Director Report Card: Ridley Scott (2021) Part One

26. The Last Duel

In 1977, Ridley Scott would begin with career as a feature director with “The Duelists.” Considering the influential classics Scott has contributed to cinema, it was the beginning of a prominent legacy. In 2020, while filming his latest historical epic, Scott was 83 years old. Which is pretty old by any measure. This film was entitled “The Last Duel.” At the time, while wishing no ill will against Sir Scott, I commented that it would be a nice bit of dramatic symmetry if this ended up being his final film, if his career began with “The Duelists” and ended with “The Last Duel.” Of course, the ever-prolific filmmaker immediately went to work on his next project. Due to the pandemic, he already had the follow-up to “The Last Duel” in the can before it was even released. The two films came out mere weeks apart. Nevertheless, there is a feeling of finality in Scott's latest medieval story. 

Set in late 1300s France, “The Last Duel” follows the rivalry between Norman knight Jean de Carrouges and squire Jacques Le Gris. Both are veterans of France's various military campaigns and serve under Count Pierre d'Alencon. After the war, Pierre makes Le Gris responsible for restoring his finances. Carrouges, broke following the death of his wife and son from the plague, marries Marguerite de Thibouville and inherits a large dowry... Which is then seized by the count and given to Le Gris. At a festival, Le Gris meets Marguerite and immediately falls in lust with her. While Carrouges is on an unsuccessful campaign in Scotland, Le Gris breaks into his castle and rapes Marguerite. When she informs her husband of this, he is outraged. Le Gris denies the charges, causing Carrouges to demand a duel with the man. It would be the last judicial duel, in which the winner is declared right by the will of God, ever performed in French history.

“The Last Duel” has a story structure that seems unavoidably inspired by Akira Kurosawa's classic “Rashomon.” It is broken up into three chapters. The first depicts Carrouges' version of events, with Le Gris' account being shown in the second. The third and final chapter follows Marguerite's perspective, which is implied to be the truth. Each chapter progresses a little further into the story, keeping things from getting too repetitive. Moreover, the multi-layered structure gives the same lines of dialogue different meanings. Carrouges asking his wife if she's telling the truth plays very differently in his account of events than in her's. Opinions and depictions of characters change from each chapter, showing us that how we perceive ourselves and how others see us are truly very different. It might seem gimmicky but “The Last Duel's” narrative structure does make it a more compelling film.

Aside from its title and the premise of two dudes fighting, “The Last Duel” doesn't have much in common with Ridley Scott's debut film. That movie was about a long-standing rivalry between two men who hated each other from the moment they met. “The Last Duel” follows the arc of two men starting out as friends but slowly becoming the bitterest of enemies. Carrouges saves Le Gris' life in combat, the two having a mutual respect for each other. (At least that's how Carrouges recalls it.) However, as the count favors Le Gris more and more, it upsets Carrouges' sense of vanity. This is what really makes him hate the squire, even before he assaults his wife. Of course, we later learn that Le Gris has always found Carrouges insufferable, though he didn't tell him that. Nevertheless, “The Last Duel” does a pretty good job of depicting how professional courtesy can rot into murderous rage.

“The Last Duel” allows each of its principal characters to speak for themselves, so each retelling favors their outlook the most. In Jean de Carrouges' version of events, he's a put-upon honorable man. He's served his king and country and just wants financial stability in return. The plague has left him destitute, forcing him to go off on more military missions, as killing people is the only professional experience he has. This presents a rather amusing image of a knight as a broke-ass, blue collar worker. The actions he takes, such as attempting to sue a count and finally challenging Le Gris to the titular duel, he thinks of as increasingly desperate steps to insure he's simply given what he is owed. 

Of course, according to Le Gris, Carrouges is a totally humorless and conceited blowhard. In Le Gris' telling of events, he's the 14th century equivalent of a party guy, reading Latin poetry, having orgies with Count Pierre, and being loyal to his friends. A courtesy kiss he shares with Marguerite becomes a steamier smooch in his version. The two seem to share some chemistry... Which makes it all the more surprising that, even in Le Gris' recollection of events, the sexual assault is not exactly ambiguous. She says no, over and over again, as he forces himself upon her. Even in his own memories, where he's obviously trying to make it seem like she reciprocated his passion, the woman still didn't consent.

That sexual coercion plays a role in a Ridley Scott movie is not too surprising, since it's a topic that's cropped up in his work from time to time. (Though sometimes with xenomorph appendages standing in for less exotic equipment.) What is interesting is how “The Last Duel” explores attitudes towards sex in general in 14th century France. Count Pierre and Le Gris bed multiple women at a time, all their lusty needs satisfied. Carrouges, meanwhile, seems to treat sex as simply a release valve, something to be resolved as quickly as possible. This is best illustrated during a sequence where his beloved mare is mounted by a rogue stallion, a sight that greatly annoys him. He's most concerned with getting an heir, with good breeding, and otherwise thinks of sex as something frivolous.  

And if you're a woman, nobody is especially concerned with your pleasure at all. The third chapter of the film, showing Marguerite de Thibouville's perspective, makes it clear that it sucked to be a woman in the 1380s. Her father marries her off to Carrouges, in a strictly business-like fashion. When their passionless sex life can't produce a son, he becomes increasingly critical of her. Even slut-shaming her for a cleavage-barring top. Her recollection of the assault is the film's most bracing moment, leaving it exactly clear what happened. By asking that her rapist be brought to justice, she brings scrutiny, gossip, and criticism against herself. She's shamed for having admitted she thought De Gris was handsome, even by other women. At this point, “The Last Duel” makes the wider point that maybe it sucks to be a woman in any century, as there's unavoidable parallels here with our recent “Me Too” era. Especially when Marguerite's mother-in-law admits that she's a victim of sexual assault too. 

“The Last Duel” is a compelling narrative that draws you in and keeps you guessing, as it builds atop itself and heads towards its conclusion. Which is a good thing because, from a visual perspective, it's not the most distinct experience. At this point in his career, we know what a Ridley Scott medieval epic looks like. The film has, more or less, the same color palette as “Kingdom of Heaven.” That means lots of dour greys and dirty blues, reflecting the overcast skies and muddy grounds. Scott does include one Kubrick-inspired interior shot, as De Gris and Carrouge talk aside the soft glow of the fireplace. That was a good moment. Yet the innovative cinematography that used to characterize Scott's films have long since given way to a somewhat same-y approach.

If nothing else has united Scott's films in recent years, it's an increasing focus on graphic violence. “The Last Duel” is no different in that regard. In fact, it comes off as especially brutal, even by the standards of this director's career. When we first see Carrouge in combat, he's hacking, stabbing, and bashing his way through other enemy knights. He even wraps his fist in chainmail and punches a face in. All of this proceeds the final duel, which is equally intense in its violence. Horses and random bystanders crumble into bloody piles. The two men wail on each other, their grand duel eventually reduced to them wrestling awkwardly on the ground. It may be excessive but it also makes the point of how self-destructive the men's macho pride is.

If Scott was happy to cast a bunch of white guys as Moses and the Pharaoh in “Exodus” – which “The Last Duel' also resembles visually – obviously he wasn't going to put any actual French people in this. The film is a starring vehicle for Matt Damon and Adam Driver. Both acquaint themselves in the parts well enough. Damon balances enraged pomposity and self-righteous fury as Carrouge, a man keenly obsessed with his own pride. Driver, meanwhile, plays De Gris as a hedonist who can go to any length necessary to justify his own actions. At the same time, Driver adds enough charm to the guy, so that you can believe he would be popular and beloved by those who aren't aware of his full selfishness.

The most reasonable character in the film is of course, Marguerite. Jodie Comer plays her as a woman who, unlike the men around her, actually has been wronged. All she wants is the man who harmed her to be face some consequences for his actions and she's willing to risk everything to insure that. Comer doesn't play her as a heroic woman, simply as someone who has desperately been pushed too far. Driver's part was originally meant to be played by Ben Affleck, who now appears as Count Pierre. If De Gris justifies his hedonistic life style, Affleck's count doesn't bother. He loves to use his power to get what he wants, which is mostly money and women. It's pretty entertaining to watch Affleck camp it up in a role like this.

“The Last Duel” would premiere to less than stellar box office numbers last October. The film was another causality of the Disney buy-out of Fox, with the ongoing pandemic also keeping older audiences away from theaters. The unavoidable fact that non-franchise films don't seem to be making much money in the COVID era is another factor. Ridley, officially in the no-fucks-given stage of his career, blamed the low box office on those goddamn millennials. I think a three hour long movie about rape was always going to be a dicey proposition, commercially speaking. However, the film did win some fine reviews. (Though not a single Oscar nomination. You think it could've sneaked into Production Design or Costumes or something.) I think it's a pretty interesting film and well assembled too. Maybe it's not as good as “Kingdom of Heaven” or “Gladiator.” (Or “The Duellists,” for that matter.) But it's also a lot better than “Robin Hood” and “Exodus.” [Grade: B]