BY RAY E. LIPINSKI

1998 was a great year for movies. There were box office hits like Armageddon, Shakespeare in Love, and Saving Private Ryan that became overnight successes. There were movies like The Big Lebowski and The Truman Show that were the underdogs but surprisingly did well and now have a cult following… and then there’s The Man in the Iron Mask. The one movie that was an expected, guaranteed win, but fell miserably below profit expectations, did not make it in the top ten movie list for 1998 and scored a 32% on Rotten Tomatoes. I kind of agree. Don’t get me wrong, it had all the ingredients for an Oscar win. Everyone loves historical drama, lots of action, bold costumes and an impeccable star-studded cast. “Pride goeth before a fall” and that’s exactly what happened with The Man in the Iron Mask. At the time Leonardo de Caprio (playing King Louis XIV of France and his imprisoned twin Philippe) was one of the hottest stars in Hollywood. Coming off the global success of Titanic just a year before playing the heartthrob hero Jack Dawson, audiences, especially 15-year-old girls, couldn’t get enough of him. Leo was young, on fire, had proven himself with movies like What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and Romeo and Juliet (one of his best performances), but he was thrown into the cinematic ring of Hollywood greats and got clobbered. Cast opposite Leo was Jeremy Irons (Aramis), John Malcovitch (Athos), Gabriel Byron (D’Artagnan), Gerard Depardieu (Porthos), Hugh Laurie (Pierre, royal advisor) and many other seasoned actors that simply overshadowed Leo to titanic proportions. 

While playing the dual, lead role as the evil king of France and his imprisoned twin, mask wearing, peasant brother was impressive, it could not stand up to the over-the-top presence of the four musketeers diving into action at the beginning of the movie. The first scene we see of Louis is him talking with his advisors over war strategies trying to establish authority and a menacing character, and it just falls flat. Unfortunately for Leo that vibe sticks with the audience for the rest of the movie. Another issue: Leo is only 5” 9’ in height. Literally everyone else in the cast is taller than him. So much for an intimidating kingly presence. While you have the vibrant characters of the four musketeers, each with their own side story, you have this small whiney king that you really can’t take seriously. Even the king’s mother, played by the amazing Bridgette Auber, and Athos’ son, played by Peter Sarsgaard, had side stories that were more exciting. Poor Leo just doesn’t get a break. When we see his twin brother Phillippe free from the iron mask, the audience now has to listen to another character that is still overshadowed by every other cast member. So, there you have it; for an actor and a character that was supposed to be the anchor of the movie, that anchor sank miserably to the bottom.

What did the movie get right? Costuming and cinematography! The exuberant, flamboyant wardrobe of late seventeenth-century France was displayed all across the screen with glorious fervor from the opening sequence to the end credits. There is a fabulous masked ball scene where each character is decked out in royal splendor that makes the whole movie pop. Bold reds, shimmering yellows, bedazzling blues and golds and sparkling greens makes you wish you could transport back to Versailles for just a little bit and hang out with these colorful characters. Did I mention the absolutely cool musketeers’ outfits? Simply badass, the four musketeers are like the James Deans of the seventeenth century. I know what I’m wearing to my next Halloween party!

Perhaps the greatest strength of The Man in the Iron Mask would be the location sequences. Filmed entirely in France using three different chateaus, the movie captures the grandeur and elegance of the French nobility at its best. At the same time the viewer gets to experience a visual menagerie of beautiful gardens, picturesque forests and rolling, lush countrysides, that are truly a testament to the beauty of France.

Overall, The Man in the Iron Mask was a good movie, what I call a “popcorn” movie. Highly entertaining, one that you watch with a bucket of popcorn in one hand and a box of Milk Duds in another from beginning to end with a big smile on your face. One for all and all for one! 

About the Author:

Ray Lipinski is a writer for Friendship & Fairydust and lives with his partner in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a Chapter Leader for the Celtic Facebook group, Real Men Wear Kilts. Watch his podcast, Reel Reviews with Ray!, every other Tuesday for upcoming movie, book and TV reviews.