Scott and reviewed on this site: Exodus: Gods and Kings,  The Kingdom of Heaven and  one of my all time favourites Gladiator.