Criticism of El Last Duel: Ridley Scott rescues a pertinent history of the 14th century and takes gold

To César what is from César and Ridley Scott, which is from Ridley Scott: with The last duel, the director returns to compose one of the best films of his filmography, not only for being a Well armed history but by being able, in addition, to address some of the most hot topics of today, resorting to something that happened in the 14th century. Last and present, they shake hands.

Let s go by parts: it serves as the basis for this story The book written by Eric Jager in 2004 entitled The last duel: a real story of crime, scandal and judgment for combat in medieval France that tells the last Duel to death documented in Europe.

It happened at 1386 in a monastery of Paris, counting on the King of France Carlos VI, the wife of him and a good number featured members of the court as spectators. The contenders were the noble knight Sir Jean de Carrouges and the squire Jacques Le Gray, right hand of the Lord of him, the Count Pierre d Alençon.

The affront, whose resolution was in the hands of God was not another that the rape of Marguerite de Tibouville, the wife of Carrouges, by Le Gray, although in truth what it was about was clean The honor of the two men, ancient battlemates and with crossed interests.

The way of dictating justice was simple: who survived the combat, would be right. The dispute was one of the great events of the time, gathering crowds willing to know the result of the lance.

The first thing to be noted is that the starting material is extraordinary since the author made a vast documentation work that was extended for a decade and led him to review documents, records, chronicles, property titles, maps and plans.

In the hands of a director like Ridley Scott, lover of history and with an incredible ability to develop a human drama of this draft, all that work has been able to collect life in a credible way with a Design of damping production and resonate With strength thanks to the script written to three bands by Nicole Holofcener, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

The structure of the film is circular and it is articulated in blocks: we have an introduction in which we see the imminent duel and then tell us the perspective of Jean de Carrouges, that of Jacques gray and finally that of the Marguerite itself before attending to the outcome, in which we return to that initial sequence to complete it and know FUN FUE.

Despite the duration of the film, which reaches two and a half hours, it must be said that the story is absorbent, although the first third is the most arduous of overcoming in the extent that presents the landmark of history. Beyond that moment, the spectator is already situated in chronology to understand the psychology of the characters and their assessment of what happened.

That is, that the film has the courage to get on the skin of three very different characters and approach the event from its idiosyncrasy. The denunciation of the way in which the woman was treated at the time, as an object of change and whose value was stuck to the satisfaction of her husband s wishes (de facto) and the gestation of heirs is patent from the start.

But as we enter the details we discover many other realities that powerfully call our attention to be even today, in the 21st century, a burning issue: the criminalization of rape, consent in sexual relations or double Victimization, by pointing only some...

There is no detail that is not measured at the millimeter: locations, recreations of the works of the time, costumes, hairdressing, natural lighting, soundtrack... and creepy, rotund and barbarian battles. But it is, in addition, we are facing a movie with sensational interpretations.

From the set emphasizes especially Jodie eat, a versatile and magnificent actress that we have seen in The White Princess, Killing Eve or more recently in Free Guy. It addresses the most complicated role of the last duel in which the nuances are very important and each gesture counts.

But it is that she is surrounded by talents: an adusting Matt Damon, a brutal Adam Driver or a transformed Ben Affleck give you the replica of wonder. And eye to the Gallery of Secondary Because it does not have a waste: Harriet Walter, Alex Lawther, Nathaniel Parker... There is a lot of level in the cast!

In short, the last duel is mandatory viewed. A film with a strong speech, very current and pertinent in the times that we live, which also recreates with extreme taste and detail the uses and customs of a time that seems distant but in certain aspects it still touches us more closely than we would like.

Recognizing us in what seems to be scandalous and disabling will serve us to open healthy debates about society that we aspire to build. What a pleasure to see good cinema!