The Last Duel

In November 2021, I watched The Last Duel for the first time at Movix Kameari. The history film was released in 2021 and based on the actual events in 1386. The director is Ridley Scott who was 83 years old on the release.

The story follows three persons whose names are Carrouges, Marguerite and Le Gris respectively. Carrouges is a knight. Marguerite is his wife. Le Gris is a friend of Carrouges but the man rapes Marguerite, who confesses it to his husband, then Carrouges accuses Le Gris of the rape and requests a duel to the death that which Le Gris accepts. It is depicted from the three persons' perspective.

Carrouges played by Matt Damon is rustic and values his honor above all. Le Gris done by Adam Driver is intelligent and worldly wise, moreover, he is self-righteous and aggressive against women. I think that some of important figures in local communities are like the two men. If you take a high position in a small world, you can get what you want there in most cases, you can cover up crimes you committed, and you can be protected by people around you. I was born and raised in a local area, so I know that you can if you do. Carrouges values his pride above all and he hardly tries to learn the real feelings of his wife. Le Gris falls in love with his friend's wife and assumes her to be tired of her tactless husband and does her to be fond of himself, so he suddenly visits Carrouges' house and raped her in her husband's absence. Such tragedy can happen these days. Marguerite done by Judie Comer has to accept her fate of being at the mercy of the two men who cannot seriously give their attention to her. Women were sadly discriminated against more than today. The three actors gave a wonderful performances in it.

Court by force in Medieval Europe, which rules in favor of the winner of a duel to the death, is acceptable to me, for I am a man and I think thatduels were a kind of entertainment for men with great physical strength in those days because they can feel the adrenaline flow in duels and they had few amusements. As a man I can imagine the pleasure that I feel when I fight following my wild instincts in a war and a duel as a last option, though I have no intention to unnecessarily hurt people.

I eventually feel it to be surreal as a modern person especially about the duel because the times differ too much, however, many movie fans were touched by the flick very much, so I feel sad that my sensibility might be far lower. Certainly, I lack a sense of art.