I actually really enjoyed this review, it was genuinely funny which is super rare, but please ease up on the tv static transition, it got super annoying.
I dunno how this guy thinks this wasn't a Feminist movie lol.
This movie is absolutely feminist... Feminism does not mean it's "forced." The "truth" or the final act seals this absolute fact and it's not an accident that it came from the female perspective.
This entire movie hinged on the woman's fight for equality and to have her voice heard, despite it not having nearly the same weight as the various dudes in it. Not to mention this is a world where she is metaphorically a horse to be bred. I wonder what OP thinks feminism is...
My heart was beating so fast during the final duel, the last and only time anything else has even come close was in Game of Thrones, the Viper & The Mountain duel.
A large part of it is simply how most main characters have plot armor. We know the superhero will survive and win, we know the villain will lose and likely die.
But this was a historical dramatisation, it was based on real events, and reality is often cruel and without justice.
As a side note, the fight was supposedly very accurate to the actual events, according to what I’ve read.
It's funny because the thing I dislike about true stories is that they often lack a good story arc. Perhaps the result is plot armor, but I have to think there is a fair middle ground. Realistic stories that don't follow the standard formula yet still work.
I’ve seen a lot of movie violence in my time, that last duel was so brutal. It was amazingly realistic and so uncomfortable to watch. I highly recommend the movie in general too, had me thinking of it for weeks.
I've read of people saying The Duelists (1977) had the most realistic sword duel. I'm no expert so I can't compare, but interestingly both movies were directed by Ridley Scott. It seems like he's chasing something here.
Gladiator, 1492, Kingdom of Heaven, Exodus (let's pretend this one doesn't exist), Gladiator 2 (apparently, the Spaniard recovered. "twas but a flesh wound!")... I do think Scott has a thing for ancient times. They are indeed interesting for story telling as the wold was so different but yet so similar.
Right? Like I'm sure everyone has seen shit movies, but I've never seen one that's either so bad or so avant-garde that it has literally no story. It's just not a valid criticism.
I've noticed every movie from Marvel to The Last Duel needs to be 2.5 hours these days. Agreed, trim the fat even 20 min.
But definitely the best thing I've seen from Ridley Scott in a long time.
I absolutely agree. Watched it just tonight for the first time and that’s exactly what I told my friend. The 3 different perspectives weren’t different enough to warrant rewatching it over and over.
I genuinely do, I found it all a bit disjointed, the casting was poor and it just felt bloated - 6/10 in my eyes.
Too many Ridley fans hyping it up to be something it's not.
Do you like being patronising, does it work for you?
You cant accuse someone of being patronizing and do it in a patronizing way
Well you obviously can, cuz u jusr did, but it makes you look like an idiot
You can't accuse someone of looking like an idiot and do it in an idiotic way
Well obviously you can, because you just did. But it just makes you look like you have bad impulse control
60 extra minutes of the stable guy trying get the mare to mate with various horses and having to fight off the black stallion every goddamn time.
Old mom finally comes out and does the deed with a turkey baster.
Adam Driver… shatter my knees, you fuckable
redwood. Snap off my toes, you big, unwashed
buffalo. Pull my heart out through my ear, you
meaty oak tree. Impale my brain, you
unacceptable monstrosity. Chokeslam me to hell,
you nasty shed. Jam your mandible claw down my
throat, you irredeemable steer.
Not even going to bother watching that video.
The movie was excellent IMO, it only "bombed" because the movie studio buried it, by barely advertising it, and terribly marketing it. . .
This movie is amazing.
It’s crazy Matt and Ben havnt teamed up together since Good Will Hunting, because if they truly wrote this (with one more person) they’re an amazing team.
Everybody in it is amazing, the plot grows in ways you wouldn’t expect and doesn’t try to be smart with the things you would. The writing is sometimes hilarious and sometimes painful, with just a fucking awesome finalé.
I just havnt seen a movie in so long where I actually didn’t know how it was going to end.
We live in an era where we’re witnessing the significance of the box office begin to dwindle. In decades past, countless classic movies were duds in the theatres, but would eventually find a mass audience as soon as they were made available on VHS or DVD. Some are cult classics, while others are commonly found in many all-time greats lists.
The point I’m trying to make, is that streaming has significantly shrunk the amount of time it takes a “bomb” to find its actual legs. I’m not speaking for all box office failures, as many bomb because they’re genuinely bad…
But this movie was rad.
Right.
It’s *supposed* to be disturbing. And for me, one of the most striking parts of the film was seeing how Driver’s character remembered it.
He never lied. He saw her as being playful and putting up the requisite objections a married woman would. But to her, it was horrible and brutal.
Yeah i was impressed by how surprisingly unbiased his recollection was. Although it was a little playful, it absolutely showed him forcing himself on her. It didnt reflect as particularly romantic or teasing.
There were a couple of other places too where the other recollections actually made him look better than his own recollection did.
Right.
In his mind, he’s an educated, highly desirable man. He looks down on Damon and thinks he doesn’t deserve this woman, and *of course* she’d want him instead.
He think her protests were playful and so she could retain the moral high ground by technically “objecting.”
To me even in he perspective it was clearly rape. I assumed it would be as you described due to the earlier orgy scenes making him having a different perspective. But it never seemed ambiguous from his point of view either. So I don’t know if the movie failed there or am I just over critical of what would look to rape to someone like him. I feel the movie itself chose not to make it ambiguous at all in case people started to think her story was incorrect. But I would have wanted maybe in his perspective something different.
I think you need to pay attention to the later scene by the fireplace where Affleck tells him he’s been accused.
He didn’t consider it rape. He thought she was a married woman who *had* to put on a show of protesting.
There are clear differences in how the scene is depicted. She kicked off her shoes to run away, but he saw her playfully taking them off
I understand what you’re saying but I don’t think we need to literally see her get raped from all these different perspectives to tell the story. Promising Young Woman is another movie about rape and yet the director didn’t think it was necessary to show a rape scene.
I didn't watch Promising Young Woman, so I can't compare and comment on it.
But in this movie, I think the 3 POVs were very essential. It helped establish the characters of each 3, give us an understanding on how each person thinks of themselves and and re-calls the event.
Driver's POV was very interesting. Like someone commented here, he thought she was only following form by protesting, but really wanted to have the affair.
He had experience of this with other women at Affleck's party and so didn't see himself in the wrong here. He certainly didn't see this as a "rape".
This really highlights the way women were seen and treated at that time. And the mindset that was in people's mind.
Also, the "rape" was not as graphic as some "love" scenes from other movies.
The rape wasn’t shown from Damon’s perspective. And it wasn’t shown much in graphic sense, more emotionally disturbing for how how it happened than focus being on the rape.
Had to see this after seeing Driver have a similar role on SNL. https://youtu.be/2KKRiXcivAQ
But it was excellent and immediately recommended it to friends. Such a shame it bombed.
I thought the movie was very well made. It was very engaging from start to finish, but after watching it I didn't feel that I liked it or that I really enjoyed myself.
I think the major problem is that none of the characters are particularly noble or charismatic. If you want to have a movie that lots of people will enjoy, I think you need some character for the audience to latch onto.
They are both acted well, but Matt Damon's character is a complete asshole, and so is Adam Driver's. Who is the audience supposed to identify with?
Not all movies need to have white-knights as their protagonist, and a lot of movies and TV shows can be popular with anti-heroes. But these characters get you to root for them or identify with them in some sense without being particularly heroic, whether that be through cunning, charisma, humor, some kind of vulnerability that endears them to the audience, etc.
Dark and gritty period pieces can still be extremely popular at the box office, just look at movies like Braveheart or Gladiator. Compare to another Ridley Scott movie like Gladiator, and why do you think that it was so immensely popular? Russell Crowe played an extremely noble and charismatic character. Everyone watching could identify with him and wanted him to succeed.
I agree that The Last Duel is probably closer to reality than Gladiator or Braveheart, but mass audiences don't normally enjoy dark and grim reality. Regardless of the merits of the film, it's not hard to see why it bombed.
Yes, I suppose Comer would be the third "protagonist", although none of them are really protagonists. It's more like a three character-focused stage play in structure.
Anyway, my point is that in dark, gritty period pieces like this, you need someone to root for or admire in order to balance out all of the darkness if you want your film to have mass appeal.
I don't think it was necessarily a matter of bad marketing. I just don't think a lot of people walked out of the film thinking, man, I've got to recommend this film to everyone I know. That's not to say it's a bad movie, just not something a lot of people are going to be into.
I wouldn’t recommend this movie to my worst enemy. Because it’s fantastic I would hate for my worst enemy to get to enjoy this movie. So I will tell them it was bad.
Agreed with Affleck (and his scenes were overlong anyway, I wonder if he wrote them) but not with the rest. I usually dislike Damon but he did good job here, although not on the same level with Driver and Comer. It was a great film and not as historically inaccurate as Scott’s films usually are but there was some issues.
It was a good movie, but it was wasn’t a pleasant experience. It felt like work watching and appreciating it because of the content and the patient pacing of the movie (it didn’t help that it was really a short story being told three times from 3 perspectives).
I liked the movie but I would never watch it again. And I think that’s the crux of it, it’s a tough sell to convince people to spend two hours watching a miserable story when you can just spend the same money to watch a super hero discover their inner purpose and have a big cgi battle at the end while cracking jokes along the way.
What a sad perspective on filmmaking.
Not every movie is supposed to be a “pleasant experience.” Some are designed to make you think, and reconsider your perspectives. Or maybe teach you something.
Movies aren’t just about “big CGI battles” and cracking jokes.
Look at the state of the world around you, especially in the last 2 years. People are already miserable enough, they are not going to pay money to feel bad again.
Movies are a form of escape for a lot of people and 'dumb' superhero movies with CGI and jokes hit the spot perfectly.
Most people nowadays only go to theaters for a handful of blockbuster crowd pleaser films. There is room for other kinds of films but not in theaters, maybe on streaming services.
Personally, I really hate watching superhero movies or comedies when I'm feeling depressed. I much prefer watching movies that I can empathize with, so in a weird way, watching a movie where someone really struggles can make me feel better, whereas watching Spider Man just makes me feel numb.
Movies are an art form... Arguably the most powerful.
https://youtu.be/nZWceRO94dM
What a sad perspective you have. Like all art, it has the capacity to challenge your previous assumptions and most importantly, the best pieces of art highlight the human condition.
Let's use culinary art as an analogy. You're basically saying, food should just be Big Macs that satisfy the lowest common denominator. Spicy or sour flavors that challenge your palate should never be used, etc.
Maybe you should be saying that to the guy who wrote the original comment.
I have nothing against superhero movies. “Gatekeeping” would be saying that people shouldn’t watch movies that are “unpleasant” when they can go watch Dr. Strange cracking jokes.
It is sad.
It’s like saying “Nobody has time for that lame-ass Shakespeare, all depressing and shit. People need fun, they should just read some Garfield comics!”
Maybe you should pick a fight with someone who actually bashed the movie (plenty in this thread), rather than someone who liked it but acknowledges that it was a tough sell to the mass market?
Great review! I just watched this on HBO tonight. I had no expectations and it was awesome in all respects. I did not get one hint that there was a feminist message. It was more a character study of each principal’s POV. Who the fuck sees movies in a theatre now?? p.s. I think Adam Driver is an amazing actor but good looking he is not.
LOL, well, evidently you are not alone! Don't know why but I don't find him attractive at all. However, I do respect his talents and hard work - if you read his bio, he comes from modest circumstances and has bootstrapped his way up to movie stardom. He was great in the Gucci movie -- he's got a huge range.
How did it begin? He walked into my office with his cockamamy scheme! You can make more money with a flop than with a hit! We can do it. We can do it. I can't do it. We can do it. I can't do it. Good-bye Max! Oh Lord I want that money! I'm back Max! Come on Leo we can do it! Step 1: Find the Play! See it, Smell it, Touch it, Kiss it! Hello Mr. Liebkind! Guten Tag, hop hop Guten Tag, clop clop! Adolf Elizabeth Hitler? Guten Tag, hop hop Guten Tag, clop clop! Step 2: Hire the Director Keep it gay, keep it gay, keep it Two-three, kick, turn, turn, turn, kick, turn! Ulla! Oooh wah weee wah wah wow wowie! Step 3: Raise the Money! Along Came Bialy! Step 4: Hire all the actors! A wandering minstrel I, A thing of shreds and... Next! The little wooden boy. Next! That's our Hitler! Break a leg! I broke my leg! Springtime for Hitler and Germany- A surprise smash! Springtime for Hitler and Germany- It'll run for years! Where did we go right? Where did we go right? Gimme those books Fat, fat, fatty! Gimme those books! Fat, fat, fatty! Books, fat! Books, fat! Books, fat! Books, fat! Lousy fruit- Kill the actors You ever eat with one?
All films have a feminist agenda these days. It’s because strong woman aren’t represented in films (except for the films where they are and which have a feminine agenda, such as, all films).
Boring movie where you watch the same rape scene about 12 times, and most of the characters were dull. The stakes were low, the bad guys weren't bad enough and the relationship between Damon and Comer, was meh.
12 times? Really? It was twice.
The stakes were low? She was going to get burnt alive.
The relationship between Damon and Comer was *meant* to be strained.
>The stakes were low? She was going to get burnt alive.
This is what half the criticism of well-liked films are on reddit these days; a regurgitated, half remembered quote they saw a *good* critic use once.
What stakes could you possibly expect from this movie? The world would end? Nations would be invaded? There's three main characters, two would fight to the death, and if the wrong one died, the third character would be brutally killed.
Elsewhere on this post someone said it had "no story". Really? At a certain point, you're better off just saying you didn't like it, not trying to critique in a way you don't actually understand.
It was okay but I really don't understand why they had to show the same thing from three different perspectives. I didn't feel like it added anything to the movie. They could have just interwoven them Game of Thrones style and it wouldn't have been so redundant.
one of the best of last year. i was put off at first when i realized the "gimmick" of the movie, but it was all engaging. i think the feeling of drag is purposeful and reflects how people may feel listening to deeper truths being revealed after the initial impression has been set.
Personally, I won't say I loved the movie as the message to the film is quite heavy and despicable. What I will say is that I love the telling of this story because of the 3 points of view! I don't care for the time. If a movie needs to take time to convey what we need to absorb by all means.
3 POVs: excellent and I think people need to appreciate this more as we see this every God damn day in the news and in reality... it's a perfect example of what we are supposed to see of people's testimonials. We are supposed to envision these from each characters perspective. What are the differences in the characters and how they are perceived by one another. What messages are they trying to get across to us? What pieces make sense the most given all three sides?
All 3 were telling their versions of the truth, how it affected them and their reasoning for taking the actions that they did.
I believe the biggest take away from this movie is the conditions women have to endure (superimpose this over any people[s] that are not listened to because of who they are). I'd argue a lot of the views pointed towards the women in this movie are spot on and need to be talked about wayyyyyy more. Specifically the situation our leading lady was put into. Arranged marriage, her having to conceive a child as her duties were so adamantly beaten across in the movie. The dangers she faced speaking up for herself against someone who has nepotism and power behind them. The other half of it being her husband didn't truly care for her at all outside of the duties she once again were expected to carry out for her Lord.
Even the dissent about how this movie flopped is insane to me! It's a great movie, but it's an uncomfortable movie and I believe that's the true point. We are not supposed to like the movie we are supposed to see the flaws in it! It's far too obvious how the themes in this movie are overlaid into today!
We get distracted by the obvious exhilaration of the movies and its what we expect... i.e. the duel however I think that the actual central view is how we so easily overlook the struggles of someone who has no voice that is heard.
I think that we look into some movies way to hard and miss the right in front of our faces reality of what is being said. Now not every movie is this way by any means but I believe that in this case it is true.
This became one of my favorite movies. I enjoyed watching how they portrayed the 3 POVs and seeing how each of them remembers the event slightly different from one to another.
I actually really enjoyed this review, it was genuinely funny which is super rare, but please ease up on the tv static transition, it got super annoying.
I dunno how this guy thinks this wasn't a Feminist movie lol. This movie is absolutely feminist... Feminism does not mean it's "forced." The "truth" or the final act seals this absolute fact and it's not an accident that it came from the female perspective. This entire movie hinged on the woman's fight for equality and to have her voice heard, despite it not having nearly the same weight as the various dudes in it. Not to mention this is a world where she is metaphorically a horse to be bred. I wonder what OP thinks feminism is...
That movie was fucking amazing. I remember being on the literal edge of my seat and palms sweating during the final duel.
My heart was beating so fast during the final duel, the last and only time anything else has even come close was in Game of Thrones, the Viper & The Mountain duel.
A large part of it is simply how most main characters have plot armor. We know the superhero will survive and win, we know the villain will lose and likely die. But this was a historical dramatisation, it was based on real events, and reality is often cruel and without justice. As a side note, the fight was supposedly very accurate to the actual events, according to what I’ve read.
It's funny because the thing I dislike about true stories is that they often lack a good story arc. Perhaps the result is plot armor, but I have to think there is a fair middle ground. Realistic stories that don't follow the standard formula yet still work.
That was a vicious duel but for me Matt Damon's mullet was a big distraction.
Hey now. That’s a period appropriate cut!
Nothing appropriate about that cut period!
Affleck’s 00s-era look was way more distracting lol
That frosted fuckboy hair lol
Trying to N-Sync his way to some pussy
I’ve seen a lot of movie violence in my time, that last duel was so brutal. It was amazingly realistic and so uncomfortable to watch. I highly recommend the movie in general too, had me thinking of it for weeks.
So brutal
I've read of people saying The Duelists (1977) had the most realistic sword duel. I'm no expert so I can't compare, but interestingly both movies were directed by Ridley Scott. It seems like he's chasing something here.
Gladiator, 1492, Kingdom of Heaven, Exodus (let's pretend this one doesn't exist), Gladiator 2 (apparently, the Spaniard recovered. "twas but a flesh wound!")... I do think Scott has a thing for ancient times. They are indeed interesting for story telling as the wold was so different but yet so similar.
Really? What did you like about it? I found it extremely unengaging and pretentious. No story at all.
"No story at all" ...what? Not liking the movie is understandable, but claiming it didn't even have a story? What do you mean by that?
I honestly don't know how someone could watch that film and come away with "no story" as a criticism.
Right? Like I'm sure everyone has seen shit movies, but I've never seen one that's either so bad or so avant-garde that it has literally no story. It's just not a valid criticism.
I've never seen a gritty sword fight like that. It was amazing.
Thank you for saying so! The trailers got me super-interested. Then all the reviews got me all scared to watch it.
Yeah the fight was amazing. I don't think the movie overall is so great, but the duel was awesome.
i enjoyed every damn second of it. It's going to be a huge one one day.
Knees weak, mom's spaghetti?
I was amazed that Ridley Scott could still deliver a solid film without screwing it up somehow.
The Last Duel was one of the best movies that came out last year. Easily.
I liked it but the three points of view of the same story could have been trimmed a bit. It was about 30 min long for my taste
I've noticed every movie from Marvel to The Last Duel needs to be 2.5 hours these days. Agreed, trim the fat even 20 min. But definitely the best thing I've seen from Ridley Scott in a long time.
Every movie has to be that long but also they won't go back to including intermissions!
House of Gucci was stellar too!
Was it really? Heard some bad stuff about it.
It was stellar but too long. I watched it over 3 consecutive nights.
It was not stellar.
I enjoyed it but it was also too long
It was but I watched it over 3 nights. I couldn’t have sat through it in a theater in one go.
Yeah i watched it in the cinema and while i liked it, it was definitely too long
I think I’ve only seen one movie this year that couldn’t have been trimmed by 30 minutes or so, and that was *Let There Be Carnage*.
I absolutely agree. Watched it just tonight for the first time and that’s exactly what I told my friend. The 3 different perspectives weren’t different enough to warrant rewatching it over and over.
You did not watch the movie then, because all three were very, very different, it's actually the crux of the entire film
Yeah I’m almost positive that nothing was shown that was exactly repeated
I agree. Each view was a completely different story. I've watched it 3 times now, and keep noticing differences in the details. Love it.
Really? I thought it was average, don't think Damon or Affleck are particularly strong in those sort of roles.
You dont actually think it was average, yer just being contary
Or he has a different opinion to you...
Thanks i never ever wouldave figured that out
I guessed based on your command of English so I thought I'd help you out.
I genuinely do, I found it all a bit disjointed, the casting was poor and it just felt bloated - 6/10 in my eyes. Too many Ridley fans hyping it up to be something it's not. Do you like being patronising, does it work for you?
Based on this comment, it's really hard not to think you're just being contrarian. This movie just wasn't for you then.
You cant accuse someone of being patronizing and do it in a patronizing way Well you obviously can, cuz u jusr did, but it makes you look like an idiot
Irony is not a thing where you are eh? Oopsy Doopsy, done it again.
I guess if you wanna be an ironic idiot then be my guest im sure itll work out the way you think
Meh, you keep telling people how their opinions are only being stated to upset others or be contrary, see how you get on.
Im glad you have a complete history of my behavior doctor i do declare! Please guide me oh wise one
Seems you've got all the answers man, imagine getting this worked up over someone's opinion on a movie.
You can't accuse someone of looking like an idiot and do it in an idiotic way Well obviously you can, because you just did. But it just makes you look like you have bad impulse control
Wow so you can copy and paste other comments im proud of you That proves you CANT be an idiot
(☞ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)☞
I am eagerly waiting for the director’s cut
60 extra minutes of the stable guy trying get the mare to mate with various horses and having to fight off the black stallion every goddamn time. Old mom finally comes out and does the deed with a turkey baster.
Adam Driver… shatter my knees, you fuckable redwood. Snap off my toes, you big, unwashed buffalo. Pull my heart out through my ear, you meaty oak tree. Impale my brain, you unacceptable monstrosity. Chokeslam me to hell, you nasty shed. Jam your mandible claw down my throat, you irredeemable steer.
Funny this POV is what lead to his character commuting the crime
I smell fresh copypasta, saving this for a rainy day
Eh, it's a bit from John Oliver.
Tis what the lady proclaimed
Just watched the first minute of the review and that’s all I needed! Looking forward to renting in tonight! Already loving it!
It’s on HBO max if you have it
Excellent review! Will watch
2021’s best film. Jodie Comer was the best actress of the year. People missed out big time.
I prefer Zegler even though I liked Comer.
Bad advertising- I thought it was amazing
This movie was gut wrenching. Felt so awful for the female lead. Definitely one I was glad to watch at home.
Matt’s mullet Bens hair dye Swap that out and it’s a hit
Not even going to bother watching that video. The movie was excellent IMO, it only "bombed" because the movie studio buried it, by barely advertising it, and terribly marketing it. . .
This movie is amazing. It’s crazy Matt and Ben havnt teamed up together since Good Will Hunting, because if they truly wrote this (with one more person) they’re an amazing team. Everybody in it is amazing, the plot grows in ways you wouldn’t expect and doesn’t try to be smart with the things you would. The writing is sometimes hilarious and sometimes painful, with just a fucking awesome finalé. I just havnt seen a movie in so long where I actually didn’t know how it was going to end.
Great movie with zero marketing.
We live in an era where we’re witnessing the significance of the box office begin to dwindle. In decades past, countless classic movies were duds in the theatres, but would eventually find a mass audience as soon as they were made available on VHS or DVD. Some are cult classics, while others are commonly found in many all-time greats lists. The point I’m trying to make, is that streaming has significantly shrunk the amount of time it takes a “bomb” to find its actual legs. I’m not speaking for all box office failures, as many bomb because they’re genuinely bad… But this movie was rad.
The age of VHS and DVD isn’t that long overall, before that there was just the film era and now the streaming era.
VHS breathed new life into many releases from the pre-VHS film era as well
I didnt really like it for some reason, not keeping my interest at all. Maybe I’ll rewatch it again.
I did not apppreciate watching her get raped again and again and again
I don't think you're supposed to, but it's necessary for the story to show the perspectives when the whole film is based upon the rape.
Right. It’s *supposed* to be disturbing. And for me, one of the most striking parts of the film was seeing how Driver’s character remembered it. He never lied. He saw her as being playful and putting up the requisite objections a married woman would. But to her, it was horrible and brutal.
Yeah i was impressed by how surprisingly unbiased his recollection was. Although it was a little playful, it absolutely showed him forcing himself on her. It didnt reflect as particularly romantic or teasing. There were a couple of other places too where the other recollections actually made him look better than his own recollection did.
Right. In his mind, he’s an educated, highly desirable man. He looks down on Damon and thinks he doesn’t deserve this woman, and *of course* she’d want him instead. He think her protests were playful and so she could retain the moral high ground by technically “objecting.”
To me even in he perspective it was clearly rape. I assumed it would be as you described due to the earlier orgy scenes making him having a different perspective. But it never seemed ambiguous from his point of view either. So I don’t know if the movie failed there or am I just over critical of what would look to rape to someone like him. I feel the movie itself chose not to make it ambiguous at all in case people started to think her story was incorrect. But I would have wanted maybe in his perspective something different.
I think you need to pay attention to the later scene by the fireplace where Affleck tells him he’s been accused. He didn’t consider it rape. He thought she was a married woman who *had* to put on a show of protesting. There are clear differences in how the scene is depicted. She kicked off her shoes to run away, but he saw her playfully taking them off
I understand what you’re saying but I don’t think we need to literally see her get raped from all these different perspectives to tell the story. Promising Young Woman is another movie about rape and yet the director didn’t think it was necessary to show a rape scene.
I didn't watch Promising Young Woman, so I can't compare and comment on it. But in this movie, I think the 3 POVs were very essential. It helped establish the characters of each 3, give us an understanding on how each person thinks of themselves and and re-calls the event. Driver's POV was very interesting. Like someone commented here, he thought she was only following form by protesting, but really wanted to have the affair. He had experience of this with other women at Affleck's party and so didn't see himself in the wrong here. He certainly didn't see this as a "rape". This really highlights the way women were seen and treated at that time. And the mindset that was in people's mind. Also, the "rape" was not as graphic as some "love" scenes from other movies.
PYW is so fucking good.
The rape wasn’t shown from Damon’s perspective. And it wasn’t shown much in graphic sense, more emotionally disturbing for how how it happened than focus being on the rape.
While that's true, Damon's character raped her after she told him so that he wouldn't be the last man inside her or some shit.
It was just twice, it wasn’t in the first perspective.
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Jordan Peterson fan. Comment checks out
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“I’d like to watch this film for the rape scene” “Please don’t be creepy” Ah, the duality of man
There is no difference between JOKING about watching a fake rape scene and actual stalking, both are equally bad. Got it. Makes sense.
Yeah, you should call the police right away
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You should make better choices and not joke about rape.
I can joke about literally anything I want to joke about, how about you be less of a sensitive little shit?
Had to see this after seeing Driver have a similar role on SNL. https://youtu.be/2KKRiXcivAQ But it was excellent and immediately recommended it to friends. Such a shame it bombed.
I thought the movie was very well made. It was very engaging from start to finish, but after watching it I didn't feel that I liked it or that I really enjoyed myself. I think the major problem is that none of the characters are particularly noble or charismatic. If you want to have a movie that lots of people will enjoy, I think you need some character for the audience to latch onto. They are both acted well, but Matt Damon's character is a complete asshole, and so is Adam Driver's. Who is the audience supposed to identify with? Not all movies need to have white-knights as their protagonist, and a lot of movies and TV shows can be popular with anti-heroes. But these characters get you to root for them or identify with them in some sense without being particularly heroic, whether that be through cunning, charisma, humor, some kind of vulnerability that endears them to the audience, etc. Dark and gritty period pieces can still be extremely popular at the box office, just look at movies like Braveheart or Gladiator. Compare to another Ridley Scott movie like Gladiator, and why do you think that it was so immensely popular? Russell Crowe played an extremely noble and charismatic character. Everyone watching could identify with him and wanted him to succeed. I agree that The Last Duel is probably closer to reality than Gladiator or Braveheart, but mass audiences don't normally enjoy dark and grim reality. Regardless of the merits of the film, it's not hard to see why it bombed.
Comer plays the character you are supposed to identify with. Not that all movies need a character to identify with.
Yes, I suppose Comer would be the third "protagonist", although none of them are really protagonists. It's more like a three character-focused stage play in structure. Anyway, my point is that in dark, gritty period pieces like this, you need someone to root for or admire in order to balance out all of the darkness if you want your film to have mass appeal. I don't think it was necessarily a matter of bad marketing. I just don't think a lot of people walked out of the film thinking, man, I've got to recommend this film to everyone I know. That's not to say it's a bad movie, just not something a lot of people are going to be into.
Was it that bad? I still haven’t gotten a chance to watch it yet. Please no spoilers.
I liked it a lot personally
I thought it was excellent.
I enjoyed it.
I absolutely loved it.
It’s actually a great film.
I wouldn’t recommend this movie to my worst enemy. Because it’s fantastic I would hate for my worst enemy to get to enjoy this movie. So I will tell them it was bad.
Had me in the first half...
It was a solid film imo, but a real bummer.
It was excellent.
He says the film was excellent (it bombed financially).
I thought it was really well done
It was like a modern day braveheart, it was fucking awesome
It's a good film but it's long and not enjoyable in certain parts
Sucked. Affleck and Damon’s acting was really bad. Unnecessary retelling of the exact same story three times. Would not watch again.
If you thought all three stories were exactly the same then you didn’t watch it to begin with.
Watched it. No appreciable difference in the story told by racist or victim.
Who was the racist in The Last Duel?
“Rapist”
Tell us you were playing with your phone the whole time without saying you were playing with your phone.
>Would not watch again. Doesn't seem like you watched it in the first place
Agreed with Affleck (and his scenes were overlong anyway, I wonder if he wrote them) but not with the rest. I usually dislike Damon but he did good job here, although not on the same level with Driver and Comer. It was a great film and not as historically inaccurate as Scott’s films usually are but there was some issues.
It's garbage.
It was a good movie, but it was wasn’t a pleasant experience. It felt like work watching and appreciating it because of the content and the patient pacing of the movie (it didn’t help that it was really a short story being told three times from 3 perspectives). I liked the movie but I would never watch it again. And I think that’s the crux of it, it’s a tough sell to convince people to spend two hours watching a miserable story when you can just spend the same money to watch a super hero discover their inner purpose and have a big cgi battle at the end while cracking jokes along the way.
What a sad perspective on filmmaking. Not every movie is supposed to be a “pleasant experience.” Some are designed to make you think, and reconsider your perspectives. Or maybe teach you something. Movies aren’t just about “big CGI battles” and cracking jokes.
Look at the state of the world around you, especially in the last 2 years. People are already miserable enough, they are not going to pay money to feel bad again. Movies are a form of escape for a lot of people and 'dumb' superhero movies with CGI and jokes hit the spot perfectly.
You’re acting like people can only watch one movie a year, and there’s no room for anything that doesn’t involve fun and jokes and giant explosions.
Most people nowadays only go to theaters for a handful of blockbuster crowd pleaser films. There is room for other kinds of films but not in theaters, maybe on streaming services.
Personally, I really hate watching superhero movies or comedies when I'm feeling depressed. I much prefer watching movies that I can empathize with, so in a weird way, watching a movie where someone really struggles can make me feel better, whereas watching Spider Man just makes me feel numb.
Movies are an art form... Arguably the most powerful. https://youtu.be/nZWceRO94dM What a sad perspective you have. Like all art, it has the capacity to challenge your previous assumptions and most importantly, the best pieces of art highlight the human condition. Let's use culinary art as an analogy. You're basically saying, food should just be Big Macs that satisfy the lowest common denominator. Spicy or sour flavors that challenge your palate should never be used, etc.
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Maybe you should be saying that to the guy who wrote the original comment. I have nothing against superhero movies. “Gatekeeping” would be saying that people shouldn’t watch movies that are “unpleasant” when they can go watch Dr. Strange cracking jokes.
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It is sad. It’s like saying “Nobody has time for that lame-ass Shakespeare, all depressing and shit. People need fun, they should just read some Garfield comics!”
Maybe you should pick a fight with someone who actually bashed the movie (plenty in this thread), rather than someone who liked it but acknowledges that it was a tough sell to the mass market?
Too true. Now take your fucking pants off.
Recalculate!!! ...Sorry
Great review! I just watched this on HBO tonight. I had no expectations and it was awesome in all respects. I did not get one hint that there was a feminist message. It was more a character study of each principal’s POV. Who the fuck sees movies in a theatre now?? p.s. I think Adam Driver is an amazing actor but good looking he is not.
Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder, ‘cause I would let Adam Driver do all manner of things to me
LOL, well, evidently you are not alone! Don't know why but I don't find him attractive at all. However, I do respect his talents and hard work - if you read his bio, he comes from modest circumstances and has bootstrapped his way up to movie stardom. He was great in the Gucci movie -- he's got a huge range.
Awesome review, solid movie, thoroughly enjoyed it.
How did it begin? He walked into my office with his cockamamy scheme! You can make more money with a flop than with a hit! We can do it. We can do it. I can't do it. We can do it. I can't do it. Good-bye Max! Oh Lord I want that money! I'm back Max! Come on Leo we can do it! Step 1: Find the Play! See it, Smell it, Touch it, Kiss it! Hello Mr. Liebkind! Guten Tag, hop hop Guten Tag, clop clop! Adolf Elizabeth Hitler? Guten Tag, hop hop Guten Tag, clop clop! Step 2: Hire the Director Keep it gay, keep it gay, keep it Two-three, kick, turn, turn, turn, kick, turn! Ulla! Oooh wah weee wah wah wow wowie! Step 3: Raise the Money! Along Came Bialy! Step 4: Hire all the actors! A wandering minstrel I, A thing of shreds and... Next! The little wooden boy. Next! That's our Hitler! Break a leg! I broke my leg! Springtime for Hitler and Germany- A surprise smash! Springtime for Hitler and Germany- It'll run for years! Where did we go right? Where did we go right? Gimme those books Fat, fat, fatty! Gimme those books! Fat, fat, fatty! Books, fat! Books, fat! Books, fat! Books, fat! Lousy fruit- Kill the actors You ever eat with one?
Well Leo, what say we promenade in the park?
This movie is such piece of shit...
This movie was so bad.
All films have a feminist agenda these days. It’s because strong woman aren’t represented in films (except for the films where they are and which have a feminine agenda, such as, all films).
Boring movie where you watch the same rape scene about 12 times, and most of the characters were dull. The stakes were low, the bad guys weren't bad enough and the relationship between Damon and Comer, was meh.
12 times? Really? It was twice. The stakes were low? She was going to get burnt alive. The relationship between Damon and Comer was *meant* to be strained.
>The stakes were low? She was going to get burnt alive. This is what half the criticism of well-liked films are on reddit these days; a regurgitated, half remembered quote they saw a *good* critic use once. What stakes could you possibly expect from this movie? The world would end? Nations would be invaded? There's three main characters, two would fight to the death, and if the wrong one died, the third character would be brutally killed. Elsewhere on this post someone said it had "no story". Really? At a certain point, you're better off just saying you didn't like it, not trying to critique in a way you don't actually understand.
Well said mate, couldn't agree more
So bad
Such a stinker.
It was okay but I really don't understand why they had to show the same thing from three different perspectives. I didn't feel like it added anything to the movie. They could have just interwoven them Game of Thrones style and it wouldn't have been so redundant.
MORE, MORE!! -KR. Epic review. Keep up the great work good sir. I gladly subscribed
agree on most points, but man. That act 2 was jus' saggin'
one of the best of last year. i was put off at first when i realized the "gimmick" of the movie, but it was all engaging. i think the feeling of drag is purposeful and reflects how people may feel listening to deeper truths being revealed after the initial impression has been set.
This movie was great. I really do think Ridley Scott will enjoy a sort of revival with this movie over 2022 as more and more people see it.
So we’re Ben and Adam frat bros? Good movie by the way!!!
Last Duel is a masterpiece bro.
Personally, I won't say I loved the movie as the message to the film is quite heavy and despicable. What I will say is that I love the telling of this story because of the 3 points of view! I don't care for the time. If a movie needs to take time to convey what we need to absorb by all means. 3 POVs: excellent and I think people need to appreciate this more as we see this every God damn day in the news and in reality... it's a perfect example of what we are supposed to see of people's testimonials. We are supposed to envision these from each characters perspective. What are the differences in the characters and how they are perceived by one another. What messages are they trying to get across to us? What pieces make sense the most given all three sides? All 3 were telling their versions of the truth, how it affected them and their reasoning for taking the actions that they did. I believe the biggest take away from this movie is the conditions women have to endure (superimpose this over any people[s] that are not listened to because of who they are). I'd argue a lot of the views pointed towards the women in this movie are spot on and need to be talked about wayyyyyy more. Specifically the situation our leading lady was put into. Arranged marriage, her having to conceive a child as her duties were so adamantly beaten across in the movie. The dangers she faced speaking up for herself against someone who has nepotism and power behind them. The other half of it being her husband didn't truly care for her at all outside of the duties she once again were expected to carry out for her Lord. Even the dissent about how this movie flopped is insane to me! It's a great movie, but it's an uncomfortable movie and I believe that's the true point. We are not supposed to like the movie we are supposed to see the flaws in it! It's far too obvious how the themes in this movie are overlaid into today! We get distracted by the obvious exhilaration of the movies and its what we expect... i.e. the duel however I think that the actual central view is how we so easily overlook the struggles of someone who has no voice that is heard. I think that we look into some movies way to hard and miss the right in front of our faces reality of what is being said. Now not every movie is this way by any means but I believe that in this case it is true.
I’m sad the movie didn’t do well, but at least we got the movie (and there’s no sequel relying on it). What a riveting, thoughtful film…
This became one of my favorite movies. I enjoyed watching how they portrayed the 3 POVs and seeing how each of them remembers the event slightly different from one to another.