Tuesday, 25 October 2016

THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1973)

Featuring: Oliver Reed; Richard Chamberlain; Michael York; Frank Finly

Director: Richard Lester

Time for a few more golden oldies. Over the years there were numerous film versions made of this classic Alexandre Dumas novel; at least ten according to imdb.com. But of all these, for many, this British adaptation stands out from the rest.

It tells the familiar story of the secret love affair between the queen of France and the Duke of Buckingham; of the scheming Cardinal Richelieu, bent on exposing her infidelities to her husband, the king and of the gallant endeavor by young D'Artagnan, aided by his three musketeer friends Arthos, Porthos and Aramis to save her honor.

What makes this edition of this story so special is its ability to transfer the tongue-in-the-cheek humor of the book to the big screen. From the almost comical swash-buckling confrontations between the musketeers and the Cardinal's guards to the amusing romantic shenanigans by all and sundry, one tends to sit with a big grin on one's face throughout the movie. And then, of cause, there is the all star cast that seems to pull it all off so effortlessly. Well worth watching, I rate it 3 out of 5 stars.

Trailer link:  
 
 Oliver Reed, Michael York, Richard Chamberlain and Frank Finly

Next time we'll take a look at the sequel: The Four Musketeers  

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