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PRINTER-FRIENDLY VIEW 
Review of The Last Duel (Harry Gregson-Williams)
FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:
Buy it... if this intellectually subtle sibling to Harry
Gregson-Williams' Kingdom of Heaven can stir your interest in
hearing a composer score the same events from multiple perspectives.
Avoid it... if you cannot accept a Celtic musical tone for a French locale, the composer offering medieval and religious music that serves basic stereotypes in ways that are potentially too accessible for discerning listeners.
FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:
The Last Duel: (Harry Gregson-Williams) Every once
in a while, a veteran filmmaker produces a fine film about an
uncomfortable but important cultural misdeed that is so unnerving that
audiences simply reject it. Such was the case with 2021's The Last
Duel by Ridley Scott, a long-delayed movie about misogyny, religion,
and rape set in 14th Century France and based upon the true-life tale of
the final government-sanctioned duel in that country's history. It's a
story of how male perceptions dictate outcomes in society and how
dangerous allegations of rape could be at a time when religion and male
honor dominated the lands. A knight, Sir Jean de Carrouges, and his
friend and squire, Jacques Le Gris, duel to the death with the King's
blessing after Jacques is accused of rape by Jean's wife, Marguerite. In
essentially the transposition of the modern #MeToo movement on medieval
times, Scott uses Rashomon-inspired chapters to tell the events of the
story through three distinct perspectives, one each from the main
characters. Of course, it is Marguerite's chapter, the third one, that
exposes the misperceptions of the two men in the prior chapters, proving
that gender relations haven't improved as much as one would hope in the
centuries since. The depiction of rape in the latter two chapters is
gruesome and violent, and with the film destined for a less-than-happy
ending regardless of the duel's outcome, audiences made The Last
Duel one of the more humiliating financial failures for a major
studio during the year. The endeavor did mark the return of composer
Harry Gregson-Williams to his collaboration with Scott, one which
originated with Kingdom of Heaven and has included some of
Gregson-Williams' more engaging music since. Scott was adamant that the
composer not dwell too long on finding an "authentic" musical sound for
the picture's setting, advising instead that the emotional core of the
character story guide the tone. The relative lack of documented
instrumentation from the era allowed Gregson-Williams to extend his
vaguely medieval instrumental palate from Kingdom of Heaven to
this picture, adapting it to a surprisingly Celtic flavor that suffices
even if it doesn't make much intellectual sense for the French
locale.
The tone of the music in The Last Duel does strive for some manner of authenticity in that Gregson-Williams employs instruments and vocal techniques that suggest medieval times to modern ears, including those for religious institutions. A moderate orchestral ensemble takes a secondary role to prominent roles for specialty performers on viola da gambas, dulcimer, lute, harpsichord, guitar, organ, taiko drums, and slight electronics. But it's the vocal layering in both male and female solos and an ensemble choir that steal the show in The Last Duel; the fuller choral moments sound almost identical to Kingdom of Heaven, but the heart and soul of the score is carried by especially the female soloist. More vital to this score is Gregson-Williams' tackling of the three distinct chapters and the manipulation of his themes to serve their different perspectives. He essentially scored the same scenes multiple times from disparate emotional stances, and that result is intriguing, to say the least. The score clearly exists in three parts, and casual listeners will notice obvious differences between them. The composer devised three themes for the film, one for each of the major characters, and not all of them extend fully to each chapter. For instance, Jean's theme is dominant in his chapter, the first, and less impressive in Marguerite's chapter, the third; this makes sense, given that Jean has a much higher opinion of his stature than anyone else has of him. Meanwhile, Jacques' theme is mostly absent in Jean's chapter because his threat is unknown to Jean; rather, Jacques' theme dominates his own chapter, the second, and that of Marguerite. Finally, Marguerite's theme is the constant in all three chapters, naturally, but the confidence with which Gregson-Williams conveys it is strikingly different between the three, the theme filled with capability in Jean's chapter, frightened in Jacques' chapter, and quietly resolute in her own chapter. As such, be prepared for the listening experience to exude significantly different personalities depending on which chapter you are in. The score opens with "Duel Preparations," which begins with Marguerite's theme on solo female voice, a predictable but effective technique that the composer relies upon throughout the score to represent her call for recognition and respect. From there, the themes for the two men mostly define how her theme is styled until the end. It's clever manipulation from start to finish. The theme for Jean produces some of the most ambitious tonal material in the score for The Last Duel, mostly limited in its glory to his own chapter. Its performance in the latter half of "Marguerite de Carrouges" suggests his victory of finances but not of heart, while it receives a hero's welcome at 0:23 into "Returning Home" on woodwinds over chanted male vocals. That prominence is expanded upon early in "Jean de Carrouges" on whimsical choir over militaristic percussion, the score's most major performance of the idea. From there, the theme struggles, a light choral and percussion rendition in "I Offer You a Name" keeping its distance and the theme remaining slight on strings late in "House Meeting." It opens "Chapter 3" with some greater ambition in conjunction with Marguerite's theme, signaling her initial hope in the marriage. The brute force of the theme's usual backing defines early "The Duel" muscularity, and allusions to the theme in the first half of "The Aftermath" give a slight hint of victory and relief. On the other hand, the theme for Jacques is comparatively atmospheric and elusive, rooted in a rising pitch effect that is sometimes two separate notes that are tied to Marguerite's theme structurally. The idea opens "The Wolves" on female voices and is often performed similarly thereafter, suggesting the massive impact Jacques' actions will have on Marguerite's life. The rising pitch is immediately heard in "Jacques Le Gris," masks a longer identity throughout "I've Never Seen You Like This," and recurs during the latter half of "Confession" under continuing, unnerving solo female voice. The rising pitch also opens "Forgive Me for Intruding," the prelude to the rape scored with synthetic groaning and dissonance by the composer. His handling of the theme at the end of the score suggests a defiant but whimpering death, the solo voice in the middle of "The Duel" including the rising pitch effect as it defines the major crescendo and resolution of the cue. Another solo voice reference in the middle of "The Aftermath" leads to an eerie conclusion to the cue that offers one final reference to the rising two notes, albeit in the deceptive tones of victory, almost as if to remind the audience that character's legacy will live with Marguerite regardless. The Jacques theme is so understated throughout the second and third chapters that much of this material will sound purely atmospheric to casual listeners, Gregson-Williams seemingly content to allow a sense of dread to prevail over more straight-forward narrative devices. The heart of The Last Duel is Marguerite's theme, a lyrical, Celtic-inspired melody that is partially based on a traditional tune. It opens "Duel Preparations" on solo female voice and shifts to woodwinds over chanted male vocals at the outset of "Returning Home," Jean's perception of her theme that extends to the resolute stature of "Managing the Estate" on organ and violas. It turns menacing on organ in "Confrontation" and is subservient by the second chapter. A dulcimer hammers at the theme in the middle of "Jacques Le Gris," and it's tentative and cold early in "I Offer You a Name," as the reality of the relationship sinks in. A lesser version of "Managing the Estate" is conveyed in "Left Alone," a nicely reduced rendition for Marguerite's perspective of the same scene. By the start of "The Duel," the theme is subjected further to subtle fear; only in the tempered relief of her own sparing at the very end of the story does the theme begin to emerge with any sense of true independence for Marguerite. It builds to a stoic, full choral conclusion in the latter half of "The Aftermath" and is provided a beautiful song adaptation in "Celui Que Je Desire," the performance and tone sounding remarkably similar to a 1990's Loreena McKennitt recording. This song represents the score's one moment of triumph for Marguerite, perhaps a result of her prevailing symbolically over both men in the end. One other aspect of the The Last Duel remains consistent, and that is the religious element for the political power of the story. Sparse Latin chants dominated by males are expected in this role, and you hear this influence in "Leaving for Scotland" and "Court of King Charles." They're joined by forceful organ in "Confrontation," shift to light suspense in "Confession," and interject their religious tones on Marguerite's theme in "Tell No One," to nobody's surprise. These passages do slow the album's short listening experience, and along with Jacques' theme, the majority of the score apart from the film can be challengingly unsettling. The decision by Gregson-Williams and Scott to leave most action sequences without music causes the score to really dwell on the character applications, which are not always pleasant or engaging. But even these parts remain far superior to Daniel Hart's just preceding The Green Knight in accomplishing a medieval, religious sound of disheartening intent. There are enough tonally accessible passages in The Last Duel to sustain a solid suite of music from the album, anchored by the song at the end and half a dozen cues conveying Marguerite and Jean's themes in their brighter incarnations. Approach it as a smarter, more subtle companion to Kingdom of Heaven.
TRACK LISTINGS:
Total Time: 45:15
* performed by Grace Davidson
NOTES & QUOTES:
There exists no official packaging for this album.
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