Acclaimed horror director Neil Marshall brings us something different with his latest release, Duchess. Love, revenge and dedication are the motivations for the titular characters, but the bloodthirsty brutality of it all is held back by lacklustre dialogue.
★★★✰✰
Neil Marshall is best known for cult film Dog Soldiers (2002) and The Descent, a 2005 release full of blood and guts. His signature style is on show once again in Duchess, but this time around he takes more of a thriller approach, which is spearheaded by leading lady Scarlett/The Duchess (Charlotte Kirk). Final girls, whether it be Laurie Strode, Sidney Prescott or Sarah from Marshall’s own filmography, are often discussed in and around the horror genre. Whilst Duchess isn’t in that same world, Kirk’s character certainly carries a very similar aura, serving as the driving force of the story and defying outdated gender norms with ease.
Duchess starts with a bang, with Scarlett fronting as a sex worker to catch a male counterpart in a vulnerable position. When it comes to the action and brutality, no punches are pulled in these few minutes prior to the title sequence. Marshall really throws the audience in at the deep end. Scarlett’s life of crime and deceit is taken to new heights when she meets Rob (Philip Winchester); without looking for love, she finds it anyway. A troubled upbringing courtesy of the abuse from her father, Frank (Colm Meaney), who is in prison as a result, has shaped Scarlett’s outlook on life, and her relationship with Rob is put under strain in many different ways.
Dialogue is understandably less important in action films than in a drama or a romance, but the viewer is taken out of the world of Duchess at times due to the on-screen conversations. Meaney and Sean Pertwee are two of the more experienced faces involved and even their lines simply don’t work at times; the dialogue doesn’t flow, which suggests it is more of a writing issue than anything else. It comes across as cheesy and clichéd at times, particularly in the scenes with the highest tension. There is also a contrast on show between the powerful London accent of Scarlett and the Americans around her, which makes the lack of flow of the dialogue even more pronounced. That being said, the ambition of Marshall and his cast and crew can’t be understated; the bloody nature of Duchess makes it hugely watchable. Grotesque kills and injuries will lead to squeamish reactions from the audience and the action has its moments of electricity, particularly when we are introduced to the fierce feline lurking in a pit.
An element of originality comes with the lust for violence in that this is a female-led film. The muscle and the brawn are roles still fulfilled by male characters, but The Duchess herself displays a combination of intelligence and the willingness to get her hands dirty. An additional layer is also added to this with the intense feeling of love that drives Scarlett and her entourage.
The final five minutes of Duchess are just as powerful as the opening five, which feels intentional. Going out with a bang leaves positive memories in the minds of the viewers and Marshall certainly does that. Furthermore, a nod to classic cinema is in place with both the flashy text that pops up on screen sporadically and the voiceover we hear from Scarlett’s character. Comic relief is provided through the latter, as is a deeper understanding of who she is as a person. Duchess centres around Scarlett, who later earns the nickname of The Duchess, and everything positive comes with her on the screen. We see a female character enter a male-dominated world and make it her own, with plenty of blood being spilled along the way.
The Verdict
In Duchess, Marshall presents the world of cinema with a relatively untapped idea and it is primarily the dialogue that holds it back. On action alone, a great time can be had, but the film just can’t quite take itself to that next level.
Words by Jamie Rooke
Duchess is in cinemas from 9th August & available on Digital Download from 12th August.
Support the Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.