#Venice78 - Out of Competition
The Last Duel
Sir Ridley Scott
A gripping tale of betrayal and vengeance set against the brutality of 14th century France. The historical epic is a cinematic and thought-provoking drama that explores the ubiquitous power of men, the frailty of justice and the strength and courage of one woman willing to stand alone in the service of truth. Based on actual events, the film unravels long-held assumptions about France’s last sanctioned duel between Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris, two friends turned bitter rivals. When Carrouges’ wife, Marguerite, is viciously assaulted by Le Gris, a charge he denies, she refuses to stay silent, stepping forward to accuse her attacker, an act of bravery and defiance that puts her life in jeopardy. The ensuing trial by combat, a grueling duel to the death, places the fate of all three in God’s hands.
Matt Damon
https://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/2021
photograph courtesy La Biennale di Venezia
Jodie Comer
"When I first heard about the last legal duel fought in medieval France, I knew it would make a powerful film. And when I learned that Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Nicole Holofcener were writing the script, there was no way anyone else was going to direct it but me. It was a chance to take the kind of historical epics that I love but with themes of courage, deceit and advocacy that resonate with audiences today. This is a story about a friendship and marital union that are destroyed as the result of one particularly cruel and dishonorable act, but it is also a story about the courage of one woman to speak out. It is a thought-provoking piece of work of which I am especially proud."
Sir Ridley Scott
Director's Statement
photograph courtesy La Biennale di Venezia
Main Cast Matt Damon, Adam Diver, Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck, Harriet Walter, Marton Csokas, Nathaniel Parker Adam Diver Lido di Venezia #Venezia78 La Croce Rossa Italiana photograph courtesy La Biennale di Venezia #Venezia78 - Out of Competition Les Choises Humaines - The Accusation Yvan Attal The Farels are a power couple: Jean is a prominent French pundit and his wife Claire an essayist known for her radical feminism. Together they have a model son, Alexandre, who is a student at a prestigious American university. During a brief visit to Paris, Alexandre meets Mila, the daughter of his mother’s new partner, and invites her to a party. The next day, Mila files a complaint against Alexandre for rape, destroying family harmony and setting in motion an inextricable media-judicial machine that posits opposing truths. Suzanne Jouannet and Ben Attal photograph courtesy La Biennale di Venezia Charlotte Gainsbourg and Pierre Arditi Photo Pamela Berkovic - courtesy La Biennale di Venezia "Karine Tuil’s book immediately touched me, I felt concerned, it brought me back to my story as a man, a son and a father... The power of men and its abuse, the blindness of male desire and its devastating consequences, the culture of rape, the gray area of consent, social media, republican justice, and the people’s court, which condemns without leaving room for defense and leads to lynching. The whole challenge lies in the possibility of making a film which is not Manichean, without this being interpreted as a betrayal to the cause of women / victims. This idea of putting the audience in the shoes of a juror, wondering at all times what to think in order to end up doing justice." Yvan Attal |
