Plot: In the 17th century various factions intrigue over the fate of the missing brother of the King of France, who is the rightful heir.
The Man in the Iron Mask is one of those books that gets filmed over and over, often with no respect to the original work. This is one of the better adaptations. It's a TV movie but a high-class one, with an excellent lead in Richard Chamberlain, fresh from another Dumas adaptation - Richard Lester's Three Musketeers (and some of the costumes, notably in the dance scene, came with him).
Clever camera-work makes the best use of the fabulous real life locations, with plenty of palaces, fortresses and beach side chases. There is a naturalism and a spontaneity in the film-making, making this very enjoyable. The cast is quite excellent and manage to take the film beyond its limited budget. The only real negative is the score, which is pounding and manipulative, straight-forwardly ordering the audience what they ought to be feeling.
Of course ultimate credit must go to Dumas pere, whose varied characters, vivid imagination and knack for adventure are the foundations of the whole film. If you like adventure then this is a minor (and family friendly) treat.
The Man in the Iron Mask is one of those books that gets filmed over and over, often with no respect to the original work. This is one of the better adaptations. It's a TV movie but a high-class one, with an excellent lead in Richard Chamberlain, fresh from another Dumas adaptation - Richard Lester's Three Musketeers (and some of the costumes, notably in the dance scene, came with him).
Clever camera-work makes the best use of the fabulous real life locations, with plenty of palaces, fortresses and beach side chases. There is a naturalism and a spontaneity in the film-making, making this very enjoyable. The cast is quite excellent and manage to take the film beyond its limited budget. The only real negative is the score, which is pounding and manipulative, straight-forwardly ordering the audience what they ought to be feeling.
Of course ultimate credit must go to Dumas pere, whose varied characters, vivid imagination and knack for adventure are the foundations of the whole film. If you like adventure then this is a minor (and family friendly) treat.