The Last Duel

If you want to watch something that has well-developed characters and plot and will really pull you in, give this a go.

It think the strongest thing about this movie is the storytelling, which is very mature, thoughtful and well-paced. It turns what would otherwise be another medieval action flick into an engrossing study about injustices, conflict and how human beings relate with each other. The acting is amazing and it's nice to see Ben Affleck in an unusual role, which he really nails.

Ridley Scott delivers again.

Legendary acting and scenario... It may just seem a little boring to some people. But that doesn't mean the movie is bad. The plot of the film is very well processed. In addition, the film reflects its time very well. I think it deserves 8 points. I did not give 2 stars. This is because of the last duel that gave the film its title. The last duel didn't go as I expected. I wouldn't expect professional soldiers to fight with many mistakes. And I think the last duel should have lasted longer. Anyway, despite everything, it was a movie that I loved very much. Have a good time. Don't forget to watch this movie in a calm state. This increases the pleasure you will get.

It's 14th century France. Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) are comrades-in-arms and best of friends. They are given a new lord in Count Pierre d'Alençon (Ben Affleck). While Jacques becomes the Count's favorite, Jean falls further and further out of favor. It doesn't help that Jean has married Marguerite de Carrouges (Jodie Comer) which leads to complications.

This is directed by Ridley Scott. The structure divides the movie into three chapters. Each chapter takes the point of view from Jean, Jacques, and finally Marguerite. This is good but the Rashomon structure does lead to the feeling of repetition. Then there are the two scenes devoted to the central issue. The one depicting Jacques' point of view needs to be more on his side. After all, this is a case of his says, she says. The two sections leave the question as a degree rather than a decision. There is no question to the basic case. That may be deliberate but it does not increase the tension. The intensity needs to be higher although I do like the actual duel. There is a reality in the brutal repeated battering.

Really enjoyed it! Worth the watch. Great actors and still such a great director. Not his best work but still great. Always worth watching his movies.

Seen the film at a screening at the Venice Film Festival.

Even if there is no way of telling that what The Last Duel portrays is entirely how the events took place, or as authentic as it seems to be in depicting middle ages, one thing is certain: it belongs to Ridley Scott's better works, and proves that the 84-year-old filmmaker is still able to deliver memorable films.

The dramatization takes on a three act narrative frame that resembles partly that of Kurosawa's masterpiece Rashomon: three chapters narrate the events, each from the point of view of one of the three protagonists, the two duellists and Marguerite.

The film clearly seeks a historical authenticity, and seems to succeed at achieving it. The almost word-by-word, blow-by-blow adherence to the accounts of the duel seem to confirm such an achievement, and is in a way reminiscent of Scott's debut film The Duellists, known for its methodical reconstruction.

The true essence of this film's stance is the idea that through the study of history more can be learnt about the contemporary world, the past as a mirror of the present.

The Last Duel is, in the end, a film that deals with the present by showing the past, and does so in an exquisite and entertaining fashion.

(extract from my review on comeandreview)