Best of all

André-7

Every subsequent version of the Dumas tale make this one seem better and better and best of all.

With its companion piece, THE FOUR MUSKETEERS, it depicts its own period (the revisionist seventies with all its questioning of authority, its humour, its openness to sex, its sense of deconstructionalism and fun, its topsy-turvy-ness...) while managing to be one of the most faithfull to the general plot of the book.

Noteworthy: Charleton Heston brings depth and humanity to Richelieu, elevating him above the role of stock villain. Same for Christopher Lee.

William Hobbes does a masterful job in making each sword fight contextual and different from the others while giving each of the principal characters his own style of fighting. Athos, the classically trained, very loyal fighter, D'Artagnan, the slickest, most accomplished and creative fighter, Porthos, the least talented sswordfighter of the group who overpowers his adversaries by brute force, or when necessary by using whatever props happen to be handy, and Aramis, the impulsive, emotional, dirty little street fighter.

score 9/10

André-7 28 February 2002

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0138742/