The Man in the Iron Mask
Originally written for The Occidental
Every so often, a film shows up which is so much fun in every respect that it is a pleasure to review it. In the case of The Man in the Iron Mask, the joy of writing about a wonderful movie is doubled by the chance to redeem a film so often maligned by my fellow film critics.
The most obviously amazing aspect of The Man in the Iron Mask is its cast. Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gerard Depardieu, and Gabriel Byrne are already well established as fantastic actors, and Leonardo DiCaprio is beginning to gain attention as a young and talented actor with a lot of potential. Add to this a straightforward plot (important to the success of any action drama), wonderful costuming and sets, and competent music, and the result is a tight, enjoyable roller-coaster ride of a film.
Since The Man in the Iron Mask is based on a book by Alexandre Dumas, its plot is at once simple and complex, and although it takes its time before plunging the audience into the thick of the action, once it gets rolling, you’ll be on the edge of your seat. There is the main thread, the plot to dethrone King Louis XIV, as well as several subplots and secrets. As with most of Dumas’ work, the tale is at once predictable and fun — the fact that anyone with half a brain can probably tell what is going to happen before it does doesn’t impair the ride of the film at all. Most movies today are predictable, but few have as much style as The Man in the Iron Mask.
As the film opens, Athos (Malkovich), Aramis (Irons), Porthos (Depardieu), and D’Artagnan (Byrne), first introduced in The Three Musketeers, are still fast friends, although D’Artagnan is the only one still in the Musketeers. King Louis (DiCaprio) is conducting an expensive war which makes keeping his people fed almost impossible. When he learns that the Jesuit order has been conspiring against him because of this, Louis calls upon Aramis (who has become a priest in the time since he left the Musketeers) and orders him to find the leader of the Jesuits and kill him. The problem with that is, Aramis is the leader of the Jesuits (are you surprised?). So, Aramis calls his old friends to him, and presents a cunning plan: replace the king with a look-alike who will be a better ruler. D’Artagnan is devoted to the king and won’t even listen to the plan, but the other two are eager for it. Athos’s son was killed in the war because Louis wanted to seduce his fiancé¬ and Porthos longs for the action and excitement of the old days.
What follows is a carefully crafted tale of intrigue and excitement, even though the first serious sword-fight doesn’t come until the second half of the film. The strength of The Man in the Iron Mask is in its characters, which (in classic Dumas style) are both simple and complete. D’Artagnan is devoted, Aramis is cunning, Porthos is exuberant, and Athos is passionate. Fortunately, Byrne, Irons, Depardieu, and Malkovich are able to make their characters distinct (unlike the Musketeers in the adaptation a few years ago), so that they become people we can believe in. DiCaprio, in the double role as Louis and his double, Phillippe, is very good — doubly so, since he has to hold his own against the veterans surrounding him. The twins are two very different people, and DiCaprio manages to develop them both independently, rather than in relationship to each other.
One thing about The Man in the Iron Mask which throws some people is the discrepancy between the style of the plot (which is French Romantic) and the look of the movie (Realistic). The sword-fights are chaotic. The clothing (and often, the people) are dirty. These guys get their hair messed up, sweat, and get tired. The costuming is amazing, capturing the layer-upon-layer look of that time, and showing both the incredibly gaudy and beautiful clothes of the court of Louis and the sweat-stained every-day clothes of regular people. And yet the characters still believe that there are things worth dying for, that dying with honor is more important than living in shame.
The one fault The Man in the Iron Mask has is its sword-fights. Although chaotic battles are right at home in most modern film, it is jarring to be constantly told how wonderful our four heroes are with their blades and then have cinematography which conceals the work of the choreographer (William Hobbs, one of the best around). Considering the opportunities for graceful swirling of the Musketeers’ uniforms and elegant sword-work, it’s a shame that the director went for the “realistic chaos” look.
However, the above is the only complaint I have with this otherwise wonderful film. So what, I hear my loyal readers ask, is the bottom line? If you’re looking for a new and innovative film with surprises at every turn, go check out your local art house. If, however, you’re looking for two and a half hours of swashbuckling fun and intrigue, The Man in the Iron Mask is the movie for you. You’ll probably enjoy it as much as I did.