The Last Duel

One is tempted to suggest that this movie gets hoisted on its own petard. It presents one story told from three different perspectives, with the heavy hint that only one version is the "truth." But...by presenting the notion of unreliable perspectives, the filmmakers suggest--perhaps unintentionally--that ALL the versions of the tale contain untruths. An intelligent analysis must recognize that the woman’s story isn’t automatically true just because she’s a woman. Only by way of a an uncritical acceptance can those watching take at face value the notion that only one of these accounts is factually accurate and honest. That conundrum diminishes the impact of the work as a whole, despite its fine performances and meticulous presentation of the period. (Director Ridley Scott is an old hand at putting spare-no-expense visuals on the screen.) This is hardly a bad film, for sure, but one can’t help but think that, perhaps, this could have been a more forceful work without indulging in the narrative puzzle-making.