Best pals see one another as the worst of enemies, and in our current present, take drastic measures, in The Duel after a series of their actions that can only be described as treasonous. This turn is executed without rather complex alters that can be socially contrasted with feminism but most probably lacking the intense forward strive. There is a stunning imbalance of their interaction in favor of a dynamic resolution that involves shaking hands and exchanging fists instead of negotiating. The film creates curiosity with its cartoonish characters and strange performances. Their understanding came across as some disbelief perspective that the characters had to come to terms with eventually.
Colin (Dylan Sprouse) and Woody (Callan McAuliffe) were best friends until Abbie Matthews (Rachel) Colin slept with Woody’s fiancee. After the first drama and the first sensible bitterness, Woody gives Colin a call and proposes an unusual meeting. The two former friends now enemies share the distance between LA and San Diego, each with a friend – one has Kevin and the other Sam.
Both groups converge at the same antiquarian dealer’s shop. Woody has previously contacted the owner of this place, Christof (Patrick Warburton), seeking redress to his complaints. He incredibly bows out to Colin in a fight to the death. Sam and Kevin, on the other hand, cannot fathom why Colin agrees to such a thing. He seems as angry as he is careless, but more precisely, resentful. The friendship was over and there was no turning back to what things used to be. A very interested Christof further elaborates the history of dueling and explains the fundamental rules of the engagements. Dueling engages that Colin and Woody are now armed on a choice of their weapons. Sam and Kevin, their respective ‘seconds’ have to make arrangements for the duel.
In the second act of the story the tone of the duel is maintained to a minute degree until something drastic has to come. The first few scenes are rather comical if not downright ridiculous. The boys start off explaining a situation and engaging in silly nonsense trying to work out where the place for the battle will be. This, in turn, causes a random incident that makes the group take an unexpected turn. New actors appear into the scene and they are strangely interested in the Colin – Woody’s feud. They orchestrate the tussle & then pull the main characters fully into pure real life.
The drastic shift in the scene demands that erstwhile foes come to terms with violence that is about to unfold. This is when the plot of the book ‘The Duel’ fully manifests itself in a serious and important light. Sam and Kevin are now enemies. They are both unqualified supporters of Colin and Woody, yet they wish that some magic wand could be waved to stop the ensuing. They know that there will never be such an afternoon when one can sit down with two strawberries and some hot coffee and forgive this never-to-be-forgiven sin. How does Colin and Woody find peace if it is through murder? Forgive them, or will they forgive themselves after? We will love him as a brother, as well, its is very hard to understand what one can derive from killing someone who was thought of as a brother.
What I find pretentious, Colin and Woody are quite frank in explaining their actions. Colin understood how hard Woody felt to part with Abbie. It was his ambition towards her, not a fit of the green-eyed monster, nor plain casual sex. Colin is enamored by Abbie. This fact can no longer be concealed. There is no excuse for this duplicity on Colin’s forehead, Woody will not allow it. He had done something abominable, some persistent inner sorrow burdening his heart and mind. Woody sees future with Abbie and all his hopes and dreams are dashed to smithereens. That kind of allowance for and tolerance towards people that he does not feel like extending and does not have the scope for. This is one sleeping dog that two men can never leave lying.
Sprouse and McAuliffe are superb as always and give forth thoughts of betrayal, malice, and the heat of their unquenchable spirit.
The Duel confronts the subject of toxic masculinity through suggestions of older facilitators. What both Christof Warburton and Ronald Guttman play is the rich and ruthless cartel head Rudolpho, who holds such fantasies about civilized gentlemen that they are ready to take up arms for them. They see peacemaking as a delusion peddled by the timid and womanish liberalization of the society. How else can almost a clichéd tussle between two men over one woman be resolved? There is love and it includes death. Colin and Woody’s conflict will settle a long-standing disagreement once and for all. In fact, this old-fashioned and virile perspective is, of course, questioned.
The picture succeeds tactically by ensuring Abbie stays away from the point of escalation. The point of her engagement at the peak of the climax is more like a last gasp effort against violence – a Hail Mary pass. Matthews inspires with the necessary shift of view due to her attitude of what the f***. There is not a more serious person than Abbie who does not feel tortured by conscience, however, she holds her ground against using here Colin and Woody as a shield. Matthews.s response was astounding pacifism and unbearable suffering call for peace which hit the audience like a train. The same goes from Colin and Woody. The Duel becomes utterly fascinating at the moment when at last in the entire film the guns come out at the hot apocalyptic dusk.
The Duel must be approached neither as a game nor as war, but as an experience. The course of events and the outcome of the characters can be ascertained. The characters aren’t fools who simply follow a lemming off a cliff to their undoing. It is the last step that is taken with increasingly lucid and mournful emotions, and when it’s over, its aftertaste lingers for quite a few credits.
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