The dominant belief that women had to enjoy sex in order to conceive further complicated matters, leaving those impregnated by their rapists on even shakier legal ground. He challenged Jacques to a duel to the death in the king's court. In the film, it is revealed mid-trial that if de Carrouges loses at the hand of Le Gris, Marguerite will also be killed by being stripped naked, put in an iron collar and set on fire. Other accounts provide more technical detail, even suggesting that Le Gris slipped on his opponents blood. Managed by: Boaz Pijp. An elaborate example appeared in 1829, just a few years after Du Bois conjecture that the accused squire had been mistaken for a look-alike, in Lhistorial du jongleur, an anonymous collection of medieval tales. . ), Whether Carrouges and Le Gris actually ended their quarrel at this point is debatable. 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. 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. [Jager] does a pretty meticulous description of it, but its a decidedly uncinematic duel, Damon notes. Part Two will use the medieval sources to reconstruct what really happened in the combat, using . Known as the judgment of God, these ordeals were thought to have a divinely ordained outcome, with the loser proving his guilt by the very act of defeat. 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. But the count, infuriated by the accusation against his favorite, declared at a legal hearing that Marguerite must have dreamed it and summarily dismissed the charges, ordering that no further questions ever be raised about it.. Ultimately, that [would have been] a movie about a courtroom evidence drama, Affleck explains. The valuable estate of Aunou-le-Faucon, given to his rival Jacques Le Gris two years earlier, had been formerly owned by Carrouges' father-in-law, Robert de Thibouville, and had been bought by Count Pierre II of Alenon for 8,000 French livres in 1377. | READ MORE. Matt Damon, Adam Driver and Jodie Comer star in Ridley Scotts return to historical epic form, written by Damon, Ben Affleck and Nicole Holofcener. Marguerite said no. Scott rightly ends The Last Duel on a triumphant note. She was born to nobleman Robert De Thibouville, who was notorious for siding AGAINST France in territorial. But we wanted to do it through the lens of this situation. The greatest departure from Jagers book comes during the rape itself. After Marguerites rape, Carrouges petitions the French court to try Le Gris through judicial combat. 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. By the early nineteenth century, the notion that it all had been a case of mistaken identity was firmly established, as typified in an 1824 retelling by Norman historian and politician Louis Du Bois, who explains the supposed miscarriage of justice by speculating that the actual rapist was a squire who doubtless bore some resemblance to the unfortunate Le Gris.. The actor continues, Its an anti-chivalry movie in some sense because the great illusion of chivalry is that it was about [protecting] the innocent female. 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. 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. 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.. And if the Parlement of Paris could not establish even the basic facts, theres little chance of our discovering hidden motives all of these centuries later. While it adheres closely to Jagers book, with the script using actual lines and passages from his writing, the filmmakers did make some alterations in order to better shine a light on the concepts of consent and perspective. In 1380 Carrouges married Marguerite de Thibouville (Jodie Comer), daughter of the controversial known traitor Robert de Thibouville who had sided against multiple French Kings in. 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. Damon and Affleck took the dialogue directly from Jagers book. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. 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. Diderots Encyclopdie and Voltaires Histoire du Parlement de Paris used the 1386 affair to denounce the supposed ignorance and cruelty of the Middle Ages. And the lords of France delighted to see it, for they had come to watch the two men fight. Besides the resolution to a deadlocked legal case, the duel also provided eagerly anticipated blood sport for the nobility. I fought him so desperately, she claimed, that he shouted to Louvel to come back and help him. Marguerites claim that Louvel mentioned Le Gris by name is especially telling, for it is hard to fit this detail into a plausible scenario in which she is genuinely mistaken, as many have claimed she was, about the identity of her assailants, particularly Le Gris. As noted in the 1850s by the Norman historian Alfred de Caix, one of the few to credit her story, Marguerites testimony is impressively circumstantial and detailed. Certain details in her account raise serious problems for the mistaken-identity theory. By taking away the witness and some challenging details, like Le Gris stuffing his hat into Marguerites mouth, the filmmakers were able to more fully explore the notion that Le Gris believed his actions were just. Or did Carrouges according to one account grab him by the helmet and throw him down? 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. If you purchase an item through these links, we receive a commission. Being caught beneath a horse would mean certain death. Gross! Legal historian Ariella Elema, whose PhD research centered on trial by combat in France and England, says judicial duels were most common in cases where the evidence was really unclear and it was difficult to solve the [matter] by any other means. Such clashes had become increasingly rare by the late 14th century, with lawyers largely using the prospect of duels to incentivize individuals to settle cases out of court. The film adaptation traces the trios relationship from its auspicious beginnings to its bloody end. 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. 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. In accord with ancient tradition, she would be burned alive as a false accuser. The penalty for bearing false witness is that you are to be burned alive, an official tells Marguerite in the movies trailer. 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). Marguerite de Carrouges, descended from an old and wealthy Norman family, had claimed that in January of that year she had been attacked and raped at her mother-in-law's chteau by a squire (the rank below knighthood) named Jacques Le Gris, aided by one of his closest companions, one Adam Louvel. Some argued that shed falsely accused Le Gris, either mistaking him for someone else or acting on the orders of her vindictive husband. Your Privacy Rights Even in Le Gris' version, though, Marguerite's attempts to get away seem less flirtatious and more earnest. Just in what they were wearing. More, On the use and misuse of civility. And for him to have to invoke that at the moment of his death and to protest his innocence [is interesting]. If your husband hears of it, he may kill you. The denouement, too, echoes the Grande dictionnaire: Not long after, a criminal arrested for some other offense confessed himself to be the author of the outrage. Affleck, Damon, Holofcener, Comer and Jager talked us through what is and isnt accurate in The Last Duel and why the filmmakers made the narrative changes they did. On December 29, 1386, before a crowd presided over by French king Charles VI, Carrouges and Le Gris eyed each other warily. The last judicial duel in France hinged on whether a woman could be believed. 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. She probably had strangle marks. They took the idea of damnation seriously. Popular historical fiction abetted the theory of mistaken identity, exploiting its shock effect. She adds, If theres any gap between the act and making people aware [of it], that raises huge questions.. The Last Duel stars Jodie Comer, Matt Damon and Adam Driver as three people who changed the course of French history. de Carrouges knows that even the King is biased against him, and decides to ask for a trial by duel, in which God decides the outcome by letting the liar die. Marguerites fate is unknown, though later historians convinced of the falsity of her claims suggested she retired to a convent out of shame. The majority of medieval rape victims lacked the means to seek justice. Nearly everyone believed then and believes now that Marguerite was raped. Lied, by Eugne Lomont, c. 1895. The fate that awaited Marguerite if her husbands attempts failedbeing burned at the stake for bearing false witnessrepresented an extreme example of the potential repercussions faced by accusers. Marguerite de Carrouges : My father told me my life would be blessed with good fortune. I want justice! Insight and analysis from renowned writers and thinkers. She gave birth to a son, Robert, shortly before Le Gris trial by combat. But conceptions of rape varied widely, with some commentators arguing that women enjoyed being taken by force and others accusing survivors of falsely accusing men in order to trick them into marriage. It's long and gory and ends with de Carrouges stabbing Le Gris through the mouth (in real life, it was the throat), proving Marguerite to have been telling the truth. After the sexual assault, Le Gris told Marguerite, Lady, if you tell anyone what has happened here, you will be dishonored. 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 trial by combat would decide whether she had told the truthand thus whether she would live or die. Carrouges, without whom his wife could not even bring a case, resolutely rode off to Paris to appeal for justice to the king. 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. 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. RMN-Grand Palais/Art Resource, NY. Later encyclopedia entries echoed this view, seemingly solidifying the question of Le Gris innocence. We gathered from research that she was really capable and educated, Holofcener says. This biography of a French peer or noble is a stub. While this had no material bearing on the plot, it's an interesting detail given that in the film the queen was often panned to as the sole person to sympathise, however quietly, with Marguerite. 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. He also had a reputation as a seduceror worse. 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. ( 20 th Century Studios ) At the time, the French were engaged in a bitter conflict with the English. They pinned me down and stuffed a capucium [a hood] over my mouth to silence me. 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. The accused was Jacques Le Gris, who was said to have raped Jean de Carrouges's wife, Marguerite . Birthdate: estimated between 1321 and 1381. Louvel then added a greeting from Jacques Le Gris, who he said greatly admired her and was eager to speak with her. Jean de Carrouges (1330-25 September 1396) was a French knight who was best known for his 1386 duel with Jacques Le Gris (who was accused of raping his wife Marguerite de Carrouges) in the last judicial duel permitted by the Parliament of Paris; he was later slain at the Battle of Nicopolis. In his youth, Jean served in the retinue of . But the overwhelming likelihood is that she was telling the truth. 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. 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. 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. Her father had sided against the king twice, and. But whats so amazing about Nicole and what Nicole has brought to the piece is this sense of imagination. What does she have to gain from that? Marguerite de Carrouges accused Le Gris of rape in 1386. And then I was judged and shammed by my country. The screenwriters changed the scene to allow for more nuance. In court, he also claimed to have seen Marguerite only twice in his entire life: during the Parlements official inquiry, and also not less than two years earlier at a social gathering at the home of a mutual friend, Jean Crespin, where Carrouges and Le Gris apparently put aside their recent quarrels and Carrouges ordered his wife to kiss Le Gris as a sign of renewed friendship. In Jagers book, the detailed description of the duel between Le Gris and Carrouges, held on Dec. 29, 1386, was drawn from several sources. On the whole, however, the events follow history. 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. 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. This man who has done something horrible and doesnt understand it. Soon after, de Carrouges went on a campaign to Scotland and though it was a military failure, he distinguished himself with his courage. A Judicial Duel, byLieven van Lathem, 1464. By the time the criminal trial was underway in the summer of that year, Marguerite was noticeably pregnant. Marguerite had no one who could confirm her story: her husband Jean de Carrogues (played by Matt Damon) had set out on a journey to Paris to collect some desperately needed funds and the. Sir Jean de Carrouges : I am risking my life for you! Marguerite remained silent of her ordeal for several days, until her husband's return on the 21 or 22 January. There [wasnt] going to be a settlement without one of them losing their reputation., After hearing both parties testimony, the Parlement of Paris agreed to authorize a duelFrances first trial by combat for a rape case in more than 30 years. The film is told in three chapters, from the perspectives of Carrouges (Damon), Le Gris (Adam Driver) and Marguerite (Jodie Comer). The final chapter of the film, told from Marguerites perspective, refers to itself as the truth. But while that section of the story by necessity contains the most dramatization, Jager says he does support the filmmakers conclusion. And yet he raped her so brutally in history, in the truth, so badly there would be no doubt. She has to relive it over and over againand she gets it right.. I'm married. Meilan Solly Digital image courtesy of theGettys Open Content Program. One ground for skepticism about these two reportsapart from their priestly sources, notoriously suspicious of womenis that each tells a substantially different story. The theory of mistaken identity ultimately derives from two sources that began circulating more than a decade after the duel. 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. Image via 20th Century Studios. I do not know, he adds in a poignant aside, for I never spoke with her, whether she had not often regretted having gone so far with the matter that she and her husband were in such grave dangerand then finally there was nothing for it but to await the outcome.. Jager counts the film as at least 75 percent historically accurate, maybe more, noting that while evidence may not exist for specific moments, there is a general record that supports the re-creation. For me, why would a woman speak out and say this when her life was at risk? the actress says. In his book Tales of the Marriage Bed from Medieval France, R.C. De Carrouges sued Pierre for the land and lost, which only put him further on the outs with the count. HIP/Art Resource, NY. And one includes the ladys penitential retreat to a convent, while the other omits this finale. Its also significant that the Parlement of Paris found Marguerites story credible enough to vacate Count Pierres official exoneration of Le Gris and to authorize the rare judicial duel, whose official purpose, however doubtful the procedure may seem today, was to determine the truth in cases where witness testimony and other evidence was insufficient for reaching a verdict. Gangsters in a patrol wagon, New York, c. 1935. By unequivocally believing Marguerite, the screenwriters offer that same sense of empathy to all women who follow her. 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.. He had a witness. They leave, with the crowds cheering for de Carrouges. 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. Marguerite testified repeatedly under oath that on a certain day in January 1386Thursday the eighteenthshe was attacked by the two men, Le Gris and Louvel. Marguerite herselfnow pregnant, perhaps as a result of the rapecame to Paris and testified in great detail about the alleged attack by Le Gris and his accomplice. In the end the city expelled the contagion, and the body politic was cleansed. Wife of Sir Jean De Carrouges IV, Chevalier d'Honneur. Marguerite was born as Marguerite De Thibouville in Normandy in the year 1362. Much like Jagers book, the film doesnt offer a sympathetic portrayal of either of its leading men. So in his deluded sense of pride, Le Gris could believe it was consensual. The origins of The Last Duel begin in January 1368, when Marguerite de Carrouges claimed she was raped by Jacques Le Gris, a squire. [2][3], Shortly after his marriage, Carrouges revealed another motive for the union. I gave her a friend, who ultimately betrays her. 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. Jager chronicled how the former friends relationship devolvedand the woman and rape allegation at the center of the conflictin the 2004 nonfiction book The Last Duel. Not understanding the effect they were having on someone else. I will not be silent, she responds, teary-eyed but defiant. But Marguerite certainly made an impression on Le Gris, who likely still held a grudge against his litigious former friend: After running into the newly knighted Carrouges in January 1386, Le Gris sent a fellow courtier, Adam Louvel, to keep an eye on Marguerite, whod been left behind with her mother-in-law while Carrouges traveled to Paris. If the case is not proven, then [the woman] doesnt just get to walk away, says Skoda. Although now losing blood, Carrouges mounted a daring counterattack and fought on so stoutly that he managed to throw his opponent to the ground. But other than that, I made up a lot. Jean Froissart, writing after the duel, describes Marguerite praying as she watched the fight, adding, I do not know, for I never spoke with her, whether she had not often regretted having gone so far with the matter that she and her husband were in such grave danger., Elemas interpretation of the sources differs from Jagers comparatively colorful recounting. 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. I know that was the same for everyone who was coming toward this project.. When Carrouges returned home three or four days after Marguerites rape, he found his wife sad and tearful, always unhappy in expression and demeanor, and not at all her usual self. She waited until the two were alone before revealing what had happened and urging her husband to seek vengeance against Le Gris.