The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France

The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France is a 2004 book by American author Eric Jager concerning the last officially recognized judicial duel fought in France. It tells the story of the December 29, 1386 trial by combat between Norman knight Jean de Carrouges and the squire Jacques Le Gris. Carrouges had accused Le Gris of raping his wife Marguerite de Carrouges, née de Thibouville, that previous January, and had gone to King Charles VI seeking an appeal to the decision handed down by Count Pierre d'Alençon, whom Carrouges believed favored Le Gris. Whichever combatant still alive at the end of the duel would be declared the winner as a sign of God's will. If Jean de Carrouges had lost the duel, Marguerite de Carrouges would have been burned at the stake as punishment for her false accusation.

In the centuries since Le Gris' death the case has become an important cultural legend in France, and the guilt or innocence of its participants has been a source of great debate among historians and jurists.[1]

Adaptations

An abridged version of the book was read by Robert Glenister on BBC Radio 4 as Book of the Week between Monday 10 and Friday 14 January 2005.[2]

The Last Duel, a drama-documentary based on the book and including comments by Jager was broadcast by BBC Four as part of a medieval-themed season on 24 April 2008.

In July 2019, it was reported Ben Affleck and Matt Damon would star in, co-write and produce a film adaption of the novel, with Ridley Scott set to direct. Jodie Comer will star as Marguerite de Carrouges.[3] The filming occurred in France in February and March 2020 and is due to resume in Ireland.[4] The film was originally scheduled to begin a limited release on December 25, 2020, before going wide on January 8, 2021.[5] However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it pushed back to October 15, 2021.[6]

References
  1. The Last Duel, Eric Jager, Retrieved on 4 August 2007
  2. Daoust, Phil (10 January 2005). "Radio Pick of the Day". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
  3. Fleming Jr., Mike (22 July 2019). "Ridley Scott, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck & Nicole Holofcener Huddle On 14th Century Tale 'The Last Duel'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  4. The Last Duel. "The Last Duel Film Extras Open Casting". Retrieved 2020-02-13 – via Facebook.com.
  5. Kroll, Justin (2019-11-16). "Ridley Scott's 'The Last Duel' Gets the Greenlight as Disney Dates Multiple Titles". Variety. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
  6. Rubin, Rebecca (July 23, 2020). "'Star Wars' Films, 'Avatar' Sequels Pushed Back a Year in Disney Release Calendar Shakeup". Variety. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
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