|
The Man in the Iron MaskRating:
Release Date: 06 March, 2001 Retail Price: $14.94 OUR Price: $12.99 You SAVE: $1.95! Cast: Complete Cast (14 total) |
The Man in the Iron Mask Reviews
Dumas' Plot Makes Up for Bad Movie
I didn't really expect much out of Leo DiCaprio, but I certainly expected better acting out of john Malkovich, Gerard Depardieu and Jeremy Irons. They just were never able to summon any enthusiasm for the roles-- indeed, their muttering of "All for one and one for all" sounded more like an unenthusiastic 6th grade class responding to their teacher's "good morning" than the stirring call to action it was meant to be.
I would have given the movie a 2, except for the compelling plot-- bad acting and bad staging could not completely overshadow the genius of Dumas' story. That is the true tribute to Dumas-- even bad acting couldn't ruin his story.
A Resounding Five Stars
I don't get it... 3 stars here and 4 stars there. Nice little swashbuckler. Don't like his teeth. Too many funny accents. Ladeeda.
For your information, this is one of the finest films ever created. Had I been the writer or director, I could die now in peace. And I know I'm not mistaken about it. It is a perfect story. And the story runs deeper than Braveheart or Titanic, both of which I own and love.
It is written in the gnostic, courtly tradition. The illicit unattainable love most closely resembles that of the Father for the Madonna. The Son who is brought into the world has a dual nature and is king.
I think after Titanic it's maybe fashionable to prove you're super intellectual by not being impressed by diCaprio's acting. I'm too old and grouchy to be in love with diCaprio (Gabriel Byrnes is another matter). But he acted magnificently, as did all the other major players.
This movie has so many incredible secrets and corners (which are not merely very cool, but also deeply significant), that it's hard to write a review without writing a spoiler. But I'll give it a shot.
So this is another take on the father quest, an Odyssey. The DiCaprios represent aspects of the father-son relationship. The DiCaprio who sits on the throne doesn't deserve it, and does not recognize the nature of kingship, thinking it rooted in royal blood. The DiCaprio who deserves the throne does not realize he is the Christ/king and does not want the throne. The son does not know the Father, thinks he is dead. The father only sees one aspect of the son. But he has unswerving faith in the son's redemption, and this faith is also rooted in his perfect love for the Mother, the Madonna, the rose of the cross.
Porthos, Athos and Aramis represent aspects of the male character. All of them are noble, true and great men, but none of them have the same nobility of character as their old buddy d'Artagnan. They all feel incomplete. Aramis for all his prayer and seeking cannot find forgiveness. (And why does he require so much forgiveness?) Porthos is a lover of life, unabashedly lusts after women, battles and good clothes, but he cannot reconcile himself to growing old. And Athos, perhaps the greatest of them, is resentful that he has been betrayed, first by the king who fails to serve the people, and then by d'Artagnan who still insists on defending the king... even after the king is responsible for the death of his only and noble son. This he understandably cannot forgive. Athos and the others can love only one aspect of the Son. The Father can love the son in his totality. And yet it is their efforts apparently at odds with the king which finally unite the Father with his Son. And this process also raises their level of awareness.
D'Artagnan is an enigma... he is obviously a deep and brave and noble man. And yet he has this curious, superficial, blind devotion to his job. As Musketeers they swore to defend the king, sure. But d'Artagnan sticks to the word of his vow even after the king's traitorous conduct renders the vow meaningless. Eremis and Athos both express confusion about it, but Athos is too overcome by grief to figure it out. Why doesn't d'Artagnan just wake up and smell the Rose?
It all has to come right in the end, of course. But I really leave the film feeling that life is like that... or at least it can be once you get over your disappointments about funny accents and crooked teeth.
More Customer Reviews (38 total)
You like The Man in the Iron Mask?
|
© 2004, 2005, 2006 DVD Booty | Don't Plunder Our Cache of Booty, Matey!
Hosting made possible by donations from Getting Mortgages, Mortgage Jedi, and Debt Divine
