The Three Musketeers

There are very few films (not to mention adventure films) that I watch with as much enthusiasm as Lester's Musketeer films, every time they are on screen. The reason is simple – a great cast that has created a sparkling interplay of good (especially the four unforgettable faces in blue cloaks with white crosses) and evil (Rochefort-Richelieu-de Winter, a threesome of villains whose sophistication and charm are unmatched), and the fantastically light-footed and imaginative choreography of the fights, a beautiful set design, a very kind irony with regard to Dumas' masterpiece and, above all – magic. The amazing, beautiful and captivating charm of the friendship of four great men, who believe in the principle of “one for all and all for one". The essence of adventure movies, the essence of "chivalry". In short, Richard Lester did a great job filming it and gave the film the appropriate pace and poetics, which most certainly not everyone is capable of. In the end, these are definitely the best film Musketeers and this is one of the best adventure films of all time. Perennial. (22/07/2004)

I read Dumas's famous novel at the age of 13 and even then, at a boyish age when I had only a limited knowledge of historical facts, it seemed extremely naive and overly romanticizing to me. It was simply a consumable reading material for the readers of that time, and despite Dumas's undeniable craftsmanship and ability to create sympathetic characters, I would seek literary qualities of that era elsewhere. Even then, I felt that I perceived Dumas's work differently than the classic author intended. Cardinal Richelieu was by far the most likable character to me, who, among those irresponsible rascals, womanizers, drunkards, and undisciplined mercenaries, as well as foolishly infatuated young ladies, tried as almost the only one to govern public affairs, politics, and protect national interests. Over the years, I had the opportunity to watch four film adaptations, among which Lester's stands out with its grandeur and successful casting. It balances out the mediocrity of the source material with irony and parodic treatment. But even so, I consider it only tolerable, in the style of a one-eyed man among the blind, and what bothers me the most is, as I mentioned, the source material itself. I admit that I couldn't have imagined Michael York as D'Artagnan until I watched it, but he dealt with the role excellently. The humorous exaggeration did not always resonate with me, and I would have preferred the sword fights to be more in the spirit of adventure and romance. Overall impression: 50%. (29/08/2018)