REVIEW: The Last Duel

The Last Duel is an exemplary—and at times difficult to watch—telling of the true story of Marguerite de Carrouges in 14th Century France.

The Ridley Scott film deals with heavy topics, specifically sexual assault and the stigma associated with publicly accusing an individual of such a heinous act, in an unabashed and direct manner. It draws you in to the perspective of each of the main characters—even if you find yourself hating some of their tellings. The action seen throughout is enthralling, bloody and powerful, and the cinematography is beautiful.

The star of the film is Jodie Comer. In reality, it’s Comer’s raw chemistry with the rest of the cast that brings this film to life. She becomes Marguerite not only through her lines but through body language evoked in every scene in which she appears. She brings to life, hauntingly, the visceral and philosophic challenges associated with an assault.

Matt Damon and Adam Driver, who respectively play Sir Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris, were gripping—particularly when they were able to play off one another in select scenes. Ben Affleck is certainly a presence in the film, but I found myself a bit distracted by him—I frankly couldn’t get past the idea it was just Affleck with a blonde goatee.

I’m not big into period pieces, but this one hit differently. Certainly it has violence, but every scene and every swing of the blade all felt earned. And where some see a fallacy in the storytelling style—split into distinct sections focusing on different perspectives—I see a strength.

This movie could be challenging for some to watch, particularly (as the official synopsis notes) because it deals with sexual assault in a direct manner, along with the ramifications directly tied to leveling such an accusation.

The bottom line: Those who enjoy period-based films or movies based on real events, may find this of interest. 9/10