The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)

The cruel King Louis XIV of France has a secret twin brother whom he keeps imprisoned. Can the twin be substituted for the real king?

Director:

Randall Wallace

Writers:

Alexandre Dumas (novels), Randall Wallace (screenplay)

Stars:

Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich

3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Leonardo DiCaprio	...	King Louis / Phillippe
Jeremy Irons	...	Aramis
John Malkovich	...	Athos
Gérard Depardieu	...	Porthos (as Gerard Depardieu)
Gabriel Byrne	...	D'Artagnan
Anne Parillaud	...	Queen Anne
Judith Godrèche	...	Christine (as Judith Godreche)
Edward Atterton	...	Lieutenant Andre
Peter Sarsgaard	...	Raoul
Hugh Laurie	...	King's Advisor
David Lowe	...	King's Advisor
Brigitte Boucher	...	Madame Rotund
Matthew Jocelyn	...	Assassin
Karine Belly	...	Wench
Emmanuel Guttierez	...	King's Friend

Storyline

Paris is starving, but the King of France is more interested in money and bedding women. When a young soldier dies for the sake of a shag, Aramis, Athos and Porthos band together with a plan to replace the king. Unknown to many, there is a 2nd king, a twin, hidden at birth, then imprisoned for 6 years behind an iron mask. All that remains now is D'Artagnan, will he stand against his long time friends, or do what is best for his country?

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Plot Keywords:

17th century | france | twin | musketeer | three musketeers | 

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Taglines:

For the honor of a king. And the destiny of a country. All for one.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and some sensuality/nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the movie, Athos has a son named Raoul who falls in love with a girl named Christine. The same names as the lovers in Gaston Leroux's "The Phantom of The Opera."

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Goofs

When the King asks Aramis to find and kill the Jesuit leader, a shot from the King's side looking at Aramis is followed by a shot from Aramis' side in which the King still looks straight ahead and only then turns his head towards Aramis.

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Quotes

Aramis: You are surrounded by beauty, by intrigue, by danger, what more can a man want?

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Alternate Versions

When Philippe is in prison and Aramis comes disguised as a hugely fat friar to hear his confession and offer mass, Philippe kneels down and makes the sign of the cross. When the movie was released on VHS, Philippe's making the sign of the cross was left out.

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Profile: John Malkovich (1998)

User Reviews

A Really Nice Film

We didn't expect much here, so it was one of these experiences where you are pleasantly surprised. I would mention Irons and Depardieu first because they are just great. I suppose Depardieu has performed in comic roles before but I don't recall them and so was quite pleased and amused with his grace and charm in such a role. Irons is imposing and has more gravitas that anyone else in the film. Byrne is strong and a pleasure to watch. These top performers take this material and make it delightful. DiCaprio is a talented young man, I suppose, but my personal demographics are in the periphery of his fan base (wrong sex, wrong age). I'm no Malkovich fan, but he was not a sufficient detraction to me to offset my enjoyment of the others. Over all, the film is a lot of fun--a really nice film.

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

France USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

13 March 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Man in the Iron Mask

Filming Locations:

Château de Pierrefonds, Pierrefonds, Oise, France

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,271,450, 15 March 1998

Gross USA:

$56,968,902

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$182,968,902

Company Credits

Production Co:

United Artists

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min

Sound Mix:

DTS DTS-Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1