One of the best films of 2021 is The Last Duel, directed by Ridley Scott – with two full-length releases this year – and co-written by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Nicole Holofcener. Adapted from medieval scholar Eric Jager's book of the same name, the film tells the story of the last judicial duel fought in France circa 1386.
Jodie Comer plays Lady Marguerite de Carrouges, a noble-woman raped by Jacque Le Gris (Adam Driver). Marguerite's husband and Le Gris' former friend, Jean (Matt Damon) is intent on mending his pride and challenges Le Gris to a duel. The Last Duel shows the perspective of all three main characters as distinct narratives before culminating in the titular duel. Whether in setting, structure, or shared cast/crew, some films have similar parallels to The Last Duel.
10 Rashomon Is The Obvious Influence
The Last Duel follows the template of three different testimonies about the same events, which is cribbed from Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon. Set in Heian period Japan, Rashomon centers on the trial for a murdered Samurai. All three witnesses – a thief, the Samurai's wife, and a medium speaking for the dead – give vastly different accounts of what happened.
That said, The Last Duel does not copy the structure wholesale. In Rashomon, there are flashback accounts for its testifying characters – which essentially repeats the same story for Jean, for Jacques and for Marguerite – each time emphasizing different details. The Last Duel illustrates how self-serving memory can be – Jean, Jacques, and Marguerite all believe their experience to be true, similar to the characters of Rashomon.
9 The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby Plays A Similar Game With Perspective
Though different in subject matter, The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby and The Last Duel are aligned in presentation of their stories. Ned Benson's The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby focuses on the end of a relationship between two young lovers, Connor (James McAvoy) and Eleanor (Jessica Chastain), and how their lives pan out apart from each other.
The hook is that Eleanor Rigby is actually two movies, both telling the same story – Him focuses on Connor, Her on Eleanor. Their narratives occasionally intersect, the focus of the scene switching depending on the version. Regrettably, the most easily available version is the condensed, combined cut labeled Them – combining the perspectives robs the story of some of its power.
8 Elizabeth Is Another Feminist, Medieval-Set Period Piece
The Last Duel wears its feminist theme on its sleeve. Affleck & Damon recruited Holofcener as a co-writer to get a female perspective. The Last Duel presents its story as analogous to the present #MeToo movement, and Marguerite's story is the only one labeled "The Truth."
For films with a similar setting and politics, check out Shekhar Kapur's Elizabeth, and it's sequel The Golden Age. Both follow Elizabeth I, the "Virgin Queen" of England. Neither film is immune to the dryness of costume dramas, but Cate Blanchett delivers in the title role and then some.
7 Gladiator Is Ridley Scott's Most Famous Epic
Besides his sci-fi classics Alien and Blade Runner, Scott's most famous film is 2000's Gladiator. The Rome-set epic of Maximus Decimus Meridius (father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife) solidified Russell Crowe as a star and revitalized the sword-and-sandal genre's standing in Hollywood. While the film is more conventional that The Last Duel, Maximus' story is a tragic one and brutality of the action in Gladiator laid the blueprint for the final clash in The Last Duel.
6 The Green Knight Is Another Of 2021's Best Films
One of 2021's other bright spots was David Lowery's The Green Knight, adapting a 14th century Arthurian poem written by an unknown author. The Green Knight leans far further than the history-based Last Duel, but the medieval settings still invite comparisons.
Both films also deconstruct what it means to be a knight, and masculine ideals of heroism. Dev Patel's Gaiwan may not be as nakedly flawed as the headstrong, self-pitying Carrouges or the vile Le Gris, but he's still selfish and uncertain – far from the valorous ideal of chivalry.
5 The Hunchback Of Notre Dame Has Some Surprising Parallels
Produced by 20th Century Studios, The Last Duel is technically a Disney film. One character from the Disney animated canon that wouldn't feel out of place in The Last Duel's world is Judge Claude Frollo from The Hunchback Of Notre Dame. Like Jacques Le Gris, Frollo is a bad but pious man unable to rein in his lust. His solo, Hellfire, where he vows to burn Esmerelda for witchcraft, is the most disturbing song Disney's ever made.
4 Kingdom Of Heaven Is A Similarly Intelligent Period Piece
Few still have kind words to say for Ridley Scott's Robin Hood or Exodus: Gods & Kings, but Kingdom Of Heaven equals Gladiator in some area while exceeding it in other. What starts as a standard hero's journey – 12th century Frenchman Balian (Orlando Bloom) is called to the Holy Land by his absent father Godfrey (Liam Neeson) – becomes more political and complex. Be warned – only watch the director's cut. This cut restores an hour worth of footage excised from the theatrical edition and is universally considered superior and Scott's true vision.
3 The Martian Is Another Matt Damon And Ridley Scott Collaboration
The Last Duel is not the first time Ridley Scott and Matt Damon have worked together. That honor goes instead to The Martian, a 2015 sci-fi film about astronaut Mark Watney (Damon) stranded on Mars. Ridley Scott once reminded audiences that in space, no one can hear you scream. The Martian is a surprising addition to the filmography of a cynic, instead being a Star Trek-esque parable on the wonders of science and humanity uniting in service of a greater cause.
2 The Nightingale Is A Similar Examination Of Historical Atrocities
One film that earns a harrowing description is Jennifer Kent's The Nightingale. While not a straight-up horror film like her previous effort The Babadook, The Nightingale is just as tough a sit. In 19th century Tasmania, Irish convict Clare (Aisling Franciosi) seeks revenge on Hawkins (Sam Claflin), the British officer who raped her and killed her husband and child. To track Hawkins, Clare enlists Aboriginal tracker Mangana (Baykali Ganambarr). The pair are lost souls united by the horrors the British Empire has inflicted on them and their kin.
1 Star Wars: The Last Jedi Shows Adam Driver's Sinister Side
Few performers can walk the line between movie star and actor. The most recent success is Adam Driver. In his breakout role of Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens, the actor brought dramatic depth and pathos to Star Wars. His finest showing is in the sequel trilogy's middle chapter, The Last Jedi. His dynamic with Rey is the strongest material and shows him sharpen his presence for more seductive ends. Driver performs as a captivating villain. He uses these same weapons to make Le Gris such a detestable villain in The Last Duel.