Beautiful locations, magnificent backdrops, a humorous ensemble and a snappily told adventure: “The Man in the Iron Mask” may have its flaws, but it is entertaining cinema from a genre that is rarely used today.
Smart sword fights, flowing capes, bold hairstyles and beards, eccentric hats: how can you not love the swashbuckler film genre? At least the author of this TV tip has a soft spot for this adventure subgenre, and thus for film adaptations of the musketeer stories once invented by Alexandre Dumas. Shortly after his sensational success in “Titanic”, Leonardo DiCaprio also paid a visit to this genre, in which it is difficult to imagine him today.
But that’s not the only thing that makes “The Man in the Iron Mask” a memorable film. The wonderful locations and the funky dialogues also make this 90s production a light-hearted viewing experience. If you’re now in the mood for a rewatch or to catch up on the humorous literary adaptation:
“The Man in the Iron Mask” will be broadcast today, August 17, 2024, from 8:15 p.m. on BR – without commercials! “The Man in the Iron Mask” can also be found on many streaming providers, including as VoD on Amazon Prime Video:
“The Man in the Iron Mask” on Prime Video*
This is “The Man in the Iron Mask”
France, 1662: King Louis XIV (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a wasteful hedonist and militarist who is driving the country to ruin and doesn’t give a damn about his people. When he allows a protesting group of people to be fed spoiled food, not only does the mood in the country threaten to change – patience also breaks in his circle. For example, with the musketeer D’Artagnan (Gabriel Byrne): Although he remains true to his duties by preventing an assassination attempt on the king, he finds it increasingly difficult to justify all of the royal actions.
His old companions, the ex-musketeers Aramis (Jeremy Irons), Athos (John Malkovich) and Porthos (Gérard Depardieu) are several steps ahead of him in their disillusionment: They plan to exchange the king for his imprisoned, kind twin brother Philippe (again DiCaprio). A delicate undertaking that not only puts old vows of loyalty to the test, but also opens up psychological wounds and could have a lasting impact on the fate of France…
Four Musketeers and the double DiCaprio
For the author of this text, this loose Dumas adaptation does not quite measure up to the film “The Three Musketeers” with Kiefer Sutherland and Charlie Sheen, which was released a few years before “The Man in the Iron Mask”. For example, the music by “The Rock” co-composer Nick Glennie-Smith is too intrusive in many places, and especially in the first quarter of the film, director/writer Randall Wallace overdoes it with pathos-laden empty phrases.
But As soon as the directorial debut of the “Braveheart” author really gets rolling, the author of these lines is captivated: The timeless story about Integrity, repentance and goodwill is implemented by Wallace free of irony, but full of snappy situational comedy, proudly boastful characters and (despite all exaggerations) honest gravitas.
The script spins this material, loosely based on one of France’s most influential writers, who in turn was vaguely inspired by historical events, into a fluidly told adventure farce that coherently sells hair-raising ideas. And the eclectic cast lives out their archetypal characters with verve and conviction.
Depardieu is particularly convincing as the overjoyed, heartbroken (and extremely vulgar) bon vivant and DiCaprio in his despicable and exemplary double role. But the other swashbucklers also cut a good figure when they stylize the original into a light-hearted, yet still very high-pitched swashbuckler escapism.
Fast fights in beautiful locations
In addition, Wallace and “The Empire Strikes Back” cameraman Peter Suschitzky show a strong eye for their picturesque filming locations: The film was shot in the Château de Pierrefonds and the Château de Fontainebleau, among others. These beautiful, historical buildings are prepared for the big screen and stylishly lit. The magnificent, real locations give the film a class that is not to be underestimated – as do the extensive sets and the lush green provincial landscapes. But the costumes are also in no way inferior to the historical locations.
In addition, fast-paced battles and mass scenes staged with a flair for powerful visual impact – such as a magnificent masked ball, where the heroes use simple but effective tricks to make the self-absorbed king doubt his sanity. In such passages, Wallace manages to give this 35 million dollar production more Visual power and character than many films that cost four or five times as much. DiCaprio has not always had such a good hand in choosing roles:
Leonardo DiCaprio admits he was in one of the worst movies of all time: “Have to make sure something like this never happens again”
This is a revised re-publication of an article that previously appeared on FILMSTARTS.
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