seanmallory-1 Review of The Man in the Iron Mask

The Man in the Iron Mask (1977 TV Movie)

Richard Chamberlain the better King Louis XIV

[9/10 · 24 August 2010]

A fantastic sword-fight TV-movie from the famous Alexander Dumas's novel. This great movie remind me to four years before Richard Lester Three Musketeers pictures not only for the presence of Richard Chamberalin. Lester movies had a more ironic and unconventional tone but the same cure for the customs and locations, here the director is talented Mike Newell (Dance with a Stranger, Donnie Brasco) that it was more careful not to betray the spirit of the novel. Together with fidelity to the novel, another aspect that make the movie truly agreeable and he approaches again to Lester movies was the rich cast. After the co-starring role as Aramis in The Three and The Four Musketeers, now brilliant Richard Chamberlain was the main character and he proved himself to be a fine actor because he plays very well two different roles: King Louis XIV and his long lost twin brother, Phillippe. It's Richard Chamberlain who carries the entire movie and he was astoundingly charming in his screen costume, oh my God that unbelievably handsome man....I confess not hardly I saw fine Richard to enter in scenes I fell in love lost of he, He was more sexy and seductive than Musketeers protagonist Michael York and also than Leo Di Caprio that impersonates the same character in the movie of 1998. There are others connections with Lester movies in the central characters and in the actors...Patrick McGoohan (Escape from Alcatraz) was delicious as villain Fouquet and remind me to Charlton Heston Richelieu for the same elegance. The wonderful Jenny Agutter as the movie heroine Louise de la Vallière was simply most beautiful; she formed with Richard a beautifulst couple on the screen; Agutter remind me to Musketeers heroine beyond compare Raquel Welch as Constance for her fine physiognomy, fabulous hair natural but amazing in both, for the simple but elegant costume and because both have been partners on screen of Michael York (Agutter in Logan's Run, Welch in The Three Musketters). Vivine Merchant in her last apparition as Queen Maria Theresa remand me to wicked Faye Dunaway as Milady in The Four Muscketeers in spite of the diversity of the two personages: Merchant was older but was and elegant queen while Dunaway under the gorgeous courtesan dress was a coarse whore, thief and murderess; watching the movie it's not possible not think to she because Merchant wears the same costume dressed from Dunaway in the final dance in The Three Musketeers and both have the same blonde wigs and similar make-up. Others the performances are strong all around (Holm, Jourdan, Richardson, Bruce as in The Musketeers are Reed, Lee, Chaplin and Finlay).