The Last Duel
2021
***½
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck, Harriet Walter, Alex Lawther, Serena Kennedy, Marton Csokas, Željko Ivanek
When his wife Marguerite accuses Jacques Le Gris of rape, French knight Jean de Carrouges is compelled to challenge his old friend to a duel to the death. However, if he loses the fight, Marguerite will be burned at the stake for perjury. This fact-based historical drama is set in 14th century France. The screenplay by Nicole Holofcener, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon is based on Eric Jager's book The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France, and it tells the same story from three different perspectives, like Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon. With this structure, the film is inevitably long, but the story remains captivating throughout, thanks to Ridley Scott's safe pair of hands. The central performances are strong.
