{"id":301165,"date":"2021-07-16T23:16:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-16T20:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-true-story-behind-ridley-scotts-the-last-duel\/"},"modified":"2021-07-16T23:16:00","modified_gmt":"2021-07-16T20:16:00","slug":"the-true-story-behind-ridley-scotts-the-last-duel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-true-story-behind-ridley-scotts-the-last-duel\/","title":{"rendered":"#The True Story Behind Ridley Scott&#8217;s The Last Duel"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dbdcb0d875\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dbdcb0d875\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-true-story-behind-ridley-scotts-the-last-duel\/#Trial_By_Combat\" >Trial By Combat<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-true-story-behind-ridley-scotts-the-last-duel\/#The_Accusation\" >The Accusation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-true-story-behind-ridley-scotts-the-last-duel\/#The_Last_Duel\" >The Last Duel<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-true-story-behind-ridley-scotts-the-last-duel\/#The_Result_of_the_Last_Duel\" >The Result of the Last Duel<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-true-story-behind-ridley-scotts-the-last-duel\/#The_Legend\" >The Legend<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#The True Story Behind Ridley Scott&#8217;s The Last Duel<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\">\n                <\/aside>\n<p><!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 3.7.9--><em>Real Stories\u00a0is an ongoing column about the true stories behind <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">movies<\/a> and TV shows. It\u2019s that simple. This installment focuses on the true story that informed the basis for Ridley Scott\u2019s The Last Duel. CW: the story concerns sexual violence<\/em>.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>The latest movie from the great <strong>Ridley Scott<\/strong> releases this October. <em><strong>The Last Duel<\/strong><\/em>, inspired by a nonfiction book of the same nam<em>e<\/em>, takes place in 14th century France and centers on the country\u2019s last officially sanctioned judicial duel. The screenplay is by <strong>Matt Damon <\/strong>and <strong>Ben Affleck<\/strong> (<em>Good Will Hunting<\/em>), sharing screenwriting credit with <strong>Nicole Holofcener<\/strong> (<em>Can You Ever Forgive Me?<\/em>), who is also a producer. <\/p>\n<p>Damon also stars in the movie as a knight who fights a squire, played by <strong>Adam Driver<\/strong>. Their titular duel is over the charge that the squire raped the knight\u2019s wife, played by <strong>Jodie Comer<\/strong>. Affleck has a supporting role as a count, and the cast also includes <em>Succession<\/em>\u2018s <strong>Harriet Walter<\/strong> and <em><a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Game<\/a> of Thrones<\/em>\u2018 <strong>Michael McElhatton<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>As we prepare for the release of Scott\u2019s first film since 2017, here is a look at the true story behind <em>The Last Duel<\/em>:<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-trial-by-combat\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Trial_By_Combat\"><\/span>Trial By Combat<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Before we get to the story of <em>The Last Duel<\/em>, let\u2019s review some basic definitions. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Trial_by_combat#Judicial_combat_of_1386\">Trial by combat<\/a>, or judicial duel, was a method used through the Middle Ages to settle disputes. Particularly for those with no witnesses. It\u2019s pretty simple: the accused would fight the accuser, and the local government would officially sanction the fight. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/definitions.uslegal.com\/t\/trial-by-combat\/\">According to the US Legal dictionary<\/a>, \u201cThe idea being that God would give victory to the person in the right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On January 6, 2021, hours before rioters stormed the US Capitol, Rudy Giuliani, on behalf of then-client President Donald Trump, demanded the election <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nymag.com\/intelligencer\/2021\/01\/watch-giuliani-demand-trial-by-combat-to-settle-election.html\">be settled through trial by combat<\/a>. Unsurprisingly, Giuliani has since had his license to practice law suspended in New York and Washington DC. <\/p>\n<p>Giuliani\u2019s comments inspired a renewed interest in trials by combat, including <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/historynewsnetwork.org\/article\/179429\">a brief history of the phrase<\/a> written by UCLA professor <strong>Eric Jager<\/strong>. He\u2019s also the author of the book <em>The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval Franc<\/em>e, upon which Scott\u2019s new movie is based. Jager writes:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>\u201cThe fact that trial by combat, also known as \u2018the judgment of God,\u2019 traditionally looked to heaven to assure a just and fair verdict only makes the whole thing seem even more preposterous to us today.\u201d  <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Jager explains that while trials by combat certainly fit the definition of \u201cblood sport,\u201d there was an actual legal thought process behind them, albeit a flawed one. He writes:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>\u201cThe combat was a public and decisive way to test two opposed and mutually exclusive oaths, just as a jury trial (despite its many flaws) is the usual way today of testing two antagonistic claims, with words rather than swords.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 id=\"h-the-accusation\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Accusation\"><\/span>The Accusation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The origins of <em>The Last Duel<\/em> begin in January 1368, when Marguerite de Carrouges claimed she was raped by Jacques Le Gris, a squire. When her husband, Sir Jean de Carrouges, heard of the crime, he brought the case to the court. But it was dismissed. <\/p>\n<p>As Jager <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.laphamsquarterly.org\/scandal\/woman-black\">wrote in a 2020 piece for <em>Lapham\u2019s Quarterly<\/em><\/a>,<em> <\/em>the story of Marguerite de Carrouges feels particularly pertinent today in the wake of #MeToo:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>\u201cLike today, sexual assault and rape often went unpunished and even unreported in the Middle Ages. But a public accusation of rape, at the time a capital offense and often a cause for scandalous rumors endangering the honor of those involved, could have grave consequences for both accuser and accused, especially among the nobility.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>When Carrouges brought the case to the court, the count in charge, a friend of Le Gris, said that Marguerite \u201cmust have dreamed it.\u201d In dismissing the charges, he ordered for \u201cno further questions ever be raised about it.\u201d <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-the-last-duel\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Last_Duel\"><\/span>The Last Duel<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Understandably furious, Sir Jean de Carrouges journeyed to Paris and <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ealed the ruling with King Charles VI. He evoked a \u201c1306 royal decree based on ancient precedent [that] allowed the duel as a last resort for nobles involved in capital cases.\u201d But, as Jager notes, by that time judicial duels were \u201cextremely rare.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Carrouges\u2019 challenge led to an investigation by Parliament. Only if the Parliament was unable to reach a verdict would the duel be authorized. Jager writes: <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>\u201cOver the next several months, famous lawyers were hired, witnesses were summoned, and testimony was gathered. Marguerite herself \u2014 now pregnant, perhaps as a result of the rape \u2014 came to Paris and testified in great detail about the alleged attack by Le Gris and his accomplice.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>A portion of Marguerite\u2019s horrific testimony can be found in Jager\u2019s <em>Lapham\u2019s Quarterly <\/em>essay. <\/p>\n<p>As you may have already guessed, Parliament did not reach a decision. A duel was ordered to take place and scheduled for December 29th. Here is the super messed up part: if Carrouges won the duel, Marguerite\u2019s story would be proven true. If he lost, Marguerite\u2019s accusation would be considered a false one. And in accordance \u201cwith ancient tradition, she would be burned alive as a false accuser.\u201d <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-the-result-of-the-last-duel\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Result_of_the_Last_Duel\"><\/span>The Result of the Last Duel<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The event now known as \u201cthe last duel\u201d was preceded by pomp and parade. Thousands of people eagerly awaited what Jager describes as \u201cthe season\u2019s highlight in the capital.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Jager recounts the battle drawing on many sources. These include the 14th-century author Jean Froissart, who famously detailed the duel in his work <em>Chronicles<\/em>. Various pre-duel ceremonies took place, including one making Le Gris a knight so the two could be on equal footing. Then, the duel began as a \u201cjoust on horseback, with lances.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The men then dismounted and fought on swords. Marguerite, Jager writes, \u201cdressed all in black and exposed to the crowd\u2019s stares, anxiously awaited the outcome. The trial by combat would decide whether she had told the truth \u2013thus whether she would live or die.\u201d Eventually, Le Gris wounded Carrouges in the thigh, to which the crowd responded, as Jager writes, quoting <em>Chronicles, <\/em>\u201cwith a great fright.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Carrouges continued to fight and eventually brought his opponent to the ground. Jager writes that accounts of the moment vary. Some say Le Gris slipped on his opponent\u2019s blood. Froissart writes that Carrouges \u201cfelled\u201d Le Gris. Either way, Froissart writes that Carrouges, \u201cthrusting his sword into his body, killed [Le Gris] on the spot.\u201d He won the duel, and in doing so \u201cproved\u201d that Marguerite\u2019s story was true. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-the-legend\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Legend\"><\/span>The Legend<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In his essay, Jager writes that many theories emerged in the wake of the duel, including among historians: <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>\u201cSome have suggested that her husband forced the story out of her to avenge himself on Le Gris, his former friend turned rival at court. And some, invoking the most popular theory, acknowledge the rape but say that Marguerite mistakenly accused the wrong man, an \u2018honest\u2019 but tragic error that robbed Le Gris of his life, fortune, and good name.\u201d  <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Jager does not seem to buy the conspiracies. \u201cDespite the claims of naysayers and novelizers,\u201d he writes, \u201cMarguerite\u2019s testimony suggests that she was almost certainly not mistaken about the identity of her attackers.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>I am deeply curious to see how Scott \u2014 and Holofcener, Damon, and Affleck \u2014 tell this story in <em>The Last Duel<\/em>. When you look beyond the seemingly outlandish pageantry and brutality of the duel itself, there is potential for a film that uses this story from 14th century France as a means to explore how society can better treat, understand, and believe survivors of sexual violence today. <\/p>\n<p>Jager ends his essay with a reflection on what the story can teach us about how the public responds to such scandals today: <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>\u201cHistorical scandals, much like the contemporary ones filling our tabloids, <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> sites, and now-ubiquitous <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a> feeds, are built on a widely shared sense of certainty about \u2018what really happened\u2019 \u2014 a feeling that often belies the elusive truth. While some touched by scandal may resurrect their lives and reputations, others never will: what happened, or is said to have happened, may follow them even through the pages of history.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong><em>The Last Duel<\/em> opens in theaters on October 15, 2021.<\/strong>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/the-last-duel-true-story\/#utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-last-duel-true-story\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#The True Story Behind Ridley Scott&#8217;s The Last Duel&#8221; Real Stories\u00a0is an ongoing column about the true stories behind movies and TV shows. It\u2019s that simple. This installment focuses on the true story that informed the basis for Ridley Scott\u2019s The Last Duel. CW: the story concerns sexual violence. The latest movie from the great&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":301166,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/ridley-scott-all-the-money-in-the-world.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[50541,24161,112094],"class_list":["post-301165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa","tag-ben-affleck","tag-matt-damon","tag-the-last-duel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=301165"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301165\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/301166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=301165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=301165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=301165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}