Credits: The Playlist

The Last Duel's release date is finally drawing near, and now is the best time to learn all about the famed movie. 

The Last Duel is a historical drama directed by the filmmaker Ridley Scott. The story trails the journey of justice pursued by a knight after his friend rapes his wife. Showing the tale of the last legally sanctioned duel in French history, the storyline is as immersive as it is impressive. 

The must-watch film has an exceptional cast of award-winning actors that put in all the human effort such a film would require. Here is all you need to know about the movie:

The Last Duel Trailer

Released in July 2021, the film's trailer brings the main characters to the screen and follows up with the movie synopsis. Fetching and trilling, the movie trailer is all that you require to convince you to watch the movie. 

When is the film releasing?

Set to release on October 15 this fall, the movie is ready to make an appearance on the big screen in the US. However, the film was first set to be released in December last year, but the on and off pandemic scares made the moviemakers shift the date to this year's fall. The film has already premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September this year. 

Who is to be seen in the movie?

The film has a star-studded cast and features award-winning actors that will do justice to the sophisticated roles. The film will be debuting Matt Damon, Adam Driver, and Jodie Comer, whose characters will enjoy maximum screen presence. Following right behind is Ben Affleck starring as a major supporting character. 

Other actors that are going to define their screen time are 

 Harriet Walter (Sense and Sensibility), Sam Hazeldine (The Hitman's Bodyguard), Željko Ivanek (Damages), Nathaniel Parker (The Inspector Lynley Mysteries), Alex Lawther (The End of the F***ing World), Michael McElhatton (Game of Thrones), Marton Csokas (The Equalizer), and Clive Russell (Game of Thrones).

Rafael Motamayor, Collider's film critic, wrote about the film:

"A movie about a duel to the death over the rape of a woman, written by two men, had a lot of skepticism riding against it. But the Last Duel rises against any skepticism with a nuanced, complex script, phenomenal performances that should be studied in acting class, and some of the best medieval fight scenes put to the screen."

Shoot and sets

The historical drama film was shot at the medieval castle of Berzé-le-Châtel in Burgundy, where the shoots carried out till March 12, 2020. The production was also carried out in Ireland for some time that featured locations such as Bective Abbey, County Meath, and Cahir Castle, County Tipperary, Dublin, and County Wicklow. With the onset of the pandemic, the shoots were postponed, which were then finally completed by October 14, 2020, in Ireland. 

More on the plot 

The film is based on a true story based on the actual final duel in French history. It was carried out by Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris. The epic duel has been ever since critically acclaimed and studied by both French and global historians and scholars. Apart from the rape of Marguerite de Carrouges, Jean de Carrouges, and Jacques Le Gris shared many other disputes spanning over property, money, and fame. The two had apparently, become friends but only for the conflicts to rise once again, followed by the rape. 

Talking about the plot and the scriptwriting with ET, Matt Damon said that they wrote the story from three different perspectives to depict the characters aptly. "So, there are two knights, and then there's the Lady Marguerite. So Ben and I wrote the male perspectives, and Nicole Holofcener wrote the female perspective. That's kind of the architecture of that movie," he said.

Credits: The Guardian

The movie is adapted from The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France. The novel by Eric Jager was also said to be produced into a movie by Shaun Gaunt, but the idea did not carry out. There is also a BBC documentary based on the book by Eric Jager. It also debuts with the same name as the book.

The fated last duel of France was carried out in the 14th century in the year 1386. However, duels and trials by combat were not a public norm by the time, making this epic duel the last of its kind in French history. But apparently, trial by combat was criminalized, yet burning a woman at stake was completely normal. A woman who would make a 'false' rape allegation was to be burned at stake. 

Ending words

Credits: Insider

Medieval history lovers will find the movie to be a great impact and with an exceptionally well-crafted storyline that carries suspense in the crook of its sleeve. With a lot of character drama to unpack that the lead roles have been holding for years and complex human emotions, the film is a true masterpiece. 

The official synopsis of the movie goes:

"The Last Duel is a gripping tale of betrayal and vengeance set against the brutality of 14th century France, directed by visionary filmmaker and four-time Academy Award nominee Ridley Scott."

So, be sure to watch it in the coming week!