And yet he raped her so brutally in history, in the truth, so badly there would be no doubt. And her court testimony is reduced to nothing more than her husbands scriptas Famiglietti calls itfor destroying his hated rival. By the union of Marguerite and Carrouges, de Thibouville hoped to restore his family's status[1] while Carrouges was hoping for an heir from the young Marguerite, whom contemporaries described as "young, noble, wealthy, and also very beautiful". The origins of The Last Duel begin in January 1368, when Marguerite de Carrouges claimed she was raped by Jacques Le Gris, a squire. Here are our top 10 picks, Super Mario Bros. Movie hits $1 billion, is No. Some argued that shed falsely accused Le Gris, either mistaking him for someone else or acting on the orders of her vindictive husband. We begin with Jean de Carrouges, who after successful war campaigns for the king of France, finds himself falling out of favour with Count Pierre (Ben Affleck). Furthermore, neither report has ever been independently corroborated, although the existence of two such reports, despite their differing details, may have allowed each to vouch for the other in the minds of those eager to believe them. She was married to Jean de Carrouges (son of Jean de Carrouges and Nicolette Bouchard) about 1380. What does she have to gain from that? For some, Jacques Le Gris became a martyr, a man sentenced to a brutal death by a backwards and superstitious legal system which demonized him. Le Coq seems to have had some doubts about his clients truthfulness, while admitting that this was the thorniest of he said, she said cases. One of the Enlightenments most scathing critiques of the Middle Ages was of its violence, particularly in capital punishment. According to Pintoin, Marguerite and her assailant dined together before the attack, and it was while showing him to his room for the night that he assaulted her. Despite the claims of naysayers and novelizers, Marguerites testimony suggests that she was almost certainly not mistaken about the identity of her attackers. It was just the bare minimum description of who she was. Scott and the films stunt coordinator used the outline of the actual combat to create something slightly more exciting for the screen. Rather, it was the last judicial duel sanctioned by the Parlement of Parisa decision possibly motivated by the decidedly unchivalrous nature of the event. We read that the queen had pierced nipples and that the dress was almost low enough that you could maybe see them., Comer adds, There was one painting of her that, over time, was completely worn out, just because of time and everything else. Just in what they were wearing. Does he truly believe his innocence at the end? Affleck reflects of Le Gris. A new film from Ridley Scott dramatizes the 1386 trial by combat of a medieval man accused of a horrific crime. 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. Attacks on me will do no harm, and silent contempt is the best answer to them. And thats one of the things we didnt focus as much on: They truly believed God would make happen whatever was the fair thing to happen, so it would be Gods will. And even if the assailant, as Pintoin claims, had actually (and contra the actual testimony) made his visit late in the day, its wholly unlikely that Marguerite, who must have been very familiar with her husbands complaints against the squire, would have offered a meal and overnight lodging to her husbands rival (or to a man she mistook for the same), especially during her husbands absence. The True Story Behind Ridley Scott's The Last Duel - Film School Rejects While the Enlightenment looks more familiar to modern eyes than the more distant Middle Ages, intellectual and cultural development is not a straight line. Lady, on your evidence I am about to hazard my life in combat with Jacques Le Gris, Carrouges said to Marguerite in the moments leading up to the duel. Carrouges died roughly a decade after the duel, falling in combat against the Ottoman Turks. 1 for 4 weeks, Jack Nicholson returns courtside to cheer beloved Lakers to playoff win, Aging beloved YA author Judy Blumes inevitable foil isnt so bad after all. They leave, with the crowds cheering for de Carrouges. The Last Duel ending explained - what is the true story? Gross! Le Gris, a large and powerful man with a reputation as a womanizer, is too self-centered to acknowledge the unwanted nature of his advances and too self-assured to believe that, once the deed is done, Marguerite will follow through on her threat of seeking justice. At the time, Jager explains, trial by combat was believed to be the judgment of God, traditionally looked to heaven to assure a just and fair verdict.. Theres a certain arrogance rooted in that assumption. ), the duel began as a joust on horseback, with lances. While it is obvious now that Marguerites testimony deserved to be listened to, was wrongly downplayed in her own time and was ignored by later historians, for the Enlightenments intellectuals the story of Frances last duel was one of judicial injustice, not injustice towards women. The Last Duel tracks the real life events that led up to France's final legal duel between Sir Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) after the latter is accused of raping Marguerite de Carrouges (Comer), Jean's wife. Soon after, de Carrouges went on a campaign to Scotland and though it was a military failure, he distinguished himself with his courage. Jean de Carrouges and Jacques le Gris fought out their case before a vast crowd and a fascinated King Charles VI. The Last Duel is told in three chapters, each of which was written by one of the writers, and told from the perspective of one of the main characters. The nonfiction work catalogs the events leading up to Frances last government-sanctioned trial by combat, held between Jean de Carrouges and his former friend, Jacques Le Gris. What happened after the events of the film is just as fascinating. The moral was plain: Le Gris rose in the world and then suddenly fell, he dominated but finally was vanquished, he committed a crime in secret and was publicly exposed. Many skepticsincluding chroniclers, historians, partisans, and even historical novelistshave cast doubt on the official verdict. The last judicial duel in France hinged on whether a woman could be believed. According to Jager, the two were such dear friends that Carrouges made Le Gris godfather to his child a son born from a previous marriage in 1377. I thought I was going to suffocate, and soon I couldnt fight them anymore. If Carrouges lost, then Marguerite would be burnt at the stake for perjury. A feature film based on The Last Duel is scheduled to be released in 2021. However, Scotts Duel only depicts half of Marguerites story. And thats ultimately why this version of the movie is more interesting to us than a movie where you prove Well, based on the evidence, he did it, and either youre a monstrous villain or youre wrongfully accused., Matt Damon as Sir Jean de Carrouges in 20th Century Studios The Last Duel., Matt Damon as Jean de Carrouges and Jodie Comer as Marguerite de Carrouges in The Last Duel., Adam Driver as Jacques Le Gris in The Last Duel., Adam Driver, left, as Jacques Le Gris, and Matt Damon, as Jean de Carrouges, face off in The Last Duel., Jodie Comer as Marguerite de Carrouges in The Last Duel., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Halloween kills at the box office with a new horror record, as Last Duel gets slayed, Review: Ridley Scotts epic The Last Duel rebukes the patriarchy in every era, Looking for fun this Cinco de Mayo weekend? While The Last Duel offers some vindication to Marguerite, all that came nextthe story of how her life was recorded and reshaped in the historical recordreveals both how easily marginalized voices can be removed from history even by historical figures we respect and how long it can take to restore those voices to their proper place. Marguerite's husband, Sir Jean de Carrouges, a reputedly jealous and violent manwhose once close friendship with Le Gris had soured in recent years amid court rivalry and a protracted dispute over landwas traveling at the time of the alleged crime. 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. When Matt and Ben Met Nicole: How They Came to Write 'The Last Duel In his alibi, Le Gris himself cited the narrow window of time available for his alleged visit, strictly during daylight hours. Carrouges, without whom his wife could not even bring a case, resolutely rode off to Paris to appeal for justice to the king. If the case is not proven, then [the woman] doesnt just get to walk away, says Skoda. Knights were one step above squires, but men of both ranks often served as vassals to higher-ranking overlords. When youre doing scenes where you really want to fight back with Carrouges and tell him what it is you really think, you have to go, Hang on a minute, would she do this? Comer recalls. Despite how much Marguerite de Carrouges' tale resonates today, we must keep in mind L.P. Hartley's words: "the past is a foreign country; they do things differently there." 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. Mary . Directed by Ridley Scott, the movie stars Matt Damon as Carrouges, Adam Driver as Le Gris and Jodie Comer as Carrouges second wife, Marguerite. Carrouges was born in the late 1330s in the village of Sainte-Marguerite-de-Carrouges as the eldest son of the knight and minor noble, Sir Jean de Carrouges III, and his wife, Nicole de Buchard. Marguerite de Carrouges was married to the knight Jean de Carrouges. Le Gris and Jean had once been close friends, but their relationship turned to rivalry over a dispute regarding land Marguerites family owned. Read more: 15 Unsung Moments From American History That Historians Say You Should Know About. The book, exhaustively compiled from existing documents and records, recounts how Carrouges wife, Marguerite, accused Le Gris of rape, leading to the pair fighting to the death with Marguerites own life on the line if it was decided she had lied. Marguerite also testified that Adam Louvel was the first to arrive at the chteau, and that he began his visit by urging her to ask her husband to extend the term of an outstanding loan for one hundred gold francs. The True Story Behind the Last Duel | by Nick Howard | The History Read more: The 23 Most Anticipated Movies of Fall 2021. 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. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Smithsonian magazine participates in affiliate link advertising programs. Or did he trip? Jean was an influential man in lower Normandy, being a vassal of the Count of Perche and a veteran soldier in his service. Jean and Marguerite de Carrouges rode, accompanied by hordes of cheering fans to Notre Dame de Paris to give thanks for victory. Like today, sexual assault and rape often went unpunished and even unreported in the Middle Ages. While this should have added weight to Marguerite's claim, it did not. The more complicated her story, the more vulnerable it was to challenge; including Adam Louvel in the charges simply added to her burden of proof. I gave her the opportunity to go get a low-cut dress in the style of the queen, which she was later shamed for wearing. Her life was pretty bad being married to Jean de Carrouges and so when she was violated, she had nothing to lose, really. 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. The synopsis of the film lays out the basis for what would be the final (official) duel in French history, but as with most 'based on a true story' stories, there are always gaps between reality and fiction. Mittwoch, 18:30 - 21:00 Uhr und Sonntag, 18:15 - 21:15 Uhr. And some, invoking the most popular theory, acknowledge the rape but say that Marguerite mistakenly accused the wrong man, an honest but tragic error that robbed Le Gris of his life, fortune, and good name. Froissart says simply that Carrouges felled his opponent and, thrusting his sword into his body, killed him on the spot.. According to Jager, Le Gris took an immediate liking to Marguerite when Carrouges introduced her to the court in 1384. The Last Duel is now available to watch in cinemas. Dr. Ariella Elema, a historian who specializes in trial by combat, analyzed differing accounts of the duel, which appears to have been a very short affair that shocked the audience.. If your husband hears of it, he may kill you. The Reprimand, by Jean-Georges Vibert, 1874. Enlightenment thinkers in the 18th century adopted this revision of Le Gris character to advance their own intellectual agendas. When Marguerite told Le Gris that he must not speak to her in this way, he seized her by the hand, forced her to sit down beside him on a bench, and told her that he knew all about her husbands recent money troubles, offering to pay her well. Marguerites accusations carried serious ramifications for medieval French society. Carrougues went to King Charles VI and challenged Le Gris to a judicial duel, which were still lawful in the French court. Dust off your 14th-century French history books, folks. Its strange that so many authorities seem to have been untroubled by the obvious factual errors in these reports, their mutual inconsistencies, or the lack of any corroborating evidence. Beyond the court the dispute was being spoken of as far as the most distant parts of the kingdom, according to the chronicler Jean Froissart. Carrouges was born in the late 1330s in the village of Saint-Marguerite-de-Carrouges as the eldest son of knight and minor noble Sir Jean de Carrouges III and his wife Nicole de Buchard. I think the film makes the right choice [in portraying her story]., Comer agrees. Eric Jager is a professor of English at UCLA and the author of four books, including The Last Duel and Blood Royal. He had been rewarded for his long military service in the Hundred Years' War . The contest between Carrouges and Le Gris would turn out to be the last judicial duel sanctioned by the Parlement of Paris. The entire royal court was gossiping about the rape, the trial, and the likelihood of a duel. This happened, she said, in the morning hours at the modest chteau of her widowed mother-in-law, Nicole de Carrouges, on a remote Normandy estate known as Capomesnil, about twelve miles southwest of Lisieux. But other than that, I made up a lot. The Last Duel: What Happened To Every Character In Real Life If youd rather experience the film first, please save this to read after watching. Chteau de Carrouges - Wikipedia In an entry on duels, the Grand dictionnaire universel (186677), overseen by respected editor Pierre Larousse, describes the 1386 affair as one of the most remarkable in history, claiming that the wide belief in its injustice helped to bring the custom of trial by combat to a speedy end. Just over a decade later, however, the two men,Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris, met on a field in Paris for a highly publicized duel to the death. In his personal life, Le Gris had a reputation as a philanderer. So in his deluded sense of pride, Le Gris could believe it was consensual. 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). ), Whether Carrouges and Le Gris actually ended their quarrel at this point is debatable. Eventually, you have the two men on the ground, fighting with hand weapons rather than lances.. I mean, she was going to suffer. Jean de Carrouges and the last French duel What was in the film was the pair's reconciliation, which took place in 1384 in which Le Gris and de Carrouges agreed to put the past behind them, and de Carrouges introduced Le Gris to his wife Marguerite. Carrouges left for battle in Normandy, and eventually married his second wife, Marguerite de Thibouville. The two combatants sat their horses very prettily, writes Froissart, for both were skilled in arms. I fought him so desperately, she claimed, that he shouted to Louvel to come back and help him. . (Spoilers ahead.). It was evident that it was going to be an exploration of the dynamics of power, roots of misogyny and survival in medieval France., Paramount+s 'Fatal Attraction' Series Follows The Movies Alternate Ending, 11 Photos Of The 'Fatal Attraction' TV Cast Vs. Their 1987 Movie Counterparts, Molly Ringwald Turned Down 'Pretty Woman' Due To An Early Script's Ick Factor, Zendaya Explained An Awkward Part Of Her 'Dune' Romance With Timothe Chalamet, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. In the article on duels, lawyer Antoine-Gaspard Boucher dArgis described how under King Charles VI, [people] fought for so little, offering as an example the one he ordered in 1386 between Carrouges and Le Gris:. They truly believed God would make happen whatever was the fair thing to happen, so it would . And not just any death. And one includes the ladys penitential retreat to a convent, while the other omits this finale. The Last Duel Summary and Study Guide | SuperSummary According to Eric Jager's book The Last Duel, the alleged rape of Jean de Carrouges' wife Marguerite happened on January 18, 1386. More, To make a more perfect union, dont look to the Founding Fathers. | We gathered from research that she was really capable and educated, Holofcener says. I want justice! But the overwhelming likelihood is that she was telling the truth. But when he returned a few days later and heard his wifes story, he angrily brought charges against Le Gris in the court of Count Pierre of Alenon, overlord to both men. She has everything to lose. As Jager explains, With a motive, revenge against the knight, and a means, the seduction of his wife, all [Le Gris] needed now was an opportunity.. These details are wholly at odds with Marguerites court testimony about her assailants daytime visit, whose timing (if not its specific allegations) was corroborated by her mother-in-laws departure that morning and her return a few hours later that same day. 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. [10]" The Chteau de Carrouges is a chteau, dating partly from the 14th century, located in the commune of Carrouges, in the Orne department, Normandy, northern France.It is unusual in its combination of an austere fortress with a comfortable residence. As Damon tells the New York Times, this segment is kind of an original screenplay because that world of women had to be almost invented and imagined out of whole cloth., The gripping true story of the duel to end all duels in medieval France as a resolute knight defends his wifes honor against the man she accuses of a heinous crime. The original fortifications at Carrouges were besieged and destroyed by English forces during the Hundred Years War. From the start, Le Gris had an advantage in the trial. Co-writers Nicole Holofcener, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon had their work cut out for them trying to fill the gaps. She refuses his advances, after which he rapes her. Despite the threat of public humiliation and potentially deadly outcome of disclosing ones rape, women like Marguerite spoke out, perhaps as a way of working through their trauma or simply refusing to passively accept [what had] happened to them, says Skoda. Charges against Le Gris were brought to Count Pierres court some weeks after the attack, but as the accused was a favorite of the Count, Carrouges and Marguerite were certain that they wouldnt be given a fair trial, and refused to attend the hearing. Instead, Elema explains, authorities overseeing trials typically imposed a settlement after the fighters had exchanged a few blows. While some touched by scandal may resurrect their lives and reputations, others never will: what happened, or is said to have happened, may follow them even through the pages of history. The majority of medieval rape victims lacked the means to seek justice. Still, The Last Duel does stick closely to historical fact. [4] The case dragged on for some months until ultimately Count Pierre was forced to visit his cousin King Charles VI to officially confirm his ownership of the land and his right to give it to whomever of the followers he chose. More, The interrogation of Nikolay Bukharin.More. Centuries later the story of the innocent Le Gris falsely accused and forced to defend himself in a barbaric and unjust trial by combat was further popularized by Enlightenment thinkers. The REAL story behind 'The Last Duel': How warring knights fought There were three chroniclers who gave detailed accounts of the sword phase of the fight, and they have slightly different accounts of how Carrouges managed to get Le Gris on the ground, Jager says. They took the idea of damnation seriously. In short, yes. The third and final section, written by Holofcener, is told from Marguerites point of view. Magazines, The 23 Most Anticipated Movies of Fall 2021, No one really knew the truth of the matter., Or create a free account to access more articles. One of the chroniclers talks about an opening joust, but I had to elaborate a little bit on how a joust like that would unfold with lances broken. Barons like Afflecks character, Count Pierre dAlencon, owned land and often acted as feudal lords, providing property and protection to vassalsthe term for any man sworn to serve anotherin exchange for their service. Given the counts strong relationship with Le Gris and combative past with Carrouges, he was quick to dismiss the claim, even arguing that Marguerite must have dreamed it. Undeterred, Carrouges raised an appeal with the king. After dismounting, Carrouges and Le Gris fought on foot with swords, both very valiantly. But Le Gris managed to get within Carrouges defenses and wound him in the thigh. A similar report with a significant difference of detail appears in Jean Juvnal des Ursins Histoire de Charles VI, written no earlier than the 1420s and perhaps closer to 1430. The movie ends with Marguerite playing with her son, seemingly at peace with her life. This is when she is surprised by Adam Louvel (Adam Nagaitis) who asks her to open the door so he can wait, and when she does he reveals that Le Gris is also there to proclaim his love for Marguerite. Digital Spy participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. But this was not included in the film. lavish Arnou-le-Faucon estate, which had once been owned by Marguerites father. Some wrote, as Jager recounts in Laphams Quarterly, that Jean only won because Le Gris slipped on his opponents blood. Others wrote about a supposed deathbed confession by a felon who, having a last-minute change of heart, admitted that he, not Le Gris, had raped Marguerite. 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. But that doesnt mean that women were silenced. Jean Juvnal des Ursins, who was not present at the event, wrote that right before Carrouges delivered his deathly blow, he demanded to hear the truth from Le Gris. A beautiful young noblewoman, dressed all in black and exposed to the crowds stares, anxiously awaited the outcome. . Following the death of Carrouges first wife and son, he and Le Gris finally severed ties. On a freezing December day in 1386, at an old priory in Paris that today is a museum of science and technologya temple of human reasonan eager crowd of thousands gathered to watch two knights fight a duel to the death with lance and sword and dagger. According to Jager, the court may have feared taking sides and arousing even more controversy, deciding instead to grant the knights request, authorize a duel and leave the whole perplexing matter in the hands of God., Five contemporary or near-contemporary chronicles offer accounts of what happened when Le Gris and Carrouges met on December 29, 1386. The article offers a garbled, error-strewn version where, in 1385, Le Gris was accused of attacking the lady by night, with his face masked, as she awaited her husbands return from the Holy Land. "the Gray") (c. 1330s - 29 December 1386) was a French squire and knight who gained fame and infamy, and was ultimately killed when he engaged in one of the last judicial duels permitted by the Parlement of Paris after he was accused of rape by Marguerite de Carrouges, the wife of his neighbour and rival, Sir Jean de Carrouges. 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. Because rape was viewed less as an act of sexual violence than a property crime against the victims husband or guardian, rapists often avoided harsh penalties by paying a fine to the man in question. Let's break down what happened and how the movie left its audience. The Last Duel (Spoilers for Duel Outcome) To say that this event was a spectacle would be selling it short. It was really trying to understand those types of dynamics and her place within the home and in society.. 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. Carrouges III was an influential man in lower Normandy, being a vassal of the Count of Perche and a veteran soldier in his service.

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