FROM THE PHYSICAL COLLECTION - 'The Man in the Iron Mask' (1998)

When I bought “The Man in the Iron Mask”, I had to admit to myself that I had not actually remembered much about the movie. Before watching it for this review, I only remembered a few things such as this being one of the several films that dad and I rented when I was growing up, that it was Leonardo DiCaprio’s next major film after the hugely successful “Titanic” in 1997, and that dad and I had really enjoyed the movie.

For those who haven’t seen it before, the movie follows the aging Musketeers Athos, Porthos, Aremis, and D’Artagnan. Athos is dedicated to his son who is about to become engaged, Porthos is a retired wino who loves his drink and women, Aremis has become a priest, and D’Artagnan is the only one still serving as the Captain of the king’s guard. Unfortunately, the king is Louis XIV, a tyrannical shithead who feeds his people with rotten food while saving the best for his soldiers who are fighting an unnecessary war.

One day, Louis XIV becomes infatuated with Christine, the fiance of Athos’ son Raoul. The king sends Raoul to the frontlines of the war in order to get him out of the way so that the king can seduce Christine. Raoul is soon killed which sends Athos on a revenge course towards the king.

John Malkovich, Gerard Depardieu, and Jeremy Irons as the original Three Musketeers in 'The Man in the Iron Mask'.

However, Aremis has a secret involving a mysterious and imprisoned man whose identity is hidden behind an iron mask. The man is eventually revealed to be the long lost identical twin to Louis XIV and the question remains as to whether or not he will be willing to take the throne from Louis XIV and whether or not he would be a better king.

I’ll refrain from spoiling any more of the plot than I already have. Rewatching the movie today, I can say that while I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, it does have some balancing issues. The movie is at one point a farcical comedy before it suddenly shifts into scenes of extreme romantic melodrama. The inconsistent tone doesn’t ruin the film by any measure, but it is there and worth noting.

Beyond the wibbly wobbly tone of the picture, there is a lot to like here if you’re a fan of romantic adventure films. Gabriel Byrne, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, and Gerard Depardieu are great as the aging musketeers. Not only that, but they all have more complicated lives… except, maybe, for Depardieu’s Porthos who is mostly upset just because he doesn’t have enough adventure in his life anymore.

Malkovich’s Arthos is dealing with his son’s death while trying to raise Louise’s brother Phlippe to become the king and Irons’ Aremis is seeking forgiveness for a deep sin he committed in the past. Meanwhile, Byrne’s D’Artagnan is feeling conflicted about serving a king that has not lived up to his expectations.

A great performance, though, is by DiCaprio as Louis XIV and as his twin brother, Philippe. The actor knows how to play both roles perfectly. You hate Louis XIV almost immediately while you have nothing but sympathy for Philippe. DiCaprio managed to create two different people that I believed in and gave them their best and worst qualities as well.

The action in the movie is pretty good as well, though it is a bit of a slow burn as we reach our way to the film’s most climactic and best action sequences. Let me just say that there is nothing better than watching legendary Musketeers charge into battle!

There’s not really much more that I can say beyond that. The movie is not the best action adventure film, but it is also far from the worst. The performances and the action more than make up for slower pacing. If you’re a fan of swashbuckling adventure movies, then “The Man in the Iron Mask” may be right up your alley!

An unbalanced yet still fun swashbuckling affair!