Three truths, one sin.
For Lady Marguerite, it’s her quest for justice after a former friend of her husband takes advantage of her in her own house. The problem is women have no voice in the male driven society. Now it’s up to her husband to defend her honor in a fight to the death in which her life is also in jeopardy if her attacker comes out the winner.
At over 2 hours 30 minutes, Last Duel is a film filled with jousting, sword fighting and more as the two male characters start out as friends and quickly become mortal enemies when one takes advantage in every effort imaginable.
The film stars The Martian‘s Matt Damon as Sir Jean Carrouges, the disturbed knight who loses his honor to the king when he makes. different decision to charge the enemy against the king’s will. He also saves his friend, Jacques Le Gris, who ends up taking his position of commander when Carrouges’ father passes away. Le Gris also covets Carrouges’ wife which leads to the adulterous claim. Le Gris is perfectly cast as Star Wars‘ Adam Driver captures every element that adds to his character. Watching the film, one can almost see the same “Kylo Ren” disposition that Driver perfected in his death stare and cunning fighting moves in the duel scene.
Finally Lady Marguerite is played by Jodie Comer (Free Guy) and she equally excels in every aspect of Marguerite from wife and lover to husband to compelling decision maker when her husband is away in the battles and finally her performance when she takes a stand against Le Gris, her expressions makes the audience really feel the pain and shame that she had to endure in real life.
All in All, the film is an awesome portrayal of how in medieval times, women were treated. It also highlighted the first woman brave enough to take a stand against the male chauvinist society that she lived in.
Last Duel came out in theaters October 15, 2021 and though it didn’t fair well in the box office as it was competing with Halloween and James Bond, it still is an intriguing film for the mature audience. It paints a picture of French culture in the 1300’s and the one woman willing to sacrifice herself to prove the sexual corruptness of medieval times.