The Last Duel
The Last Duel
"The Last Duel" is a historical film directed by Ridley Scott and release in 2021. Based on the book "The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France" by Eric Jager, the movie tells the story of actual events that happened in France in the fourteenth century. Nicole Holofcener. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon wrote the screenplay. Damon, Affleck, Adam Driver & Jodie Comer also starred in the movie.
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| https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4244994/ |
The story is set in medieval France and revolves around the lives of three central characters: Jean De Carrouges (Matt Damon), Jacques Le Gris ( Adam Driver), and Marguerite De Carrouges (Jodie Comer).
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| Duel between Jacques Le Gris and Jean de Carrouges 29 December, 1386. |
Marguerite De Carrouges (Jodie Comer) claims that she was raped by her husband Jean's friend and squire Jacques Le Gris in the film. To prove her claim true, Jean De Carrouges (Matt Damon) challenges Jacques Le Gris ( Adam Driver) to a trial by combat. Of course, the movie is about much more than just the duel as is the true story. Here's what went down.
The story is told three times once from each character's point of view so some events are repeated while others are only told once as the story is so close to the events of history as they were recorded will only specify when those two things diverge which they don 'often do, except in the imagining Scott and the actors create for the characters internal lives. On the whole, however, the events do follow the history.
The film begins with Jean De Carrouges (Matt Damon) who after successful war campaigns for the king of France finds himself falling out of favor with Count Pierre (Ben Affleck). Pierre favors De Carrouges's friend Le Gris and the friendship between them starts to deteriorate. De Carrouges whose wife and son died of illness eventually marries Marguerite a wealthy but reputationally damaged young woman. Her father had cited against the King twice and though to many she would seem unmarriageable for the De Carrouges who desperately needed land wealth and an heir she was a good match. He saw the marriage as a chance to get the better of Le Gris as well for Le Gris had been gifted by Pierre a parcel of land previously owned by Marguerite's father. De Carrouges sued Pierre for the land and lost which only put him further on the outs with the Count. Meanwhile, Le Gris continued to rise in Pierre's esteem. Both the pair reconciliated in 1384 and they both agreed to put the past behind them and De Carrouges introduced Le Gris to his wife Marguerite.
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| Jean De Carrouges (Matt Damon) & Marguerite De Carrouges (Jodie Comer) |
Soon after De Carrouges went on a campaign to Scotland and though it was a military failure he distinguished himself with his courage. In the film, however, Pierre is still dismissive of him and La Gris is still his favorite which only angered De Courrages more after their so-called reconciliation. Things come to a head when De Carrouges goes to Paris and his mother takes most of, if not all the servants from the house with her leaving Marguerite alone. This is when she is surprised by Adam Louvele (Le Gris's accomplice) who asks her to open the door so he can wait and when she does he reveals that Lu Gris is also there to proclaim his love for Marguerite. She refuses his advances after which he rapes her.
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| Le Gris (Adam Driver) & Marguerite (Jodie Comer) |
The movie presents two versions of the rape and in Le Gris's version, her protests have an edge of teasing to them. But in Marguerite's version, her attempts to get away seemed less flirtatious and more earnest which the movie frames as the truth according to whomever her protests are loud and clear as she screams for help.
When he leaves he says she should tell no one, especially her husband because he might kill her if he finds out. So when De Carrouges returns home he demands coitus but Marguerite tells him about the rape fueling De Carrouges's anger against his friend. De Courrouges also says that she must have coitus with him as Le Gris can't be the last person to have intercourse with her so Marguerite is effectively raped again.
As in the film, De Carrouges has to first ask Count Pierre for a trial which is biased in favor of Le Gris. De Carrouges knows that even the King is biased against him and decides to ask for a trial by a duel in which God decides the outcome by letting the liar die. There is still a trial though and just as in reality Marguerite is now pregnant. At that time it was believed that a women could not conceive if she didn't enjoy coitus and thus her pregnancy was counted against her as she wouldn't be pregnant if she didn't enjoy coitus, so, as she was pregnant she must have enjoyed it.
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| Trial of Marguerite De Carrouges infront of the king Charles VI (The then King of France) |
In the film, it was revealed mid-trial that if De Carrouges loses at the hand of Le Gris, Marguerite will also be killed by being stripped naked and put into an iron collar and set on fire. Of course, no one in the film seemed to care about Marguerite's fate aftercall a crime of rape against a wife was considered a crime against the husband and a property crime at that since women were mere objects to be possessed.
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| The Last Duel |
The king held a series of banquets and parties that culminated in the duel between Le Gris and De Carrouges. Marguerite was forced to watch from a wooden tower on the battlefield also given the many spectators who came to watch. While chained to the floor awaiting her potential death sentence. If her husband lost she would be found guilty of perjury. The duel itself was very violent as it was in the film. It's long and gory and ends with the De Carrouges stabbing Le Gris through the mouth proving Marguerite to have been telling the truth.
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| De Carrouges killing Le Gris |
The film shows Le Gris stripped and hanged by the ankle in the town square. The movie ends with Marguerite playing with her son seemingly at peace with her life. There is a brief quota that reveals Marguerite outlived her husband and never remarried.
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