THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK
The trailer for "The Man in the Iron Mask" whetted my appetite for a good old-fashion swashbuckler. When was the last time we had one? Maybe, as far back as 1978 with "The Four Musketeers". ’78 was also the year that gave us the first "Halloween" movie whose success spawned a bunch of sequels and a host of imitators like the "Friday the 13th" franchise. I was hoping that "The Man in the Iron Mask" might do for swordplay what "Scream" did for the slasher film. No such luck.
"The Man in the Iron Mask" is based on a story by Alexandre Dumas that reunites his original three Musketeers and D’Artagnan from "The Three Musketeers". Philippe is the twin brother of King Louis XIV of France. Separated at birth, Philippe was raised in the countryside unaware of his lineage. Louis eventually had him put in an Iron Mask and carted off to a coastal prison so he wouldn’t be a threat to his throne. Louis is a lousy king whose ‘off-with-their-head’ attitude has his subjects quaking in their boots. His costly wars are depleting the treasury; the poor people of Paris are starving, while he feasts at the castle; and he discards his female conquests like scraps of food. It’s time for a change! Enter the Three Musketeers!…and that other guy, D’Artagnan. He’s the fourth Musketeer who is still on active duty to protect the king, even if he is a self-indulgent, petulant, murderous child of the nineties! OOPS! I mean the 17th Century, which brings us to one of the many things wrong with "The Man in the Iron Mask".
"The Man in the Iron Mask" has an anachronistic performance by Leonardo DeCaprio as Louis that might appeal to his fans, but the movie was written and directed by Randall Wallace who penned "Braveheart". I expected better. Not only is the dialogue not up to snuff, but the pace, especially the first hour, is languid rather than fluid. The scenes telegraph how we are supposed to feel rather than actually fueling us with emotion. I never felt a father’s anger when his son is sent to the front lines to die so Louis could have his future daughter-in-law. I never got the sense of camaraderie that is the essence of the Musketeer legend, "All for one and one for all!". And, I never believed for a moment that John Malkovich was a Musketeer. I must confess that I might have a bias against anyone in a costume picture without an English accent. I loved Jeremy Irons as a man who has savored the world and found God, while Gabriel Byrne(so what if he’s Irish!) expressed the bewilderment of a dutiful subject torn between common sense and his Godly duty to his King. As for Gerard DePardieu? There is true irony in the fact that he is a real Frenchman who has to speak English phonetically to play a Frenchman. What a hodgepodge.
Now for the good stuff, what little there is. The second half of "The Man in the Iron Mask" is the meat and potatoes of the movie. The Musketeers free Philippe, give him a day time talk show makeover, and insert him in the middle of Louis’ court during a masquerade ball. Suddenly there is more tension in a single gaze at the awkward imposter than in the entire first half of the movie. Unfortunately, it’s a case of too little, too late. The ending of "The Man in the Iron Mask" is a foregone conclusion. But, on the way there, Musketeers get caught, escape, are cornered, duke it out, learn some deep, dark secrets, and the brothers face off. D’Artagnan must choose between a new king and his friends, or stick by the spoiled runt of a monarch.
I have to admit, DeCaprio captured the ambivalence of an innocent caught in the fabric of history as Philippe. But, like I said - too little - too late. I much prefer the 1939 version of "The Man in the Iron Mask" I saw on TV as a kid. If I saw it today, it may not hold the same fascination as it did then, but I can still hear Louis’ haughty laugh and see the terror on his face when he’s put in the iron mask. Louis Hayward played Louis/Philippe. This version was my introduction to the three Musketeers.
The other versions of "The Man in the Iron Mask" include a made for TV film from 1977 and the recently restored 1929 silent, "The Iron Mask", with Douglas Fairbanks Sr. It has a surprisingly literate narration by Doug Jr. The last remake, "The Fifth Musketeer", was released in 1979 with an all-star international cast that includes Lloyd Bridges, his son Beau, and Rex Harrison.
In 1974, director Richard Lester, tried to re-imagine "The Three Musketeers" as a 17th century version of his Beatles movie, "A Hard Day’s Night". D’Artagnan and his three buddies were like the Fab Four, wreaking havoc across the countryside. Two sequels followed. "The Four Musketeers" was shot at the same time as "Three" and was based on the second half of the original novel. "Return of the Musketeers", made in ’89 with the original cast, was based on the novel "Twenty Years After". It went straight to cable.
For a real treat, I suggest you check out the 1948 MGM version of "The Three Musketeers". Gene Kelly plays D’Artagnan with an athletic grace that turns his duels into dance numbers without music! The later Disney remake pales in comparison, as does this "The Man in the Iron Mask" to the earlier films.