I worked on the sets for this film for 3 months in Ireland, we are all very proud of how it turned out, all practical hardly any green screen, it was a joy to work on.
Stupid release window, poor marketing, particularly in terms of demonstrating what the film was about. A recipe for disaster really. I think it also suffers from looking too much like Game of Thrones at a glance. Honestly I feel that's going to be an uphill battle for all medieval-era esque drama in the next few years.
One tiny detail that shows the way they handle nuance concerning the different POV's: In Le Gris' chapter, he makes it look like Marguerite intentionally took off her shoes before running up the stairs, like an invitation. But in Marguerite's chapter, we see how frantic and terrified she was, and the shoes coming off are just a part of that and clearly not some invitation.
Right! Driver’s character even said she was basically asking for it. More small details are also shown such as the way she went upstairs being more like a playful chase than an actual frantic flee. Then in the room where the act happens she is more complacent than actually protesting.
It gives us some very interesting views why things like torture, oaths and ordeals existed in those times. No forensics, no detective, no formal police force and definetely no cameras. In this case is the word of one against the other, so who must decide? God, by favoring the one who speak the truth in a duel
I thought that detail was brilliant. And the movie was full of them - especially in the way the actors treated their body language and facial expressions in different versions of the same scene.
I remember this happen with Dark Waters with Mark Ruffalo, but that definitely is not the only film that dealt bad marketing, including this one as well.
You were LITERALLY on the edge of your seat? As in you sat on your chair/sofa/couch in such a way that your buttocks were physically speaking barely on the seat itself? you moved in the seat? Which direction? And Why?
Honestly, this feels more like a marketing problem. These videos from Chris are literally the first times I've even heard this film mentioned. That's kind of wild considering the talent and resources involved.
I saw a trailer for it a couple times but it looked like a super generic medieval setting film with nothing interesting and it. I was so confused why these big name actors and director were tied to it. It wasn't until this review that I realized what the premise of the film actually was. The marketing was horrible.
that scene when the authorities were describing the horrific consequences that would happen to Jodie's character if Matt Damon's character were to die in the duel and you could see her physically trembling but still has to remain composed and mentally strong to defend her truth, was one of the best scenes in a movie i've witnessed to date. So much nuance and emotion and weight and you could feel all of it with her, that one scene alone should be enough to persuade people to go see this movie
It was great acting, but via screenplay it was so ridiculous attempt to abridge 8 month long trial, so ridiculous to imagine such announcement would follow just under actual hearing of lady Margarite as witness, I could not really take it serious
From an historian's POV, this movie is a gem, because it shows the importance of perspective in sources and how hard it sometimes is to compare different accounts of the same events
Absolutely. I remember asking a history professor what exactly we were learning to do. Were we trying to get better at figuring out, objectively, WHAT happened in history? Were we trying to get better at understanding WHY things happened in history? His answer was that we were trying to complicate/deepen our view of history. I thought that was really profound. Also the costume design was super good.
Definetly this movie is gonna be extremely underrated although it is historically accurate in the story and even all the little medieval customs throughout the film. Definetly a 9/10
The trailer made it seem like they assumed Le Gris was guilty. It turned me off the film and probably others. I have no idea if the movie actually takes this POV. I will watch it when it gets to streaming.
@@blackalien6873 The book from which it was based does the same and the movie does so as well painting him as too self centered to know he did rape her. Then entire film is based around what they want you to believe and not the fact that no one knows and will never know.
One important reason why this film bombed that Chris didn't talk about is the fact that it came out at the same time with Dune, French Dispatch and Eternals. These are some very attractive titles that more people would likely prefer over The last duel, especially if it's their first time in cinema after a while and they have a limited budget. It also feels like The last duel is one if those films that people "will definitely watch when it comes out on streaming", while leaving the movie-going experience to more lighter- or blockbuster-type films
Dune is gonna bomb, and the Eternals is gonna bomb too. Which SUCKS. They are all three great movies. But the theater going experience is in the toilet, and that is a FACT. French Dispatch has a chance, but it a very, very slim one. It's tragic.
I have a tight budget and the first thing I think about, when choosing movies to watch in cinema, is whether or not its cinematography would look much better in cinema than on TV or computer screen (and whether that would have a big impact on my viewing experience). And based on all the trailers I watched, films like Dune and James Bond definitely fit into that category much more so than The Last Duel. I feel bad for it but still. I really don’t feel like watching James Bond at home. Gotta make the tough decisions.
Judging by the comments section, the Last Duel's marketing campaign must've literally been pushed only to me, because I saw just about every ad or trailer for this movie in the months leading up to it's release. The fact that seemingly barely anyone knew about it coming out, except for me, is truly a bizarre feeling.
I saw the trailer too. But I just went to Wikipedia and read the actual story which is way better than the story shown in the trailer. So I am not watching the movie. It's just I don't like movies that makes huge changes from actual history.
I'm a movie buff and I came to know about this movie when Ridley Scott blamed young people for making this flop. I never knew it existed. Marketing has to be the biggest contributer in its bad performance at the Box-office.
I dunno I saw marketing for it and couldn't wait to see it. Nonetheless I heard it bombed but theater movies not made by marvel or Disney have it ruff these days
@@jetcustomsdbz5821 that’s the problem, I didn’t know it existed. If I had, I would have seen it for sure. I think the problem wasn’t that the marketing itself was bad, it just wasn’t marketed nearly enough
@@jaredk7540 yeah agree. I saw the marketing for this film too and thought peope were going to see it. I think it was marketed but the studio didn’t have enough confidence that they’d make their money back. Pretty sure if they had properly marketed it, it wouldn’t have bombed.
It will be something like that. Which isn't necessarily bad either. The film will probably still find a decently large audience and maybe a small following and a long life as an insider tip. Just like in the past, some films only became real hits on video. But of course a huge box office would be a good thing.
@@b67a2011 True in a way. However, nowadays a lot (especially films with a medium budget) can be financed, as there is an unprecedented global audience through streaming services, in which good films almost always find an audience. We get a lot of films that no big film studio wanted to produce for the cinema because there were no franchise, no giant brand to milk. So these films are not dying out. On the contrary. However, if you mean cinema as an institution and the only yardstick for success and failure, you might be right.
People aren’t to blame for the Last Duel bombing…the producers are. Its marketing was utterly nonexistent. Everywhere I looked there was a Dune ad, or a the Foundation ad, heck I even saw See - Season 2 ads. But I’ve NEVER heard or seen anything about the Last Duel. It’s almost like the producers thought slapping big names on their project would bring them in the big bucks without effort.
People are to blame in most cases when a good movie bombs, but people like to blame marketing every time, even if it was good. Sometimes people just don't care no matter how you sell it.
@@kdscool1536 I think you are completely off base here, this is a clear marketing failure. I, like many many other people that generally would like this type of film, literally have never heard of it til Stuckman mentioned it. There is literally nothing on this film at all, you would have to be a huge film buff to know it existed.
@@Tinil0 I saw like 3 movies in the entire year, there was a trailer before each screening, plus posters in the theater, so I guess you don't have to be huge movie buff) The movie would still bomb even with better marketing, not every movie can be sold to general audience no matter how good it is.
@@kdscool1536 I went to the theater to see Venom: Let there Be Carnage about two weeks ago. 2 Dune ads, a James Bond ad, and a donzen other ads for random things with niche audiences (like ballets) or streaming shows. But nothing for The Last Duel even though it's playing at that theater. Just because you saw ads does not mean that everyone else did. You are the exception to the rule here. Your experience of seeing 3 ads over a year (which is not a lot!!! that's still a failure of an ad campaign if you only heard about it three times!!!) is not what everyone else got, and you shouldn't be an ass about it when you're proven wrong.
I'm gonna agree with a lot of people here: I wouldn't have heard of this movie if it wasn't for RUclips. Even now I didn't know it was out. Movies are just coming back now and the competition has been on top of their game when it comes to advertising. I haven't gotten a single ad for this, whereas Dune has been everywhere
Exactly. The marketing of this film is what tanked it. I knew it was coming out sometime, but I didn't know when and have seen little to no advertising for it.
THIS I literally only know about this film from word of mouth coincidentally... because my friend knows the cinematographer... Like, WTF has the marketing been for this? I saw the first Dune trailer more than a YEAR AGO
The duel scene was one of the most gripping scenes I’ve ever watched. Pretty sad it probably never had a full theatre to watch that scene, it would have been electric
Yeah it's weird. It has this very cool poster design too (that will definitely caught my attention as someonr who knows some designing) but i never even saw it in passing glimpse. It's like an audio and visual phantom in pop culture.
Yeah, same here. I'd heard about the film, but the person who talked about it never gave a release date. I was under the assumption that it wasn't coming out for a while, and now I'm here watching this video learning that it's out now. I've been slammed with ads for the new James Bond movie that I had become more disinterested in seeing it, but nothing for this movie (which I probably will love once I can see it) or Venom: Let there Be Carnage (which was my first time back in a theater since Sept 2019 and had been a movie I've been hyped for since the first one released in 2018). Something is up with movie advertising lately, and it's really not helping theaters stay open.
The movie was released a week before Dune, the most anticipated film of both 2020 and 2021, the week after Daniel Craig's final Bond movie, and the same day as the latest installment in the Halloween franchise. All of that and they still didn't market the film at all. I hope they weren't expecting this movie to just do well? Everybody was already talking about Dune and WB still knew it was necessary to put ads everywhere constantly. I didn't know The Last Duel was a thing until a few days before it released, because my dad follows everything any Star Wars cast member ever does. The truth is, even if it's the best film of the decade, this time popcorn munching philistines aren't responsible for the film's failure. If they want us to see a movie we need to, at the very least, know that the movie exists.
@@MRJTD99 I watch a ton of ads (when I'm on mobile at least) and have not seen a single Last Duel trailer. Might have seen an ad on a different website, but very little.
In a perfect world Jodie Comer would get all the attention, recognition, and praises she deserves for her subtle, nuanced, poignant, utterly brilliant and beautiful performance in 'The Last Duel'. It's a crime how much she's been overlooked this award season.
Just watched The Duel yesterday. Intense and disturbingly realistic. An excellent film. I was deeply impressed by how well it handled the subject matter.
One of the best films of the year, and one of Ridley Scott's best films. It's a shame that the marketing for this film was so poor. It deserved so much more.
I miss movie epics. I remember in the late 90's into early 2000's there were so many. The Patriot, Gladiator, The Last Samurai, Kingdom of Heaven, Troy. They are among the best kinds of movies to go see in the theater. It's just a good time to see with friends. I wish more were made, honestly.
The early 2000s were pretty much the golden era of history fantasy epics. I feel like The Gladiator and LotR pretty much catapulted many other films based on their success.
Ezio - I couldn’t agree more. The 90’s is my all time favorite decade for movies and mainly because of those types of films you mentioned. Historical epics are my favorite genre and they just don’t make them anymore. You left out Braveheart and Dances With Wolves and Last of the Mohicans.
On Netflix there's Outlaw King with Chris Pine as Robert De Bruc aka real Braveheart from the director of Hell or High Water and The King with Timothy Chalamett as Henry V, Robert Patterson as the Dauphin, and Joel Edgarton as Fallstaff.
In addition to being released RIGHT beside Dune (a.k.a., one of the most anticipated adaptations) and No Time to Die (which was Craig's LAST performance), the marketing for Marvel's Eternals has been relentless. I'm not surprised that this film was buried under so much competition. With films slowly beginning to regain confidence in theatrical releases, resulting in delayed films finally being released, there is a lot more competition for attention and marketing is more crucial than ever. The Last Duel's marketing felt extremely weak and underwhelming, especially compared to films like Dune.
Class film. The dual at the end was weighty and gritty, the films was so good in my opinion. Took a while to get used to Damon and Affleck in this genre but overall they nailed it. Can't put my finger on it but something about this really drew me in to the story.
It’s sad that these types of movies aren’t making money anymore. I didn’t even love the Last Duel, but I would rather Hollywood make more movies like this and a little less superhero films.
It’s like this: is it a beautiful movie with perfect story, music, actors, and whatnot? Yes! Do you have an interest in ancient French historical dramas? …
It released around so much competition,and was advertised considerably less. I only know about it because I follow Ridley Scott, since he made my favorite movie. Even setting aside the pandemic, it had a struggle.
I didn’t see a single trailer or poster in my local theater or even online marketing . I only knew and saw this film due to my dad telling me about it a couple days after its release. I even heard that theater employees would take breaks while “cleaning”, since almost no one came to a showing. Truly sad due to how well made and well casted/directed the film is.
I saw a trailer for it in front of a movie I went to go see, I can't remember which though it was oddly a PG-13 one. I think ironically it might have been in front of Free Guy (Jodi Comer's more successful movie of the year) or maybe it was Shang Chi.
The marketing was terrible. I didn’t hear about this movie until about a month before. With Driver and Damon, they should have been pushing this film for months prior
I like how they showed each persons perspective especially hers. The ending fight was pretty epic. With that said: it was a little boring until it reached her perspective and you realize there both jerks and women are treated poorly in those times.
One of the things I think The Last Duel has had going against it is the tone and subject matter of the film. Most people have spent the better part of the last two years unable to go to the cinema for a dark and depressing reason. So when they finally have the opportunity to go, they'd prefer that it be a fun time, which The Last Duel will most certainly not give them. It's a dark and depressing film, much like the real world these last two years, and that's the last thing a lot of people want at the moment.
Yeah exactly. Not many ppl want to pay money to watch a movie that has graphic rape scenes and a heavy subject matter especially right now with what's going on in the world. Ppl want to go for escapist entertainment which is why superhero movies are doing so well. Cant fault em tbh.
Imo I don't think so. Like Chris says, movies like this doesn't appeal to the younger audiens. Specially not the leftist femenist sjw who don't understand that times where fucking brutal back then
@@celeroon89 That's funny, for several reasons. One. The Last Duel is rated for mature audiences only, meaning young people are not allowed to see it. Two. Even movies with mature ratings can be profitable. Both Deadpool and Joker make that clear. Three. Because of the subject matter of the film and its siding with the female perspective, this movie has been described by various critics as an attempt to appeal to feminists, particularly in light of the MeToo movement. To that end, why would feminists avoid a historical drama which favours the female perspective when for centuries males have downplayed said female perspective on that historical event?
The marketing was almost non existent. I found out about this movie literally 3 days before it came out. And the trailer I saw looked a bit "meh". Having seen it, I thought it was excellent. I liked the story, I liked the unusual structure, I liked the performances (Jodie Comer was fantastic). The only thing I didn't like was those stupid half-helmets in the opening scene ;-) Some of your comments are quite spoiler-y, but since nobody will go see the movie anyway... ;-)
Masterpiece, should never ever had bombed. The Duel sequence is totally amazing and the way of this story has been depicted is really something one should experience.
It’s another movie’s reputation tarnished by marketing. Nobody batted an eye at No Time to Die until the marketing started stirring up controversy. They need to understand that using controversy in your marketing doesn’t always work. I mean even the freaking Bond movie had an average opening weekend, before bouncing back a bit in its second weekend, most likely due to the fact that everyone’s fears about the movie had been settled and many half interested parties went out to view it. It’s really sad every movie has to be politicized or have some controversy stuck to it nowadays.
Same thing I thought about Blade Runner 2049. I absolutely loved the movie, felt transported into the world and didn't feel the time passing. I however am in the minority of moviegoers nowadays. I was really worried that Dune would have flopped but thankfully it didn't. People aren't interested in time dramas unless it's a Viking story aka more action, faster pacing
I think Period dramas have better luck now-a-days on TV/On Demand than they do in theaters. Look at like Outlander which does incredibly well especially with female audiences. With Covid going on would've been a better idea to go with getting a good deal from a streaming service and putting it solely on there.
@@nokturnallex2160 Given it's budget was high, but not blockbuster, that probably would have been doable and would make more sense given the subject mater is hardly 'fun night at the movies'
People get mad when they hear that a live-action movie or a remake of an existing movie is being made, yet at the same time complain that Hollywood isn’t pumping out original movies anymore. Like this one. And then don’t go see them. 🙄
Unfortunately audiences have a difficult time choosing to see a really good movie. Double it by hysterical bad press which is common ever since Joker was released and you get the burial of good movies. Really sad times for great cinema.
I made sure to buy a ticket to watch this in the theatres because I’ve always loved Ridley Scott’s movies. He may have some duds but his contribution to movies and his legacy will live long and be studied for generations to come. The Last Duel was a solid good old fashioned movie in the tradition of Rashomon, who’s aim was to tell an engaging story through great writing, acting and directing. Watched it a second time and it got even better because you could identify the shift in the actors body language when they went through different perspectives. Matt, Ben and Adam was brilliant in their roles but Jodie Corner was simply a revelation.
This sounds like a big fail on the marketing side. I'll be honest, Chris...the marketing just felt like 2 men fighting over a woman. Love triangle epic. Stuff we've seen done (badly) dozens of times in the past. I can tell you that I had ZERO interest in seeing this film until you explained the premise...now I'm incredibly interested. Also you are spot on with the reason why it bombed...the target demographic skewed older. Matt, Ben, and Ridley aren't nearly as popular with the crowds really driving the box office. It's the same reason why James Bond didn't do as well as they were tracking. These are films for late Millennials and Gen-X...they just aren't the same stuff younger folks are really into (yet). Thanks for clarifying what the marketing department could not.
dont let marketing and trailers dictate if you see films. read a summary of the story, and most importantly pay attention to who is making and starring in films.
@@blackwaterproduction289 ...believe me, this is definitely going on my watch list. Honestly, I'm glad it's good...and I have a feeling it'll be a "success" once it hits digital and the ancillary market.
People are saying there's been no marketing, I'm guessing that's in America because it's been promoted more in the UK. I went to a near packed screening when it opened and absolutely loved it. Gonna see it again along with Dune this weekend
This was really a directing masterpiece. I love Scott’s ability to humanize history in such a relatable way without being cutesy. Very grounded and believable. His attention to detail was amazing. The only thing that stuck out to me was the lack of accents from the main cast. Made their pronunciation of French words sound clunky at times, as if they were playing AT being French. The quality of the story and storytelling won out and I wasn’t taken out of the film. Loved the themes and messaging, which mirrors what I was enamored and inspired by in Robin Hood. Ridley Scott is now hands down my favorite director!
@Vangelis Films It was because in The King, imo, both French AND English kind of played crucial roles. So, you REALLY need to distinguish the accents there. While in the Last Duel it was mainly in France. I ofc expected the accent in the beginning, but throughout the film, i didn't really care anymore cuz it's in France mostly.
@@RenoDW yeah but if anything in The King - English nobles and court should just speak normal French as it was court language. There should be very little difference culturally between London and Paris in this time among elites
I didn't see this because: 1. I had never even heard of it before the trailer came on (before either Bond or Dune, I forget) 2. The trailer made it look frankly boring - a love triangle drama with some occasional fighting to spice things up - and the way it was cut together I got a strong vibe of "we put every action beat into the trailer to make it look more exciting than it really is", something I'm sure everyone's been caught by. This shit is exactly why I don't watch trailers unless I'm in a cinema and I can't avoid them. 3. Now that I watch this and discover that it sounds like a really good film in reality, I find it disappeared from the only cinema in town within a week, and I don't get to go out to the cinema more than once a week in practice. Chris, I feel like you could really help mitigate this sort of problem by including a segment in your videos after the review or discussion about what's coming out soon that you're interested in seeing, and why you're into it.
@@Nazaba09 he said the trailer made it appear that it was a love triangle , not that the film portrayed that. I just watched the film today and wow, amazing film but *those* scenes were so hard to get through
@@Nazaba09 So you don't understand the difference between "they made it seem like a love triangle" IN THE TRAILER... And "It was a love triangle"...???
I never watch trailers before I see a movie. I just look up Directors and Actors/Actresses I like on IMDB and see when their next movie is coming out. I go into all movies almost blind and it's amazing. I watch trailers of a movie afterwards and it blows my mind how different of an experience it would have been if I saw the trailer before hand. All I knew of the Last Duel was that it was a medieval movie directed by Ridley Scott and had some notable people in it. Didn't know the story, plot or premise. It made the movie watching experience all the more better. I recommend going into movies blind. Such much more of a treat and enjoying experience.
@@DalaceE I agree. I sometimes read a quick synopsis before I go see a film, but I mainly just go in as cold as possible so I can have a fresh experience while seeing a movie in theaters. I even try to come in about 15 or 20 minutes after the showtime so I miss the trailers and commercials. Some trailers are almost unavoidable though if it’s a giant tent pole movie like a new Spider-Man or Batman flick.
How do you avoid trailers before every movie you see? Our theaters play the same ones for months in front of every movie. Do you get there just as the movie is starting? You're lucky if that's not a problem where you are. I'd like to go in blind.
man, all 3 perspective show Le Gris as extremely bad man, careerist and rapist. It's same nuanced same story, but 3 times. Real story is much more interesting than that handmade cheap show
@@nightyonetwothree Exactly! I was expecting some nuances, something like: "Maybe he was drunk", "Maybe she was dreamt about it". But no, the other chapters simply add extra scenes to the already established idea.
@@akj7 There are subtle differences in each version especially during the assault that changes how each character looks at the experience they had. I thought it was pretty realistic.
I honestly cannot say how people see it as nuances, when for me it was blatantly obvious all the time Jean and Jacques POVs are full of bullshit, and well THE TRUTH that preceden third chapter did nothing to remove this feeling.
Criminally underrated I feel this is one of those that’ll be truly appreciated 10-20 years down the line of youre a fan of the medieval setting and great dramas I can’t recommend enough
This film should definitely be nominated for several oscars. It was superb, and the opening scene was one the best opening scenes I've seen in the cinema for a long time. The final duel was amazing
was the opening scene that river battle? It felt SO FAKE!! Like the swords were cutting through the armor like butter - they might as well have been naked LOL
Gladiator actually had depth of character - you could see the good and evil in each person, man or woman, like real life. Last duel was pretty black and white - the men were all bad and the main actress had no faults or evil at all. Boring.
@@accountnotfound4209 Yeah I get that, but it's A) hard to imagine ALL men back then were complete A-holes, B) they literally made the main actress perfect with no faults, and C) look at the timing of when this movie has come out - it's obviously riding the feminism wave. Other medieval movies have been done that put a lot more balance into the characters, make the story less predictable, and therefore enjoyable. This one fell flat.
This movie was excellent in telling a story, and really hitting on human truths, social issues, and perception. It was a bit dry and boring, but the characters delivered were great. I think some part of me wishes the different perspectives were drastically different, but the subtly of differneces speaks more to our own human condition. And it was ARTFULLY done. To be honest on first viewing I thought I was watching the same set of events with no difference, but my wife noticed a huge amount of differences. This really emphasized that even we the viewer can even be clouded by our own perceptions on hearing or viewing it. When other dudes retell of how a woman was "all over them" and flirting. and then the woman was like " I was just being polite and trying to get away". It wasn't in your face different like Rashomon and I actually appreciated the subtly more upon 2nd viewing. Great review, Chris I don't think everyone can appreciate it for the art that it is, and hope more ppl will.
I was impressed how psychotic Adam Driver's perspective was... and then it got even MORE psychotic with the lady's version to the point that I actually felt a moment of panic for her. In his version she took off her shoes and went up the stairs. In her version, the shoes fell off as she was scrambling away from him. That actress should win some awards for that scene... playing it out twice like that... how MANY takes must that have been?
@d R the narrative is framed in such a way that it’s fairly clear she was raped. This movie is pretty heavy-handed in its inclusion of modern-day social issues, so they couldn’t very well imply that she was lying.
I was blown away by this one and really hope that Jodie Comer or Adam Driver will get an Oscar campaign, but who knows at this point? I guess Jessica Chastain is dealing with the same issues after The Eyes of Tammy Faye flopping. Thanks for covering this -- you're doing more for this film than anyone else.
Another thing about the subject matter, in addition to the 'controversy' is that it is a really heavy, dreary topic. Everyone's mood has been sunk by feeling of anguish and despair for the past two years, very few of us want to go back and be reminded of the worst of humanity in film. I'm still going to watch it, but I'll be preparing myself for a hit to the stomach.
@@athenajaxon2397 I think it's less about them being escapist films and more about this film not having a lot of marketing behind it and also all of these other films out at the same time that has had a lot of hype and marketing behind it. I mean you had James bond, Halloween, dune and eternals and a few others I'm thinking I forgot to mention. A perfect storm really
Just watched it last night, imo one of the best films I've seen. The first 15 or so minutes were a little hard to get into because it seemed to jump from one point to the next. As soon as the 2nd chapter started i was like ok that's why its that way. The whole build up to the duel was great and it made the fight really intense specially the jousting part. All in all amazing film!
We saw this in theatre when it came out. It's maybe my favorite movie I saw this year (definitely in the top, if not.) I think there was only one or two other couples in the theatre with us and we saw it on a Saturday. Super sad that more people didn't go - it's a long movie but I wasn't bored for a single second of it. Acting was incredible, story was incredible.
Just back from seeing The last Duel and I can honestly say its one Ridley Scott's best films. The story and storytelling format were excellent. The actors all played there parts masterfully. So well that my mind is still sifting through the finer moments of each characters motivation.. As you have said more films need to be made this way and in these periods..
Well, I've seen The Last Duel 3 times, about to be 4 times tomorrow. Every time I watch it, I see little things that I missed especially in each POV's. It is outstanding!!
One of the parts I caught into my second time was how Matt Damon saved driver in his sequence, but driver saved Damon in his sequence. Was gonna see it a third time with my father but it’s already out of the theaters
This is one of the best cinematic experiences I have had the pleasure of viewing. I am so sad that it got such horrible advertising and therefore bombed at the box office. I literally had no idea this movie was even a thing until I saw a RUclips ad of it the day before it premiered. As soon as I saw the Trailer I bought tickets for opening day to go see it with my family. This movie was absolutely thrilling and left me on the edge of my seat until the duel had finally ended. After watching it I was actually interested in the story and the history behind it and spent a few hours reading and learning more that the movie didn't show.
I work at a Cinemark theater, and one of the biggest problems The Last Duel faced was the lack of showtimes for this. They only played it three times a day in a single auditorium, one of which was a very late 10:30 PM showing. Opening day for the film, the last showing sold 0 tickets.
Same here. My local AMC (although we have plenty within a 10-mile radius) only has one showtime this week at 3:30. Who the heck is seeing it at 3:30 on a Wednesday?! Even Halloween Kills and No Time to Die have seats sold for similar timeframes today.
Wow! That's crazy. You would think between Damon, Affleck and Driver, there's an audience there that wants to see the swordplay, but they kind of minimized it for the Rashomon "he said/she said" angle instead. That may have been a mistake.
I feel like Ridley will definitely make a lot of money back on House of Gucci with all the advertising I’ve seen on that, Lady Gaga’s fanbase and the fact it seems to be coming out in a less competitive time. However, this one seemed like it’d at least make more than $10 million so who knows
By the end of the film I was incredibly disheartened by the fact my fiance and I were the only two people in the theater. Granted it was on a Sunday night while theaters still aren't exactly making bank due to covid, but still. This was an incredible film.
As many now have said, this is not only my favorite film this year, but one of my all time favorites. I pray for this film to be a Big Lebowski, Shawshank Redemption, Fight Club, Wizard of Oz, comeback!
Just watched this absolutly brilliant, underated film of the year by far. I hope it will be like shawshank redemption , ignored at first even by oscars but then word spread and now regarded as a classic. This deserves it too
Stopped this video a couple minutes in, and caught the afternoon show… wow, amazing film. The last battle had me literally on the edge of my seat - because it earned those stakes
@@kd9749 Because even though I wanted them both to die - the life of Marguerite (the hero) and her unborn child depended on the outcome. And the choreography was so well done. Have you seen the film yet?
Myself and the other eight or so people in the theater audibly screamed and grunted out loud during the last duel. I have never had that experience with so few other moviegoers.
Legit had no idea what I was walking into, just wanted to see a movie and bought the the ticket out of wanting to see any movie in a theater. Goddamn was that one of the best decisions of my last month. Such a great film.
Edge of my seat Immersive and riveting An incredible piece of historical context Cinematic history and I think this will become a cult classic I do appreciate movies like this it was unfortunate to see this get pulled from theaters so quickly I didn’t have a chance to go see it. Watched in on HBO Max and what an exciting and dramatic movie highly recommend for anyone out there.
My wife and I saw this, and we both thought it was great. Also the duel at the end was Absolutely Amazing. It was probably the best fight scene I've seen in a long time.
This film had two scenes in particular that are tough to watch even when you’re 30+ years of age. The movie was very well done and with an interesting format. It wasn’t advertised very well and with 007 and Dune being released around the same time I almost missed seeing it in theaters. Even the theater itself had poor advertising I don’t remember seeing a movie poster or anything saying it was playing. I was just digging through showtimes when I noticed it was playing.
Ridley Scott: Why didn't my movie make money I! *released in only two countries* *released during a pandemic where crowds are prohibited* *goes on streaming after 45 days* *no marketing* *competes with James Bond and Dune* *expects to make 200 million dollars* Everyone: Well... there's your problem... The only reason I knew about this movie is because I'm in to historial european martial arts and the only reason I knew it was actually released was because Ridley Scott threw a bitch fit today about the film bombing.
Watched it, 10/10. Amazing fight scenes, great acting, no lousy camera angles or shaky camera action. This story felt to me like one of those hard westerns where basically everything the main guy does or goes through is just grueling, makes very little to no progress and it is just a struggle from start to end
The same thing happened with Hillbilly Elegy. Everyone online was tearing it apart when no one had even seen it yet. I'm sure The Last Duel is much better, but the sentiment still applies.
No way! I feel like it wouldn’t have had the same impact if the audience was expecting the different POVs. That switch was so powerful and wonderfully delightful to experience.
You know what Chris, I got out of the theater and thought to myself "wow, what a great movie." Ever since then I just can't stop thinking about it. It just gets better the more I think about it. Quite honestly it might be in my top 10 of the year so far, but is probably in my top 5 If I think about it.
SPOILERS Wow. Those articles… just wow. I haven’t watched a single review of this movie beforehand, nor did I pursue any advertising. So I went into this movie pretty much blind, with no news of these censures to be mindful of while I watched it. And even I knew (or at least I got the impression) that by the end of the film you weren’t supposed to be on the side of either Jean nor Jacques. One was a violent, ego-centered boor too caught up in his own insecurities and petulant tantrums (who, by the way, was also quite bad to Marguerite in the bedroom). The other was a rapist too caught up in his own delusions to see the horror he had wrought on another living person. Both of them caused harm to Marguerite, and neither ever truly cared for her. I only desired Jean’s victory because the alternative was Marguerite’s torturous execution. I thought this was illustrated time and time again, and even ended making it clear at the end. After the duel, Jean momentarily hugs Marguerite, only to turn around, show her off like a dog that’s just performed a new trick, then get on his horse and ride through the town, never looking back at her, only at the adoring crowds, so he can shake their hands, wave, and bask in their glory. The music swells triumphantly as he shows this is once again all about his honor, his fame, and his glory. But then the music is cut to near-silence as we shift to Marguerite’s face, and it’s… sad. Maybe relieved at her evading death, but it still doesn’t undo the trauma done to her (exponentially worsened by those around her, particularly her so-called “savior”). I know film is subjective to a significant degree, but there are some interpretations that say more about the good faith of the reviewer than the subject of review.
With all the clout and cache Damon and Affleck own, this subject matter seems like a very odd choice to place all their creative energies.... Hard to imagine them together in a meeting, going over this material and saying... "Yes! This is the story we've been waiting to tell!"
There are 100% objective elements of a film. If I said the last duel is about space monkeys then I am wrong. Same as how these “journalists” are wrong about the last duel
I never heard about this film before until I saw it in Disney+ and I watched it just because it was a Ridley Scott film, one of my favourite directors. The duel was really well done.
Anthony Mackie put it really well in a recent interview- No one goes to see the actors in movies anymore, they go to see the characters. When an unestablished, brand new IP comes out, despite having A list talent, filmmakers always run the risk of having a situation The Last Duel is currently facing, which is very unfortunate.
@@TK_Brainslug Free Guy isn't a new IP, it relies heavily on callbacks from other franchises. (Lightsaber, portal gun, captain America shield, etc.) That's like saying ready player one was a new IP, when all it composed of is references
I've seen it on monday in a screening room full of people. The movie was fantastic, the camera and sound design really elevates the action scenes and the score is just phenomenal. Hopefully it will have more appreciation on film festivals maybe even wins an Oscar.
It reminds me of the movie “the king”. Period pieces that look at the medieval era with modern rationality. This movie really had the courage stylise the period which is difficult to do, whereas “The king” wanted to mock its customs which is easier to do imo. Both succeed respectively, but this movie will be wayyyy more timeless because of its achievements in stylising the era for modern audiences.
I really liked The Last Duel. The only gripe I had was they give away who Wins at the end with the text that comes up when Chapter 3 starts. I do feel Adam Driver is getting overlooked and gave the best overall performance. In these times it must have been mega hard playing such a vile character. The intimacy director really earned their pay cheque in this movie.
@@CaptainMcNoob but I'm not on Google when I'm in the cinema watching a movie. The whole point of a movie like this is to create the suspense that the hero might lose. Just look at a film like Argo. It's pretty obvious they get on the plane. But the way it is written, edited and scored makes you for a few moments think they might not make it.
I think it's pretty simple. A lot of people don't want to really go to the theaters anymore. Especially since the pandemic, having to sit next to random people for a couple of hours doesn't really sound that appealing anymore. Most people now have nice tv's and speakers and most new movies are coming out directly to streaming. So why leave? I can have my friends or family over and we can be as loud as we want during these new movies at home. We can save so much money and enjoy our own food and drinks. We can even pause the movie to go use the restroom (Which I had to do 3 times during Dune.) It's the same with working remotely from home now. I get to save so much time and money not having to commute everyday to work.
I heard from that movie shortly before it was released. I'm glad I saw it in theatres. I can understand your fears. So many people like to say: "Oh, I want to see something different and not only sequels and superhero movies." Then, they don't watch those films that are different. Me, I love superhero movies. And other movies. I love that there is some variety. I try to support the films I like.
The trailers really pushed the "stunning and brave woman stands up against the patriarchy" angle. Most people probably saw that and said, "Nah, I'm good."
I saw the movie a couple days ago and i found that part of the story to be incredibly overbearing and heavy-handed, which is why i didn't like the film that much. The female lead is presented as some kind of perfect creature, while the other characters are horribly egoistic and patriarchal. It's literally a 14th-century me-too film. Also without spoiling too much, in the third act (from the female perspective) the character definitely becomes a 'strong independent woman' - which i found quite annoying. That doesn't mean this movie is bad, and if you like an angle like that (just like Chris) you'll be totally fine with the movie. But if you are easily bothered by that type of political commentary being transparently inserted into film, you will most likely not be a fan of this one. Just a heads up for anyone that's wondering.
It's not just people's decision to go see a movie or not, Chris. Much of the success in theaters depends on the distributors, if the film opens in a few cinemas, far from your home, it is already more difficult to take the time to go see it. In contrast, it is almost unthinkable that an Avengers movie does not appear in all theaters in the country with at least 3 daily screenings.
To be fair, I have at least a dozen or more theaters in a 10-mile radius of me and it's playing at all of them and it STILL didn't do well. My immediate local theater only has one showtime today in the afternoon, while the other AMCs near me have evening showings but very few tickets sold for them as of now (according to the app), so it's not just lack of access that's killing the box office on this. IMO, it was the bad marketing. I saw plenty of trailers, but none of them looked remotely interesting to me.
Yes, and don't forget the amazing cinematography. The sets and costumes were also phenomenal, and the choreography on that last scene was spectacular. It's such a shame this movie was overlooked.
The Last Duel is a very good, timely, and engaging movie that has great performances and like most Ridley Scott movies, it looks epic. I wish there were more movies like this that actually make you think about important issues instead of yet another Fast and Furious film that'll have the characters go to another universe.
Things are dark in the world right now. People are tired of dark themed things. That’s my take of why fast and the furious, marvel, Star Wars, stuff like that is big, and serious films are not doing as well
@@tumsfestival8027 Yeah. And I can see why people are more likely to watch something from Marvel or the F&F franchise as like you said, we’re in a dark place right now with politics, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobic, and a lot more. Movies are used to escape from the real world, but every once in a while, we should have a movie that makes you think
@@brandonmclendon5368 forsure, I just think this particular movie is basically a medieval metoo movie. Does that sound fun to you? I think the American public is tiring of that kind of subject matter right now. Not saying I fell this way, just trying to figure out what people are thinking
My girlfriend and I just went to see this tonight. The most genuine emotion I’ve felt while watching a film for a long time. I’ll be recommending this one to everyone I know.
This film was excellent. Saw it opening weekend in the theater. It’s tough to judge box office success during a pandemic. I think VOD and Oscar buzz will eventually shine a light on this epic film that expertly shows varying perspectives of events. Highly recommend.
Fantastic film. A shame that people missed the overriding message of how women were literally treated as property back then and the relics and mindset of that not-so-distant civilization still exists today.
No it doesn't, and comments like this are why the film bombed. Audiences in general are sick and tired of being preached to, and men who make up a large portion of said audience are sick of being told how evil they were, still are, and always will be. The marketing, as always, was heavy with politics, and so we we assumed the film would be. We were given no good reason to go and see it.
OmegaSinister yeah.. the 1300s is the “not-so-distant civilization”? You realize that was 700 years ago right? That’s the definition of a distant civilization.
I actually just saw the movie yesterday based on your recommendation from the Bond review. I thought the movie was alright and a little disjointed during the first act, but when the "chapter 2, the truth according to (Adam Driver's Character)" I was like "ooooo! ok, here's where everything starts to connect" and I was much more invested in the film, and with the "chapter 3, the truth according to (Jodie Comer's Character)" and everything faded except for the words "The Truth" I was hooked! Great film
I'm from Glasgow Scotland, the last duel was literally in the cinema for a week, 1 screening a day. It's no longer available to go and see. Every time I went to go and book it was already pretty much full. Looks amazing!!
Only from the mention in the Dune review was the only time I heard about The Last Duel. Went to the theater without watching it’s preview almost going in blindly. I’m so glad I did. Loved the performance by Jodie Comer. The inclusion of Nicole Holofcener in the writing is noted. There are nuances to scenes that give more perspective to Marguerite de Carrouges.
I think an issue was marketing and timeing? I never heard of this film until it came out. Had huge competition at the box office too. Cast looks absolutely amazing, gonna go see it this weekend.
The Last Duel is in my top 3 films of the year, along with The Green Knight and Pig. It's incredible, and I hope it has a healthy run on Blu-Ray and DVD, at least.
@@babyfaec It's a drama starring Nic Cage and Alex Wolfe. It might not be for everyone, but it really moved me, and if you don't like it, it's only about 1h40 long so it's not too big a commitment!
@@rickylovesyou I loved both. I really appreciated how subversive Pig ended up being and it hit me hard on an emotional level. Also Cage's best performance since at least Joe imo
And lets not forget, this movie has rewatch potential to the fullest. Spotting all the nuances and details in the three acts is something rarely noticed first I think
Chris has single-handidly done more for the marketing of The Last Duel than its entire advertising campaign
It's funny because it's completely true
Disney should pay him since they own 20th Century Studios, and he did their job for them.
@@Xayjohns hes being paid already for all the shilling
To be fair, the trailer is absolutely amazing, truly a shame it hasn't reached enough people
He really did, I’m really keen on it now even though after the trailer I was like “meh” hahahaha
I worked on the sets for this film for 3 months in Ireland, we are all very proud of how it turned out, all practical hardly any green screen, it was a joy to work on.
What was green screen if you mind me asking? The big crowd at the end?
Thank you for your hard work on this film
damn thats pretty impressive! I loved the film!
@@thejquinn that and also the shots of Paris.
Hats off to you and everyone else who worked on this film.
Came out in between Dune, James Bond and Halloween kills. It was an uphill battle
Add that with weak marketing, its no surprise.
Not to mention its not available at any of my local cinemas. I'm trying to watch it. Just let me!
The concept seems terrible to me. Woman gets raped, man needs to defend her honor. Ridley scott also hasn't made a great film in a long time
@@MichaelWutsch he’s fixing to release a film based on the murder of Maurizio Gucci. Should be excellent.
Stupid release window, poor marketing, particularly in terms of demonstrating what the film was about. A recipe for disaster really. I think it also suffers from looking too much like Game of Thrones at a glance. Honestly I feel that's going to be an uphill battle for all medieval-era esque drama in the next few years.
One tiny detail that shows the way they handle nuance concerning the different POV's: In Le Gris' chapter, he makes it look like Marguerite intentionally took off her shoes before running up the stairs, like an invitation. But in Marguerite's chapter, we see how frantic and terrified she was, and the shoes coming off are just a part of that and clearly not some invitation.
Right! Driver’s character even said she was basically asking for it. More small details are also shown such as the way she went upstairs being more like a playful chase than an actual frantic flee. Then in the room where the act happens she is more complacent than actually protesting.
It gives us some very interesting views why things like torture, oaths and ordeals existed in those times. No forensics, no detective, no formal police force and definetely no cameras. In this case is the word of one against the other, so who must decide? God, by favoring the one who speak the truth in a duel
I thought that detail was brilliant. And the movie was full of them - especially in the way the actors treated their body language and facial expressions in different versions of the same scene.
Even the act of the rape played out as the orgies Drivers character attended. So creepy, he was trained for it
The marketing was so bad for this film I didn’t even know it was in theaters until I saw this notification
I thought it was a film coming out soon, not already out, it’s only showing once in the next week at my cinema, so unfair
Yep before this video my brother told me about it, and I never heard it, and I am the Movie guy in my Family....
i saw a few terrible ads but had little to no idea who was in it.what it was about or why i should care.some of the worst marketing ever
I remember this happen with Dark Waters with Mark Ruffalo, but that definitely is not the only film that dealt bad marketing, including this one as well.
lol I have literally never even heard of this movie.
The build up to the final fight was phenomenal. I was literally on the edge of my seat.
You were LITERALLY on the edge of your seat? As in you sat on your chair/sofa/couch in such a way that your buttocks were physically speaking barely on the seat itself? you moved in the seat? Which direction? And Why?
@@linusdn2777 Calm down Linus you weirdo
@@linusdn2777 you're lame
@@linusdn2777 I like your sense of humor lol
@@linusdn2777 cringe
Honestly, this feels more like a marketing problem. These videos from Chris are literally the first times I've even heard this film mentioned. That's kind of wild considering the talent and resources involved.
I saw a trailer for it a couple times but it looked like a super generic medieval setting film with nothing interesting and it. I was so confused why these big name actors and director were tied to it. It wasn't until this review that I realized what the premise of the film actually was. The marketing was horrible.
Ikr, I’ve literally only seen a single poster in the alley outside of the cinema
I have never heard of this movie
Disney is not doing justice to the catalog of Fox movies. It sucks to see. I wish Fox was still it's own company.
I think you just live under a rock. I've literally seen a million trailers for this film in Direct TV, RUclips, Hulu, etc.
that scene when the authorities were describing the horrific consequences that would happen to Jodie's character if Matt Damon's character were to die in the duel and you could see her physically trembling but still has to remain composed and mentally strong to defend her truth, was one of the best scenes in a movie i've witnessed to date. So much nuance and emotion and weight and you could feel all of it with her, that one scene alone should be enough to persuade people to go see this movie
It was great acting, but via screenplay it was so ridiculous attempt to abridge 8 month long trial, so ridiculous to imagine such announcement would follow just under actual hearing of lady Margarite as witness, I could not really take it serious
From an historian's POV, this movie is a gem, because it shows the importance of perspective in sources and how hard it sometimes is to compare different accounts of the same events
Absolutely. I remember asking a history professor what exactly we were learning to do. Were we trying to get better at figuring out, objectively, WHAT happened in history? Were we trying to get better at understanding WHY things happened in history? His answer was that we were trying to complicate/deepen our view of history. I thought that was really profound. Also the costume design was super good.
Makes the term "History is written by the victors" not only relevant to war but to ALL historical accounts.
Definetly this movie is gonna be extremely underrated although it is historically accurate in the story and even all the little medieval customs throughout the film. Definetly a 9/10
The trailer made it seem like they assumed Le Gris was guilty. It turned me off the film and probably others. I have no idea if the movie actually takes this POV. I will watch it when it gets to streaming.
@@blackalien6873 The book from which it was based does the same and the movie does so as well painting him as too self centered to know he did rape her. Then entire film is based around what they want you to believe and not the fact that no one knows and will never know.
One important reason why this film bombed that Chris didn't talk about is the fact that it came out at the same time with Dune, French Dispatch and Eternals. These are some very attractive titles that more people would likely prefer over The last duel, especially if it's their first time in cinema after a while and they have a limited budget. It also feels like The last duel is one if those films that people "will definitely watch when it comes out on streaming", while leaving the movie-going experience to more lighter- or blockbuster-type films
Also james bond and halloween kills
Also released at the tail end of James Bond and Halloween Kills.
Dune is gonna bomb, and the Eternals is gonna bomb too. Which SUCKS. They are all three great movies. But the theater going experience is in the toilet, and that is a FACT.
French Dispatch has a chance, but it a very, very slim one. It's tragic.
I have a tight budget and the first thing I think about, when choosing movies to watch in cinema, is whether or not its cinematography would look much better in cinema than on TV or computer screen (and whether that would have a big impact on my viewing experience).
And based on all the trailers I watched, films like Dune and James Bond definitely fit into that category much more so than The Last Duel. I feel bad for it but still. I really don’t feel like watching James Bond at home. Gotta make the tough decisions.
@@webcrawler2007 eternals is trash
Judging by the comments section, the Last Duel's marketing campaign must've literally been pushed only to me, because I saw just about every ad or trailer for this movie in the months leading up to it's release. The fact that seemingly barely anyone knew about it coming out, except for me, is truly a bizarre feeling.
Wow
Same Ive seen it everywhere
Same.
I saw the trailer too. But I just went to Wikipedia and read the actual story which is way better than the story shown in the trailer. So I am not watching the movie. It's just I don't like movies that makes huge changes from actual history.
You were the chosen one 😆
I'm a movie buff and I came to know about this movie when Ridley Scott blamed young people for making this flop. I never knew it existed. Marketing has to be the biggest contributer in its bad performance at the Box-office.
This 👆🏿
I dunno I saw marketing for it and couldn't wait to see it. Nonetheless I heard it bombed but theater movies not made by marvel or Disney have it ruff these days
@@jetcustomsdbz5821 that’s the problem, I didn’t know it existed. If I had, I would have seen it for sure. I think the problem wasn’t that the marketing itself was bad, it just wasn’t marketed nearly enough
@@jaredk7540 yeah agree. I saw the marketing for this film too and thought peope were going to see it. I think it was marketed but the studio didn’t have enough confidence that they’d make their money back. Pretty sure if they had properly marketed it, it wouldn’t have bombed.
I've had the trailer as a commercial Alot on RUclips tho.
This’ll be on Netflix in a few years and everybody will say “hey, ya know that Matt Damon knight movie on Netflix? It’s pretty good”
unfortunately how gen z is
It will be something like that.
Which isn't necessarily bad either. The film will probably still find a decently large audience and maybe a small following and a long life as an insider tip.
Just like in the past, some films only became real hits on video.
But of course a huge box office would be a good thing.
Sadly Scorsese was right about the death of Cinema 💔 it’s not the movies(clearly there are still great films) it’s the damn audience
@@oliverfletcher8535 what
@@b67a2011 True in a way. However, nowadays a lot (especially films with a medium budget) can be financed, as there is an unprecedented global audience through streaming services, in which good films almost always find an audience.
We get a lot of films that no big film studio wanted to produce for the cinema because there were no franchise, no giant brand to milk.
So these films are not dying out. On the contrary.
However, if you mean cinema as an institution and the only yardstick for success and failure, you might be right.
People aren’t to blame for the Last Duel bombing…the producers are. Its marketing was utterly nonexistent. Everywhere I looked there was a Dune ad, or a the Foundation ad, heck I even saw See - Season 2 ads. But I’ve NEVER heard or seen anything about the Last Duel. It’s almost like the producers thought slapping big names on their project would bring them in the big bucks without effort.
Hm yeah sad
People are to blame in most cases when a good movie bombs, but people like to blame marketing every time, even if it was good. Sometimes people just don't care no matter how you sell it.
@@kdscool1536 I think you are completely off base here, this is a clear marketing failure. I, like many many other people that generally would like this type of film, literally have never heard of it til Stuckman mentioned it. There is literally nothing on this film at all, you would have to be a huge film buff to know it existed.
@@Tinil0 I saw like 3 movies in the entire year, there was a trailer before each screening, plus posters in the theater, so I guess you don't have to be huge movie buff) The movie would still bomb even with better marketing, not every movie can be sold to general audience no matter how good it is.
@@kdscool1536 I went to the theater to see Venom: Let there Be Carnage about two weeks ago. 2 Dune ads, a James Bond ad, and a donzen other ads for random things with niche audiences (like ballets) or streaming shows. But nothing for The Last Duel even though it's playing at that theater. Just because you saw ads does not mean that everyone else did. You are the exception to the rule here. Your experience of seeing 3 ads over a year (which is not a lot!!! that's still a failure of an ad campaign if you only heard about it three times!!!) is not what everyone else got, and you shouldn't be an ass about it when you're proven wrong.
I'm gonna agree with a lot of people here: I wouldn't have heard of this movie if it wasn't for RUclips. Even now I didn't know it was out. Movies are just coming back now and the competition has been on top of their game when it comes to advertising. I haven't gotten a single ad for this, whereas Dune has been everywhere
Dune and Halloween Kills have been all over for me. I never even heard of this Movie until this video.
Exactly. The marketing of this film is what tanked it. I knew it was coming out sometime, but I didn't know when and have seen little to no advertising for it.
@@martianwoodpecker
The studio obviously did not want to invest any more money into the promotion. :-(
I've gotten many ads for it personally.
THIS I literally only know about this film from word of mouth coincidentally... because my friend knows the cinematographer...
Like, WTF has the marketing been for this? I saw the first Dune trailer more than a YEAR AGO
The duel scene was one of the most gripping scenes I’ve ever watched. Pretty sad it probably never had a full theatre to watch that scene, it would have been electric
I genuinely didn’t know this film existed till like, yesterday. And I’m usually pretty on top of current releases. So, something had gone wrong
Yeah it's weird. It has this very cool poster design too (that will definitely caught my attention as someonr who knows some designing) but i never even saw it in passing glimpse. It's like an audio and visual phantom in pop culture.
Disney didn't care to market it at all because it was made under fox before the buyout.
“Usually on top of current releases”? I’ve known what this is for several weeks lmao
Then you're not on top of current releases, it's not that hard.
Yeah, same here. I'd heard about the film, but the person who talked about it never gave a release date. I was under the assumption that it wasn't coming out for a while, and now I'm here watching this video learning that it's out now. I've been slammed with ads for the new James Bond movie that I had become more disinterested in seeing it, but nothing for this movie (which I probably will love once I can see it) or Venom: Let there Be Carnage (which was my first time back in a theater since Sept 2019 and had been a movie I've been hyped for since the first one released in 2018). Something is up with movie advertising lately, and it's really not helping theaters stay open.
The movie was released a week before Dune, the most anticipated film of both 2020 and 2021, the week after Daniel Craig's final Bond movie, and the same day as the latest installment in the Halloween franchise. All of that and they still didn't market the film at all. I hope they weren't expecting this movie to just do well? Everybody was already talking about Dune and WB still knew it was necessary to put ads everywhere constantly.
I didn't know The Last Duel was a thing until a few days before it released, because my dad follows everything any Star Wars cast member ever does. The truth is, even if it's the best film of the decade, this time popcorn munching philistines aren't responsible for the film's failure. If they want us to see a movie we need to, at the very least, know that the movie exists.
Exactly what you said.
Idk what you guys are talking about. I got non stop RUclips ads about the Last Duel. Apparentally, I'm the only one
@@MRJTD99 I watch a ton of ads (when I'm on mobile at least) and have not seen a single Last Duel trailer. Might have seen an ad on a different website, but very little.
@@MRJTD99 I got 1 trailer that was like 10 seconds
The ads were still pretty nebulous
In a perfect world Jodie Comer would get all the attention, recognition, and praises she deserves for her subtle, nuanced, poignant, utterly brilliant and beautiful performance in 'The Last Duel'. It's a crime how much she's been overlooked this award season.
Just watched The Duel yesterday. Intense and disturbingly realistic. An excellent film. I was deeply impressed by how well it handled the subject matter.
Never seen that film. Have you seen The Last Duel? I thought it was pretty good.
One of the best films of the year, and one of Ridley Scott's best films. It's a shame that the marketing for this film was so poor. It deserved so much more.
C my comments
Right?! The marketing sucked! I didn't even hear about this film until recently and it's already left theatres near me
The amount of people willing to watch a 2 and a half hour film set in the middle ages are tiny. Let alone zero marking.
@@james87367 Gladiator? Troy? Lord of the Rings (Kinda)? Sword and Sandal/fantasy/medieval absolutly has a large market audience.
Agreed! This and Robin Hood are my favs, with the Martian as a close 3rd. The story in TLD takes the cake though
I miss movie epics. I remember in the late 90's into early 2000's there were so many. The Patriot, Gladiator, The Last Samurai, Kingdom of Heaven, Troy. They are among the best kinds of movies to go see in the theater. It's just a good time to see with friends. I wish more were made, honestly.
You forgot Lord of the Rings! For shame lol
The early 2000s were pretty much the golden era of history fantasy epics. I feel like The Gladiator and LotR pretty much catapulted many other films based on their success.
Ezio - I couldn’t agree more. The 90’s is my all time favorite decade for movies and mainly because of those types of films you mentioned. Historical epics are my favorite genre and they just don’t make them anymore. You left out Braveheart and Dances With Wolves and Last of the Mohicans.
On Netflix there's Outlaw King with Chris Pine as Robert De Bruc aka real Braveheart from the director of Hell or High Water and The King with Timothy Chalamett as Henry V, Robert Patterson as the Dauphin, and Joel Edgarton as Fallstaff.
We got this and Dune in the same month.
In addition to being released RIGHT beside Dune (a.k.a., one of the most anticipated adaptations) and No Time to Die (which was Craig's LAST performance), the marketing for Marvel's Eternals has been relentless. I'm not surprised that this film was buried under so much competition.
With films slowly beginning to regain confidence in theatrical releases, resulting in delayed films finally being released, there is a lot more competition for attention and marketing is more crucial than ever. The Last Duel's marketing felt extremely weak and underwhelming, especially compared to films like Dune.
Add to that the genre and tone of the film, and it was going to be an uphill climb for box office results.
I felt this movie would’ve don’t better on streaming for sure.
Class film. The dual at the end was weighty and gritty, the films was so good in my opinion. Took a while to get used to Damon and Affleck in this genre but overall they nailed it. Can't put my finger on it but something about this really drew me in to the story.
I agree! I was so invested by time we found out the conclusion! And based on a true story, a story meant to be told. Very good
It’s sad that these types of movies aren’t making money anymore. I didn’t even love the Last Duel, but I would rather Hollywood make more movies like this and a little less superhero films.
Only Disney and WB make superhero movies. Is that your excuse for other studio?
@@TheMajorStranger That’s because Disney bought up the other ones.
If you went to see it and supported it, at least you helped instead of making the problem worse.
It’s like this: is it a beautiful movie with perfect story, music, actors, and whatnot? Yes!
Do you have an interest in ancient French historical dramas? …
It released around so much competition,and was advertised considerably less.
I only know about it because I follow Ridley Scott, since he made my favorite movie. Even setting aside the pandemic, it had a struggle.
I didn’t see a single trailer or poster in my local theater or even online marketing . I only knew and saw this film due to my dad telling me about it a couple days after its release. I even heard that theater employees would take breaks while “cleaning”, since almost no one came to a showing. Truly sad due to how well made and well casted/directed the film is.
The studio obviously did not want to invest any more money into the promotion. :-(
Never heard of this film.
@@scottslotterbeck3796 well go see it because it`s the best movie of the year so far
I saw a trailer for it in front of a movie I went to go see, I can't remember which though it was oddly a PG-13 one. I think ironically it might have been in front of Free Guy (Jodi Comer's more successful movie of the year) or maybe it was Shang Chi.
The marketing was terrible. I didn’t hear about this movie until about a month before. With Driver and Damon, they should have been pushing this film for months prior
I’ve seen way more ads for House Of Gucci than for this movie
I didn’t know about it till now 😂
For not mention that some Anti-SJW started to saying that this was a feminist movie.. Which is not true..
This is the first I've heard of this.
@@monicaaboites5053 that was the actual headline I read when I first knew this was a thing: "TLD IS A FEMINIST FILM"
I like how they showed each persons perspective especially hers. The ending fight was pretty epic. With that said: it was a little boring until it reached her perspective and you realize there both jerks and women are treated poorly in those times.
Total jerks!
well said
TOTALLY AGREE
You're going to like the movie Rashomon by Akira Kurosawa then.
Pretty accurate, my feeling was the same. Nevertheless - great movie. Truly one of the best of Ridley Scott.
One of the things I think The Last Duel has had going against it is the tone and subject matter of the film. Most people have spent the better part of the last two years unable to go to the cinema for a dark and depressing reason. So when they finally have the opportunity to go, they'd prefer that it be a fun time, which The Last Duel will most certainly not give them. It's a dark and depressing film, much like the real world these last two years, and that's the last thing a lot of people want at the moment.
Yeah exactly. Not many ppl want to pay money to watch a movie that has graphic rape scenes and a heavy subject matter especially right now with what's going on in the world. Ppl want to go for escapist entertainment which is why superhero movies are doing so well. Cant fault em tbh.
Its a shame that timing affects films so badly but I think you're right
Imo I don't think so. Like Chris says, movies like this doesn't appeal to the younger audiens. Specially not the leftist femenist sjw who don't understand that times where fucking brutal back then
I completely agree, my sentiment as well.
@@celeroon89 That's funny, for several reasons.
One. The Last Duel is rated for mature audiences only, meaning young people are not allowed to see it.
Two. Even movies with mature ratings can be profitable. Both Deadpool and Joker make that clear.
Three. Because of the subject matter of the film and its siding with the female perspective, this movie has been described by various critics as an attempt to appeal to feminists, particularly in light of the MeToo movement. To that end, why would feminists avoid a historical drama which favours the female perspective when for centuries males have downplayed said female perspective on that historical event?
"the movie should not have bombed" - every John Carpenter fan knows this
👏
I was thinking the same thing while watching the video
The marketing was almost non existent. I found out about this movie literally 3 days before it came out. And the trailer I saw looked a bit "meh". Having seen it, I thought it was excellent. I liked the story, I liked the unusual structure, I liked the performances (Jodie Comer was fantastic). The only thing I didn't like was those stupid half-helmets in the opening scene ;-)
Some of your comments are quite spoiler-y, but since nobody will go see the movie anyway... ;-)
In a very "woke" way, Damon and Affleck have also said in interviews that this is a feminist movie. That hasn't gone well for studios, either.
dont let trailers dictate if you see films. look at who is making them and who is in them...
@@jdunnatl to be honest it's a woke film in Margaret's story, that part wasn't very well written, but other 2 perspectives were well written.
Exactly! I found out about this movie when I went to watch Dune 😐 How can you support a movie when you don't even get word of it from anywhere
@@kdscool1536 Was it over the top with her character, overtly agenda-driven, or made sense for the period?
Masterpiece, should never ever had bombed. The Duel sequence is totally amazing and the way of this story has been depicted is really something one should experience.
It’s another movie’s reputation tarnished by marketing. Nobody batted an eye at No Time to Die until the marketing started stirring up controversy. They need to understand that using controversy in your marketing doesn’t always work. I mean even the freaking Bond movie had an average opening weekend, before bouncing back a bit in its second weekend, most likely due to the fact that everyone’s fears about the movie had been settled and many half interested parties went out to view it. It’s really sad every movie has to be politicized or have some controversy stuck to it nowadays.
Everything is in some way political. It’s not a new idea it’s ben that way for a long long time
@@evilishida909
"the private is political" Yes one of the most dangerous and destructive ideas around
@@nadinefeiler9204 no everything in life is inherently political in someway and it’s always ben that way. Grow the fuck up
@@evilishida909
1: Switch on Brain
2. Read my comment again
3 Understand it
4. Realize you made a fool out of yourself
Dear Churches and Many Countries like Cina and Russia control movies in the past and until now and you are shook politics as influece with movies?
Same thing I thought about Blade Runner 2049. I absolutely loved the movie, felt transported into the world and didn't feel the time passing. I however am in the minority of moviegoers nowadays. I was really worried that Dune would have flopped but thankfully it didn't. People aren't interested in time dramas unless it's a Viking story aka more action, faster pacing
I think Period dramas have better luck now-a-days on TV/On Demand than they do in theaters. Look at like Outlander which does incredibly well especially with female audiences. With Covid going on would've been a better idea to go with getting a good deal from a streaming service and putting it solely on there.
@@nokturnallex2160 Given it's budget was high, but not blockbuster, that probably would have been doable and would make more sense given the subject mater is hardly 'fun night at the movies'
People get mad when they hear that a live-action movie or a remake of an existing movie is being made, yet at the same time complain that Hollywood isn’t pumping out original movies anymore. Like this one. And then don’t go see them. 🙄
The people who see these movies know they did their job, so we can only take solace in that.
Hopefully it gets a cult following at the very least
The fact that the lion King remake made more money this film can ever hope to earn makes me very sad
Unfortunately audiences have a difficult time choosing to see a really good movie. Double it by hysterical bad press which is common ever since Joker was released and you get the burial of good movies. Really sad times for great cinema.
@@glendarjj3991 I am glad that The Lion King remake beat-out Frozen 2, though.
I made sure to buy a ticket to watch this in the theatres because I’ve always loved Ridley Scott’s movies. He may have some duds but his contribution to movies and his legacy will live long and be studied for generations to come. The Last Duel was a solid good old fashioned movie in the tradition of Rashomon, who’s aim was to tell an engaging story through great writing, acting and directing. Watched it a second time and it got even better because you could identify the shift in the actors body language when they went through different perspectives. Matt, Ben and Adam was brilliant in their roles but Jodie Corner was simply a revelation.
This sounds like a big fail on the marketing side. I'll be honest, Chris...the marketing just felt like 2 men fighting over a woman. Love triangle epic. Stuff we've seen done (badly) dozens of times in the past. I can tell you that I had ZERO interest in seeing this film until you explained the premise...now I'm incredibly interested. Also you are spot on with the reason why it bombed...the target demographic skewed older. Matt, Ben, and Ridley aren't nearly as popular with the crowds really driving the box office. It's the same reason why James Bond didn't do as well as they were tracking. These are films for late Millennials and Gen-X...they just aren't the same stuff younger folks are really into (yet). Thanks for clarifying what the marketing department could not.
You need to watch it mate, it has nothing to do with feminism or any other BS! It's a straight up good movie with a good script and fantastic acting!
dont let marketing and trailers dictate if you see films. read a summary of the story, and most importantly pay attention to who is making and starring in films.
I feel like I'm the only young guy who has interests akin to millenials and boomers.
@@blackwaterproduction289 ...believe me, this is definitely going on my watch list. Honestly, I'm glad it's good...and I have a feeling it'll be a "success" once it hits digital and the ancillary market.
Probably a go woke go broke type deal.
It’s was wedged in between Bond and Dune. Not a smart release time.
It was better than both though IMO
Exactly ☺️ it was way better
Lol nope
People are saying there's been no marketing, I'm guessing that's in America because it's been promoted more in the UK. I went to a near packed screening when it opened and absolutely loved it. Gonna see it again along with Dune this weekend
Supporting The Last Duel and Dune. You love to see it. Best movies I've seen this year along with The Green Knight.
Good to hear
Yeah, here in the U.S., it's had almost zero advertising. I've seen one trailer for it. On RUclips. After I specifically looked for it.
Yeah, it was very well marketed in Poland as well
@@jimboa20 same for me
This was really a directing masterpiece. I love Scott’s ability to humanize history in such a relatable way without being cutesy. Very grounded and believable. His attention to detail was amazing. The only thing that stuck out to me was the lack of accents from the main cast. Made their pronunciation of French words sound clunky at times, as if they were playing AT being French. The quality of the story and storytelling won out and I wasn’t taken out of the film. Loved the themes and messaging, which mirrors what I was enamored and inspired by in Robin Hood. Ridley Scott is now hands down my favorite director!
If they are not speaking French, I don't want them speaking English with a French accent that makes it ridiculous.
@@MassEveNova Could go either way depending on the actor. Rob Patterson nails it in ‘The King’ on Netflix though
@Vangelis Films It was because in The King, imo, both French AND English kind of played crucial roles. So, you REALLY need to distinguish the accents there.
While in the Last Duel it was mainly in France. I ofc expected the accent in the beginning, but throughout the film, i didn't really care anymore cuz it's in France mostly.
@@RenoDW yeah but if anything in The King - English nobles and court should just speak normal French as it was court language. There should be very little difference culturally between London and Paris in this time among elites
I didn't see this because:
1. I had never even heard of it before the trailer came on (before either Bond or Dune, I forget)
2. The trailer made it look frankly boring - a love triangle drama with some occasional fighting to spice things up - and the way it was cut together I got a strong vibe of "we put every action beat into the trailer to make it look more exciting than it really is", something I'm sure everyone's been caught by. This shit is exactly why I don't watch trailers unless I'm in a cinema and I can't avoid them.
3. Now that I watch this and discover that it sounds like a really good film in reality, I find it disappeared from the only cinema in town within a week, and I don't get to go out to the cinema more than once a week in practice.
Chris, I feel like you could really help mitigate this sort of problem by including a segment in your videos after the review or discussion about what's coming out soon that you're interested in seeing, and why you're into it.
+
She was RAPED. That’s not a love triangle.
a love triangle? you smoke crack josh ?
@@Nazaba09 he said the trailer made it appear that it was a love triangle , not that the film portrayed that. I just watched the film today and wow, amazing film but *those* scenes were so hard to get through
@@Nazaba09 So you don't understand the difference between "they made it seem like a love triangle" IN THE TRAILER... And "It was a love triangle"...???
I never watch trailers before I see a movie. I just look up Directors and Actors/Actresses I like on IMDB and see when their next movie is coming out. I go into all movies almost blind and it's amazing. I watch trailers of a movie afterwards and it blows my mind how different of an experience it would have been if I saw the trailer before hand. All I knew of the Last Duel was that it was a medieval movie directed by Ridley Scott and had some notable people in it. Didn't know the story, plot or premise. It made the movie watching experience all the more better. I recommend going into movies blind. Such much more of a treat and enjoying experience.
Trailers are made by Satan
@@DalaceE I agree. I sometimes read a quick synopsis before I go see a film, but I mainly just go in as cold as possible so I can have a fresh experience while seeing a movie in theaters. I even try to come in about 15 or 20 minutes after the showtime so I miss the trailers and commercials. Some trailers are almost unavoidable though if it’s a giant tent pole movie like a new Spider-Man or Batman flick.
How do you avoid trailers before every movie you see? Our theaters play the same ones for months in front of every movie. Do you get there just as the movie is starting? You're lucky if that's not a problem where you are. I'd like to go in blind.
@@catmanduu66 yeah I always show up late to avoid trailers.
Wholeheartedly agree. It's such a better experience.
Just watched it and really enjoyed it! The different character's perspective made the story way more nuanced as you peel the layers.
man, all 3 perspective show Le Gris as extremely bad man, careerist and rapist. It's same nuanced same story, but 3 times. Real story is much more interesting than that handmade cheap show
The storytelling is very similar to Rashomon.
@@nightyonetwothree Exactly! I was expecting some nuances, something like: "Maybe he was drunk", "Maybe she was dreamt about it". But no, the other chapters simply add extra scenes to the already established idea.
@@akj7 There are subtle differences in each version especially during the assault that changes how each character looks at the experience they had. I thought it was pretty realistic.
I honestly cannot say how people see it as nuances, when for me it was blatantly obvious all the time Jean and Jacques POVs are full of bullshit, and well THE TRUTH that preceden third chapter did nothing to remove this feeling.
Criminally underrated I feel this is one of those that’ll be truly appreciated 10-20 years down the line of youre a fan of the medieval setting and great dramas I can’t recommend enough
This film should definitely be nominated for several oscars. It was superb, and the opening scene was one the best opening scenes I've seen in the cinema for a long time. The final duel was amazing
And it will be...
It was not that great, even with the unique away of representing the plot. It's a 7/10 movie!
Wasn’t that good you’re easily pleased lol overrated if anything
was the opening scene that river battle? It felt SO FAKE!! Like the swords were cutting through the armor like butter - they might as well have been naked LOL
@@argon-rise I say 8/10.. You just don't get movies like this that often anymore. It has a very oldschool vibe and is very well done
the way media is critiquing subject matter before even delving into its content reminds me of how media always painted music genres such as rap
That's a really good point, and deserves a vid of articulate and knowledgeable people discussing the subject.
Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven (DC) and now The Last Duel. We need more.
Way better than gladiator that film is well overrated
Gladiator actually had depth of character - you could see the good and evil in each person, man or woman, like real life. Last duel was pretty black and white - the men were all bad and the main actress had no faults or evil at all. Boring.
@golden Sure but that doesn't address my point.
@@yomommashaus not men bad but it shows how immoral the society was at that time.
@@accountnotfound4209 Yeah I get that, but it's A) hard to imagine ALL men back then were complete A-holes, B) they literally made the main actress perfect with no faults, and C) look at the timing of when this movie has come out - it's obviously riding the feminism wave. Other medieval movies have been done that put a lot more balance into the characters, make the story less predictable, and therefore enjoyable. This one fell flat.
This movie was excellent in telling a story, and really hitting on human truths, social issues, and perception. It was a bit dry and boring, but the characters delivered were great. I think some part of me wishes the different perspectives were drastically different, but the subtly of differneces speaks more to our own human condition. And it was ARTFULLY done. To be honest on first viewing I thought I was watching the same set of events with no difference, but my wife noticed a huge amount of differences. This really emphasized that even we the viewer can even be clouded by our own perceptions on hearing or viewing it. When other dudes retell of how a woman was "all over them" and flirting. and then the woman was like " I was just being polite and trying to get away". It wasn't in your face different like Rashomon and I actually appreciated the subtly more upon 2nd viewing. Great review, Chris I don't think everyone can appreciate it for the art that it is, and hope more ppl will.
I was impressed how psychotic Adam Driver's perspective was... and then it got even MORE psychotic with the lady's version to the point that I actually felt a moment of panic for her. In his version she took off her shoes and went up the stairs. In her version, the shoes fell off as she was scrambling away from him. That actress should win some awards for that scene... playing it out twice like that... how MANY takes must that have been?
@d R By all accounts, she was raped. Even the rapist admitted she was raped. WTF is WRONG with you???
@d R the narrative is framed in such a way that it’s fairly clear she was raped. This movie is pretty heavy-handed in its inclusion of modern-day social issues, so they couldn’t very well imply that she was lying.
I was blown away by this one and really hope that Jodie Comer or Adam Driver will get an Oscar campaign, but who knows at this point? I guess Jessica Chastain is dealing with the same issues after The Eyes of Tammy Faye flopping. Thanks for covering this -- you're doing more for this film than anyone else.
Adam driver may get one for house of gucci
Who cares about Tammy Faye Bakker?
That came out? Sheesh yeah seems like studios don’t know how to market films anymore.
For me, Ben Affleck was the standout in the film. Which I totally wasn't expecting, but he was hilarious in the role he played.
It took me while to figure out it was him I was blown away
I honestly kept forgetting it was Affleck, he was so damn good in this one.
@@gabevillarrealedits yes
He was amazing
Totally wasnt expecting it!! Loved the movie!
Another thing about the subject matter, in addition to the 'controversy' is that it is a really heavy, dreary topic. Everyone's mood has been sunk by feeling of anguish and despair for the past two years, very few of us want to go back and be reminded of the worst of humanity in film. I'm still going to watch it, but I'll be preparing myself for a hit to the stomach.
I really don't think covid is driving people away from watching tough topics. That's a bit far fetched imo
Not me
@@NYC_Goody I think it is most of the movies doing well have been escapist films
@@athenajaxon2397 I think it's less about them being escapist films and more about this film not having a lot of marketing behind it and also all of these other films out at the same time that has had a lot of hype and marketing behind it. I mean you had James bond, Halloween, dune and eternals and a few others I'm thinking I forgot to mention. A perfect storm really
Me too. I'm going with a friend next week and the reports about the abusive scene made me uncomfortable already.
Just watched it last night, imo one of the best films I've seen. The first 15 or so minutes were a little hard to get into because it seemed to jump from one point to the next. As soon as the 2nd chapter started i was like ok that's why its that way. The whole build up to the duel was great and it made the fight really intense specially the jousting part. All in all amazing film!
We saw this in theatre when it came out. It's maybe my favorite movie I saw this year (definitely in the top, if not.) I think there was only one or two other couples in the theatre with us and we saw it on a Saturday. Super sad that more people didn't go - it's a long movie but I wasn't bored for a single second of it. Acting was incredible, story was incredible.
Just back from seeing The last Duel and I can honestly say its one Ridley Scott's best films. The story and storytelling format were excellent. The actors all played there parts masterfully. So well that my mind is still sifting through the finer moments of each characters motivation.. As you have said more films need to be made this way and in these periods..
Well, I've seen The Last Duel 3 times, about to be 4 times tomorrow. Every time I watch it, I see little things that I missed especially in each POV's. It is outstanding!!
One of the parts I caught into my second time was how Matt Damon saved driver in his sequence, but driver saved Damon in his sequence. Was gonna see it a third time with my father but it’s already out of the theaters
The last dual in the last dual was the best film dual I have seen
@@winchester1351 imagine spelling duel wrong 3 times in one sentence
@@olliet8033 get a job
@@winchester1351 yes because spelling correctly= no job
This is one of the best cinematic experiences I have had the pleasure of viewing. I am so sad that it got such horrible advertising and therefore bombed at the box office. I literally had no idea this movie was even a thing until I saw a RUclips ad of it the day before it premiered. As soon as I saw the Trailer I bought tickets for opening day to go see it with my family.
This movie was absolutely thrilling and left me on the edge of my seat until the duel had finally ended. After watching it I was actually interested in the story and the history behind it and spent a few hours reading and learning more that the movie didn't show.
I work at a Cinemark theater, and one of the biggest problems The Last Duel faced was the lack of showtimes for this. They only played it three times a day in a single auditorium, one of which was a very late 10:30 PM showing. Opening day for the film, the last showing sold 0 tickets.
Crazy to hear
The play it onece a day at 10.30 am or at 5pm when I'm at work so I never get to see it.
Same here. My local AMC (although we have plenty within a 10-mile radius) only has one showtime this week at 3:30. Who the heck is seeing it at 3:30 on a Wednesday?! Even Halloween Kills and No Time to Die have seats sold for similar timeframes today.
Its certainly also the case in my country, I have to go to another city to see it and mostly its just one screening a day...
Wow! That's crazy. You would think between Damon, Affleck and Driver, there's an audience there that wants to see the swordplay, but they kind of minimized it for the Rashomon "he said/she said" angle instead. That may have been a mistake.
I feel like Ridley will definitely make a lot of money back on House of Gucci with all the advertising I’ve seen on that, Lady Gaga’s fanbase and the fact it seems to be coming out in a less competitive time. However, this one seemed like it’d at least make more than $10 million so who knows
I've seen way more promotion for House of Gucci than this. Plus, it's an easier premise so more people will want to see it.
By the end of the film I was incredibly disheartened by the fact my fiance and I were the only two people in the theater. Granted it was on a Sunday night while theaters still aren't exactly making bank due to covid, but still. This was an incredible film.
As many now have said, this is not only my favorite film this year, but one of my all time favorites. I pray for this film to be a Big Lebowski, Shawshank Redemption, Fight Club, Wizard of Oz, comeback!
Just watched this absolutly brilliant, underated film of the year by far. I hope it will be like shawshank redemption , ignored at first even by oscars but then word spread and now regarded as a classic. This deserves it too
I agree, The last Duel was great, a much better movie then the so called shitshow No Time To Die.
Stopped this video a couple minutes in, and caught the afternoon show… wow, amazing film. The last battle had me literally on the edge of my seat - because it earned those stakes
I don’t understand that. Why were you on the edge of your seat? It’s a fight between two rapists, who cares who wins.
@@kd9749 Because even though I wanted them both to die - the life of Marguerite (the hero) and her unborn child depended on the outcome. And the choreography was so well done. Have you seen the film yet?
@@kd9749 Shit take
@@kd9749 Had you watched the movie, you really wouldn't need to be asking that...
Myself and the other eight or so people in the theater audibly screamed and grunted out loud during the last duel. I have never had that experience with so few other moviegoers.
Legit had no idea what I was walking into, just wanted to see a movie and bought the the ticket out of wanting to see any movie in a theater. Goddamn was that one of the best decisions of my last month. Such a great film.
Ik that feeling 🤣
Edge of my seat
Immersive and riveting
An incredible piece of historical context
Cinematic history and I think this will become a cult classic
I do appreciate movies like this it was unfortunate to see this get pulled from theaters so quickly I didn’t have a chance to go see it. Watched in on HBO Max and what an exciting and dramatic movie highly recommend for anyone out there.
My wife and I saw this, and we both thought it was great. Also the duel at the end was Absolutely Amazing. It was probably the best fight scene I've seen in a long time.
This film had two scenes in particular that are tough to watch even when you’re 30+ years of age. The movie was very well done and with an interesting format. It wasn’t advertised very well and with 007 and Dune being released around the same time I almost missed seeing it in theaters. Even the theater itself had poor advertising I don’t remember seeing a movie poster or anything saying it was playing. I was just digging through showtimes when I noticed it was playing.
Ridley Scott: Why didn't my movie make money I!
*released in only two countries*
*released during a pandemic where crowds are prohibited*
*goes on streaming after 45 days*
*no marketing*
*competes with James Bond and Dune*
*expects to make 200 million dollars*
Everyone: Well... there's your problem...
The only reason I knew about this movie is because I'm in to historial european martial arts and the only reason I knew it was actually released was because Ridley Scott threw a bitch fit today about the film bombing.
It was released in most countries, just not on the same day.
@@Stefan35141 Not in mine. Didn't even so much as see a movie poster or a cinema trailer in the past two years.
after lockdown ended here, i hadn't much time to go watch it, and then it stopped being showed on tv after what felt like few weeks
It will make money on apple+ because of the scandal.
Ridley Scott: It must be superheroes and young people being shit.
Watched it, 10/10.
Amazing fight scenes, great acting, no lousy camera angles or shaky camera action.
This story felt to me like one of those hard westerns where basically everything the main guy does or goes through is just grueling, makes very little to no progress and it is just a struggle from start to end
The same thing happened with Hillbilly Elegy. Everyone online was tearing it apart when no one had even seen it yet. I'm sure The Last Duel is much better, but the sentiment still applies.
I think the marketing should have keyed on the different perspectives thing, that might have clicked with a lot of people. Hindsight is 20/20 though.
No way! I feel like it wouldn’t have had the same impact if the audience was expecting the different POVs.
That switch was so powerful and wonderfully delightful to experience.
You know what Chris, I got out of the theater and thought to myself "wow, what a great movie." Ever since then I just can't stop thinking about it. It just gets better the more I think about it. Quite honestly it might be in my top 10 of the year so far, but is probably in my top 5 If I think about it.
Dude I lost it when he goes “it’s a big fucking mullet” hahaha
My brother and I also attended a showtime in which we were both the only ones in the theater. Great film and should definitely be more supported.
SPOILERS
Wow. Those articles… just wow. I haven’t watched a single review of this movie beforehand, nor did I pursue any advertising. So I went into this movie pretty much blind, with no news of these censures to be mindful of while I watched it.
And even I knew (or at least I got the impression) that by the end of the film you weren’t supposed to be on the side of either Jean nor Jacques. One was a violent, ego-centered boor too caught up in his own insecurities and petulant tantrums (who, by the way, was also quite bad to Marguerite in the bedroom). The other was a rapist too caught up in his own delusions to see the horror he had wrought on another living person.
Both of them caused harm to Marguerite, and neither ever truly cared for her. I only desired Jean’s victory because the alternative was Marguerite’s torturous execution.
I thought this was illustrated time and time again, and even ended making it clear at the end.
After the duel, Jean momentarily hugs Marguerite, only to turn around, show her off like a dog that’s just performed a new trick, then get on his horse and ride through the town, never looking back at her, only at the adoring crowds, so he can shake their hands, wave, and bask in their glory. The music swells triumphantly as he shows this is once again all about his honor, his fame, and his glory.
But then the music is cut to near-silence as we shift to Marguerite’s face, and it’s… sad. Maybe relieved at her evading death, but it still doesn’t undo the trauma done to her (exponentially worsened by those around her, particularly her so-called “savior”).
I know film is subjective to a significant degree, but there are some interpretations that say more about the good faith of the reviewer than the subject of review.
With all the clout and cache Damon and Affleck own, this subject matter seems like a very odd choice to place all their creative energies.... Hard to imagine them together in a meeting, going over this material and saying... "Yes! This is the story we've been waiting to tell!"
Thanks for the warning
Not to mention he blessed that baby.
There are 100% objective elements of a film. If I said the last duel is about space monkeys then I am wrong. Same as how these “journalists” are wrong about the last duel
damn, you caught so many details that I have missed, thanks for sharing! It helps me to re-appreciate the film!
This was an incredible movie.
I never heard about this film before until I saw it in Disney+ and I watched it just because it was a Ridley Scott film, one of my favourite directors. The duel was really well done.
Anthony Mackie put it really well in a recent interview- No one goes to see the actors in movies anymore, they go to see the characters. When an unestablished, brand new IP comes out, despite having A list talent, filmmakers always run the risk of having a situation The Last Duel is currently facing, which is very unfortunate.
But if a film like There Will Be Blood came out today, would anyone care? That’s an interesting character.
@@jennab.6723 I'm sure it would fall into the same situation that TLD is in, because it would be an unknown, despite Daniel Day-Lewis' acting chops.
true I mean the last new IP that came out as a wide release , was "Free Guy". Its marketing strategy was hilarious
Agree. I don't go to movies for certain actors but I do stay away from certain movies with specific actors.
@@TK_Brainslug Free Guy isn't a new IP, it relies heavily on callbacks from other franchises. (Lightsaber, portal gun, captain America shield, etc.) That's like saying ready player one was a new IP, when all it composed of is references
I've seen it on monday in a screening room full of people. The movie was fantastic, the camera and sound design really elevates the action scenes and the score is just phenomenal. Hopefully it will have more appreciation on film festivals maybe even wins an Oscar.
Jodie Comer definitely deserves an Oscar nomination
I’ve been waiting for you to review this one. I would honestly call this a masterpiece of a film and it’s really depressing it’s not going anywhere.
Hey man, it got somewhere.
You're here confirming it meant something to you. Win!
It reminds me of the movie “the king”. Period pieces that look at the medieval era with modern rationality. This movie really had the courage stylise the period which is difficult to do, whereas “The king” wanted to mock its customs which is easier to do imo. Both succeed respectively, but this movie will be wayyyy more timeless because of its achievements in stylising the era for modern audiences.
The King was awesome!
@@samuelleask1132 I agree. But this film was more epic imo.
This does suck, but I think the success of Dune this month is a great victory for film.
Dune absolutely sucks compared to last dune
I really liked The Last Duel. The only gripe I had was they give away who Wins at the end with the text that comes up when Chapter 3 starts. I do feel Adam Driver is getting overlooked and gave the best overall performance. In these times it must have been mega hard playing such a vile character. The intimacy director really earned their pay cheque in this movie.
I mean... anyone could have googled the historical event and knew who won. It's like being surprised when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor.
It still could have been truthful and the outcome been different
@@CaptainMcNoob but I'm not on Google when I'm in the cinema watching a movie. The whole point of a movie like this is to create the suspense that the hero might lose. Just look at a film like Argo. It's pretty obvious they get on the plane. But the way it is written, edited and scored makes you for a few moments think they might not make it.
I think it's pretty simple. A lot of people don't want to really go to the theaters anymore. Especially since the pandemic, having to sit next to random people for a couple of hours doesn't really sound that appealing anymore. Most people now have nice tv's and speakers and most new movies are coming out directly to streaming. So why leave? I can have my friends or family over and we can be as loud as we want during these new movies at home. We can save so much money and enjoy our own food and drinks. We can even pause the movie to go use the restroom (Which I had to do 3 times during Dune.) It's the same with working remotely from home now. I get to save so much time and money not having to commute everyday to work.
I heard from that movie shortly before it was released. I'm glad I saw it in theatres.
I can understand your fears. So many people like to say: "Oh, I want to see something different and not only sequels and superhero movies."
Then, they don't watch those films that are different.
Me, I love superhero movies. And other movies. I love that there is some variety. I try to support the films I like.
Been looking forward to you talking about this movie!
The trailers really pushed the "stunning and brave woman stands up against the patriarchy" angle. Most people probably saw that and said, "Nah, I'm good."
That marketing killed the chances of this movie, and then it end up being underrated as hell
I saw the movie a couple days ago and i found that part of the story to be incredibly overbearing and heavy-handed, which is why i didn't like the film that much. The female lead is presented as some kind of perfect creature, while the other characters are horribly egoistic and patriarchal. It's literally a 14th-century me-too film. Also without spoiling too much, in the third act (from the female perspective) the character definitely becomes a 'strong independent woman' - which i found quite annoying.
That doesn't mean this movie is bad, and if you like an angle like that (just like Chris) you'll be totally fine with the movie. But if you are easily bothered by that type of political commentary being transparently inserted into film, you will most likely not be a fan of this one. Just a heads up for anyone that's wondering.
@@quicktion5047 thanks for the heads up. Great breakdown
@@quicktion5047 - Thanks for the info. The trailer definitely gave me that vibe. Was wondering if it was just the marketing or the whole thing.
@@quicktion5047 this comment of yours should be the top comment in the feed.
It's not just people's decision to go see a movie or not, Chris. Much of the success in theaters depends on the distributors, if the film opens in a few cinemas, far from your home, it is already more difficult to take the time to go see it. In contrast, it is almost unthinkable that an Avengers movie does not appear in all theaters in the country with at least 3 daily screenings.
To be fair, I have at least a dozen or more theaters in a 10-mile radius of me and it's playing at all of them and it STILL didn't do well. My immediate local theater only has one showtime today in the afternoon, while the other AMCs near me have evening showings but very few tickets sold for them as of now (according to the app), so it's not just lack of access that's killing the box office on this. IMO, it was the bad marketing. I saw plenty of trailers, but none of them looked remotely interesting to me.
This was the greatest movie of 2021. Awesome acting and performance.
Yes, and don't forget the amazing cinematography. The sets and costumes were also phenomenal, and the choreography on that last scene was spectacular. It's such a shame this movie was overlooked.
Agree
The Last Duel is a very good, timely, and engaging movie that has great performances and like most Ridley Scott movies, it looks epic. I wish there were more movies like this that actually make you think about important issues instead of yet another Fast and Furious film that'll have the characters go to another universe.
Things are dark in the world right now. People are tired of dark themed things. That’s my take of why fast and the furious, marvel, Star Wars, stuff like that is big, and serious films are not doing as well
@@tumsfestival8027 Ysah, true. There are also movies that’ve made you think like Black Panther and even Last Jedi
@@brandonmclendon5368 TLJ just infuriated me more than anything else. Idk that’s another subject haha
@@tumsfestival8027 Yeah. And I can see why people are more likely to watch something from Marvel or the F&F franchise as like you said, we’re in a dark place right now with politics, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobic, and a lot more. Movies are used to escape from the real world, but every once in a while, we should have a movie that makes you think
@@brandonmclendon5368 forsure, I just think this particular movie is basically a medieval metoo movie. Does that sound fun to you? I think the American public is tiring of that kind of subject matter right now. Not saying I fell this way, just trying to figure out what people are thinking
My girlfriend and I just went to see this tonight. The most genuine emotion I’ve felt while watching a film for a long time. I’ll be recommending this one to everyone I know.
This film was excellent. Saw it opening weekend in the theater. It’s tough to judge box office success during a pandemic. I think VOD and Oscar buzz will eventually shine a light on this epic film that expertly shows varying perspectives of events. Highly recommend.
Fantastic film. A shame that people missed the overriding message of how women were literally treated as property back then and the relics and mindset of that not-so-distant civilization still exists today.
This is probably why it bombed with mass audience.
No it doesn't, and comments like this are why the film bombed. Audiences in general are sick and tired of being preached to, and men who make up a large portion of said audience are sick of being told how evil they were, still are, and always will be. The marketing, as always, was heavy with politics, and so we we assumed the film would be. We were given no good reason to go and see it.
OmegaSinister yeah.. the 1300s is the “not-so-distant civilization”? You realize that was 700 years ago right? That’s the definition of a distant civilization.
@@jodi2847 nah your just a snowflake
@@jodi2847 “rape is bad” is political to you?
I actually just saw the movie yesterday based on your recommendation from the Bond review. I thought the movie was alright and a little disjointed during the first act, but when the "chapter 2, the truth according to (Adam Driver's Character)" I was like "ooooo! ok, here's where everything starts to connect" and I was much more invested in the film, and with the "chapter 3, the truth according to (Jodie Comer's Character)" and everything faded except for the words "The Truth" I was hooked! Great film
I'm from Glasgow Scotland, the last duel was literally in the cinema for a week, 1 screening a day. It's no longer available to go and see.
Every time I went to go and book it was already pretty much full.
Looks amazing!!
Covid must be putting a wrench into the box office yet again!
It is amazing. You should really go and see it, if theres any chance.
@@jabs4real It's not in cinema here anymore unfortunately
Only from the mention in the Dune review was the only time I heard about The Last Duel. Went to the theater without watching it’s preview almost going in blindly. I’m so glad I did. Loved the performance by Jodie Comer. The inclusion of Nicole Holofcener in the writing is noted. There are nuances to scenes that give more perspective to Marguerite de Carrouges.
Watching this 2 months later after this film is getting a second life through streaming. So glad this amazing movie is getting more attention!
I think an issue was marketing and timeing? I never heard of this film until it came out. Had huge competition at the box office too. Cast looks absolutely amazing, gonna go see it this weekend.
Yeah. It was just a bad release time. The trailer wasn't great either.
Honestly because of the subject matter I don't think this film would've been a massive success in any point of time in history.
The Last Duel is in my top 3 films of the year, along with The Green Knight and Pig. It's incredible, and I hope it has a healthy run on Blu-Ray and DVD, at least.
What is Pig? Do you recommend it?
@@babyfaec It's a drama starring Nic Cage and Alex Wolfe. It might not be for everyone, but it really moved me, and if you don't like it, it's only about 1h40 long so it's not too big a commitment!
The Green Knight was incredible. Absolutely incredible. Pig was okay.
@@rickylovesyou I loved both. I really appreciated how subversive Pig ended up being and it hit me hard on an emotional level. Also Cage's best performance since at least Joe imo
And lets not forget, this movie has rewatch potential to the fullest. Spotting all the nuances and details in the three acts is something rarely noticed first I think