The Three Musketeers (1993)
The film is loosely based on the 1844 novel The Three Musketeers (Les Trois Mousquetaires) by Alexandre Dumas. It recounts the adventures of d'Artagnan on his quest to join the three title characters in becoming a musketeer. However, this adaptation simplifies and alters the story.
The Three Musketeers (1993)
In 1625, young-but-skilled fencer d'Artagnan sets off for Paris, France in hopes to follow in his murdered father's footsteps and become a member of the musketeers: the personal guard of the King of France. He is pursued by Gérard and his brothers, accused of blemishing their sister's honor. Meanwhile, Captain Rochefort of the Cardinal's Guards disbands the musketeers per the orders of Cardinal Richelieu, the King's Minister, ostensibly to help fight in an impending war with England. Rochefort informs Richelieu that three musketeers refused to relinquish their duties: Athos, Porthos, and Aramis.
In Paris, d'Artagnan "rescues" the queen's handmaidens from their own bodyguards, and after a scolding, takes a liking to one, Constance. In the city d'Artagnan encounters each of the Three Musketeers separately, unaware of their identities or association, resulting in a separate duel arranged with each. At the arranged location, Athos, Porthos and Aramis reveal themselves as musketeers to d'Artagnan's surprise. Before they can duel, a Captain of the Cardinal's Guard arrives with four other guards to arrest the musketeers; although d'Artagnan is not sought by the guards, he allies with the musketeers during the skirmish. The Musketeers kill four guards, while d'Artagnan outduels the Captain, who falls to his death. Impressed but displeased at d'Artagnan's involvement, the musketeers leave d'Artagnan behind after encouraging him to flee and maintain his innocence. When more of the Cardinal's Guards arrive, d'Artagnan is captured.
D'Artagnan escapes his cell and eavesdrops on a conversation between Richelieu and the mysterious Milady de Winter, where the Cardinal plots to supplant the King, tasking Milady with delivering a secret treaty to England's Duke of Buckingham. D'Artagnan is caught by Rochefort without having seen Milady's face. Richelieu orders him executed for refusing to give up the musketeers' location, but he is saved by the musketeers. As they flee, d'Artagnan reveals Richelieu's plans; they decide to intercept the spy at Calais and retrieve the treaty to prove Richelieu's guilt.
During a skirmish, the party splits up; d'Artagnan rides ahead to Calais, but passes out from exhaustion and is found by Milady de Winter. He wakes in a bed stripped of his weapons and clothes as Milady tries to seduce him. d'Artagnan speaks openly of his plans, not knowing she is the spy. She attempts to kill him, but he convinces her to keep him alive. As her party boards the boat to England, they are confronted by the musketeers. Milady attempts to run away but is stopped by Athos, who is revealed to have been her first husband, but betrayed her to the authorities when he found out she was branded a murderer. The musketeers retrieve the treaty and Milady is sentenced to death for the murder of her second husband, Lord de Winter; just before she is executed, Athos begs her forgiveness. Moved, she reveals the Cardinal's plans to assassinate the king at his birthday celebration, then throws herself off a cliff to her death.
Athos, Porthos and Aramis send missives to rally the rest of the musketeers. Richelieu and Rochefort hired a sharpshooter; during the assembly, d'Artagnan interrupts the sniper's shot, which narrowly misses the king. The musketeers reveal themselves, and Richelieu blames them for the attempted assassination.
As the three face off with the Cardinal's guards, men rush to their aid and reveal themselves as musketeers. The two forces battle as Richelieu takes the king and queen hostage, shooting Aramis in the chest before fleeing to the dungeon with Athos and Porthos in pursuit. d'Artagnan duels Rochefort and is disarmed; as Rochefort gloats about having killed d'Artagnan's father, Constance retrieves and throws him his sword and d'Artagnan promptly kills Rochefort.
The musketeers are reinstated by the king, and d'Artagnan is offered anything he wants; he chooses to serve Louis as a musketeer. Outside the musketeer headquarters, Gérard and his brothers arrive and challenge d'Artagnan to a duel; Porthos reminds him that musketeers not only protect King and country, but also each other. Gérard and his brothers are then chased off by the entire musketeer division.
In 1992 Walt Disney Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and TriStar Pictures simultaneously began development on three separate adaptations of The Three Musketeers. Disney purchased a screenplay for the film from David Loughery for $650,000 after he had already been hired to write the screenplay of the Columbia adaptation, and Columbia producer Brad Wyman accused Disney of stealing concepts which were its intellectual property. The matter was settled out of court, and the Columbia adaptation was cancelled. The TriStar adaptation was to be written by Joel Gross and directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik, and was to be more adult-oriented and faithful to Alexandre Dumas' original novel than the Disney version.[3]
Filming locations included Charlestown, Cornwall, UK, and Castle Landsee (Burgenland); Burg Liechtenstein, Maria Enzersdorf, Hinterbrühl, Korneuburg (Lower Austria); and Vienna (particularly Hofburg) in Austria. Some sequences were shot in Cornwall, UK. A small woods called Golitha Falls was used in one sequence when the musketeers are being pursued by guards. The small harbor village of Charlestown is home to the galleon that was used in a night-shoot.[4]
The movie draws on the same sources as the several earlier versions of the story. We learn that the musketeers are sworn to defend the king, and that the evil Cardinal Richelieu has disbanded them as part of his evil scheme to grab control of France. But three musketeers refuse to lay down their colors and retire. Their names, as schoolboys used to know, are Aramis (Charlie Sheen), Athos (Kiefer Sutherland) and Porthos (Oliver Platt). And to their number is added a fourth volunteer, the eager young D'Artagnan, played by Chris O'Donnell (warm from his success as a different kind of apprentice in "Scent Of A Woman").
All I can testify is, I didn't much care. The movie was behavior, not acting. Nobody on either side of the camera seemed to take the story and characters seriously. Yes, I know it's basically a comic adventure, but even so, look at the Bond pictures, which have the courage of their lack of conviction. Of the musketeers, the one who was convincing was Oliver Platt's Porthos. The others, who can all be fine actors in the right role, didn't seem comfortable in the period, the costumes, the action, or the story.
The Three Musketeers is a 1993 film about three Musketeers - Athos, Porthos, and Aramis - who, after the Musketeers are disbanded, join a young would-be-Musketeer, D'Artagnan, to stop the Cardinal Richelieu's evil plot: kill King Louis and form an alliance with England by way of the mysterious Milady DeWinter.
The Three Musketeers is a 1993 film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and very loosely based on the novel The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. It stars Chris O'Donnell as d'Artagnan, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen and Oliver Platt as the three Musketeers, Michael Wincott as Rochefort, Tim Curry as the Cardinal Richelieu, and Rebecca De Mornay as Milady de Winter.
D'Artagnan (Chris O'Donnell) is a young wannabe Musketeer who arrives just as the famous group is disbanded. His quick temper soon draws the ire of three of the group's most famous members: Porthos, Athos, and Aramis (in order, Oliver Platt, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen). Just before they all duel, d'Artagnan ends up helping the Musketeers fend off an evil cardinal's guard. Alliances follow along with witty banter, wanton wenches, and heroic sacrifices.
Young d'Artagnan comes to Paris with one goal - to avenge his father's death. When he demands a duel with the man who killed his father, he meets three women who are musketeers Athos, Porthos and Aramis. These three women are the only women among the Musketeers, which is not well received by many, as the Musketeers are traditionally made up of only noblemen. Thanks to the fact that these women also work at the court of Louis XIII, they are protected by the king's favour. D'Artagnan teams up with them and together they must defend the good name of France while dealing with intrigue at the royal court.
Follow D'Artagnan on his journey to become a musketeer like his father, but there are many obstacles in the way. For example, the musketeers have disbanded? What will he do now? How can he, a poor boy, make a difference in the conflict arising?
A Disney-ized retelling of Dumas' classic swashbuckling story of three swordsmen of the disbanded French king's guard plus one young man who dreams to become one of them, who seek to save their King from scheming Cardinal Richelieu. Jokes and stunts are the expected fare in this light-hearted and jaunty adventure.
Many musketeers at the film's beginning are seen turning in their Wheellock Muskets as they are disbanded. A Wheellock Musket is seen being used in an assassination attempt on King Louis (Hugh O'Conor), but is thwarted by D'Artagnan (Chris O'Donnell).
Upon reaching Paris, the headstrong D'Artagnan has a series of chance physical encounters with these same three musketeers, resulting in D'Artagnan accepting a duel with each one that very day. D'Artagnan arrives at the Ruins for his first duel and, much to his surprise, Athos, Porthos and Aramis reveal themselves as musketeers. But before the duels can commence, the captain of the cardinal's guard appears with orders to arrest the resistant musketeers. Although D'Artagnan himself is not under arrest, he joins the three musketeers in the ensuing skirmish, implicating himself with them. Displeased (but still impressed) by D'Artagnan's involvement, the three musketeers leave D'Artagnan behind. More of the Cardinal's guards, led by Rochefort, arrive and D'Artagnan is captured. 041b061a72