- #MeToo in the Middle Ages - The Last Duel on RTL
If you enjoyed reading about honorable knights and their noble tournaments as a child, you might want to skip "The Last Duel" on Sunday evening (11:30 PM / RTL). Some illusions might crumble like a house of cards in this star-studded US historical drama featuring Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, and Ben Affleck. Yes, it gets extremely brutal, with opponents' horses being massacred and cowardly stabs to the knee. It was indeed that brutal on December 29, 1386, when two noblemen last fought with lance, axe, and stabbing weapons to determine who was right in a dispute before God's eyes.
It's about serious accusations: Knight Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) has called for a royal court because his young wife Marguerite (Jodie Comer) was raped in their own home. The accused is none other than Jean's best friend, Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver). Jacques is said to have gained access to the Carrouges residence by trickery, where Marguerite was left alone and defenseless due to a series of events.
Three Perspectives
Viewers will see the events leading up to the crime from three different perspectives: Jean's, Jacques', and Marguerite's memories. Scenes and dialogues are sometimes repeated verbatim, but the stories diverge constantly.
Jean, who did not witness the crime, sees it as an attack on himself, the culmination of a series of humiliations by Jacques. Jacques, on the other hand, claims the rape was the climax of his passionate admiration. Marguerite sees herself as a helpless pawn between two men who treat her as an object.
A Science-Fiction Fan Travels to the Past
It's no coincidence that this 2021 film was made at a time when the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment of women was at its peak. Director Ridley Scott, who once took his fans to a distant future with "Alien" (1979) and "Blade Runner" (1982), now travels far into the past - yet tackles a contemporary issue. The court's mistreatment of the victim is shocking and cruel, but also a parable for the prejudices of many men that still exist today.
Victory or the Stake
This is said to be one of the first recorded cases in history where a woman fought against the power of men over women, said Ben Affleck, who co-wrote the screenplay with Damon and Nicole Holofcener, at the 2021 Venice Film Festival premiere. In the last legally ordered duel in France, Marguerite will only get justice if her husband kills the alleged rapist. If he loses, she will be burned at the stake for falsely accusing a man of rape. The stakes are high in the bloodbath that gives the film its name.
Women play significant roles in this historic drama. Jean de Carrouges' wife Marguerite (played by Jodie Comer) is at the heart of the serious accusations, her allegations of rape sparking the events of the story. The brutal actions and subsequent trial serve as a stark reminder of the prejudices and mistreatment women have faced throughout history.
