In theaters: The Last Duel

The Last Duel finally hit theaters after a nearly year-long delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Should you see it or is this one OK to pass?

The Last Duel is a cinematic retelling of the last sanctioned duel to the death in Paris during 1386 and focuses on the perspective of the main three characters as the audience decides who is in the right.

The film focuses on Jean De Carrouges [Matt Damon] and his wife Marguerite [Jodie Comer] as they attempt to prove that De Carrouges’ former friend, Jacques Le Gris [Adam Driver] is guilty of sexually assaulting Lady Marguerite.

The film is broken up into three chapters, each titled “The truth according to…” each of the three are given a chapter that shows the characters perception of the incident.

The first chapter is focused on De Carrouges’ perspective. According to Jean, he’s obviously the hero of this story. He’s a beloved warrior down on his luck until he’s knighted and married to the beautiful Lady Marguerite. He leaves for Paris and returns to the news of the assault. He immediately takes action and seeks a hearing with Count Pierre D’Alençon [Ben Affleck] to plead his wife’s case to the royals. The Count ignores his pleas because he’s a personal friend of Le Gris. De Carrouges travels to meet King Charles and is granted a duel to the death to determine who is telling the truth.

Chapter Two shows the perspective of Jacques Le Gris. In his version of the tale, De Carrouges is his best friend. They traveled and fought together, tended lands together and even became god parents to each other’s children. Tension only starts to build when Le Gris becomes the right hand to the Count and De Carrouges is left to fend for himself.

They get into several arguments and don’t speak until Le Gris hosts a party. De Carrouges brings his new bride and, from Le Gris perspective, she is very flirtatious with him. He eventually goes to her home while De Carrouges is in Paris. From.the perspective of Le Gris, Marguerite’s unwillingness to lay with him is simply playful behavior. Eventually he’s accused and denies it. He goes to Paris to prepare for the duel.

The final chapter is meant to serve as the true events. It’s told from Marguerite’s perspective. It doesn’t tell much about the friendship between the two nights and instead focuses on De Carrouges’ anger problems and Marguerite’s reluctance to have the duel take place. If her husband loses, she will also be killed.

Once the chapters are finished, the audience is shown the actual duel. The action is great and both men put on an intense physical performance. The movie is slow, but it never wastes time. Affleck and Comer are standouts in the film. Both characters are played well and bring intense emotion to the film.

The Last Duel is rated R and that rating is earned. There is lots of gore and both male and female nudity throughout the film.

Overall, this movie is intense, action packed and shows the audience the dangers

of medieval law. Leave the kids at home and go see The Last Duel before it leaves theaters or buy it on Blu Ray.