The Last Duel (2021) Dir: Ridley Scott
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Ridley Scott's 2021 historical drama infamously flopped at the box office, but has already begun to claw back some reputation in the form of a growing cult following. My mission was to determine whether or not the flop or the acclaim were more just.
Firstly, it must be said - it is unavoidable - that almost nobody, least of all the main cast, bothered to commit to accents. This was extremely jarring, especially considering the vast majority of characters are supposedly French, but all talk with, at best, slightly posh American accents.
There are two things Scott always delivers on. The first is action. His portrayal of medieval violence is as brutal as it is enthralling. However, I almost resent how brief the early action sequences were. I appreciate that the drama is the story, but it felt as though the action was cut away from far too soon, too often. That said, the final bone-crunching, bitter, muddy, bloody brawl was filmed in exquisite brutality.
The second thing that Scott always excels with is set design. Scott has his origins at the Royal College of Art, which is something that has since informed his attention to detail at every turn, including here. Visually speaking, the film is utterly stunning. Expansive, beautiful scenery and intricately adorned sets form an appropriate setting for such a dramatic, historical story.
The narrative is well constructed, well paced, but, certainly in the case of the dialogue, poorly written. What it does incredibly well, is show in terrifying detail, the way in which men can and will distort even the most minute interactions with women to form their desired narrative of events, and how the road to justice was, and is, incredibly treacherous, painful and traumatic.
I found myself disgusted, as I'm sure I was supposed to, by what Jodie Comer's character had to endure from just about everyone else in the story. The film's brutality comes more from the treatment of its protagonist than by the violence of the men who fight because of her.
Once again, I find myself wondering why it is ever necessary to show explicitly an assault on-screen. I understand that it is a major element of the story, but I personally feel it could have been portrayed implicitly and still had the same effect.
I found myself incredibly invested in the outcome of the titular duel, more-so because I cared for the film's true protagonist, who, quite frankly, deserved far better than was ever shown to her by anyone in the film.
The crushing weight of the stakes upon the film's climactic scene become near unbearable. The emotional anguish I felt was incredibly intense. The film is long, over 2 and a half hours, and yet I was transfixed to the screen - the tension was such that I needed to see the conclusion, moreover, I needed to see the right conclusion.
The way Matt Damon manipulated his performance to mirror the portrayal of events was sublime. I have never had such a wild turnaround in feeling towards a character, and part of why is because of how brilliant Damon was. He had a roughness to him that worked perfectly.
Adam Driver was masterfully detestable in his leading role. It was so impressive how effectively he was able to illicit hatred and disgust in me as I watched. Like Damon, he was able to alter his performance very subtly but very effectively to change the perspective of his character. It's so clear to see why he has become such an acclaimed actor in recent years.
Jodie Comer was magnificent in every aspect of her performance - from her aura, to the delivery of dialogue and even her nuanced body language. She gave, without question, one of the best acting performances of the decade. I was desperately invested in her character from start to finish. I cannot stress enough how powerful her performance was.
There were a number of commendable performances from supporting cast members, especially Ben Affleck, who was truly excellent at being a slimy man. The other standouts in my eyes were Alex Lawther, Harriet Walter and Adam Nagaitis.
Overall, there is no denying that this is an utterly bleak film. It reeks of male idiocy - which is testament to the filmmaking of Scott. He wanted you to hate the two leading men, and boy will you. I can understand why the film has been so divisive, especially having read a number of reviews as I was writing this one. I for one see this film as a triumph of medieval storytelling, although it will almost certainly leave a bitter taste in your mouth and a heaviness in your heart.
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