The Last Duel (2021)
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The story
Set in 14th-century France, the film follows Jean de Carrouges, a knight who finds his marriage strained by a lack of heirs. When his wife, Marguerite, is assaulted by a man who claims to love her, Jean faces a moral and legal crisis. The narrative is presented in three distinct chapters, exploring the conflicting perspectives of the husband, the accused, and the wife. As the legal system fails to provide a resolution, Jean must seek a judicial duel to the death to settle the matter of her honor and his own standing in the eyes of the King and his peers.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following the Caroline War, Jean de Carrouges and Jacques le Gris serve under Count Pierre d'Alençon. Jean marries Marguerite, but the marriage is strained by their inability to conceive. Jacques, a favorite of the Count, misinterprets Marguerite's attempts to befriend him as romantic interest and rapes her. Jean believes Jacques' actions were a specific insult to him. When the King dismisses their legal dispute, Jean demands a judicial duel to the death. The story is told through three perspectives: Jean's, Jacques's, and Marguerite's. During the trial, Marguerite remains resolute despite being told she will be burned for perjury if she loses. The duel involves a joust followed by a hand-to-hand fight where Jean eventually kills Jacques. An epilogue reveals that Jean died in the Crusades while Marguerite lived out her life in peace.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 153
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ridley Scott
- Writers
- Nicole Holofcener · writer; Ben Affleck · writer; Matt Damon · writer
- Cast and characters
- Matt Damon · Jean de Carrouges; Adam Driver · Jacques le Gris; Jodie Comer · Marguerite; Ben Affleck · Count Pierre d'Alençon
- Genres
- historical drama; action
- Themes
- misogyny; honor; perspective
- Tone and mood
- epic; grim; bleak
- Premise and plot tags
- historical; medieval; legal drama; action
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal, and Trial by Combat in Medieval France by Eric Jager
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics and was noted for its production values and performances, though it was criticized for its length and narrative structure. It was also noted as a box-office failure that found success in post-theatrical markets.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 67 · scale: 100 · review count: 50; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 72% · scale: percent
- Production trivia
- The film was originally scheduled for a late 2020 release before being delayed by the pandemic.; The production was delayed for several months due to COVID-19.; The score features vocal elements from the British a cappella group Voces8.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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