A prolific and eclectic director, Ridley Scott has been delighting us for decades. At 80, he continues to renew himself. He proved it to us in 2021 by signing one of his best films for 10 years.
The Last Duel, directed by Ridley Scott in 2021, is now available on Disney+. With an average of 4.1 for the AlloCiné spectator rating, this historical drama benefits from a 5-star cast with Matt Damon, Jodie Comer, Adam Driver and Ben Affleck.
Told in the style of Kurosawa’s classic Rashōmon – giving the characters different points of view – it recounts the real-life confrontation between Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris. The first defending the honor of his wife after the second raped her. All set in medieval France.
The duel in question is the result of a trial by combat, which takes place after Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) is accused of raping Marguerite de Thibouville (Jodie Comer), the wife of Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) . The feature film based on the book by Eric Jager, was adapted by Damon, Affleck and Nicole Holofcener.
Released in October 2021, The Last Duel was a commercial failure in France and the United States, even if it was well received by critics. Oftentimes, films that flop at the box office find new life on video and/or streaming. We are betting that it will be the same for The Last Duel.
While Ridley Scott has a myriad of hits under his belt, he’s also had a few failures with films that didn’t have great box office success but found new life much later. This is the case of Kingdom of Heaven, with Orlando Bloom, which has become a cult film, in particular thanks to the long version of the director’s cut which is circulating today.
2021 20th Century Studios
At least, The Last Duel is a real cinema proposition that contrasts with a standardized production among the big budget films that currently reign over the box office. Despite its medieval history, Scott’s film is profoundly modern. His Rashōmon-style narration serves the character of Marguerite de Thibouville, whose truth comes to light in his segment, the third that closes the film.
The Last Duel should have been a massive hit when it was released. It had all the arguments for: with its budget of 100 million dollars, it is a real blockbuster which also marks the return of Ridley Scott to the epic and historical genre. It is also the reunion on the screen of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Plus, every studio wanted the movie, there was a bidding war before it was even written.
Now is the time to right this injustice.
(Re)discover our interview with a historian who deciphers Ridley Scott’s film: