The Last Duel (2021) - Period Drama with Rashomon Effect - 7/10 (13/12/22)

Do you know what the Rashomon Effect is? You really should because The Last Duel is essentially using said effect through roughly two hours of its total running time of two and a half hours. The effect is derived from the title of a Japanese movie by Kurosawa Akira in which a crime is depicted from different perspectives, leaving the viewers to put the pieces of the puzzle together and come to their own conclusions.

This is exactly what is happening here. The movie tells the story of the rape of Marguerite de Thibouville in medieval France. The first perspective is the one of her husband, who describes himself as an honourable nobleman attempting to save his family's honour by asking to duel the perpetrator. The second perspective is the one of the perpetrator who claims that the victim was being mistreated by her rigid husband and that the actual rape was actually a moment of romantic passion between two lovers who were meant to be together. The third perspective is the one of the victim who describes her husband as cold, manipulative and selfish and the perpetrator as brazen, psychopathic and violent while depicting herself as a woman fighting against societal restrictions. All these depictions lead to the titular duel between the husband and the perpetrator that is supposed to determine who is telling the truth.

This concept brings its share of advantages and disadvantages. Let's start with the former. The three main characters of this film have much depth since they are portrayed from different perspectives which offer both similarities and differences. The actress and two actors are playing their roles with great care. Jodie Comer convinces as brave survivor making a stand for women's rights. Matt Damon shines as distant husband fighting for his honour. Adam Driver excels as psychopathic manipulator who sees himself as romantic squire while acting like a pitiless criminal.

The disadvantages are also quite obvious. The use of the Rashomon Effect is nothing new for cineasts. The movie certainly overstays its welcome with its excessive running time. There is obviously much repetition throughout the film that is at times hard to sit through.

Except for the excellent acting performances and profound characters, this movie is also saved by director Ridley Scott's attention to details. The locations have been chosen with great care and bring medieval France to life in an authentic way. The dialogues also have a credible archaic character. The beautiful costumes have been chosen perfectly as they portray societal devisions.

At the end of the day, The Last Duel is not the masterpiece that some critics would like it to be. However, it's a decent period drama with great acting performances, profound characters and imaginative settings. The repetitive storytelling is worth going through since the movie ends on a high note with a truly captivating duel.