At The Movies: The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan
Of all the “Super Heroes” stories ever put to celluloid, The Three Musketeers story must surely have been filmed the most. The first known film production of the 1844 novel by Alexandre Dumas was way back in 1903, a French production of which little is known. There have been over 30 movies about the famous three (and on occasions, four) musketeers since, which leads us to this, the latest production, The Three Musketeers; D’Artagnan, also from France.
Set in the early seventeenth century kingdom of France, the opening instalment D’ARTAGNAN (yes there is a follow up film coming very soon) follows a spirited young swordsman, Charles D’Artagnan (François Civil), on his journey from Gascony to Paris to join the King’s elite Musketeers of the Guard. Along the way, he narrowly escapes death whilst heroically saving a woman from being kidnapped. In his efforts to enlist, D’Artagnan manages to offend the sensibilities of three of the most formidable Musketeers in the ranks, Athos (Vincent Cassel), Porthos (Pio Marmaï) and Aramis (Romain Duris
But D’Artagnan soon wins them over, and his dedication to help his newfound friends and serve King Louis XIII (Louis Garrel) will lead him not only into the path of the mysterious Milady de Winter (Eva Green) and the Queen’s consort Constance (Lyna Khoudri), but the heart of a conspiracy where the future of the nation itself is at stake…
D’Artagnan reminded me in some ways of the Saturday Matinee movies of the 1960’s, lots of action, comedy and tense moments. Will the hero survive? However, this film is on a far grander scale than any of those from last century.
The sets, costumes and settings are lavish and authentic. From dirty dungeons to the extravagant castles, everything looked seventeenth century. You really feel you are part of this setting. The action is daring, sword fights are accurate, but not overly violent. Just a lot of good fun.
The acting is outstanding and charming. There are no “over the top” performances one may expect from this type of film.
It is easy to see why this was France’s biggest box-office success of 2023. Director Martin Bourboulon’s magnificent production – lavishly produced with a budget of over €70 million – is both respectful of its source but enriched with contemporary touches; the film is chock-full of humour, romance, palace intrigue and pulse-pounding action.
This could well be the best one hundred and twenty minutes you spend watching a movie this year. It is that good. But like the good Saturday Matinees of years gone by, it ends with a cliffhanger. The Three Musketeers: Part 2 – Milady will follow within weeks of the release of this one.
Movie Review by Geoff Jenke
The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan at Palace Nova Cinema’s from 16 May 2024. There is a special Double Feature presentation with both movies on May 19th.
Rating M
