Ridley Scott's "The Last Flower" sold well at the box office 30 years ago, and 30 years later, when feminism is widely spread, Ridley Scott's new work "The Last Duel" has a dismal box office.
Both films are about the plight and rebellion of women, modern and medieval, hot and cold, showing two very different temperaments.
But for now, what "The Last Duel" expresses is sharper and more realistic.
Many articles have argued that The Last Duel is a story similar to "Rashomon", but this is not the case. Although "Rashomon" also has a female issue, director Akira Kurosawa is not here, he finally puts the two sexes in the film in an equal dimension, trying to explain the uncertainty of human nature's good and evil.
But the direction of The Last Duel is very clear: Margaret's female dilemma. The strange behavior and speech of the characters in the film is the male vision in the female dilemma, which does not affect the fact that Margaret was raped and objectified.
The so-called "Rashomon" is a gender shackle on a dilemma, not a question of truth and lies.
To a certain extent, this also shows that even if we look at the stories of hundreds of years ago today, we will still unconsciously substitute for some grand universal human proposition, ignoring the real female dilemma and male gaze behind this illusion.
The Last Duel is a very obvious three-act drama, each act from a character's point of view.
The three-act play mirrors each other, really supports the complete character image at the end of the film, and finally unveils the plight of women in a highly masculine duel.
The first act is the vision of the knight Shang, from whose point of view he is a loyal and courageous knight, in order to revitalize the family, married the Dubville family, who bears the name of a traitor, and became a good husband.
Shang considers himself a brilliant man, but he is betrayed by his friend Jia, and his father's knighthood is also seized, but in the end he puts down his grudge and reconciles with Jia. But hatefully, Jia raped his beloved wife.
Shang felt guilty for not protecting his wife, was unfairly tried by the count, and finally could not bear to apply to the king to start a duel.
From Shang's point of view, it is difficult not to be moved by his character traits. A tragic Greek man, after enduring the pain of fate, fought with his life to defend his dignity and avenge the injustice of his wife.
In Jia's perspective, it is not perfect. He is a rude person, who does not know how to be grateful to his friends, and everything he has is what he deserves.
At the same time, from Jia's point of view, he is already benevolent to his friends, and he is a man of good will, and he and Margaret are a match made in heaven. So he didn't rape her at all, it was just a sympathetic meeting.
In these two acts, the contradiction between the two male protagonists has been almost established. These are two scenes full of masculinity.
The plot that differs is not the ecstasy set up by director Ridley Scott, but the deliberate attempt to lead the audience to think about the male society behind the roles of the two sexes.
The paradox of the two contrasts can be found: Margaret, the female character, does not play much weight in these two male perspectives, and her appearance usually plays a role in setting off masculinity.
In fact, this already shows the low status of women in the social context at that time.
In such an era of killing and fighting, the development of the labor force is low, men undoubtedly occupy an absolute position, which also sows the seeds of tragedy for the subsequent rebellion of Margaret.
The third act is undoubtedly the most important scene in the film, and from Margaret's point of view, Shang and Jia's hypocrisy and their stereotypes of women are revealed. But what matters in the end is society's attitude towards Margaret.
The mother of the girlfriend monk constituted the female attitude of Margaret's time, and there was no doubt that they all thought that Margaret's behavior was unruly. And this rule was set by the men represented by Shang and Jia.
The mothers of the girlfriend monks, one new and one old, constitute the social outlook of women's obedience to men, and also acquiesce to the fact that they are materialized into property and reproductive tools like the captive white horses in the film.
Combining the three-act play of "The Last Decision" reveals two of the most obvious female dilemmas, as well as the places that most resonate with the present.
First, when Shang and Jia shook hands and made peace, Shang asked Margaret to kiss Jia. In Shang's view, this is the act of using women to reflect their own minds. In Jia's view, Margaret uses this to secretly send Qiu Bo to herself, and she has been charmed by her own charm. But no one paid attention to Margaret's embarrassment and helplessness.
Second, when Jia wants to rape Margaret, Margaret's dodging and the drop of shoes are a signal of desire to meet and refuse in Jia's eyes.
This led Jia to indulge in his self-confidence until his death, believing that his rape was a mutually agreeable rendezvous.
In two different places, men start from their own perspectives, misunderstand women, and indulge in their own fantasies.
This "confident" male perspective is actually caused by long-term inequality between the sexes, and has subtly become an instinct. And this misunderstanding of perspective, in the present, is also everywhere.
The climax of the film is undoubtedly the final duel between Shang and Jia, which rises to prove Margaret's innocence, but in the end makes a hero. The revolt seemed to be a victory, but it was a complete defeat.
Margaret has not yet been told about the consequences of a failed duel. In his opinion, if he fails, then the child Margaret is pregnant with is not himself, then naturally damned. If you win, everyone will rejoice.
For Jia, the duel was about his own reputation, and as for whether he raped Margaret in the end, it didn't really matter, so he refused the pardon of the church.
The duel, from the very beginning, had nothing to do with Margaret, and no one cared about her innocence, from the commoners to the king. In this duel of national revelry, Margaret's predicament rises to the whole of society, to an age of judgment that requires God to judge.
So this film is about a woman's lament, and there is only one truth in the film: Margaret was raped. And who is the child in the film? unimportant. As for the Rashomon-style mystery, it is a potentially male perspective.
In the finale of the film, Margaret inherits a large amount of wealth after Shang's death and remains unmarried for the rest of her life. Think of it as Margaret's silent rebellion against the male society of the time.
This silent struggle is undoubtedly more helpless and cold than the rebellious ending of "The End of the Road", and its power has spanned hundreds of years, creating a wordless resonance with the present.
At a time when women's themes are constantly emerging, "The Last Duel" is enough to occupy a place, but its dismal box office, weak discussion and influence, like Margaret in the film, is forgotten in a society where feminism is widely discussed, and it is in an unspeakable predicament. (Text/Liu Yiyuan)