History Buffs: The Man in the Iron Mask

Let's take a look at the mysterious legend of The Man in the Iron Mask!

[blampfno]

My favorite memory of this movie is standing in line at some fast food place and listening to a dude in front of me complain to his friend about how he waited the whole movie for the mask to have powers and it never happened. Something like "Man, that mask didn't do nothin'. It was just some old-time movie!"

[merphul]

Hehe I always loved the accents in this movie full of Frenchmen.

DiCaprio doing an American accent, Depardieu doing a French accent, Irons with an English accent and Malkovich doing a Malkovich accent.

[SkepticalChris]

I love how the French royal court is full of english accents and the king sounds like he's from Los Angeles.

[Rystefn]

Aramis was a priest in the books, too. Like 80% or more of his entire character is the tension between him being a priest and him being a swashbuckler.

[Laulo]

I've heard that the man in the iron mask was actually just a common prisoner and that his guard (Bénigne Dauvergne de Saint-Mars) asked him to wear the mask so that it would make him look like he was in charge of a very important prisoner

[jamesmaybrick]

I can't see Hugh Laurie in a wig and period costume without expecting Edmund Blackadder to make an appearance. Maybe he was the man in the mask....

[HistoryBuffs]

Sorry guys, due to my dyslexia I misread the word at 1:20, its "vicomte" the french word for viscount not victim🤦‍♂

[SubduedPenguin]

"Riots?, But Paris is the most beautiful city in the world" Bit of very early foreshadowing there Louis

[nunyabidness]

I love that Hugh Laurie was allowed to play his role in this seriously. For certain it comes as a refreshing change from Blackadder

[hannahestes]

I think the movie's ending is a paralell universe where the twin DOES get on the throne and does all that stuff. But because that's another universe, we're in the one where Louis wins and parties until he dies

[GiraffeFeatures]

I've LOVED this movie ever since I was a kid, not necessarily for historical reasons but because I just really enjoyed it, haven't seen it in YEARS, this is a completely unexpected nostalgia hit and I can't thank you enough for it Mr Hodges!

[zigzgshodzixhoxohxh]

Nick’s coming out with upload after upload and I’m here for all of it.

[nathanielgreer]

There is a 3 Musketeers movie from the 1970’s where the guy who played the Skipper on Gillian’s Island played Porthos. Apparently his Dad had played Porthos in a black and white movie and it was a life long aspiration of him to follow in his footsteps. I don’t know who his agent was but they must have been incredible to get him that role after he was typecast as the Skipper.

[williamkline]

One thing that’s usually left out of the basic analysis of Louis boy’s life is that the pomp and parties weren’t just their for his enjoyment. Nobles would have to spend lavishly, many impoverishing themselves in the process, and travel to Versailles instead of Paris surrounded by the kings men to garner favor with the king. Louis spent his childhood threatened by his nobles and he built a way to keep them dependent and incapable of rebellion. But great solutions have a nasty way of backfiring from time to time.

[ukmediawarrior]

I love this movie. It's about as historically accurate as Bill and Ted movies, but it has good action, great characters and the ending always brings a tear to the eye.

[eileen_a_b]

I weirdly like that everyone just spoke in their own accent. It adds to the fantasy aspect. I actually admire the movie more, knowing the true history behind it.

[-NateTheGreat]

I think this is one of Leo's best films in his early career. I love this movie and the cast.

[cezar]

The costumes are beautiful in this movie. Lots of near exact reproductions of what Louis wears in his portraits

[Gol_D_Rogr]

This was my grandma's favorite movie, she passed a little while ago and watching this brought fourth a flood bittersweet memories. Not your intention but thank you

[MegaKnight]

Not a historical gripe, but it was always problematic that D'Artagnan defended the tyrant Louis purely because he was his son. Once he finds out he has a spare, a more moral spare, he turns on his tyrranical son. That and he doesn't turn on Louis because of the countless wrongs the king's committed against his own people and D'Artagnan's friends, but the wrongs Louis committed against D'Artagnan's other son.