Just like he did with "The Count of Monte Cristo" and later "Casanova" on TV and the "Three" and "Four" Musketeers, Richard Chamberlain looked fantastic in historical dress, playing both King Louis XIV of France and the older brother that was separated from him atbiirth, with the later unknowingly part of a plot to rid France of a horribly audacious king, ending up and imprisoned on an island, finally freed and brought back to Versailles to take his rightful place as king. But there is a catch. As king, he would have to maintain the name of Louis XIV, remain in a marriage to Queen Maria Therese (a loveless one anyway with the real king, filled with contempt and cruelty), and thus give up the true love of Versailles servant girl Jenny Agutter.
A chilling version of the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas, this is beautifully filmed and terrifically acted. Outside of his voice at times as both characters, there were points where I did not even recognize Richard Chamberlain. As King Louis, he is unrecognizable., a crude man who surely would have been executed had he been around during the French Revolution. Vivien Merchant as the queen is excellent as the sadly abused Marie, publicly humiliated by her husband. Brenda Bruce gives authority as the mother of both the king and the prince whom she believes had died as a child. Ian Holm, Ralph Richardson and Louis Jourdan offer very strong support as members of the court who have differing feelings on the presence of the rightful heir. Classic easy movies rarely get better than this.
A chilling version of the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas, this is beautifully filmed and terrifically acted. Outside of his voice at times as both characters, there were points where I did not even recognize Richard Chamberlain. As King Louis, he is unrecognizable., a crude man who surely would have been executed had he been around during the French Revolution. Vivien Merchant as the queen is excellent as the sadly abused Marie, publicly humiliated by her husband. Brenda Bruce gives authority as the mother of both the king and the prince whom she believes had died as a child. Ian Holm, Ralph Richardson and Louis Jourdan offer very strong support as members of the court who have differing feelings on the presence of the rightful heir. Classic easy movies rarely get better than this.