Shout Factory celebrates the 20th anniversary with some amazing new features on this disc, making it a worthy inclusion in their Shout Select series!
“For the honor of the crown and the destiny of a country, four heroes must reassemble for one last epic battle …
Leonardo DiCaprio leads a phenomenal cast, including Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gérard Depardieu, and Gabriel Byrne in the thrilling tale of majesty and Musketeers, The Man In The Iron Mask.
It is a time of great splendor … and even greater despair. When the selfish excesses of France’s arrogant King Louis XIV begin to threaten his subjects’ very lives, the legendary Musketeers — Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and d’Artagnan — must reunite to save their country once more. The key to their plan? A mysterious masked prisoner, who may be France’s only true hope.”
The film opens with Aramis (Jeremy Irons), Athos (John Malkovich), Porthos (Gérard Depardieu) and D’Artagnan (Gabriel Byrne) all much older in life and long since retired from their days as Musketeers. With King Louis (Leonardo DiCaprio) on the throne and D’Artagnan the leader of the Muskateers and the king’s protector, D’Artagnan prays every day that the malice and atrocities the young king shows his people will change. King Louis sends Athos’ son Raoul (Peter Sarsgaard) to the front lines of battle for the sole reason to get him killed and out of the way so he can pursue his fiancée Christine (Judith Godrèche) as his own. When word comes of Raoul’s death, Athos, Porthos and Aramis vow vengeance, and hatch a scheme that will end Louis’ reign and the suffering of the people for good.
Despite the film’s many shortcomings, I have always enjoyed The Man in the Iron Mask. What I found most enjoyable about the film was the film taking place long after the adventures of the Musketeers during a time in their lives where they question their purpose and their self-worth, trying to live up to their own legend and the stark contrast of what their lives have now become. One a priest, one a proud father, another a drunk, they see corruption and injustice before them everywhere they look yet cannot do anything about it. It isn’t until the death of Raoul that propels the story forward and brings the trio together once more that they find a new lease on life and force them to become the legends they once were. It’s a very inspirational tale about brotherhood, loyalty, doing what’s right, and of course believing in yourself.
The best part of the film by far is the cast. Jeremy Irons embodies his characters conflict brilliantly, a priest who has taken a vow before God, yet has to wage a secret war against the King and now take personal action against him. Gabriel Byrne also plays his conflicted character well, with an impossible choice of loyalty to his friends or to the oath he pledged to his King, and even more you find out later in the film. Leonardo DiCaprio has one of the more difficult roles, playing two sides of a coin, one character a malevolent and selfish ruler, and the other a tortured dreamer who only wants his freedom and a father figure. These actors definitely raise the bar on this film with their performances, and is the reason I enjoy this film as much as I do. Once performance that does not match here is John Malkovich. I may be in the minority, but I have never thought he was a good actor and seems entirely out of place among these others. With a monotone, bland performance who unfortunately holds some of the most screen time for whatever reason, Malkovich, for me, is the worst part of The Man in the Iron Mask. I was amazed at the perfect casting of Peter Sarsgaard as his son, as I’ve never noticed how similar their monotone, expressionless performances and voice are.
Randall Wallace found acclaim in writing Braveheart, he seems at home in this type of period genre, both writing and directing The Man in the Iron Mask. After revisiting this film after so long, the writing is rather bland at times, and can’t compare in the least to his previous film. That being said, I still find it to be a quite enjoyable journey with several twists and turns and great inspirational moments.
Video
The Man in the Iron Mask is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1 with a new 4k scan of the original camera negative. This transfer looks exceptional, with no defects noticed. Grain is kept at a manageable level, with a clear image and great balance of colors. You will certainly notice the quality of this new transfer in all of the outdoor scenes where things and the brightest and most colorful.
Audio
The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. This track sounds very good as well, with a great balance between the surrounds. I was very impressed with the action sequences and how well they sounded in this mix. Although a lot of the action was straight-forward, the gun-fire and swordplay that happen offscreen comes through nicely in the surrounds. The film contains a great score that sounds very good on this mix as well, very powerful but never overpowering the rest of the track.
Special Features
A few new features on this disc, but by far the most impressive is the new transfer. If there was nothing else included I would be extremely happy with this upgrade, so the rest are just bonuses in my eyes. On this set you’ll see:
- NEW 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative
- NEWInterview With Producer Paul Hitchcock
- NEWInterview With Production Designer Anthony Pratt
- Audio Commentary By Writer/Director Randall Wallace
- “Myth and The Musketeers” Featurette
- “Director’s Take” Featurette
- Original Behind-The-Scenes Featurette
- Alternate Mask Prototypes
- Theatrical trailer
The Man in the Iron Mask may not be the type of Three Musketeer adventure you may be seeking, but it has several redeeming qualities that make it an enjoyable film. Shout Factory celebrates the 20th anniversary with the inclusion in its Shout Select series with some great features and an amazing transfer that will appeal to fans of the film.
