THE THREE MUSKETEERS: D’ARTAGNAN
Cert ★★★★★
15 In cinemas now
There have been at least 40 big-screen adaptations of Alexandre Dumas’s 1844 novel and none of them explain why the heroes call themselves musketeers. As we’ve barely had a glimpse of a musket, shouldn’t they be called the three swordteers?
Finally, we have a version that justifies its title. We hear our first, terrifying boom of gunfire in the thrilling opening sequence of the first film in this lavish two-part French production. It’s the year
1627 and François Civil’s d’artagnan is riding to Paris to sign up for the king’s elite guard when he gets caught up in a scrap in a rain-lashed courtyard.
As the young swordsman slashes his way through a gang of murderous goons, bodies start falling to the boom of an unseen firearm.
The dangerous new weapon raises the stakes. For once, we’re unsure if all the old-fashioned swashbuckling will prevail.
This shadowy incident links to a plot involving the Queen of France (Vicky Krieps), King Louis XIII (Louis Garrel), sultry spy Milady (Eva Green) and her scheming boss Richelieu (Eric Ruf).
After teaming up with the titular trio – troubled Athos
(Vincent Cassel), womanising Aramis (Romain Duris) and boozy Porthos (Pio Marmai) – the charismatic d’artagnan is plunged into an international conspiracy.
If you’ve read the book or seen any of the previous versions (Dogtanian And The Three Muskehounds included), you should be familiar with the plot.
But a clever script adds new depth to the divisions between Protestants and Catholics and tense relations between France and Britain.
It’s witty, tense and the fights are thrillingly staged. The action is so intense, I’m counting the sleeps until part two at Christmas.
The second part, featuring the Siege of Rochelle, is scheduled to be this year’s festive treat.