Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

The Last Duel 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 16, 2021

OK, I'll admit it: I love Kingdom of Heaven. I loved it when I saw it theatrically, I loved it when the (so-called) Director's Cut was released on Blu-ray in 2006, and I loved it again in 2014 when the Ultimate Edition (which was indeed a Director's Cut with a lot of added footage) was released on Blu-ray and I wrote a rather laudatory Kingdom of Heaven Blu-ray review of that version. All of that may have made me more predisposed than the average audience member to be primed to enjoy The Last Duel, a film which in at least some ways feels like Ridley Scott returning to particular nooks and crannies of medieval French life. The Last Duel is, again like Kingdom of Heaven, reportedly culled from actual history, albeit this time in the 14th rather than the 12th century. The screenplay, co-written by co-stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, was itself culled from a historical novel by Eric Jager, which recounted the back story behind what is generally regarded as the last official "judicial duel" held in France. The film, while offering a perhaps slightly smarmy tale of alleged rape, has a structural conceit which is obviously going to be reminiscent of Rashomon, with three "chapters" delineating the perspectives of the story's three focal characters, Sir Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon), Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) and Marguerite de Carrouges (Jodie Comer).

Chapter One – The truth according to Jean de Carrouges offers an apparently straightforward account of Jean and his BFF (or something like that) Jacques swearing allegiance to Count Pierre d'Alençon (Ben Affleck, going blond for this role), though right from the get go, when d'Alençon instructs an already prostrate Jean to hobble closer to pay his respects, something d'Alençon does not do with Jacques, there seems to be some subtext about the relationships between the three men. And in a way, while it's a provocative accusation on the part of Marguerite that ultimately leads to the duel, it's the power struggle between Jean and Jacques that really drives a lot of the story. Suffice it to say that though Jean is initially a hero knight and Jacques a "mere" squire, their positions change rather radically throughout the course of the story, something that comes to a head when Jean, already buffeted by the winds of fate in terms of both his "career" and his love life with Marguerite, contends with the fact that Jacques assaulted her in Jean's absence.

In true Rashomon style, Chapter Two – The truth according to Jacques Le Gris revisits much of the foregoing material from a different perspective, and this time there's quite a bit more to the tale, at least in terms of Jacques' perception of Jean (and in a way, Marguerite), but probably most importantly with regard to Jacques' relationship with Pierre. Rather interestingly, Scott may hedge his presentational bets just a little when the title card for Chapter Three – The truth according to The Lady Marguerite appears, since "the truth" remains intact for a moment after the rest of the title fades, suggesting that this third account of events is going to be the "real thing". The whole Rashomon approach, while fascinating, is perhaps not quite as ambivalent as may be supposed, and nowhere near as fractured or refracted as it is in the Kurosawa masterpiece, if for no other reason than that two of the versions are by people married to each other and, each in their own way, out to "get" Jacques.

I mentioned jokingly in my review of the Ultimate Edition of Kingdom of Heaven how some may feel Ridley Scott subscribes to a philosophy that "nothing succeeds like excess", and in that regard, I'm absolutely certain some viewers will feel Scott has once again delivered a film that, strengths notwithstanding, could have benefitted from some judicious pruning. Over length aside, this is nonetheless another impeccable effort from Scott in the technical arena, with everything from production design, cinematography and scoring working together to evoke a very troubled and troubling era. The sociopolitical aspects of the story will no doubt resonate strongly with women in particular, who may ruefully realize that seeds of the #metoo movement may have been planted centuries ago. In that regard, there's a disquieting scene involving Jean's no nonsense mother, Nicole de Buchard (Harriet Walter). Any implied ambiguity in terms of the paternity of a child Marguerite delivers late in the film are pretty much dispelled by a final vignette, at least if one considers likely genetically inherited traits like hair color, though that "reveal" won't be spoiled here.

The Last Duel 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc.

The Last Duel is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of 20th Century Pictures and Disney / Buena Vista with a 2160p transfer in 2.39. The closing credits list Arri Alexas (with Panavision lenses), and the IMDb touts a 4K DI. While the IMDb lists Dolby Vision for at least some of the theatrical exhibition for the film, my 4K player did not display that, and the back cover of this release doesn't mention it, either. I've often remarked about what I term "Alexa murk" in terms of what can attend capture of more dimly lit moments by that particular camera, and there is in fact some of that on display here, especially in some of the scenes that are almost dripping in yellows, but all in all this is by and large a really fantastic looking transfer that preserves generally excellent levels of detail even despite some pretty aggressive grading and lighting regimens which have been employed. Scott tends to love ice blue tones, as was evidenced repeatedly in Kingdom of Heaven, and which turn up again in abundance here, and which can attain more nuance in this version courtesy of HDR, with some moments tilting slightly toward teals. Some of the yellow scenes also tend to look a bit more in the orange territory in this 4K UHD version. The more naturally lit and/or graded moments tend to look excellent in this version as well, and depth of field is improved as well. Shadow detail also enjoys an uptick in this version, something that can help elide some of that aforementioned "Alexa murk". Detail levels on practical items like fabrics and props is commendable throughout this presentation, though some passing uses of CGI may strike some as more believable in the decreased resolution of the 1080 version.

The Last Duel 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1080 disc included in this set touts a perfectly excellent sounding DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track, and while this isn't the "showiest" Atmos track I've experienced, it's quite subtly impressive at times, with good engagement of the Atmos channels in some of the (admittedly few and far between) action scenes. In fact, the opening vignette documenting the titular last duel is just one example of increased spaciousness, not necessarily limited to verticality, that the Atmos track can provide. As I mentioned in the review of the 1080 disc's audio, there are ample opportunities for a glut of well placed effects throughout the film, though it should be noted that this really isn't a battle-centric historical epic, and in fact tends to play out more like a medieval soap opera at times. The Atmos track tends to perk up most noticeably in a lot of the outdoor material, as well as in some of the underscoring by Harry Gregson-Williams. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are available.

The Last Duel 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 4K UHD disc in this package offers no supplemental material, which is reflected in the score above. The 1080 disc also included with this release has the minimal but enjoyable supplements detailed in our The Last Duel Blu-ray review. Additionally, a digital copy is included, and packaging features a slipcover.

The Last Duel 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I'm frankly not sure if the whole Rashomon approach was strictly necessary with this piece, though I'm assuming it may have been part and parcel of the original book, which I have admittedly not read. That structural concern aside, and also letting slide the fact that this is another very long movie from Ridley Scott, The Last Duel features a compelling (if disturbing) story, good performances, and Scott's typical attention to aspects like production design, cinematography and scoring. Technical merits are solid, and The Last Duel comes Recommended.