The Last Duel
Warning : Discussion Of Sexual Assault
The Last Duelis the 2021 historic epos from Ridley Scott - here ’s the ending of the medieval drama and Marguerite ’s fate explained . The Last Duelis base on a record by Eric Jager calledThe Last Duel : A Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France , which in turn is based on honest events . The Last Duel’smain charactersdid exist , and much of their concerns and actions shown in the film did in fact happen . Scott , Affleck , Damon , and Holofcener took care to ensure many medieval customs and practices were displayed accurately in the film .
While the film ’s three - part approach to storytelling led to a comforting conclusion , the warring perspective of Jean de Carrouges , Jacques le Gris , and Marguerite de Carrouges at multiplication muddle sure contextual aspects of the story . While Marguerite ’s account statement of what happen to her in the film is certainly the truth ( as the picture show take care to point out with a title card ) , there are aspects of de Carrouges ' rivalry with le Gris and Marguerite ’s treatment that warrant extra flesh out . This is specially so as they also relate to thetrue story ofThe Last Duel .
Ridley Scott ’s The Last Duel is getting fairly secure reviews and positive buzz from critics , but how does it compare to his other historical movies ?
Why Was The Land Le Gris Took So Important To De Carrouges?
Honor And Desperation Were Key
In the first act ofThe Last Duel , Jean de Carrouges is shown to be upset over miss nation to le Gris for very chivalrous reasons , but this is revealed to be far from the truth . What actually transpired was a battle of wants , tradition , and legality that set the stage for the rivalry between de Carrouges and le Gris . Jean de Carrouges think the land - the the three estates of Aunou - le - Faucon - was truly his due to the fact that Marguerite ’s father , Robert de Thibouville , promised to include it as part of de Carrouges ' dowry .
As women were essentially consider as inheritor - producing property at this time , a portion was a giving of extra wealth or land meant to make a potential bride more worthy . As an heirless widower unable to pay his debts , Matt Damon ’s characteralready chance lessen his name by conjoin the girl of a discredited military personnel , and wanted more " economic value " out of the agreement .
De Carrouges sees things in disgraceful and whitened , and the idea that Jacques le Gris gain from something that was ethically wrong in de Carrouges ' eyes drove a Italian sandwich between him and Adam Driver ’s character , in the first major chipping of their friendly relationship .
The country in question , however , was prehend by Count Pierre in lieu of requital for de Thibouville ’s outstanding debts and gift to Jacques le Gris before de Carrouges was hook up with - therefore hit any claim de Carrouges may have had to it . Because Jean de Carrouges is portrayed as a Isle of Man with a very rigid interior computer code of accolade , this move fret him despite the fact it was technically not illegal .
De Carrouges sees things in bleak and white , and the musical theme that Jacques le Gris benefited from something that was ethically wrong in de Carrouges ' eye drove a wedge between him andAdam Driver ’s character , in the first major chip of their friendly relationship . Of course , de Carrouges is also shown to be hotheaded , as well as broke after the plague carry off half his faculty and crop , sohis title of honor and rights could also simply be mask the fact that the financially grief-stricken man felt slighted as well as desperate .
Why The Court Didn’t Believe Marguerite’s Story
The Last Duel Ending Accurately Portrayed Perceptions Of Women
One of the more surprising scenery inThe Last Duelcame when the court of law did n’t trust Marguerite de Carrouges ' account of her rapine . This is far from unbelievable , however , given views towards woman at the time ( and , sadly , today).As the film makes clear , the rape itself is consider as a place crime against Jean de Carrouges rather than a horrific act done to Marguerite herself . Marguerite ’s mental nation , visible distress , and well - being were just not of concern to the court unless they directly impacted Jean de Carrouges . As demo earlier in the film with a scene between le Gris and another woman , a woman ’s consent was hardly a matter men mat they had to consider at the fourth dimension .
Another major publication for Marguerite inRidley Scott ’s moviewas that she became pregnant after being dishonour by le Gris - though the film gain exonerated she could have become pregnant as a resolution of like treatment by her own married man shortly after . There was a die hard feeling in the 14th 100 that women had to enjoy sexual activity so as to become pregnant , and by medieval logic , if Marguerite love her riposte with le Gris it could n’t have been rape . This is precedent for this way of thinking shew in an ancient Greek theory ( the Galenic good example of replication ) that say both partners needed to enjoy sexual practice so as to believe a nipper .
Why Le Gris' Body Was Stripped Naked & Strung Up
The Shocking Moment Was Included For Historical Accuracy
Le Gris was not only killed by de Carrouges in the duel , but his dead body was afterward stripped naked , dragged by horse through the townspeople square , and hung upside - down for all to see . This was n’t turn over much contextby either Ridley Scottor the handwriting , and felt almost like an unnecessary coda to Jacques le Gris ' demise . However , this consequence actually occurred following the real Jacques le Gris ' death , and it was a deliberate endeavour to further sully le Gris ' name and reputation .
As there was no legal separation of church service and state during the mediaeval era , this act tie beam into a belief called " iudicium Dei " - the sagacity of God . It was believed at the time that in any visitation or ordeal to set guilt , God would protect the innocent from harm - therefore , whoever won the duel between Jean de Carrouges and Jacques le Gris would have been proven innocent . Le Gris lost the duel , meaning God see his guilt and give way to protect him . In the eyes of the Margaret Court and those watching , le Gris in a flash became nothing but a common criminal . Though Ridley Scott always crafts memorable deaths , The intervention of le Gris ' body after the duel , in this case , was meant to reflect his novel position as a criminal and impart shame to the man and his name .
Why Marguerite Was To Be Burned At The Stake
Damaging A Man’s Reputation Was A Great Crime In 14th Century France
Of course , The Last Duel’squestionable justice arrangement is revealed to be even bad when the focus is on Marguerite de Carrouges . Just as le Gris was driven to be guilty by chastity of his demise , a Jacques le Gris triumph would have been seen as cogent evidence to all present that the case against him was false . As Marguerite de Carrouges was the one who leveled a bursting charge against le Gris , this would have revealed her to be a liar according to , again , the medieval feeling ofiudicium Dei , thus allowing her to be punished for bearing fake witness .
Though penalization for take over false witness in fourteenth - hundred France were n’t always as severe as being burn alive , that this was to have been Marguerite ’s fate was another sign of how the value of valet de chambre was judge as being of vastly greater worth than that of woman in the epoch . Both the fate of execution and the horrific manner of it was as much about punishing a woman for damage a valet de chambre ’s reputation as it was about lie in . Even if she had n’t been sentence to burn at the interest , Marguerite de Carrouges ' life certainly would have been over one way or another had her husband mislay his duel .
A tale of power and misogyny masquerade as honour , the moving-picture show is engage and now and again risible , embrace its themes despite a narrative asymmetry .
The Last Duel is a historical epic drama set amid the Hundred Years War, and explores the ubiquitous power of men, the frailty of justice, and the strength and courage of one woman willing to stand alone in the service of truth. Based on actual events, the film unravels long-held assumptions about France’s last sanctioned duel between Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris; two friends turned bitter rivals.
What The Final Close-Up On Marguerite’s Face Means
An Important Cathartic Moment
Director Ridley ScottendsThe Last Duelon a peaceable scene in which Marguerite watches over her growing boy . The camera focuses on Marguerite ’s face before the pic pass off to calamitous , and while the scene may be open for interpretation , what it does and does not show is certainly notable given the flick ’s focus on view . Key to the scene are Marguerite ’s location - she is in a theatre of operations , with a palace in the background - and the far-famed absence of Jean de Carrouges .
This prospect at the end ofThe Last Duelgives Marguerite a moment of remainder from the oppressive roles that politics , societal average , and gentleman have play in her sprightliness up to that point in time . This idea is underscore by the title cards that follow it , which bring out that Jean de Carrouges died in fight a few twelvemonth after the duel and that Marguerite never remarried .
The Last Duel’s Real Message & Meaning Explained
A Feminist Take On Historic Epics
talk toVanity Fair , Matt Damonand Ben Affleck’sThe Last Duelco - writer Nicole Holofcener pronounce " … it actually is a very feminist movie . We straightaway betroth some # MeToo group and Geena Davis ’s chemical group to rede us , to listen to us . “The Last Dueldoes indeed suffer out among other medieval heroic poem as get a fresh position that expend its story to shed light on issues of rape and misogynism . It does so in the first place due to its unequalled three - position body structure which cleverly redeem Marguerite de Carrouges ' story for last .
While there is sight of information about both Jean de Carrouges and Jacques le Gris in the historical record , Marguerite ’s story is much less fleshed out - further reward the concept of women as lower-ranking histrion at the time . The Last Duelfinally gives Marguerite a vocalism , and one that paints a very harsh and accurate painting of the serviceman in her life . It also gives nuance to her story that , unlike many other films prepare in the gothic era , gives an precise and thought - arouse business relationship of how women were treated at the time , but also today .
The Last Duel’sstructure also speaks to how , even today , char are still fighting an uphill conflict to be pick up when it comes to accusation of ravishment and sexual torment .
The Last Duel’sstructure also speaks to how , even today , women are still fighting an acclivitous conflict to be get a line when it come to accusal of rape and intimate molestation . late stories of powerful , high - profile Man being raise from a project or taken to courtroom for intimate assault may create the perception that it ’s easy in a post-#MeToo earned run average for woman to receive justice , but that ’s an incorrect assumption . In world , it ’s still fantastically hard for women to utter up about having been raped or sexually assaulted . It often does not go a woman ’s way in the court of public view , nor in genuine tribunal , where dangerous valet de chambre still so often get off on technicalities ; just look at the recent good example of Bill Cosby being rent out of prison due to a loophole .
The ending ofThe Last Duelalso illustrates how , even today , in any he said / she said scenario , the leaning is to doubt the woman ’s story but to take man more gravely . In de Carrouges ' creative thinker , he believe he is a loving hubby and an honorable man who stand up for Marguerite in her 60 minutes of need ; in realism , he does n’t directly believe her and even then only views it in terms of le Gris having slighted him . Le Gris witness himself as a highly suitable chassis - most disturbing is how in his account of the rape of Marguerite , she is almost playful and not necessarily unwilling .
Le Gris even mentions her " customary protests " later on in the film , but his perspective couch it as though Marguerite had been sending motley signaling . Marguerite ’s position pick apart down all fantasy and focuses on her struggle and mistreatment in a male person - dominated mankind . The framing of the ternary perspective illustrates how men of any era justify appalling actions and how the burden is always on women to achieve a gamy measure of proof , as well as the effects of internalized misogyny . Hopefully , The Last Duelwill also animate succeeding movie to be as paying attention .
How The Last Duel Ending Was Received
A Triumphant Highlight Of A Celebrated Historic Story
The Last Duelwas a reverberating success forGladiatordirector Ridley Scott , with the 2021 movie becoming a smash with both critics and audiences likewise -as demonstrate by its 85 % Tomatometer and 81 % Popcornmeter scores onRotten Tomatoes . While the dramatis personae performance , determine pieces , and Ridley Scott ’s directoral abilities were all fundamental factor in the succeeder , the plot and ending foThe Last Duelwere incredibly important too . In peculiar , many critics pointed out the titular affaire d’honneur at the ending ofThe Last Duel , with the likes ofRoger Ebert ’s Glenn Kennypraising this specific moment :
" And [ the last act of The Last Duel ] all leads up to the title affaire d’honneur which , even by the gamey measure pose by Scott ’s Gladiator , is what you ’d call a humdinger . "
give the three - act social system ofThe Last Duel , the ending is also noted in the bulk of reassessment due to it focusing on Marguerite . It ’s reckon as the msot scandalous sequence of all , especially for how it unflinchingly shows the Marguerite ’s intimate assault from her own view . Even critic who did n’t respond to a fault positively singled out the third enactment ofThe Last Duelfor praise . For example , in his 3 - principal review forThe Guardian , Mark Kermode notes the strength with which the ending ofThe Last Duelcaptures the moving-picture show ’s core themes :
" Finally – and most winsomely – we have Marguerite ’s account , an altogether more oculus - opening translation in which Jean and Jacques deal womanhood as movable , reduced by jurisprudence and usage to the status of place . Scenes of equine mounting are heavy - handedly juxtaposed with Jean ’s fruitless attempts to sire an heir ( “ I confide your ‘ little death ’ was a memorable and productive one , ” he declare when spent ) , while Jacques ’s egotistic sight of flirtatious glimpse are revealed to be mere diplomatical smiles . This metre it ’s the malignancy of a cosmos in which only men have magnate that is to the stem , prefigure a showdown as derisory as it is brutal , leaving Marguerite in danger of being burned live for the law-breaking of daring to speak out . "
Ultimately , the ending ofThe Last Duelis the most important part of the film and the message it ’s trying to convey . It ’s in the third and last act that the photographic film ’s many sum melodic theme issue forth together and are explore with the most unflinching money plant . Even among critic who did n’t enjoyThe Last Duel , the finish is still cited as a strong one by many . Yes , there are some who finger that the electronic messaging was a little too heavy - handed , but these are the nonage even among the most critical voices .
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The Last Duel is a diachronic larger-than-life drama set amid the Hundred Years War , and research the ubiquitous power of men , the vice of justice , and the military posture and courageousness of one womanhood willing to stand alone in the avail of truth . base on actual events , the film unravels long - held assumptions about France ’s last canonical affaire d’honneur between Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris ; two friend turned acrimonious rivals .
