The Last Duel

"The Last Duel" is a book by Eric Jager. It tells the story of the December 29th, 1386 trial by combat between Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris. Carrouges had accused Le Gris of raping his wife that previous January, and had gone to King Charles VI asking to duel Le Gris, the winner being a sign from God who was innocent or guilty. Le Gris and Carrouges fought, and for a time it appeared that Carrouges would lose, as Le Gris had stabbed him in the leg. However, eventually Carrouges got the upper hand, and killed Le Gris.

This was the last officially recognized judicial duel fought in France.

Filmmaker Martin Scorsese has optioned the book as a future motion picture that he will produce and possibly direct. Early casting rumorsFact|date=April 2008 claim that, even though the two men were in their early fifties at the time of the duel, Matt Damon (b. 1970) is being considered for the part of Jean de Carrouges, while Leonardo DiCaprio (b. 1974) is being considered to play against type as Jaques Le Gris, the alleged rapist. If these rumors turn out to be true, it will be the second time that Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio will be in a movie directed by Martin Scorsese, the first being the Academy Awards Best Picture winner The Departed (2006).

"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 April 24 2008.

References

*cite book
author= Eric Jager| title=The Last Duel
date=2004
publisher=Century
id=ISBN 0-712661-90-5