(Le Gris and Carrouges both started out as squires and vassals to Count Pierre, but Carrouges was knighted for his military service in 1385.) Or did he trip? The movie follows the claim by Marguerite de Carrouges (Comer) that she is raped by her husband Jean's friend and squire Jacques Le Gris (Driver). Beneath him were three main ranks of nobility: barons, knights and squires. One identifies the supposed felon as a condemned man about to be executed, the other as a sick man on his deathbed. Still, the theory cannot plausibly account for Louvels having named Le Gris while in conversation with Marguerite. Positioning itself in contrast to the purportedly superstitious Middle Ages (now reimagined as the Dark Ages), the Enlightenment prized rationality above all else. There is still a trial, though, and just as in reality, Marguerite is now pregnant. Barred from bringing a case against Le Gris herself, Marguerite had to rely entirely on her husband to mount legal action. The film is told in three chapters, from the perspectives of Carrouges (Damon), Le Gris (Adam Driver) and Marguerite (Jodie Comer). Marguerite and her husband appealed the decision. In real life, there was another complicating factor de Carrouges bought land and was forced to turn it over to Pierre, blaming Le Gris for it. Magazines, Digital Although now losing blood, Carrouges mounted a daring counterattack and fought on so stoutly that he managed to throw his opponent to the ground. Following Robert dAlenons death, the Counts brother, Pierre, took over the court. When the lady learned this and realized that the error was her fault, she retreated to a convent after her husbands death, vowing perpetual chastity.. The latter explanation is the very one that Le Gris put forward in his own defense, and it has been echoed by at least one modern historian as recently as 1992. ), Whether Carrouges and Le Gris actually ended their quarrel at this point is debatable. Marguerite de Carrouges (ne de Thibouville; 1362, Chteau de Fontaine-la-Soret (Eure) - c. 1419) was a French. A seasoned warrior with more fighting experience than Le Gris, Carrouges quickly rebounded from his injury, gaining the upper hand and pushing his opponent to the ground. Is history repeating itself? John-Paul Heil is a Ph.D candidate in early modern history at the University of Chicago and an adjunct professor of history and the liberal arts at Mount St. Marys University in Maryland. It states that Le Gris innocence was later recognized by all, for a man condemned to death by the law confessed to having committed the heinous crime. Then gently, he asked Marguerite to tell them what had happened. At the time, it was believed a woman could not conceive if she didn't enjoy sex, and therefore her pregnancy was counted against her it couldn't be rape if she was pregnant, because she must have enjoyed it. The Last Duel stars Jodie Comer, Matt Damon and Adam Driver as three people who changed the course of French history. One of the places Le Gris vindication emerged was in the Encyclopdie; this project, spearheaded by Denis Diderot and Jacques dAlembert, was one of the first modern encyclopedias and a text which articulated many of the Enlightenments most formative arguments. They still spoke out, and they still fought against the grain.. But a public accusation of rape, at the time a capital offense and often a cause for scandalous rumors endangering the honor of those involved, could have grave consequences for both accuser and accused, especially among the nobility. ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Review: The entertaining Peter Pan & Wendy charts a familiar course to Neverland, Rihanna has Smurfs on the brain for her next movie: Hope this gives me cool points, Review: In Guardians 3, ultra-weird superhero fun doesnt have to be Rocket science, The new Tom Cruise just might be a London office worker with a taste for risk, Review: The natural horror of the biological Clock, and more movies to stream. The greatest departure from Jagers book comes during the rape itself. Le Gris window arrived on January 18, when Marguerite happened to be left alone with just one maidservant. Privacy Statement The films shifting viewpoints underscore the thorny nature of truth in Marguerites case, which divided observers both at the time and in the centuries since. He likewise claims that Marguerite had been deceived about her attackers identity, although the supposed truth comes out under rather different circumstances: Later it was discovered that [Le Gris] had not really done it, but that it had been done by another, who died of illness in his bed and, at the moment of death, confessed before others that he had done the deed.. Le Gris attorney, the highly respected Jean Le Coq, kept notes in Latin that still survive, allowing us a glimpse into attorney-client discussions. Le Gris' body was dragged from the blood-soaked field and hanged on a gibbet. Spoiler alert: The following story includes details from the historical account behind the new film The Last Duel and narrative twists specific to the film. He had gone to King Charles VI, seeking an appeal to the decision handed down by Count . Her father had sided against the king twice, and . The accused was Jacques Le Gris, who was said to have raped Jean de Carrouges's wife, Marguerite . In accord with ancient tradition, she would be burned alive as a false accuser. Over the next few years, Le Gris climbed further up the ranks, and was eventually initiated into King Charles VIs royal court. At the bottom of the social ladder were warriors, priests and laborers, who had limited rights and political influence. However, Scotts Duel only depicts half of Marguerites story. Things come to a head when de Carrouges goes to Paris and his mother in law takes most of (if not all) the servants from the house with her, leaving Marguerite alone. The Disgrace of Wolsey, by Henry Monro, 1814. Later encyclopedia entries echoed this view, seemingly solidifying the question of Le Gris innocence. Marguerite tells her story, and she knows that she needs to be extremely consistent, despite this absolutely horrific trauma that shes just gone through, says Skoda. Carrouges died roughly a decade after the duel, falling in combat against the Ottoman Turks. ), the duel began as a joust on horseback, with lances. DArgis account did not grapple with whether Marguerites testimony was valid, but instead chose to emphasize the duels injustice towards Le Gris and the futility of Le Gris prayers. Yet Adam Louvel reportedly confessed to nothing, not even under torture. Much like Jagers book, the film doesnt offer a sympathetic portrayal of either of its leading men. She adds, If theres any gap between the act and making people aware [of it], that raises huge questions.. Skoda adds, Its all too tempting to talk about the Middle Ages as this horrible, misogynist, patriarchal, oppressive society, as a way of even implicitly just saying, Look how far weve come. Whereas to complicate what things looked like in the 14th century complicates what were doing now.. So it wasnt so much about hewing fastidiously to historical truth, because that wouldnt have served the narrative needs we were as interested in, as much as illuminating the fact that the vestiges of the sexism and misogyny of the patriarchy we live with now come from a place that was Western civilizations codified value system.. If Carrouges lost, then Marguerite would be burnt at the stake for perjury. Jacques would have threatened to kill her if she told anyone what happened. She was the only daughter of Jeanne de Bois Hroult and the highly controversial Robert de Thibouville, a Norman lord who had twice sided against the French king in territorial conflicts.By the union of Marguerite and Carrouges, de Thibouville hoped to restore his family's status while Carrouges was hoping for an heir from the young Marguerite, whom contemporaries . In reality, instead of mourning, the King held a series of banquets and parties that culminated in the duel between Le Gris and de Carrouges. In the six centuries after the quarrel ended, however, the moral that was to be derived from it changed considerably. The two combatants sat their horses very prettily, writes Froissart, for both were skilled in arms. Eric Jagers 2004 book, The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France, is a case of truth being stranger than fiction. If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information from Rape Crisis England and Wales, who work towards the elimination of all forms of sexual violence and sexual misconduct, on their website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. And for him to have to invoke that at the moment of his death and to protest his innocence [is interesting]. After the fatal duel, the truth comes out: Sometime later, a criminal on the point of atoning for his other crimes confessed that he was guilty of the odious act of which Le Gris had been accused. Voltaire likewise, in his Histoire du Parlement de Paris, critiqued the brutality of the duel, as well as the fact that these duels, regarded today as an unpardonable crime were always carried out with the sanction of the laws and the Church. And one includes the ladys penitential retreat to a convent, while the other omits this finale. In the book, Le Gris does say he was in love with her, Holofcener says. She had the potential of suffering dearly and dying, but at that point she was just tired of having no voice., Below, everything thats known about Le Gris and Carrouges, Marguerites accusations, and the so-called last duel.. Even a small mistake, such as misstating the day the attack happened, could result in the case being thrown out and the victim being punished for perjury. Though the real duel was between Le Gris and Jean, the film portrays the true conflict as Marguerite de Carrouges versus the political mores of her day, as she struggles to convince those around her, from the Church to her family to the French king to the common peasant, that what she says is true. It was a patriarchal and deeply misogynist [time]. The earlier, more detailed account of the supposed confession, in Pintoins chronicle, not only differs from the other but also diverges sharply from Marguerites official testimony before the Parlement in ways that make its scenario clearly impossible. That meant that Holofcener had to create Marguerites world and inner life from scratch. A bit of a crash courseon medieval France: At the top of society was the king, advised by his high council, the Parlement of Paris. I will have justice!. Popular historical fiction abetted the theory of mistaken identity, exploiting its shock effect. The movie ends with Marguerite playing with her son, seemingly at peace with her life.