The Last Duel appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.40:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. From start to finish, the movie provided a strong transfer.
Sharpness was solid with virtually no softness on display. This meant the flick was tight and concise.
No issues with jagged edges or shimmering materialized, and I noticed no signs of source flaws. Edge haloes failed to appear, and I didn’t discern any signs of digital noise reduction.
Unsurprisingly, Duel favored a lot of teal and amber/orange, though it opted for a grungier/gloomier take on these tones than usual. The disc replicated the colors as necessary and made them look positive within the production design.
Blacks were also deep and dense, while shadows offered appropriate definition. Overall, this was a very satisfying image.
I thought the film’s DTS-HD MA 7.1 audio sounded very good too, as the soundfield seemed pretty involving and active. All the channels received a good workout as they displayed a reasonable amount of discrete sound throughout the film.
Of course, the action scenes offered the showiest moments, though all parts of the flick depicted a nice sense of environment. The film didn’t present quite enough battle/violent material to reach “A” level, but the track still created a well-rounded setting.
Audio quality was similarly positive. Dialogue appeared distinct and natural, with no issues connected to edginess or intelligibility.
Music sounded clear and bright and displayed good range. Effects were clean and accurate, while low-end boomed nicely. This was a very good mix that supported the material well.
In addition to the film’s trailer, we get a program entitled The Making of The Last Duel. It spans 33 minutes, 48 seconds and provides a “fly on the wall” view of the shoot.
I like this kind of presentation, and the program gives us some intriguing elements. That said, given that many of Ridley Scott’s earlier movies included exhaustive supplements, this one disappoints.
With The Last Duel, we get a 14th century tale that feels like an attempt to represent the modern-day “MeToo” era. This feels less provocative and insightful than it should, as the film tends to simply state the obvious. The Blu-ray comes with strong picture and audio as well as one mostly interesting behind the scenes piece. Duel beats us over the head with its messages and never quite connects.