As our screening room filled up to see The Last Duel yesterday, the attendees were talking about how long it was going to be. For some reason, this is always a big issue for people coming to screenings. They always ask how long it is, and if it’s short, there is relief. If it’s long, there is dread. It’s kind of the California film writer’s version of the weather.
At almost two and half hours, The Last Duel seemed like it would be a slog, particularly given the mild reviews out of Venice. What I didn’t expect was to be riveted for every minute, captivated by the performances and the story until the very last frame. Much of this is due to the singular brilliance of Jodie Comer in the leading role. She has a face the camera loves but as an actress she is adept at keeping her emotions just hidden from view. There is an unpredictability about her expressions. That makes anything she’s in a fascinating watch, from Doctor Foster to Killing Eve and now, the Last Duel.
The Last Duel is a three-part take on a many centuries-old rape accusation that rocked the French countryside way back in the 1300s. It is about a time when women could not speak of rape, of course, or they’d be killed at best. It was just easier not to say anything. It was also a time of brutish men who treated women like livestock — and they treat their livestock bad enough. No living thing should endure such punishment at the hands of men (or women), but they have through the millennia. Such is the curse of humanity as the world’s most dominant invasive species.
While it’s true that Ben Affleck, Adam Driver, and Matt Damon walk around in odd outfits with even odder hairstyles, all three sink into their roles with relish, as they must depict their characters, as Comer does, through various versions of the rape story. The movie does not equivocate, of course — no one could in 2021. It has to be definitive in its message about rape, of course, as you’d imagine. So in a sense, you know from Frame One where this, and any movie like it, is going to end up. The last thing anyone needs is a massive boycott and waves of angry think pieces about Hollywood getting it wrong.
But thankfully, the movie is very good at revealing its politics through well-written dialogue and near-satire. It’s better to simply show things as they were rather than have various characters deliver out-of-place lectures. It sort of reminds me a little of how people today talk about fascism without realizing that if we were living through actual fascism, people protesting for any reason (whether online or on the streets) would simply be shot on the spot or put in prison. Similarly, for most of their existence women were constantly used to satisfy men whenever and wherever they saw fit. In fact, a woman’s only protection would have been another man protecting her. The Last Duel doesn’t flinch in its depiction of this brutality, nor does it confine the torment to the one high status female. They make sure to nod to the “peasant women” who are routinely raped by soldiers but never have a voice or any sort of justice rendered.
The Last Duel, like No Time to Die and like Dune, is a reminder of what Big Hollywood can do when it isn’t making superhero movies. Big set pieces, long action sequences, with adventure and high drama. It was such a treat to watch that the length of it never occurred to me.
The Last Duel shows Sir Ridley’s engine still roars hot. It’s hard to believe he can still be this good of a director in this, his fifth decade of movie-making. His taste for onscreen blood and violence is at the same level as his Best Picture winner, Gladiator. He is such a grandmaster when it comes to directing that he just knows, instinctively, how to present a MOVIE movie. And this is one of those. This is a movie you can safely pay to see and feel as though you are getting more than your money’s worth. Just when he should be slowing down, with House of Gucci coming up soon, he’s doing anything but.
But the film belongs to its star, Jodie Comer, who gives one of the best performances of the year, and one that should be remembered come Oscar time, along with the screenplay by Nicole Holofcener, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck. While it didn’t really light the fire of the critics in Venice, it is exactly the kind of movie that can bring back the Big Oscar Movie — the universal, crowd-pleasing epic.
It’s too soon to know whether The Last Duel will land or not. We still have to see House of Gucci, and it’s hard to know which of these will eclipse the other. It will be billed as a “Me Too” movie and it’s definitely not for kids. But it gives me hope that the Hollywood I grew up with, the one that made movies this grand, is still alive.
MGM will push house of gucci more so than bond. Last duel and dune and Eternals will also been in fyc. King Richard is also being pushed the warner bros campaign
here’s the scenario, MGM pushes James Bond no time to die for awards consideration, 20th century fox.or Disney pushes the last duel and Warner Bros pushes Dune to awards potential, then the blockbuster movie is back at the oscars next year. The challengers though are Belfast, house of Gucci, and the power of the dog and maybe king Richard. Will smith will get a nomination for that
oh for FUK SAKE! stupid me pressed the wrong bloody keyboard wrote a well thought through non rambly but deep piece for all you to share bout case based on Scott’s invaluable contribution to shaping modern day filmmaking..how and why i all for his latest hopefuily i hope oscar contender in ;’ the last duel’ ought to be deserving if it gets nominatin quantity and quality in guilds and oscar noms it deserves of why Scott deserved to win best director and win best picture and screenplay in one year for one film that has not happened in life of his one most acclaimed and public crowd pleasing and inventive visionary filmmakers of our time..and then i clicked wrong buttong and sabotaged my own post so fukin frustrating everyone..you now how you build up motivations to wrtie something deep esp on awards daily.com and then you accidentally click ‘next bloddy button’ without realising on keyboard thereboy cancewlling out your page after 40 damn minutes me editing and puting together my thoughtful deep piece i fuk it up it like effect after a baloon pops you blow it up as much you can then you overcook it lol then it blows up pop! all that effort pump up the baloon gone in a flash or a burst- that deflated reaction by the baloon as it fukin floats it way hopelessly to the ground is exactly how frustratin at myself i feeling right now! oy oy oy vey!
..but..here is the kicker…at least my briefer less thoughtful more amusing post below i did not recklessly push the next button before posting it…:P:P
I was a bit ho-hum on this movie after the Venice reviews but I’m now quite keen to see it after reading your take Sasha. Who doesn’t love a big ‘MOVIE’ movie and Jodie Comer has yet to set a foot wrong in my opinion. Such an exciting talent.
We talk about the very possibility of fascism to PREVENT fascism. To prevent your beloved from shooting us. From driving into us in a crowd.
If daniel Craig could win best actor and Jodi comer could win best actress I’d be cool with that. Just saying out long shots here and it would be a dream come true for me if James Bond wins best actor and jean de cargues wins best actress
Okay, I just come back from No time to die and the movie never dragged or felt long or felt dull. I like 3 hour movies because there epics. Bond is a special film to me and hit my heart and I am not necessarily a die hard bond fan and I’m a casually bond fan. I like the music and soundtracks but i won’t dress up as bond for opening nights. Bring on long movies too like the last duel and dune.
I’m still holding out hope for this one. I don’t understand when people complain about movies having long runtimes. It’s not a big deal.
It is for me, a big deal. Honestly. 3 hours? Who has the time.
You have problem with long movies only in theaters or in general ?
Well, let me write this. Since the pandemic and the ability to watch movies online (streaming) to stop, start, go away, come back….it’s hard for me to be fully engaged in a 3 hour movie in the theater. If I know a movie is 3 hours long, I hesitate, look at my calendar and wonder if I can squeeze it into my schedule.
If the movie is long but has great cast, director and got raves from critics it’s certainly worth watching.
Imagine that Lawrence of Arabia (220 min) or The Godfather (177) are brand new films. Would you go to see them in theaters, in this post-Covid world ?
Everyone that binges 10 hour shows in a weekend?
SO looking forward to this. Some of my favorite films of all-time are epics of this ilk. As for Comer, I’m starting to read more & more about a possible Lead campaign; Sasha refers to her as Lead. I dunno. She factors huge in the last hour and is the dominant female in the story, of course. Historically, a ‘relative unknown’ (to AMPAS) that isn’t in the first half of a film sounds like a surefire Supporting campaign. But as I said, so many are starting to say “Lead”. I could see that materialize. Really, both Lead AND Supporting looks ot be filling up with contenders already. Everything depends on the flow of the season, of course.
Comer was really good in ‘The Assistant’. A subtle performance which is hard to do.
wrong actress
Who do you think should have been cast?
Jodie Comer was not in “The Assistant”
James Bond is almost 3 hours long. It’s what’s keeping me from seeing it.
Next time I watch a video of a Proud Boy beating the shit out of a completely innocent citizen, I’ll remember your reassurances that fascism in America is nothing that could ever ever ever happen ever ever ever.
It looks like a movie that will be liked, will play on cable a ton, but won’t land that hard at Oscar.
I found that comment especially odd considering how often she compares Cancel Culture to fascism.
It was an interesting attempt to work in the right wing culture war digs while simultaneously admitting that women back in ye olde days had the legal status of breeding cattle.
I mean I can list people in at least a half dozen states that have used poorly written-written anti-CRT laws as pretext for banning books about black history from schools. But, Pete, it’s the LEFT WINGERS who ban thought, that’s what I hear every day here.
Whatever, nothing getting too worked up about, and besides I needed to set my watch.
Don’t forget to catch CPAC 2022, live from Hungary, to hear about how much The Left supports fascism!
Exactly right Pete ! in 1956 Academy Award winning screenwriter And future President 0f the Academy Daniel Taradash wr0te and directed a m0vie called St0rm Center starring Bette Davis and Brian Keith as a librarian wh0 refuses t0 rem0ve a b00k and an aspiring p0liticti0n wh0 > sees an issue he can run with . Needless t0 say this d0es n0t end well ! This has been a c0nsant thru American hist0ry fr0m the Salem Witch trials ,t0 the Sc0pes M0nkey trial and then the Blacklist . This is n0t being W0ke and Cancel Culture this is the real deal and these pe0ple will n0t be stp0pped as we see 0n the news every night because ign0rance and fanaticism is f0rever busy and needs feeding !
By the way St0rm Center is 0n Y0u Tube ! !
Because “she” and her beloved are only victims. They have never done anything wrong. They have NEVER expressed anything negative towards the left. Oh god, never.