Two things stand out in this period movie based on actual events. First, there was a time a medieval history when rape was not considered a crime against woman, but rather a crime against man as a violation of property rights! Second, the duel was not a contest of fighting skill but a process of trial and judgment. Upon losing, the loser's status changed devastatingly, from a knight and fighter to a detested criminal condemned by God, stripped naked, dragged behind a horse on the dirt, and finally hung up-side-down for display.
While the narrative borrows from Rashomon and the plotline of both include an alleged rape, "The last duel" is no "Rashomon". The events narrated by the three parties in TLD are far less conflicting than that in Rashomon. They differ not so much in details as in perception, whether it was rape, a charge brought in front of the King of France, or merely "adultery" as the accused claimed. Let me back up a little.
While both Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) were esquire to liege lord Pierre d'Alencon (Ben Afflect), their fortune were markedly different. Le Gris, slick and manipulating, was the clear favourite. Carrouges, unrefined and headstrong, was nobody's favourite, as well as "broke" and "need money" as he declared himself. While they started out as friends, with Carrouges saving Le Gris's life at the Battle of Limoges, relationship between the two deteriorated continuously, culminating in the Carrouges charging Le Gris of raping his wife Marguerite (Jodie Comer) while he was away. As always, the verdict boils down to whether there was consent. As no conclusive evidence emerged, an all but obsolete (but still in effect) law was evoked, duel in combat, for God to render judgment. The depiction of the movie, through the Rashomon mode as mentioned, quite clearly suggests that this was rape.
As easily surmised, this movie is dialogue-heavy. However, with credentials like "The Gladiator", Ridley Scott did not disappoint with the climactic, long duel finale. Acting, still, is the stuff this movie is made of. Affleck is miscast and wasted. Damon is solid and Driver continues to showcase his versatility and talent. It is Comer, however, who really shines. Elevated to wide recognition by "Killing Eve" and confirmed by "Free Guy", Comer is on her way to stardom.
While the narrative borrows from Rashomon and the plotline of both include an alleged rape, "The last duel" is no "Rashomon". The events narrated by the three parties in TLD are far less conflicting than that in Rashomon. They differ not so much in details as in perception, whether it was rape, a charge brought in front of the King of France, or merely "adultery" as the accused claimed. Let me back up a little.
While both Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) were esquire to liege lord Pierre d'Alencon (Ben Afflect), their fortune were markedly different. Le Gris, slick and manipulating, was the clear favourite. Carrouges, unrefined and headstrong, was nobody's favourite, as well as "broke" and "need money" as he declared himself. While they started out as friends, with Carrouges saving Le Gris's life at the Battle of Limoges, relationship between the two deteriorated continuously, culminating in the Carrouges charging Le Gris of raping his wife Marguerite (Jodie Comer) while he was away. As always, the verdict boils down to whether there was consent. As no conclusive evidence emerged, an all but obsolete (but still in effect) law was evoked, duel in combat, for God to render judgment. The depiction of the movie, through the Rashomon mode as mentioned, quite clearly suggests that this was rape.
As easily surmised, this movie is dialogue-heavy. However, with credentials like "The Gladiator", Ridley Scott did not disappoint with the climactic, long duel finale. Acting, still, is the stuff this movie is made of. Affleck is miscast and wasted. Damon is solid and Driver continues to showcase his versatility and talent. It is Comer, however, who really shines. Elevated to wide recognition by "Killing Eve" and confirmed by "Free Guy", Comer is on her way to stardom.