FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1998 All Rights Reserved.
| FILM The Man in the Iron Mask The Man in the Iron Mask is a star-studded and - the word is unavoidable - swashbuckling tale that's loads of fun, and a visual treat to boot. Based on Alexandre Dumas' 1847 novel, the film, set in 1662, details the exploits of the aging three musketeers, Athos, Porthos and Aramis - retirees now - and their best pal, the great D'Artagnan, who still captains the king's famed bodyguards. Aramis (Jeremy Irons) has become a priest, although he sometimes has difficulty concentrating on his prayers; the bawdy Porthos (Gérard Depardieu) chafes at the want of adventure in his life and amuses himself with tavern wenches; and Athos (John Malkovich) prepares to watch his son Raoul follow his father's footsteps into the illustrious brotherhood of musketeers, under D'Artagnan's (Gabriel Byrne's) tutelage. The king's antics, however, soon divide the four friends. Young Louis XIV (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a spoiled, ruthless brat who offers rotten food to his starving subjects, orders dissenters shot, and sends Athos' son on a fatal journey to the battlefront, then steals his girlfriend. The three musketeers decide the king needs replacing, but they can't bring D'Artagnan on side. Despite his daily, and anguished, viewing of the king's abuses, the captain refuses to abandon the monarch. The oath of "All for one and one for all" is broken; the grieving Athos, in particular, vows bitter revenge against his former friend. D'Artagnan is left to guard the king while the three musketeers plot the royal impeachment. Key to the threesome's plan is a mysterious wretch who is trapped in a moated citadel and cruelly forced to wear an iron mask bolted over his face. The prisoner's identity impinges upon Louis' very right to govern, and has unforeseen consequences for the musketeers, too, especially D'Artagnan. In fact, hidden identities are as plentiful here as secret passages, moonlit castles and virtuoso swordplay. Beautifully shot on location in France, the film rolls along with grand, good-humored style, relieving fight scenes and setbacks with buffoonery (Depardieu is a master clown), in the best theatrical tradition. The mix of accents - Irish, English, French, American - jars at first; the musketeers alone sound like quorum at a G7 summit. Better, though, than wincing through badly done renditions of any of the above. Moreover, not a little of the movie's charm is attributable to its stars, whose identities - Irish, English, French and American screen stars - are intact, and add to the movie's glow. There are no exceptional performances, but none are required. This is a great escape, an old-fashioned story well told, and the four actors playing the musketeers are as genially democratic in apportioning their talents as are their characters. DiCaprio is, as ever, cheekily versatile, and Anne Parillaud plays the queen mother, who bears sad secrets of her own, with dignified grace. |