Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

The Last Duel 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 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Last Duel is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Pictures and Disney / Buena Vista with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. The closing credits list Arri Alexas (with Panavision lenses), and the IMDb touts a 4K DI. While there is some occasional murkiness that I've often noticed with films captured with Alexa cameras, especially in some of the scenes that are almost dripping in yellows, 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. In fact a lot of the film tends to ping pong between yellows and blues, but that perhaps makes some of the more natural looking scenes (including a number of gorgeous outdoor moments) really pop impressively, if only by comparison. There's a cool wintry feeling to a lot of the presentation, though, with tones like slate grays being featured prominently. Detail levels on practical items like costumes fabrics and props are typically very precise.

The Last Duel Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

I'm cheating just ever so slightly with regard to this disc's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix, since I'm leaving "room" for a just slightly higher (in more ways than one) score for the 4K UHD disc's Dolby Atmos track, but for those not equipped to handle Atmos, I really can't imagine many audiophiles not being pleased with the immersive aspects of this track. There are 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. As such, while the big set pieces like the actual duel (which shows up more than once courtesy of the film's structure), or a defining battle that is seen in opening moments of the first two chapters, do deliver some impressive LFE and really nicely articulated surround effects. Harry Gregson-Williams also delivers another beautiful score which wafts appealingly through the side and rear channels. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are available.

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

• The Making of The Last Duel (HD; 33:48) is an appealing behind the scenes piece that has a ton of candid footage which documents the sometimes challenging filming conditions, especially within the context of Covid.


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:29)

Additionally, a digital copy is included.

The Last Duel 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.