The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)The truths we conceal make all of us wear masks. The Man in the Iron Mask (1998) is an adaptation of both the novel "The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later" by Alexandre Dumas and the myth of the actual "Man in the Iron Mask", which the film discloses is based in part from records recovered after the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution. In The Man in the Iron Mask, it is discovered that the young yet cruel King Louis XIV (Leonardo DiCaprio) has a twin brother named Philippe (also DiCaprio in a dual role). For the salvation of France, the legendary musketeers concoct a plot to replace Louis with Philippe.
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The Man in the Iron Mask is set in mid-17th century Paris; civil unrest at King Louis' wars against the Dutch and his refusal to offer any decent food for his people--unspoiled food is exclusively for the armies fighting for his glory--has made him an unpopular king, to say the least. The musketeers in the king's service, led by the legendary D'Artagnan (Gabriel Byrne), struggle to keep the peace in the city. Their efforts are only impinged by Louis' indignation at the subjects, who orders that the rioters be shot for not showing him the love to which he believes himself entitled. Though set a century before the French Revolution, shades of the eventual "reign of terror" that would lead to the violent deposing of the monarchy are palpable in The Man in the Iron Mask. Dumas' works featuring his famous "three musketeers"--Athos (John Malkovich), Porthos (Gérard Depardieu), and Aramis (Jeremy Irons)--have always dealt with intrigue and adventure set against the backdrop of the French royal court. The Man in the Iron Mask these legendary warriors as veterans with age and experience, whose reputations precede them in all of France as heroes. While each of the musketeers is motivated by different reasons to carry on--Athos for his love of his son, Raoul (Peter Sarsgaard), Porthos for his lust for life, and Aramis for his longing for forgiveness--they all still hold a deep desire to see justice rule in place of tyranny, and to ensure that their legacy of a noble France is what they leave behind. This is ultimately what bands them together again when Aramis reveals the truth to them about Philippe, and devises a plan to secretly replace Louis with his identical twin, necessarily keeping D'Artagnan out of the equation. D'Artagnan harbors a secret about his monarch--Louis (and Philippe) are the sons of D'Artagnan, a revelation hinted at often throughout the film, which justifies why he keeps an exceptionally close watch over Louis. But D'Artagnan conceals the truth from all save the Queen Mother Anne (Anne Parillaud), making Louis' rage and vitriol toward his own brother all the more painful for him to bear, along with the sense of betrayal by his own brothers-in-arms when he discovers their subterfuge.
The schism between D'Artagnan and his erstwhile allies follows Louis' selfish desires for Raoul's fiancee, Christine (Judith Godrèche); he seduces her after reassigning Raoul to the vanguard of his armies, ensuring his competition for her heart is killed. Athos subsequently goes on a rampage fueled by the rage at his son's meaningless death. This heartbreak is compounded by the sense that his friend, D'Artagnan, failed to act in the name of justice and fraternity, only caring for the loyalty to his office. When the trio sneak Philippe out of the Bastille and back to a country retreat, it is ultimately Athos who convinces him to pose as the king. He confesses that while he wishes for Louis to be replaced due to his son's death, it is more so because he wishes to see France be led by a man who upholds the virtues of justice which he taught to his own son. While Philippe goes through most of the story not knowing who his father is, there is a kind of paternal bond between Athos and Philippe, and Philippe becomes a surrogate for Raoul while Athos teaches him. Athos claims that Philippe must pretend to be a harsh and petty tyrant like his brother, much to the shock of Philippe, who recognizes that this comes from the grief eating away at Athos. The switch is to occur at masquerade ball, which is fitting given the pervading motif of masks in the film; it also affords Aramis the opportunity to coordinate the event with a minimum chance of being discovered. D'Artagnan has tried to convince himself that in serving Louis as a musketeer, he is also serving him as a father, even when his counsel is disregarded. D'Artagnan believes that every man can become a good man, but it is partially self-deception to shield himself from the pain of bearing witness to Louis engaging in rampant selfishness and cruelty. It is ironic that when the switch occurs, it is the selflessness that Philippe shows when consoling a distraught Christine that reveals the ruse--D'Artagnan knows the hatred that is a part of Louis better than anyone else.
The musketeers are portrayed as representing the noblest of ideals--honor, valor, and humility. Louis possesses none of these qualities; it is anathema to him, and he enjoys embracing vice, pettiness, and is indifferent to the suffering of others. He is portrayed as a narcissistic egomaniac and a vicious brat, albeit one with enough courtly decorum to withhold his temper tantrums until he can get away with them in private. He is a petulant tyrant--an "affluenza king" reminiscent of Joffrey Baratheon from "A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones". This makes Aramis' plan to replace the king sympathetic, even if it might appear to be politically motivated since Aramis is also the secret general of the Order of Jesuits--a detail that is more crucial in the novel. Philippe is an ironic prisoner not only because he is innocent of any crime, but that while he is terrified of the iron mask, he proclaims that he is not a prisoner of it--he wears the mask, and it does not wear him. This is a key point, because so many other characters in The Man in the Iron Mask wear metaphorical masks, false personae to shield others from various truths--from Aramis to D'Artagnan, and even Raoul and Christine to a lesser degree. The message of The Man in the Iron Mask is ultimately that the act of concealing the truth is itself a sin which bears rotten fruit--like Louis--and as the old saying goes, "the truth shall set you free".
Recommended for: Fans of an exciting action film and period piece featuring the legendary musketeers that have been a part of cinema for decades. It is also has an important message about the need to tell hard truths, because evil flourishes when secrets are kept.
The schism between D'Artagnan and his erstwhile allies follows Louis' selfish desires for Raoul's fiancee, Christine (Judith Godrèche); he seduces her after reassigning Raoul to the vanguard of his armies, ensuring his competition for her heart is killed. Athos subsequently goes on a rampage fueled by the rage at his son's meaningless death. This heartbreak is compounded by the sense that his friend, D'Artagnan, failed to act in the name of justice and fraternity, only caring for the loyalty to his office. When the trio sneak Philippe out of the Bastille and back to a country retreat, it is ultimately Athos who convinces him to pose as the king. He confesses that while he wishes for Louis to be replaced due to his son's death, it is more so because he wishes to see France be led by a man who upholds the virtues of justice which he taught to his own son. While Philippe goes through most of the story not knowing who his father is, there is a kind of paternal bond between Athos and Philippe, and Philippe becomes a surrogate for Raoul while Athos teaches him. Athos claims that Philippe must pretend to be a harsh and petty tyrant like his brother, much to the shock of Philippe, who recognizes that this comes from the grief eating away at Athos. The switch is to occur at masquerade ball, which is fitting given the pervading motif of masks in the film; it also affords Aramis the opportunity to coordinate the event with a minimum chance of being discovered. D'Artagnan has tried to convince himself that in serving Louis as a musketeer, he is also serving him as a father, even when his counsel is disregarded. D'Artagnan believes that every man can become a good man, but it is partially self-deception to shield himself from the pain of bearing witness to Louis engaging in rampant selfishness and cruelty. It is ironic that when the switch occurs, it is the selflessness that Philippe shows when consoling a distraught Christine that reveals the ruse--D'Artagnan knows the hatred that is a part of Louis better than anyone else.
The musketeers are portrayed as representing the noblest of ideals--honor, valor, and humility. Louis possesses none of these qualities; it is anathema to him, and he enjoys embracing vice, pettiness, and is indifferent to the suffering of others. He is portrayed as a narcissistic egomaniac and a vicious brat, albeit one with enough courtly decorum to withhold his temper tantrums until he can get away with them in private. He is a petulant tyrant--an "affluenza king" reminiscent of Joffrey Baratheon from "A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones". This makes Aramis' plan to replace the king sympathetic, even if it might appear to be politically motivated since Aramis is also the secret general of the Order of Jesuits--a detail that is more crucial in the novel. Philippe is an ironic prisoner not only because he is innocent of any crime, but that while he is terrified of the iron mask, he proclaims that he is not a prisoner of it--he wears the mask, and it does not wear him. This is a key point, because so many other characters in The Man in the Iron Mask wear metaphorical masks, false personae to shield others from various truths--from Aramis to D'Artagnan, and even Raoul and Christine to a lesser degree. The message of The Man in the Iron Mask is ultimately that the act of concealing the truth is itself a sin which bears rotten fruit--like Louis--and as the old saying goes, "the truth shall set you free".
Recommended for: Fans of an exciting action film and period piece featuring the legendary musketeers that have been a part of cinema for decades. It is also has an important message about the need to tell hard truths, because evil flourishes when secrets are kept.