Two and half decades have not done any favors for The Man in the Iron Mask. The Randall Wallace adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas classic and final tale of Athos, Porthos, Amaris, and D’Artagnan. The film takes the film away from the Four Musketeers and beefs up the Phillip/Louis dual role for Leonardo DiCaprio with various degrees of success.
Set close to twenty years after the events of what people know as The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers (in the written form it’s a lot more complicated than just two stories). Athos, Porthos, and Aramis have moved on from their duties as Musketeers (aka the King’s bodyguards). D’Artagnan now the Captain of the Musketeer is guarding not only King Louis (DiCaprio) but guarding his own secrets. France is in turmoil as Lois, unlike the prior King, has no time for his subjects and only time for his wars. The citizens of Paris and France writ large are starving. Protests have begun. With the death of Athos’ son (Peter Skarsgaard) to allow Louis to bed his fiancee (Judith Godrèche), the Musketeers must come out of retirement for just one more adventure of intrigue and political upheaval.
The adaptation bleeds the lifeblood out of the story, trying to create a “serious” adaptation rather than the sort of breezy swashbuckling high adventure we have come to expect from Dumas’ work. There are moments of life during the course of the film but not enough to make the film anything other than a missed chance at something more. Tonally the film’s overheated exchanges and arched tone take the film from moments of pure pulp bliss to nothing more than an early 90’s Telenovela. Most of the incurring incidents happen whenever King Louis appears on the screen.
DiCaprio as King Louis is the primary issue as the performance feels that of a spoiled brat in need of a spanking more than a cunning, calculating, narcissistic sociopath of Dumas’ story. When attempting to be what Dumas’ had intended the actor comes off as forced and uncomfortable. It does not help that the actor plays the role with his American West Coast Accent surrounded by English and French accents. To be fair Peter Skarsgard is also terribly miscast as Athos’ son also uses his American accent to abject failure. DiCaprio does great in the role of Phillip bringing a youthful earnestness to a character that could have been a one-note Mary Sue. The biggest problem is more time is spent with Louis than Phillip making the actor’s performance imbalance even more obvious.
The actors that do save this film from being a complete disaster are the Four Musketeers themselves. Played by a murder’s row of acting talent it seems almost unreal that they were able to cast Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gerard Depardieu, and Gabriel Byrne in the same film let alone have them share scenes together. There’s much to delight in as many of the scenes with the Musketeers have them involved in either physically or verbally sparring. Malkovich has the plum role here as Athos, which benefits greatly from the actor’s skilled menace turned to grief-fueled vengeance. Irons takes a dry run at the Bond Role he never had a chance to be cast in the 80s (as he should have) with his Aramis. Depardieu brings his Depardeau-ness to Porthos, though approximately 22.4% of the film appears to be his very different-looking body double. Byrne as D’Artagnan should have been a great moment for the actor but the film relegates him to a sort of pseudo-villain throughout the film. Byrne does the best with the material, which should have been Tom Reagan in 17th century France but can never lift the material beyond its unoriginal origins.
All of this drudgery is forgiven in the final twenty minutes when the film comes to life albeit for only a fleeting moment becoming the swashbuckling adventure film we want it to be. One cannot help but get excited as the Four Musketeers reunited after a movie length of tedium to clash their swords together and say the famous “All for one, One for all” credo. The Man in the Iron Mask gets that right and appropriately gives them that moment of true high-spirited adventure.
The Transfer
The new 2023 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative in Dolby Vision is in a word, stunning. Shout has done it again by taking the time to do another transfer and not using the same transfer from the 2019 Blu-ray. By getting another 4K Transfer of the OCN and using that for their Dolby Vision encoding one gets an altogether different visual experience. One that in every way tops the 2019 transfer. The image is sharp with a subtle hint of grain that gives the 4K the look of the 35mm Presentation topping the theatrical experience in the Spring of 1998. Any fan of the film will want this edition for their collection, a true upgrade in every way.
The Extras
They include the following:
DISC ONE (4K UHD):
Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Randall Wallace
DISC TWO (BLU-RAY):
Audio Commentary with Randall Wallace
Interview With Producer Paul Hitchcock
Interview With Production Designer Anthony Pratt
“Myth And The Musketeers” Featurette
“Director’s Take” Featurette
“Alternate Mask Prototypes” Featurette
Original Behind-The-Scenes Featurette
Theatrical Trailer
Note: The special features reside on the Blu-Ray disc of the set. The sole special feature is the Commentary track by Wallace.
Commentary by writer/director Randall Wallace is fine albeit a very dry track. There are plenty of production anecdotes and discussions of the genesis of the project, casting, actors, costuming, production design, action, and much more but done in a very matter-of-factly tone. Note there are gaps of silence throughout the track. Altogether, it’s a decent track.
Interview With Producer Paul Hitchcock (18:41) – the interview with the producer is an 18-minute discussion with the Producer who was brought in early in the production to replace another Producer. Hitchcock during the interview is honest to a fault. Discussing very honestly the replaced producer, and how they had to fire many of the Heads of Production to smooth everything over. How Rain and Heat Waves caused delays in addition to the troubled below-the-line crew changes. It’s a fascinating interview well worth watching.
Interview With Production Designer Anthony Pratt (8:09) – the interview with the production designer is an extension of Hitchcock’s interview. Pratt discusses how he was hired by the original producer but was left on by Hitchcock because of the work that he had done. Pratt also discusses the troubles with not only the delays but with the budget.
“Myth and The Musketeers” Featurette (7:34) – is an EPK talking-heads style featurette about the actual source novels, Dumas, and the several adaptations.
“Director’s Take” Featurette (29:11) – this featurette ported over from the Special Edition DVD about the making of the film with director Randall Wallace. Wallace discusses how he adapted the novel and the changes he made to the story. Each of the cast members. The production issues are very glossed over during the interview but are briefly touched upon.
Original Behind-The-Scenes Featurette (4:45) – Original behind-the-scenes making-of-featurette is an EPK style fluffy rather than informative. Bonus Don LaFontaine does the narration for the featurette. Don LaFontaine is better known as the trailer guy by most non-Film Nerds.
Alternate Mask Prototypes (2:01) – The prototype gallery is actually Randall Wallace doing a 2-minute micro commentary on video images of the different 3D mockups of the Iron Mask prototypes.
Theatrical Trailer (3:04)
The Final Thought
Shout Studios has done it again. Giving us an excellent 4K UHD upgrade with new picture and sound. Recommended!!!
The Man in the Iron Mask gets a 4K UHD upgrade – with a new transfer 4K taken from the 35mm Original Camera Negative in Dolby Vision thanks to Shout Studios.
The Film
Two and half decades have not done any favors for The Man in the Iron Mask. The Randall Wallace adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas classic and final tale of Athos, Porthos, Amaris, and D’Artagnan. The film takes the film away from the Four Musketeers and beefs up the Phillip/Louis dual role for Leonardo DiCaprio with various degrees of success.
Set close to twenty years after the events of what people know as The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers (in the written form it’s a lot more complicated than just two stories). Athos, Porthos, and Aramis have moved on from their duties as Musketeers (aka the King’s bodyguards). D’Artagnan now the Captain of the Musketeer is guarding not only King Louis (DiCaprio) but guarding his own secrets. France is in turmoil as Lois, unlike the prior King, has no time for his subjects and only time for his wars. The citizens of Paris and France writ large are starving. Protests have begun. With the death of Athos’ son (Peter Skarsgaard) to allow Louis to bed his fiancee (Judith Godrèche), the Musketeers must come out of retirement for just one more adventure of intrigue and political upheaval.
The adaptation bleeds the lifeblood out of the story, trying to create a “serious” adaptation rather than the sort of breezy swashbuckling high adventure we have come to expect from Dumas’ work. There are moments of life during the course of the film but not enough to make the film anything other than a missed chance at something more. Tonally the film’s overheated exchanges and arched tone take the film from moments of pure pulp bliss to nothing more than an early 90’s Telenovela. Most of the incurring incidents happen whenever King Louis appears on the screen.
DiCaprio as King Louis is the primary issue as the performance feels that of a spoiled brat in need of a spanking more than a cunning, calculating, narcissistic sociopath of Dumas’ story. When attempting to be what Dumas’ had intended the actor comes off as forced and uncomfortable. It does not help that the actor plays the role with his American West Coast Accent surrounded by English and French accents. To be fair Peter Skarsgard is also terribly miscast as Athos’ son also uses his American accent to abject failure. DiCaprio does great in the role of Phillip bringing a youthful earnestness to a character that could have been a one-note Mary Sue. The biggest problem is more time is spent with Louis than Phillip making the actor’s performance imbalance even more obvious.
The actors that do save this film from being a complete disaster are the Four Musketeers themselves. Played by a murder’s row of acting talent it seems almost unreal that they were able to cast Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gerard Depardieu, and Gabriel Byrne in the same film let alone have them share scenes together. There’s much to delight in as many of the scenes with the Musketeers have them involved in either physically or verbally sparring. Malkovich has the plum role here as Athos, which benefits greatly from the actor’s skilled menace turned to grief-fueled vengeance. Irons takes a dry run at the Bond Role he never had a chance to be cast in the 80s (as he should have) with his Aramis. Depardieu brings his Depardeau-ness to Porthos, though approximately 22.4% of the film appears to be his very different-looking body double. Byrne as D’Artagnan should have been a great moment for the actor but the film relegates him to a sort of pseudo-villain throughout the film. Byrne does the best with the material, which should have been Tom Reagan in 17th century France but can never lift the material beyond its unoriginal origins.
All of this drudgery is forgiven in the final twenty minutes when the film comes to life albeit for only a fleeting moment becoming the swashbuckling adventure film we want it to be. One cannot help but get excited as the Four Musketeers reunited after a movie length of tedium to clash their swords together and say the famous “All for one, One for all” credo. The Man in the Iron Mask gets that right and appropriately gives them that moment of true high-spirited adventure.
The Transfer
The new 2023 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative in Dolby Vision is in a word, stunning. Shout has done it again by taking the time to do another transfer and not using the same transfer from the 2019 Blu-ray. By getting another 4K Transfer of the OCN and using that for their Dolby Vision encoding one gets an altogether different visual experience. One that in every way tops the 2019 transfer. The image is sharp with a subtle hint of grain that gives the 4K the look of the 35mm Presentation topping the theatrical experience in the Spring of 1998. Any fan of the film will want this edition for their collection, a true upgrade in every way.
The Extras
They include the following:
DISC ONE (4K UHD):
DISC TWO (BLU-RAY):
Note: The special features reside on the Blu-Ray disc of the set. The sole special feature is the Commentary track by Wallace.
Commentary by writer/director Randall Wallace is fine albeit a very dry track. There are plenty of production anecdotes and discussions of the genesis of the project, casting, actors, costuming, production design, action, and much more but done in a very matter-of-factly tone. Note there are gaps of silence throughout the track. Altogether, it’s a decent track.
Interview With Producer Paul Hitchcock (18:41) – the interview with the producer is an 18-minute discussion with the Producer who was brought in early in the production to replace another Producer. Hitchcock during the interview is honest to a fault. Discussing very honestly the replaced producer, and how they had to fire many of the Heads of Production to smooth everything over. How Rain and Heat Waves caused delays in addition to the troubled below-the-line crew changes. It’s a fascinating interview well worth watching.
Interview With Production Designer Anthony Pratt (8:09) – the interview with the production designer is an extension of Hitchcock’s interview. Pratt discusses how he was hired by the original producer but was left on by Hitchcock because of the work that he had done. Pratt also discusses the troubles with not only the delays but with the budget.
“Myth and The Musketeers” Featurette (7:34) – is an EPK talking-heads style featurette about the actual source novels, Dumas, and the several adaptations.
“Director’s Take” Featurette (29:11) – this featurette ported over from the Special Edition DVD about the making of the film with director Randall Wallace. Wallace discusses how he adapted the novel and the changes he made to the story. Each of the cast members. The production issues are very glossed over during the interview but are briefly touched upon.
Original Behind-The-Scenes Featurette (4:45) – Original behind-the-scenes making-of-featurette is an EPK style fluffy rather than informative. Bonus Don LaFontaine does the narration for the featurette. Don LaFontaine is better known as the trailer guy by most non-Film Nerds.
Alternate Mask Prototypes (2:01) – The prototype gallery is actually Randall Wallace doing a 2-minute micro commentary on video images of the different 3D mockups of the Iron Mask prototypes.
Theatrical Trailer (3:04)
The Final Thought
Shout Studios has done it again. Giving us an excellent 4K UHD upgrade with new picture and sound. Recommended!!!
Shout Studios 4K UHD of The Man in the Iron Mask is out now
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