The Last Duel
This movie is still in theaters. But it already feels like it’s underrated. Or it will be overlooked too quickly. Overshadowed by the backlog rush of big budget films (Dune, No Time to Die, and more). I believe the Last Duel is being set aside for future Redbox night by moviegoers. It may be seen as just another reliable, enjoyable, but passable period piece. Another middle-age or some kind of Knights in war story by Ridley Scott. Another Gladiator-Kingdom Of Heaven-repeat. Something we’ve seen before. Like a war movie by Spielberg—they are the best but they are not new.
At least that is what I thought when I first saw the trailer. But I decided to still go, for the incredible cast (Comer, Damon, Driver, Affleck) and discovered that Ridley Scott has played his form to perfection as well as mastered a twist on the genre. The Last Duel is much more than the common Knight’s Tale kind of film. It is a deep and complex film about legacy, reputation, perspective, and truth.
Robin Hood, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Exodus. Ridley Scott’s epics can be hit or miss, in terms of memorable quality. Few would be Oscar worthy but you know his work with the genre when you see it. And if you give them a watch, you always know there will be some high-craft trademarks such as well-choreographed and bloody battles, ensemble casts, and beautiful cinematography. But I would also say despite the great actors that work with Scott, character development gives way to action and huge set pieces. The heroes are heroes. The evil king is evil. Don’t get me wrong. This is usually not the the detriment of the film. You know this going in. You are not looking to care about the characters as people. You just want to see them fight with swords behind massive armies.
The Last Duel breaks most of the mold. The giant battle sequences and armies are exchanged for (as the title suggests) a battle between two (or three). Instead of kingdoms being won and lost, the scope is shrunk to the intimate interpersonal drama. Only a few lives hang in the balance, and yet you care all the more! And the best change is the attention to character development. The considerable runtime of over two and a half hours is committed entirely to developing these three characters. You know them completely, both as they see themselves and how history will see them. A very unique take on the genre.
Basic story: The wife of a knight accuses a squire of rape. A duel to the death is used to determine who is telling the Truth. If the knight wins, it is God’s way of revealing that the crime was committed and the guilty party was punished. If the knight loses, he will die but the wife will also be seen as judged by God as a liar. She will then be put to death as well. Who will win. Who is telling the TRUTH?
Historical accuracy was always questionable in middle-age Braveheart-type movies. Again the characters and nuance are lost or simplified. We just want to see William Wallace kill English soldiers. We don’t care if he really went there or really fought here or really slept with the princess. But the controversy of legacy is played to benefit in The Last Duel. What is lost to history is the point.
The film is broken into three parts or Books. Each tells the same story of the evolving conflict between Jacques (Driver), Sir Jean (Damon), and Marguerite (Comer). Each book is “The TRUTH according to (insert character)” As you see the story from each perspective, you see the characters and events change, as they would tell it in their defense. Certain events are included or excluded to benefit their claims. But it is in the subtle differences in tone, expression, and word-choice that reveal the characters motives. Only in the third book, from Marguerite’s Truth, do you see the knights for what they truly are and fully understand what is at stake in their duel. I have only just started watching Comer in her breakout role in Killing Eve, but I was more impressed with her performance in The Last Duel. It will be the first of many incredible performances. Like I said, it is the subtle differences that make the story. The discrepancies in the characters accounts come down to the flash of an eye or flip of phrase. And Comer does this best to reveal a complex character that is hidden by the male perspective for the majority of the film. All three performances by the leads are worth analyzing, but I was most impressed with hers. Because Damon and Driver have had opportunities like this before. But Comer is just starting to prove herself.
