First things first. There are two movies: THE THREE MUSKETEERS and THE FOUR MUSKETEERS. The films were made together, but were cut into two films. Footage of Part One can be seen in the opening credits and the end of the film.
It was hard to tell who was on who's side. Why was the king so stupid? What was the cardinal trying to achieve? Why did Christopher Lee cave in to the cardinal and what was he trying to achieve with Milady? Why was she so evil? Why was there so much random slapstick? At times it looked like a Monty Python movie.
D'Artagnan and the Musketeers vs. Cardinal, Milady, Rochefort.
The film portrays that the upper class are idiots. That's why the king is stupid. France (under Richelieu) was at war with England (under Buckingham). La Rochelle is the remaining English fort in France. Richelieu wants it conquered without Buckingham coming to the rescue. Rochefort caves in to Richelieu because he is a servant/spy to the master, and must obey the master or else he will be killed off. Rochefort wanted revenge on D'Artagnan for events in the last film (D'Artagnan run him thru with his sword, and his servant rammed his head with a tree). It is never explained why Milady is so evil. The book never gives a cause; she is just plain evil.
And if you thought this film had slapstick, you should see the first film!!!
Why was Athos so brooding? Why was D'Artagnan so whiney and why were the musketeers so devoted to him? Why did the "musketeers" fight with swords? And if they were the king's musketeers, why weren't they under his command?
Athos is brooding because the woman he gave his heart to (Milady) turned out to be an evil woman. The betrayal traumatized him into the brooding drunkard he is now.
How is D'Artagnan whiney? The only times I would consider is (A) When he talks to his friends about Constance's kidnapping and (B) his pleading his friends to stop taking a rest and go save Constance. Considering what happens to her, I think D'Artagnan was justified.
The Musketeers are his friends. You don't get the 'All For One, One For All' motto do you?
Why do you say the King's Musketeers are not at his command? Didn't they rescue Rochefort by the King's command? Aren't they fighting the war for him?
Why was Raquel Welch in it? She was beautiful but looked out of place. If she was near top billing, why was she in so few scenes?
She had a bigger role in Part One. Again, you must remember this is part of two films. Your confusion would be similar to watching LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING without watching FELLOWSHIP OF THE RINGS and THE TWO TOWERS first.
Why were the musketeers remorseless killing ordinary people but so emotional over Milady's execution?
Maybe because the so-called ordinary people were (A) LaRochelian soldiers on the other side and thus the enemy and (B) henchmen of Milady and Rochefort and thus the enemy? All these 'ordinary people' were trying to kill the Musketeers. I think the Musketeers were justified in their self-defense.
From the scene, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis were rather stoic about Milady's execution. It was D'Artagnan who was emotional. And it happened in the book: our hero is a little wet behind the ears to see the execution of a lady, and almost tries to stop it before Athos warns him not to or else.
And how did they travel so fast between Paris, Le Rochelle, and England?
Movies don't give you the full length of a journey. They show a couple of scenes to simulate the span of time and space. Nothing in the film showed they went on warp speed or something. In fact, the travel scenes suggest time had passed.
reply
share
wllschlgr
10 years ago
Just watched The Four Musketeers (1974). In the film the Musketeers are killing French Huguenots in La Rochelle, France. My ancestors were French Huguenots so I didn't support what The Musketeers were doing. During a shoot out, a Musketeer by the name of Porthos asks the Musketeer next to him - "Why are we killing these Huguenots?" In case you didn't know the French Huguenots were being massacred (in France) by French Catholics so the surviving Huguenots fled to places like England and America. That is why the Industrial Revolution happened in England and not France.
reply
share
stanleyhetz
9 years ago
First things first. There are two movies: THE THREE MUSKETEERS and THE FOUR MUSKETEERS. The films were made together, but were cut into two films. Footage of Part One can be seen in the opening credits and the end of the film.
You never even got a response from the person whose questions you had answered. Even after all this time.
reply
share
rmanlius
9 years ago
StanleyHetz: Why should I respond? The answer was complete, and I had nothing else to say or add. What do you think would be appropriate? "Thank you"? What purpose would that serve on the Internet? This is a message board. No one tells me "thanks" when I answer their question and I don't expect them to either. I guess we're different.
reply
share
ScopeWatcher
9 years ago
Why should you respond, rmanilus? For the sake of simple courtesy. If you don't understand that about the world, it makes perfect sense that you even needed to ask your strictly entry-level questions about this one film's plot.
Most great films deserve a more appreciative audience than they get.
reply
share
stanleyhetz
9 years ago
Why should you respond, rmanilus? For the sake of simple courtesy. If you don't understand that about the world, it makes perfect sense that you even needed to ask your strictly entry-level questions about this one film's plot.
reply
share
stanleyhetz
9 years ago
StanleyHetz: Why should I respond? The answer was complete, and I had nothing else to say or add. What do you think would be appropriate? "Thank you"? What purpose would that serve on the Internet? This is a message board. No one tells me "thanks" when I answer their question and I don't expect them to either. I guess we're different.
I guess that we
are different.
reply
share
dannieboy20906
8 years ago
*shrug*
It's the internet (and now smart phone) age. The courtesies that we learned for in-person conversation, and the parallels that we use in written correspondence sometimes do not translate well to 'bulletin boards.' Also, the bulletin boards are much more impersonal. Consequently, younger generations simply disregard the rules of courtesy that many of us learned growing up.
I agree with you, Stanley, as well as the other poster who replied to the guy trying to be a Vulcan. But I also try to consider the situation and I sometimes forget some of the courtesies myself.
I commend your efforts to educate.
The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank.
reply
share