Sharper Than Ever
Tripwire’s editor-in-chief Joel Meadows takes a look at the restored 4K editions of Richard Lester’s The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers, out from today from StudioCanal…
The Three Musketeers
Director: Richard Lester
Stars: Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain, Michael York, Frank Finlay, Christopher Lee, Faye Dunaway, Geraldine Chaplin, Charlton Heston, Jean-Pierre Cassel
The Four Musketeers
Director: Richard Lester
Stars: Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain, Michael York, Frank Finlay, Christopher Lee, Faye Dunaway, Geraldine Chaplin, Charlton Heston, Jean-Pierre Cassel
Alexandre Dumas’ tale of 17th century adventure and court intrigue is one of the most filmed stories in cinema. Richard Lester, British director of two Beatles films (Help! And Hard Day’s Night) was brought in to helm these two films by producers the Salkinds after fellow Brit Tony Richardson refused them. So fifty years after the release of the Three Musketeers, StudioCanal has put out a 4K restored version of both movies. The first thing to point out is that these films were designed as two parts of a single story and while the producers got into hot water as they neglected to tell the cast that this was the case, they do hold up as one tale split into two.
The Three Musketeers introduces us to young Gascon D’Artagnan (York) who comes to Paris to seek his fortune and a place in the King’s Musketeers. He manages to enrage the three musketeers (Reed, Finlay and Chamberlain) but soon he is welcomed as one of their own. The French Queen, Anne (Chaplin) is besotted with English prime minister the Duke of Buckingham (Simon Ward) and the malevolent Cardinal Richelieu (Heston) is set on dispatching England’s political leader and besmirching the queen’s reputation. Assisting the cardinal in his dark mission is the duplicitous Milady DeWinter (Dunaway) and her evil lover Rochefort (Lee). So the musketeers find themselves in conflict with the cardinal as they strive to protect the Queen and her standing.
The Three Musketeers is a bawdy historical comedy film with a well-chosen cast. Oliver Reed as the moody alcoholic Athos, Frank Finlay as the preening Porthos and Richard Chamberlain as the pious Aramis are the perfect foil for Michael York’s well-meaning inexperienced figure. The rest of the cast are pitch perfect too: Christopher Lee as the lethal swordsman and Cardinal’s right-hand man Rochefort is wonderfully sinister while cats paw Milady (Dunaway) exudes malice from every pore. Rachel Welch shows that she has a capacity for light-hearted comedy here. Heston too is a revelation, wonderfully untrustworthy and with his own ambitions, he displays that he is a more versatile actor than people have given him credit for.
The Four Musketeers, shot at the same time as its progenitor, is a darker film with a tone to match. We do still have the derring do and the impressive sword fights but the plot is a nastier affair. Milady (Dunaway) seeks her revenge on the Queen’s dressmaker Constance (Welch) and the English prime minister Buckingham, which conveniently also fits neatly in with her paymaster Richelieu’s plans. The film also reveals that Athos has a dark connection to Milady, which fleshes out his backstory and explains why he became a musketeer. D’Artagnan is more of a supporting character here but he has now been welcomed by the other three musketeers. Reed is the epitome of onscreen cool here and Lee as the Cardinal’s puppet has never been more icily menacing than he is here.
The 4K restorations here give us a sumptuous and beautiful visual treat. Lester shot them in Spain and scenes like the sword fights and the quartet riding through the Spanish countryside are lent extra cinematic power thanks to these new versions.
The extras are a mixed bag: academic Neil Sinyard’s new two part video on the genesis and making of the two films is pretty fascinating as is the two part Saga Of The Musketeers that appears on both discs. The two trailers and the electronic press kit for the Three Musketeers feel fairly throwaway here.
Lester was an unusual choice for these films but he proved that he was an inspired one from the producers as he had the lightness of touch to bring Dumas’ story to the screen with an approach not seen before. Cinematographer David Watkin also brings an understated sense of beauty to both films.
Both the Three and The Four Musketeers are infectiously fun and entertaining with inventive casting and some of the most exciting sword fights ever witnessed in modern cinema. They deserve the restored treatment and for fans of both films, these 4K versions are an essential addition to their home cinema shelves.
Three Musketeers and Four Musketeers are out now on 4K restored Blu Ray and DVD from StudioCanal.
The post Tripwire Reviews The Three and Four Musketeers Restored For 4K appeared first on TRIPWIRE MAGAZINE.
Sharper Than Ever Tripwire’s editor-in-chief Joel Meadows takes a look at the restored 4K editions of Richard Lester’s The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers, out from today from StudioCanal… The Three Musketeers Director: Richard Lester Stars: Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain, Michael York, Frank Finlay, Christopher Lee, Faye Dunaway, Geraldine Chaplin, Charlton Heston,
The post Tripwire Reviews The Three and Four Musketeers Restored For 4K appeared first on TRIPWIRE MAGAZINE.Read MoreTRIPWIRE MAGAZINE