"The Man in the Iron Mask"-a historical mystery

Chaim 2021-11-16 08:01:26

On July 14, 1789, the French Revolution broke out and angry Parisians destroyed the Bastille. People found a line of words at the entrance of the prison, which read: Prisoner Number 64389000, Man with Iron Mask.
This discovery proved the truth of the "old prisoner" mentioned in a letter sent by a French princess to a British royal roommate: "For many years, a man has been living in the Pasteur Prison with a face mask until his death. Two warriors Stay by his side forever, kill him as long as he takes off his mask...There must be something strange in it, because besides that, he is well treated, lives very comfortable, and has all kinds of supplies...no one Know who he is." Since his arrest in Dunkirk Harbor in 1969, this prisoner has been under strict protection. Since his arrest in Dunkirk Harbor in 1669, the prisoner has been under strict protection. The governor of Pinoro Prison, St. Mars, once received an instruction: “If he talks to you about any problems outside the scope of daily life, you will threaten him with execution.” In 1698, St. Mars was transferred to the Bastille. Mysterious prisoners were also transferred here, until 1704 (there is a saying is 1703) died in prison.
Almost everyone who reads this history will ask the same question: Who is he?
To be sure, this prisoner is not an ordinary person. Although he has lost his freedom in the Bastille, his board and lodging are not as bleak as shown in the movie. It should be said that the arrangement is comfortable and proper, and his usual clothes are also exceptionally beautiful. His shirt, luxurious coat, and face mask are also made of black velvet and whale bone. An old doctor in the prison described that although he often checked the tongue and other parts of the strange prisoner’s body, he had never seen his face. Slightly brown, he never complains about his situation. The most incredible thing is that the warden always stood respectfully and seldom sat down in front of him when talking to him.
Naturally romantic French literati will certainly not let go of such an attractive legend. In the works of Alexandre Dumas, the velvet mask has become an iron mask ("Viscount Bragelona", a continuation of this story has been emerging, Among them, "The Man in the Iron Mask" by the French writer Alexandre Dura is the most popular). Of course, filmmakers will not let go of such a wonderful novel. I probably made a statistics: the more influential film "The Man in the Iron Mask" ``There are a black and white version starring Douglas Van Punk in 1929, a 1939 Oscar nomination, a version directed by the famous horror film director James Wyler, a French version in 1962, and a French version in 1977 by Richard Chaberland. The starring British version (it should be a version familiar to Chinese movie audiences) and the 1998 American version starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Here, only a small comparison between the 1977 version and the 1998 version.
First look at the director: The director of the
1977 version is Mike Neville. In "The Man in the Iron Mask", he has a good grasp of the inner world of the characters. When watching a movie, he feels like reading a novel, that kind of strong literature. The breath is intoxicating, and what is lacking is probably not romantic enough. The whole movie does not look like a French story, but more like a British novel.
The director of the 1998 version is Randall Wallace. This film is his directorial debut. I admit that he is a very successful screenwriter. As far as the "Iron Mask" is concerned, he is very good at the rhythm of the film. It’s too bad to be in control. There is no focus at all, which makes the movie boring. It’s useful when sitting in the theater to watch it.
Then look at the screenwriter: The screenwriter of the
1977 version is William Bast, who is not familiar with it. In this movie, it should be said that he is relatively moderate and not much different from the novel.
The screenwriter of the 1998 version is director Randall Wallace, who has made great changes to the original work, but the story is well told. The only failure is that Da Tanan became the father of Philip and Louis under the wonderful pen of the screenwriter. Although the phrase "you are the one who has been wearing a mask" seems very touching, it is actually funny, because there is a legend that the man with the iron mask is the biological father of the French emperor Louis XIV. (Probably because he hasn't recovered from "Brave Heart" and continues the legend that the new emperor is not of the old emperor's blood.)
Let's take a look at the actors:
After all, the supporting roles of the 1977 version are not familiar to me after an era. Their performances should be said to be academic style. They can't find too many faults, but there are no overly stunning highlights. It is this kind of performance that highlights the performance of Richard Chaberland (I can’t find a clearer picture of "The Man in the Iron Mask" in 1977, and the still picture in the lower right corner of the picture is "Crystal Shoes and Cinderella"). His performance is full of tension, and his emotions are easy to retreat. One person plays two roles, but he really shows two completely different temperaments. At the same time, he is also very classical, which is very suitable for playing such complicated historical characters.
The 1998 version of the supporting role... (please allow me to sigh first)...
Jeremy Irons: Oscar, Golden Globe double actor, the comment given by Mtime.com is: "He is a mixture of sadness and madness and mysterious temperament. It's the right one." It's not bad. He is tall, thin, elegant, and his strong English accent is both righteous and evil under the husky and unruly voice.
John Malkovich: A low-key actor who rarely plays the leading role. His temperament is a bit erratic but expressive. Whether he is a bad guy or a bad guy, he can play well.
Gabriel Byrne: Majored in archeology in college. After graduation, he taught Spanish for four years. At this time, he began to study drama, and then joined the Theatre Royal in London to perform stage plays. His profound literary skills gave him a sense of history and performance. .
Gerard Depardieu: The first French film actor in the 1980s and 1990s, a strong "big nose lover".
Leonardo DiCaprio’s handsome face completely lost its brilliance under the cover of four acting actors. In fact, he is a good actor, and his performance in "The Man in the Iron Mask" is entirely due to being too young. , The understanding of the inner world of the characters is not deep enough, which makes it seem a bit frivolous. Of course, the supporting role is too strong is also the main reason.
The actresses in the two films are basically vases, so I won’t comment on them here.

There are impressive classic pieces in both versions of the movie.
1977 Edition: Philip became a prisoner from a farm boy, and was rescued from the Bastille by three musketeers. He began to memorize the genealogy and the ministerial list. There was a plot to learn fencing when he was learning royal etiquette, Richard Char. Berland showed Philip's ambivalence to the fullest, and at the same time, his vigorous skill really made the Chinese audience crazy at the time. The climax of the film is the exquisite stealth in the royal ball, which may seem unremarkable, but in fact the design is exquisite.
1998 edition: The four young comrades fought side by side again, and rushed to the Royal Guard desperately. When the smoke cleared, four side-by-side figures appeared in front of Louis (I’m really sorry, I would not be careful when I saw this. Ignoring the gray figure of the iron-faced man on the left side of the screen), the royal guards raised their swords and saluted. This fragment really allows the human body to understand the true meaning of the warrior.

I don't want to comment on which is better, I just want to say that the 1977 version is more literary, while the 1998 version is more legendary. Both versions of the movie are good movies!

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Extended Reading
  • Annabell 2022-03-23 09:01:42

    When I was a child, there was a channel dedicated to movies on the TV of my grandparents and my grandparents always played this, and the impression was very clear.

  • Brice 2022-04-24 07:01:05

    I watched the movie very early, and I didn't even know Leonardo when it arrived.

The Man in the Iron Mask quotes

  • [a rioting crowd throws rotten food at D'Artagnan; he draws his sword and slashes the fruit in mid-air, then skewers a tomato. The crowd is awed into silence. He bites the tomato, then grimaces and spits it out]

    D'Artagnan: You are right. It is rotten. I will speak to the King myself. You have my word.

  • [Porthos brings three wenches to Aramis' apartment, but they find him at prayer]

    Porthos: Sorry, my dears. You would have enjoyed it too. He's hung like a donkey.

    Wench: So are you.

    Porthos: Really? He's been asleep for so long, I've forgotten about him.