The Complete Musketeers (1974)

Outstanding adventure films!

I remember when this version of "The Three Musketeers" was due to be released in the 70's...it was promoted as being more realistic in the atmosphere, attire and weaponry use of the time depicted. It hits square on in all these areas! The more gritty atmosphere (along with the dirt and sweat!)is more realistic than the polished squeaky clean appearance of the actors in the earlier Three Musketeer movies. The use of daggers along with the swords in the fighting sequences and the physical exertion in the swordplay is also more accurately depicted. Oliver Reed, Michael York, Charleton Heston, Christopher Lee, Richard Chamberlain, Faye Dunaway, Raquel Welch...what a cast!!! a truly outstanding adventure/action film, a true classic! So much superior to the remake with Charlie Sheen and Keifer Sutherland. Get this set as the inclusion of The Four Musketeers makes it perfect! Five stars++++++! June 12, 2008

Influence on Star Wars?

Everything about these two movies is first rate. The production, direction, script, and performances deserve high praise. The music and locations are excellent.

These movies are a template for future adventure stores. They perfectly mix action, suspense, humor, and romance.

I think the producers intended to make two movies all along. They had a single script and must have known the relationship between script length and movie length. The two movies sometimes have parallel scenes. For example, in both movies the musketeers have meals under unusal circumstances. There are sword fights in unusual environments. The first movie has a sword fight at night in the woods. The combatants can barely see each other. The second movie has a sword fight on ice. The duelists often fall down. These scenes would have been redundant in a single, epic length picture.

The musketeers seem to have influenced the initial Star Wars movies:

1. D'Artagnon is a young man from the provinces who becomes the center of major events. Luke Skywalker is a young man from an outlier planet who becomes the center of major events.

2. The musketeers fight duels with swords. Star Wars uses light sabres.

3. In The Four Musketeers, D'Artagnon's hand is badly cut in a duel. In The Empire Strikes back, Luke loses a hand.

4. The musketeers mentor D'Artagnon. Obi Wan Kenobi and Yoda mentor Luke.

5. The Four Musketeers identifies a past relationship between two enemies. Ditto for The Empire Strikes Back.

6. The Three Musketeers ends with the king and queen presiding over a ceremony where D'Artagnons receives awards. Star Wars ends with the princess presiding over a ceremony where Luke and his colleagues receive awards.

7. The Four Musketeers is more serious than The Three Musketeers. The Empire Strikes Back is more serious than Star Wars.

What did George Lucas think of the musketeers?
April 20, 2008

Great movie

wasn't the one i was looking for when buying the dvd, but its was worth it, shame there only two to this set, i rather enjoy watching it and highly recomend for those who enjoy a musketeer movie. April 2, 2008

More Action, Less Plot - But Still Good

It's hard to say anything unkind about 'The 4 Musketeers', which I just saw and liked, though i'd say the first one ended more satisfactorily. 'The 3 Musketeers' could pretty much stand on it's own without the continuation of the saga, yet that saga does continue in part 2, 'The 4 Musketeers', in the same manner of elegance, 'Pythonesque' undertones, and dirty, yet chivalrous, brawling. If I had to criticize though, I'd say there seemed to be more fight sequences and less story in this one, or maybe just the story had not as many interesting elements as the first one. This time Raquel Welch (Constance) has been captured, while Faye Dunaway is dead set on having the her, D'Artagnon, and the king of England assassinated with the bishop's silent approval. Heston continues to do a great job as the bishop - I don't think I've seen him in a more likeable role than this (no kidding). He's multi-layered and subtle in his villainy - something I haven't come across in his acting in the few movies I've seen him in (where he usually just plays a macho guy). Raquelle Welch is less prominent than in the first, while Faye Dunaway spends much more time on screen - she does an incredible job as a steely hearted snake-woman in the service of 'the state' and her own private vendattas.

As for the dvd, it's a real shame there are no English subtitles. I should mention my dvd is a Japanese zone 2 version, which has subtitles in other languages, but not English. I find subtitles really bring the script out (and the story) especially in a movie like this where antiquated British English being muttered or spoken quickly gets muddled, and I find myself having to concentrate harder than I would if the words were there in front of me, i.e. subtitles - this movie, of any, should have them - even for native speakers!

'The 4 Musketeers' was a good movie and I had to see it after enjoying the first one so much. Still, part of the charm of the first one, and with more comic effect, was that D'Artagnan had to prove himself one of the musketeers - as being more than just a country oaf, that he was in fact a true swordsman with all the dignity and sense of 'honor' that was required (which was so perfectly taken to ridiculous proportions in the 'The 3 Musketeers'). As this has already been established when 'The 4 Musketeers' begins, what we are left with is a helluva lot of fight scenes which, while not bad (one in particular reminded me of Monty Python's 'the Holy Grail') also don't carry as much interest as the content of 'The 3 Musketeers'. All the characters are still their same likeable selves which will be fun for any fan of the first to see, but expect less than what you got in the first and you'll probably have more fun with this one. Of the two, 'The 4 Musketeers' is slightly darker, with Faye Dunaway's venomous intentions guiding much of the action and forming the plot. March 16, 2008

An Anchor Bay triumph!

Any fan of the Richard Lester version of the Musketeers needs this collection. I used to own the USA videotape version of these, and I remember the print of the VHS version being so dark in certain scenes as to be unwatchable.

Not the Anchor Bay set! Not only are the movies complete, you can't beat widescreen and restored! February 18, 2008

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