6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The story of Louis XIV of France and his attempts to keep his identical twin brother, Philippe, imprisoned and out of the public's sight and knowledge. Philippe is rescued by the aging Musketeer, D'Artagnan, who has joined forces with Minister Colbert to place him on the throne.
Starring: Richard Chamberlain, Patrick McGoohan, Louis Jourdan, Jenny Agutter, Ian HolmAdventure | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The works of Alexandre Dumas were very good to actor Richard Chamberlain in the Seventies. After starring as musketeer Aramis in Richard Lester's The Three Musketeers (1973) and its sequel, The Four Musketeers: Milady's Revenge (1974), Chamberlain created a memorable Edmund Dantes in a 1975 TV version of The Count of Monte Cristo, which has just been released on Blu-ray by Timeless Media Group. Two years later, he starred in one of many film adaptations of the final volume in Dumas's Musketeer Trilogy, The Vicomte de Bragelonne, which was first made as a silent film with Douglas Fairbanks in 1929 called The Iron Mask. Most later versions have been called The Man in the Iron Mask, including the 1998 film written and directed by Randall Wallace and starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Chamberlain's 1977 version is often treated as a TV movie, because that's how it was seen in America, but it was released theatrically in Europe and had a first-rate cast and professional production values that lifted it well above the era's typical TV fare. The director was Mike Newell, who has since become known for such features as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Donnie Brasco and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Specialty publisher Hen's Tooth Video has elected to treat The Man in the Iron Mask as a film and release it in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio seen in European theaters. The results are impressive. William Bast, a prolific screenwriter and also a close friend and the first biographer of James Dean, wrote the adaptation from Dumas' novel. If you only know the DiCaprio film, this one will come as a surprise. Bast made much greater departures from the original story, largely eliminating the role of the musketeers, except for D'Artagnan, and refocusing the narrative on the competing plots and schemes between factions loyal and opposed to King Louis XIV. The core of the film becomes Chamberlain's convincing performances in the dual roles of Louis and his twin brother, Philippe, who, at the outset, has no idea that he's royalty.
The Man in the Iron Mask was shot by David Lean's favorite cinematographer, three-time Oscar winner Freddie Young (Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, Ryan's Daughter), who knew how to photograph period films. Hen's Tooth's 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray is something of a revelation if, like me, you have only seen The Man in the Iron Mask in a TV broadcast. (As far as I know, it has not been released on region 1 DVD.) The image is sharp and colorful, revealing detail in the period costumes and decor and the various locations (some French, some English substituting for France) beyond anything that American audiences have ever seen. Facial expressions, skin textures, hair and the elaborate wigs favored by the nobility are all readily discernable. Colors are vivid, and the palette can be both bright and pastel, depending on the context. A low level of video noise can be observed from time to time, but it's minor and not intrusive. Better that than the indiscriminate application of noise reduction technology that might diminish or smear the detail. The grain structure appears to be natural and undisturbed by digital tampering. The average bitrate is a respectable 24.00 Mbps, and compression artifacts were not an issue.
The film's original mono soundtrack is presented as lossless DTS-HD MA 2.0, with identical left and right front channels, and it's an odd mix. The dialogue and the score by Allyn Ferguson (who also scored Chamberlain's The Count of Monte Cristo) play at normal volume, but many of the sound effects are so quiet as to be almost non-existent. Notable examples occur in the opening sequence, when Phillipe is seized by D'Artagnan's men. Their pounding on the farmhouse door and stomping through the house are so muted and lacking in resonance that the viewer may think the volume is too low. It isn't; the sounds just aren't there. Later, in a key sequence, Phillipe is grazed by a bullet. The firing is seen, but the shot is virtually silent. Since many other sound effects are audible throughout the film, one must conclude that these omissions are deliberate, but they are puzzling nonetheless. Also detracting from the sound quality is the muddy reproduction of Ferguson's score. The instruments are not distinct, and the top end in particular sounds "blurred". This appears to be inherent in the original recording and not a fault of the Blu-ray, but given the track's numerous shortcomings and its overall lack of dynamic range, and absent a master tape for comparison, I cannot give it high marks.
The disc contains no extras, unless one counts the included DVD.
There really was a man in the iron mask (in reality, a hood of black cloth), who was held in the Bastille and other jails, but his identity has never been clearly established. The French philosopher Voltaire was the first writer to theorize that the mystery man was Louis XIV's brother, and Dumas invented most of the rest. The results have proven irresistible to filmmakers, and no doubt other versions will be made in the future. Chamberlain's version is unique for the richness of its dual characterization and the high-toned archness of its supporting performances—and the period costumes of the Sun King's court are eye candy on Blu-ray. Hen's Tooth has unearthed another gem. Recommended, despite the weakness of the original soundtrack.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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