The Last Duel movie review

MOVIE TITLE: The Last Duel

RATING: R

LENGTH: 2 hours 32 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

This epic tale is based on Eric Jager’s 2004 book “The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France”. King Charles VI declares that Knight Jean de Carrouges settle his dispute with his squire by challenging him to a duel in 14th century Europe. The dramatic film was directed by Ridley Scott. He also directed the film The Duellists in 1977.

THINGS I LIKED:

I adore Adam Driver. His performance in Marriage Story (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] was jaw-dropping and absolutely deserved his Oscar nomination.
I also really love Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. It’s great to see them together again. This is the first time they have written a film together since Good Will Hunting in 1997.
Fun fact 1: Apparently, Matt Damon can’t grow facial hair so the makeup department had to glue on a beard to his face, which gave him such a bad skin rash that he had to put ice packs on his face after every scene. His face looked odd the entire time and his mullet was super distracting.
I instantly became a fan of Jodie Comer when I first noticed her in Free Guy.
Fun fact 2: The movie was filmed in France and Ireland. Production was halted due to the pandemic. While in Ireland, Matt Damon was named an honorary Irishman by the locals.
Brutal and realistic battle sequences.
In case you’re wondering, much of the movie showcases historical facts.
It was sad to see how little people understood sexuality and pregnancy in the Middle Ages.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

I really wanted to love this movie but I really struggled with it. It took me a long time to get into it and the bulk of the movie is about sexual assault illustrated in many scenes.
It’s annoying to watch a movie taking place in Medieval Europe where some of the people speak with a British accent and then the American actors sound completely American.
The film is divided into three chapters. Some viewers may get confused when certain scenes seem to repeat. The intent is to illustrate different perspectives of key events.
There are a lot of scenes of people eating. Ha ha
There was hardly any promotion for this film, so it really flew under the radar for most audiences.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

This is NOT an appropriate movie for kids, nor a family-friendly film.
Bloody, brutal violence and battle scenes
You see naked women rolling around on a bed.
Talk of and clothed portrayal of rape several times, including sound effects.

Adam Driver as Jacques LeGris and Matt Damon as Jean de Carrouges in 20th Century Studios’ THE LAST DUEL. Photo by Patrick Redmond. © 2021 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

THEMES:

Love
Friendship
War
Debt
Truth
Credibility
Respect
Gossip
Sexual assault
Toxic masculinity

FUNNY LINES:

None. This is a very dramatic movie.

INTERESTING LINES:

“I intend to speak the truth. I will not remain silent.” – Marguerite de Carrouges (Jodie Comer)
“The truth does not matter.” – Nicole de Buchard (Harriet Walter)
“A rape cannot cause pregnancy. It’s just science.” – Le Coq (Zeljko Ivanek)
“A child needs his mother more than a mother needs to be right.” – Marguerite de Carrouges (Jodie Comer)