The film "The Last Duel" keeps getting postponed, and we need to figure out whether it's worth going to the cinema or not. Well, let's dive into the new film by Ridley Scott and find out.

Synopsis

France, late 14th century. The son of a captain, Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon), marries the young and beautiful Marguerite (Jodie Comer), fights for his country, and is knighted, but gradually loses his lands and captaincy to his former friend, squire Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver).

When, after another campaign, Marguerite tells her husband that she was raped by Le Gris in his absence, Carrouges decides to challenge his rival and defend his honor and that of his wife. They are to fight a last duel to the death, where only God will judge who is right and who is wrong.

"Rashomon" in Medieval France

The main distinguishing feature of "The Duel" is the retelling of the same encounters from the perspectives of three different characters (Carrouges, Le Gris, and Marguerite herself). The characters' perceptions can be so subjective that any spoken phrase is colored with completely different emotions. The technique is simple and popular (used from "Rashomon" to at least "Vantage Point", where there are as many as six points of view), but no less elegant for it.

At first, the narrative may seem too fragmented and jump too quickly through the chronology of events, but this feeling is deceptive because all the fragments are beautifully connected and complemented by other characters. Ridley Scott's masterful work, accompanied by an excellent soundtrack, makes viewing extremely engaging.

The battle scenes are particularly well done—brutal but not tasteless, the kind that will surely leave no one indifferent. When the titular last duel finally takes place on screen, Scott's talent shines in full color.

Acting in the Film "The Last Duel"

What stands out in terms of acting? First, Adam Driver is gradually honing his craft and becoming one of Hollywood's best professionals. Second, Jodie Comer fits into the setting surprisingly well and plays her character brilliantly—it seems historical roles suit her perfectly.

The old-school duo of "Matt Damon + Ben Affleck" warms the heart. Although Affleck's character spends much more screen time with Driver's character, in the scenes where the friends do meet, their wonderful interaction is impossible to look away from.

Overall, Affleck lets loose to the fullest, and it benefits the film greatly. In this grim movie, he is a real breath of fresh air for the viewer, much like the young Charles VI played by the comically gifted Alex Lawther.

A Dialogue on Women's Rights or Market Trends?

So, we come to the most important part of the review. Because if in the first half of the film it seems there are many themes and storylines, by the end they all converge into one, at the center of which proudly stands the strong and independent Marguerite de Carrouges.

On one hand, conducting a dialogue about women's rights fits very favorably against the backdrop of patriarchal France, where a woman cannot even defend her dignity in court, where a wife is her husband's property. No one will ever deny that we, as a society, must grow and develop towards universal equality.

On the other hand, one cannot shake the feeling that the director and screenwriters are using a true story to once again cater to the #MeToo movement. Because besides a few wild notions about pregnancy from that time, they employ quite real phrases that are used against modern activists of the movement. Almost verbatim—so, consciously.

So it turns out that if "The Last Duel" had come out a few years earlier, its message would have been purely humanistic and would have allowed us to once again return to discussing the problems of violence against women. But the film came out now and fits perfectly into the ubiquitous feminist market trend. Coincidence?

In this regard, two points are troubling. First, a purely artistic one: the viewer is directly told that the true truth of one character is truer than the untrue truth of other characters, which violates the rules of the rest of the film. Second: why do we repeatedly and retrogressively condemn the past, applying the moral norms of the present to it, and forget the notorious principle of historicism? Why don't Americans instead turn their gaze to what doesn't work in today's world?

Sorry, got carried away.

Conclusion

The film is only marred by the deliberate pushing of yet another agenda through not entirely appropriate allegories. If the parallels with #MeToo were less heavy-handed, and if the viewer were spared from witnessing one brutal scene twice in all its detail, then the film would have virtually no complaints. Moreover, even with the agenda, "The Last Duel" is wonderful.

The film is definitely recommended for viewing as Ridley Scott's best work in recent years.