re: The Last Duel sucked... That's why it bombed at the box office (spoilers)

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Yeah…your endorsement of this movie removes all doubt for me.

I will not be watching this film.

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I realize this is a bump... but a JR endorsement pretty much means I don't need to waste my time.

See what I mean by you being an insufferable snob? "Oh, look at me! I watch hundreds of movies every year! Therefore, my opinion holds more water than these ignorant peons!"

That's how you come off every time you post on this board.

I recommend watching the first 5 minutes and the last 15. Skip the rest

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then comes the woman’s version where she’s completely blameless or infallible. And the movie frames this as the true version

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This is one of the biggest problems about storytelling in modern movies. Women used to be portrayed as complete and interesting characters but now they have become simultaneously perfect and victimized. The complexity, humanity, and imperfections are the essence of fiction (and biography). The essence of personal triumph is personal improvement

Watched it last night. I really liked it. I thought each of the 3 versions of the story was compelling and added depth. The duel itself was brutal.

Would watch again. According to Wiki, Kingdom of Heaven made $218 million at the box office in 2005. This movie probably would have succeeded, financially, as well if released in 2005.

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the woman’s version where she’s completely blameless or infallible. And the movie frames this as the true version. I’m not saying that a rape victim is asking for it or anything like that. I’m saying her being depicted and accepted as such completely makes the first two versions stupid and unnecessary. It becomes uneven storytelling and leaves the audience wondering why they wasted an hour and a half. It also takes all of the drama out of the courtroom scene, the doubts of the characters, and the duel itself.

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I really enjoyed the movie, and I agree with a lot of this. The movie was very well shot, they do a great job of capturing the Middle Ages, something not usually done well in movies. That’s probably why I liked it more than anything else.

It’s pretty obvious that this movie is about current events in our society, much more so than trying to accurately retell an event from the 14th century.

I enjoyed it, I agree with the OP that it could’ve been a little shorter, and with you that it could’ve allowed the audience to think a little bit, not just shove what was supposed to be the “right” perspective in our faces.

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As if the first rape scene were not clear enough, we had to see it again, only this time even harsher from the wife's point of view.

I think the audience got the point the first time.

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but what got me was why show it rape twice.... why not show the first one more consensual, because really, no one knows if it was or wasnt...... The notion of it being rape was solidified with the winner of the dual.

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but kindgom of heaven was great..

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The director’s cut was… the theatrical version, not so much.

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that was consensual. Remember earlier in the movie when he carried that random women to the bed and did the same thing?

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And that makes him
A bad guy that he thinks that’s ok

Went in with zero expectations based on this thread but I came away really enjoying this movie. I can see why some folks did not.

I didn't fully understand Jacques le Gris side of the story because he clearly raped her in his version of events.

The duel was brutal and one of the better fight scenes I've seen.