The Last Duel (2021)

While the plot of The Last Duel is portrayed in three separate chapters, each telling the same story from the perspective of the three main characters, the following description summarizes all three presentations into a single thread. After serving in the Caroline War, French squires Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris swear allegiance to Count Pierre d’Alençon, who has been named Jean’s overlord by King Charles VI. Jacques later tells Jean that Pierre has tasked him with collecting war levies, agreeing to ask for leniency on Jean’s behalf when his brother-in-arms explains he lacks the funds. To restore his finances, Jean marries Marguerite de Thibouville on the promise of a large dowry from Marguerite’s father, Robert, that grants the rights to many valuable estates.

Pierre, however, seizes the prized estate of Aunou-le-Faucon to settle Robert’s back taxes and gifts it to Jacques, who has earned a court position by using his accounting knowledge to organize Pierre’s finances. Jean takes the matter before King Charles, who dismisses the suit. Pierre retaliates by appointing Jacques to the captaincy of a Carrouges family post following the death of Jean’s father. Jean’s marriage becomes strained due to Marguerite’s failure to conceive. He and Jacques reconcile at a celebration, where Jacques becomes smitten with Marguerite after she befriends him in an attempt to win favor. Jacques misinterprets this as a reciprocation of his affections and suspects she does not love Jean.