Alexander Dumas' The Three Musketeers
Directed by Alfonso Cuaron
Released in Theaters in Two Parts.
Cast:
d'Artagnan - Gaspard Ulliel
Athos - Samuel Le Bihan
Porthos - Jean-Marc Barr
Aramis - Vincent Cassel
Captain Treville - Jean Rochefort
Cardinal de Richelieu - Jean Reno
Louis XIII - Clement Sibony
Queen Anna - Olga Kurylenko
Duke of Buckingham - Paul Bettany
Milady - Monica Bellucci
Constance - Eva Green
Rochefort - Clive Owen
Kitty - Christina Ricci
Lord De Winter - Christian Bale
Unlike the previous films of the same (or similar names) this movie won't be a bastardization to Dumas' masterpiece - a faithful telling combining engaging sword fights, epic battles and 19th Century Politics.
Cuaron's direction can treat this story with respect, as well as creating an exciting and enjoyable film. Since the book is a French national treasure, I have cast French actors in the roles of the Musketeers as well as the King. The film will be filmed in English, but also dubbed by the original actors in French (any facial close ups filmed in both English and French). The biggest difference from novel to film would be the removal of the Muskteers servants.
The film would be PG-13.
Part I would be released in March, Part II in November. DVD would be released after Part II and include both films together.
Total Run Time would near 5 hours.
Budget 60 Million Dollars
The Plot:
Part I
The movie tells the tale of young d'Artagnan who leaves his family in Gascony to seek his dream of joining the King's Musketeer, a letter from his father to his old friend Treville being his most important possession. On his journey he runs into a mysterious stranger (later revealed to be Rochefort) who renders d'Artagnan unconscious and stealing his letter. d'Artagnan, as upset by his wounded pride as he is with the theft of his letter vows revenge.
Continuing on his journey, the natural swords men impresses three friends, and Musketeers, he meets. After helping them defeat a group of the Cardinal's guards he learns of the rivalry between the Kings and Cardinals men - matching the subtle fight for power in the country itself.
Young King Louis and his Austrian bride, Anna, have a difficult relationship - leading Anna to begin flirting with the Duke of Buckingham. All the while England and France are on the brink of war.
After joining the Royal Guards, d'Artagnan falls in love with his landlords young wife, Constance. Constance serves the Queen and is a trusted confident. Falling for d'Artagnan's charms, she tells him that the Queen wishes to meet with the Duke is private and she needs his help to do so. At this lovers rendezvous the Queen gives the Duke a set of earrings her King gave her as a sign of her love. The Cardinal has spies, however, and he insists the King ask his Queen to wear this jewelry to a ball planned for her. The Queen asks for d'Artagnan to retrieve them, and d'Artagnan asks the help of his new friends.
The four friends ride to England, though are engaged by various traps by the Cardinal. The three musketeers are wounded and depart the journey at three different towns, though d'Artagnan continues on. He retrieves the jewels and returns them to Queen Anne, just in time to save her facade of honour. The Cardinal is impressed and offers d'Artagnan a spot in his forces, d'Artagnan rejects the offer. As revenge, the Cardinal has his love kidnapped. d'Artagnan seeks out to retrieve his friends so he can retrieve his lost love.
Part II
d'Artagnan retrieves his friends and return to Paris, but Constance can not be found. During this time d'Artagnan meets Count de Winter who introduces him to his widowed sister-in-law, Milday de Winter. Despite his love for Constance and his suspicions that Milady is the Cardinal's spy, he finds it very hard to resist her charms. He almost falls into the trap, believing Milady is in love with him, when he accidentally finds a letter of hers to the one she really loves, the Count de Wardes. Helped by Milady's chambermaid Kitty, who is infatuated with him, d'Artagnan has his revenge: he spends a night with Milady, pretending to be M. de Wardes in the darkened room, and Milady gives him a sapphire ring as a token of her love. He admits the truth though, and she tries to slay him with a dagger. In the struggle, d'Artagnan discovers that Milady has a fleur-de-lis burned into her shoulder, marking her as a felon. Remembering a story that Athos had once told him, d'Artagnan suddenly realizes with horror that Milady is not, as he thought, an English noble lady, but in fact Athos' wife, whom everyone thought dead. He now knows that Milady will never forgive him for having insulted her so dearly, and is relieved when all the King's Guards are ordered to La Rochelle where a siege of the Protestant-held town is taking place.
While avoiding attempts on his life from Milady, d'Artagnan learns the Queen has found Constance and is keeping her safe.
Athos, Porthos and Aramis go to the inn the know Milday to be staying and are surprised to overhear a conversation between the Cardinal and Milady: Richelieu commands her to assassinate the Duke of Buckingham, and in exchange, she asks him to "take care" of d'Artagnan. He will take no direct action but instead writes a blanket pardon for Milady: "By My Hand, and for the good of the State, the bearer has done what has been done." Once the Cardinal leaves, Athos confronts Milady and threatens her life, forcing her to hand over the document. The Comte de le Fère, as Athos was once known, is fully aware of her past, and Milady fears him among all men.
When the four friends are reunited, Athos presents d'Artagnan the pardon issued by the Cardinal to Milady and urges the young man to keep it for his own use. Because of the war between France and England, any attempt by the musketeers to travel to England and warn the Duke of Buckingham would be considered treason. They decide to attempt to save the Duke by writing to the Count de Winter (who had returned to England after the war started) asking him to deal with his sister-in-law.
Count de Winter heeds their warning and captures Milady. Milday, however, is able to seduce and poison the mind of de Winter's Puritan guard and she enlists him to kill the Duke.
In the meantime, at La Rochelle, the Cardinal himself admires d'Artagnan's courage in the siege and suggests that M. de Treville admit him to the Musketeers. Thus, d'Artagnan's greatest dream comes true and he is extremely happy, for, in addition, the Queen has finally agreed to tell him where Constance is hiding: she is in a monastery. D'Artagnan and his friends depart for Bethune as soon as they are able.
Milady returns to France and hides in a monastery until the Cardinal can pay her. The same monastery holding Constance. Not knowing Milday, Constance befriends Milady and bears her soul to her. Milday then learns this is his enemies love and poisons her. d'Artagnan is able to arrive just in time to hold his dying love.
Lord De Winter joins the Muskteers, informing them of the Duke's death. Together, with a sixth hooded man, they hunt down Milady and retell her crimes. The hooded man is revealed to be an executioner whose brother was a priest seduced by Milady, her first victim. Milady is beheaded.
The musketeers return to La Rochelle. On their way, they encounter the Count of Rochefort, the Cardinal's close advisor and d'Artagnan's old nemesis, who was traveling to Milady to pay her. Rochefort also has an order to arrest d'Artagnan if he happens to find him. As they are near La Rochelle, he decides to postpone his trip to Milady in order to take d'Artagnan directly to the Cardinal.
When d'Artagnan is presented before him, the Cardinal tells the young man his charges: mostly trumped-up ones intended to provide an excuse for Milady's desire to see d'Artagnan dead. The young musketeer tells the truth to Richelieu and recounts the entire story about Milady, her assassination attempts against him, her poisoning of Madame Bonacieux, etc. The Cardinal states that if Milady is indeed guilty, the courts will deal harshly with her. D'Artagnan frankly admits that they have already dealt with this evil woman. D'Artagnan then presents him the pardon that Athos forced from Milady, making his actions legitimate in the eyes of the Law.
The Cardinal, impressed by d'Artagnan's bravery and having already used Milady's services to eliminate France's arch-rival Buckingham, offers the young man a lieutenant's commission with the Musketeers -- with the name left blank. The Cardinal then presents Rochefort and asks both men to be on good terms. D'Artagnan offers each of his friends the commission, but all three refuse, both due to personal reasons and because they believe that d'Artagnan is the most worthy of the commission. He is the only one of the four friends that remains in the Army: Athos retires to his estates, Porthos marries a rich widow and establishes himself somewhere in the countryside, and Aramis becomes a priest.
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