THE FOUR MUSKETEERS
UK, 1974, 103 Minutes, Colour.
Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain, Michael York, Frank Finlay, Faye Dunaway, Charlton Heston, Simon Ward, Christopher Lee, Geraldine Chaplin. Jean- Pierre Cassell.
Directed by Richard Lester.
The Four Musketeers: those who enjoyed the lavish goonery and parody of The Three Musketeers may find their enthusiasm dampened by the rather more sombre tone of this sequel. While there are traces of the madcap adventures, they are not as funny as before; and the film ends with several deaths. Michael York's boyish D' Artagnan is still central, but Faye Dunaway's Milady comes into prominence as the focus of the film as does Christopher Lee's Rochefort. There is pathos in Oliver Reed's musketeer and his relationship to Milady and more humour in Frank Finlay's Porthos. Perhaps they only way to assess the value of this film is to see it on a double-programme with its predecessor.
1. Did this film stand up as a separate film from its predecessor? How did it stand as a separate film? How did it stand in the light of The Three Musketeers?
2. Was any change of style discernible in the second part? Comment on the similarities and differences in style, cinematic technique, thematic treatment?
3. The film was sombre in its plot and style. How was this different from the first part? Is this due to the original or from the conception of this film?
4. Comment on the different emphases of adventure between the Queen's necklace and the revenge of Milady?
5. The shift in prominence of characters in the second part; the emphasis on Milady, Rochefort, Athos? The role of D' Artagnan as compared with the early adventures?
6. The importance of the characterization of Milady? The picturing of her ambitions. the relationship with Rochefort, the bloodthirstiness of their approach to life and politics?
7. The importance of the revelation that Athos was married to Milady? The importance of the flashbacks and the pathos Athos' story? The evocation of audience feeling against Milady? The importance of Milady's fleeing to the convent, her murder of Constance, her own execution? The justice of this execution?
8. The picturing of the naive D' Artagnan in this web of feeling and deceit? His forgetting of Constance, his fascination with Milady, his use of Kitty? His disillusionment with himself?
9. The emphasis on Constance as victim of Milady? Audience sympathy for her?
10. The atmosphere of war and politics in Richelieu’s France? The role of the King and Queen? The disillusionment of ambitions?
11. The presentation of the Musketeers and their adventures? The continued element of parody, the exaggerated mock-heroic? How humorous? How did it tie in with the sombre attitude of this film?
12. How good an achievement in presenting the popular Dumas, story? The achievement of this film in the light of its predecessor?
