The Last Duel reviewed by Mark Kermode

Spot on review. The social commentary worked slightly better for me than the plot. Still, I found it boring and mundane. Perhaps a good introduction for the younger generations to Rashomon. Recommend that film.

Mark. Normally i listen to the way you articulate film and am fascinated by something that's unknown to me, but i absolutely can not get my head around how you think Ridley Scott's world building is a bad thing to build a film around. Im baffled.

creo que las diferencias en la escena de la violación es evidente, y por eso está tan bien lograda. porque él estaba acostumbrado a lidiar con mujeres que jugaban con él como parte de sus trabajos, y creía que todas las mujeres eran así, y por eso no veía la diferencia con una mujer que sí estaba negándose, pero que se vió superada en fuerza

only subtle differences? please

Thank you - The editing ruins this movie. There is no reason for three repeated stories. If they just showed it linear and picked up on the characters different views of certain interactions it would've worked better - Plus do not show the rape. Don't even start with the duel or call it the last duel so we see it from Damon's view where he ultimately ends up asking for a duel. That would've been more compelling. As is, it's just a story about how people have different point of views - which - so - duh we know that - they ruined it with the editing

In a perfect world Jodie Comer would get all the attention, recognition, and praises she deserves for her subtle, nuanced, poignant, utterly brilliant and beautiful performance in 'The Last Duel'. It's a crime how much she's been overlooked this award season.

the fact that the rape scene was horrendous in both versions is a testament to the time this movie is portraying.

Genius movie and superbly executed. The movie hooked me from minute one and didn’t let me go until the very end.

Nah, they're off the mark on this one.

The whole he-said/she-said becomes kind of moot when you know they're going to duel it out from the start

The irony of this review is that Mark and Simon are white knighting when discussing how the film depicts female jeopardy. Yes, it is appalling that the fate of Jodie Comer's character ultimately depends on which one of two men wins a duel...but that's the point of the story, and the film accurately depicts that horror. The fact there isn't a whole lot of difference between Driver and Damon's recollection of the story in contrast to Marguerite's experience is also the point, which totally justifies the Rashomon structure as it gets this point across.

I couldn’t get into this film because of the accents. In ‘The King’ you have a bi-lingual🇺🇸 American lead with convincing English & French accents and an English supporting actor, at least attempting a French accent as the Prince of 🇫🇷 France. In this film, I kept on having to remind myself where this was set.

Wow, I thought you had good taste. But all joking aside this movie was a breath of fresh air amid all the crap that has come out lately and I am surprised at this review.

I generally like Mark Kermode's reviews so I came here to hear his thoughts. I enjoyed the movie. While other comments indicate that they are certain of what has happened, I think Scott has left it quite open. I was surprised to see that the question "Did Jacques le Gris do it?" come up in my Google search after I literally typed 'did J'. I think it is open-ended and so do many people. Most of the other comments here take the last Chapter 3 as the true one. I am not so sure

Good review. I agree that it is a less than enjoyable film with many good elements.

I loved the film and I think it works!!!

Turned this podcast off the moment you started it out by saying the film was bogged down by Ridley Scott’s worldbuilding. Can’t trust any of the rest of the review after hearing that.

GAME OF THRONES: Me Too EDITION

It is a good film. Ridley Scott knows how to make a historical movie. Just didn't like Robin Hood. I agree that the 3 different perspectives didn't work that well. Film made me appreciate I wasn't born back then

I feel they did “that scene” twice to show how similar they in fact were. Because i assumed le gris perspective would have been the complete opposite, as in her coming on to him. But how similar it was really hammers home how dillusional this man really is, and that he most certainly was guilty, because up to that point, some audience members may have thought otherwise. So I actually think it was necessary.

brilliant film

Incompetent review. Great movie! It's so rare to have movies like this made nowadays, and you are just pretentiously rambling over it. Disgrace! Support this movie!

I like the period detail by Ridley, it invests you in the era, movie and gets you to understand their lives.

Mark needs to look at it again.

The feminist angle is pretty dumb actually. People imagine that this whole thing is pushed only by male pride and insecurity? But like is it? Feel like we are just getting dumb propaganda. There are alot of pragmatic circumstances that really go unconsidered...

I enjoyed the film for one.

I watched it this weekend and thought it was excellent…so there!

"Female jeopardy" is a silly point to criticise here, if you ask me. What were they supposed to do, have Marguerite de Carrouges fight the duel herself, not have the duel at all, or play down the potential consequences of losing? Butcher the most basic facts of the case, in other words? Also, what really is this criticism? Is it impermissible to build suspense for an audience, based on the audience's concern for the fate of a character, if the character happens to be female? What? When did that memo go out?

I thought this was an excellent film, from the world building and the technical aspects of filmmaking to the acting and the multiple perspective structure. A lot of critics seem to be reaching to find fault, like saying every individual aspect of the movie is great but it is "somehow" less than the sum of its parts. Riight.

This movie was a total groaner Altho I did laugh a lot at Bens wig lol

the two versions of the rape scene were not that dissimiliar? wtf? also why wont they shut up about minstrels? i thought the movie was amazing, i love how the environment showed whats going inside of marguerite, the placing of the fireplace right behind her at dinner etc

This review REALLY sucked in my opinion.

People who think this film is deep need to go outside. I love Ridley Scott films but I’ve never subscribed to any movie before I’ve even seen it. Not in my adult life at least. This movie was mid, chill tf out, I personally didn’t learn anything I didn’t already know about rape lol rape bad. My problem is that people’s opinions of this movie are completely clouded by bias and validations. There were positives of the film but the film felt completely uninspired to me, and the accents sucked, I was constantly suspending my belief.

The only issue I had with this film is that the “the truth” was written before the third act and it takes away ambiguity in what actually happened which I would’ve preferred and left it to us to put the pieces together (that she was raped). Great movie!

You lot don’t know what you’re talking about

Lets just say we wouldn't want Simon on a jury in a SA case - some situations are subtle and others are totally blatant it doesnt negate the effect of the action.

The Rashomon structure is effective when there is dishonesty and/or no true account and the audience acts as the jury.

Agree with Mark´s verdict. I liked a lot of stuff in the movie but the watching itself was tedious .

Boring stupid movie

Far too distracting, odd, accents.

everything else was great expect for the half helmet visor... that took me out of the movie so fast at the beginning and at the end.

I admit I haven't seen it though to the end yet, but that's only because I couldn't stand to watch it all in one go.

The sum is not as good as its parts? Are sweeping vista's, wonderful period costume, etc not to be used to tell a story about something so boring as bodily autonomy and women's rights? Or are you just jealous about the budget Ridley is able to get procure?

Yeah, the Rashomon structure felt pointless. The false accounts feel so painfully false that it's like, why are you even bothering to show them? It doesn't feel like the final account actually sheds new light on the events.

Loved this movie! Even before the most realistic brutal medieval duel I've ever seen on film! Made Luc Besson's Joan of Arc, and Gladiator look like a little dust up! Epic final Duel!😳👏👍

Strongly disagree. Goes to show you cannot rely on any critic 100%, even if you usually quite revere them.

“It doesn’t work” ahhh ok so that’s that then

Ridiculous review,this was a perfectly good film

Agreed with Mark and Simon. Movie partly let down by bad accents and bad mullets. Ben Affleck with blonde hair took getting used to. Jodie was great. It would have been a very different movie if it had different actors (e.g. Nic Cage and John Travolta in 'The Last Face Off').

Didn't work for myself, Matt Damon and Ben A. are not believable in that time, and that mullet on Matt is horrible.