The Four Musketeers (1974 film): Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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| caption = Theatrical poster

| director = [[Richard Lester]]

| producer = [[Alexander Salkind]]<br />[[Pierre Spengler]]<br />[[Ilya Salkind]]<br />Michael Salkind

| writer = {{nowrap|[[George MacDonald Fraser]]}}

| based_on = {{based on|{{nowrap|''[[The Three Musketeers]]''<br>1844 novel}}|{{nowrap|[[Alexandre Dumas père]]}}}}

| starring = [[Oliver Reed]]<br />[[CharltonRaquel HestonWelch]]<br />[[RaquelRichard WelchChamberlain]]<br />[[FayeMichael DunawayYork]]<br />[[RichardFrank ChamberlainFinlay]]<br />[[FrankChristopher FinlayLee]]<br />[[MichaelGeraldine YorkChaplin]]<br (actor)|Michael/>[[Jean-Pierre YorkCassel]]<br />[[ChristopherSimon LeeWard]]<br />[[Faye Dunaway]]<br />[[Charlton Heston]]

| music = [[Lalo Schifrin]]

| cinematography = [[David Watkin (cinematographer)|David Watkin]]

| editing = John Victor Smith

| studio =

| distributor = [[20th Century Fox|Fox-Rank]] <br> -[[20thRank Century FoxOrganization|Rank]](US)

| released = {{Film date|1974|10|31|West Germany|1975|09|01|UK|1975|02|26|USUnited Kingdom|df=y}}

| runtime = 108 minutes

| country = United Kingdom

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}}

'''''The Four Musketeers''''' (also known as '''''The Four Musketeers: Milady's(The Revenge of Milady)''''') is a 1974 British [[Richardswashbuckler Lesterfilm]] film that serves as a sequel to histhe 1973 film ''[[The Three Musketeers (1973 live-action film)|The Three Musketeers]]'', and covers the second half of [[Alexandre Dumas, père|Dumas]]' 1844 novel ''[[The Three Musketeers]]''.

Fifteen years after completion of ''The Four Musketeers'', much of the cast and crew reassembled to film ''[[The Return of the Musketeers]]'' (1989), loosely based on Dumas' ''[[Twenty Years After]]'' (1845).

==Plot==

During the [[Anglo-French War (1627–29)]], which involved suppression of the [[Protestant]] rebels of [[La Rochelle]], [[Cardinal Richelieu]] continues the machinations he began in ''The Three Musketeers'' by ordering the [[Comte de Rochefort|Count de Rochefort]] to kidnap Constance BonancieuxBonacieux, dressmaker to the [[Anne of Austria|Queen Anne of France]]. The evil [[Milady de Winter]], who wants revenge on junior musketeer [[Charles de Batz de Castelmore d'Artagnan#Portrayals in fiction|d'Artagnan]], seduces him to keep him occupied. He soon discovers her true nature, however, and also that she was once married to his fellow musketeer [[Athos (character)|Athos]], who had supposedly killed her after discovering that she was a branded criminal.

The trio of musketeers — [[Athos (character)|Athos]], [[Porthos]], and [[Aramis]] — rescue Constance from imprisonment in Rochefort's abode of Saint Cloud and take her to safety in the convent of ArmentieresArmentières. De Winter sends d'Artagnan poisoned wine and a note intended to trick him into thinking that the trio have been imprisoned for drunkenness. On his way to bail them out, d'Artagnan is attacked by Rochefort and his men. The trio join the fight, and Rochefort flees. One of his men is captured and tortured for information, revealing that Richelieu is going to the Dovecote Inn near La Rochelle, but then drinks the poisoned wine and dies, revealing de Winter's trap. The trio then proceed to the inn where they spy on Richelieu. The Cardinal orders de Winter to threaten the [[George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham|Duke of Buckingham]] with exposure of his affair with the Queen, to discourage him from sending a relief force to aid the rebels; she is to kill the Duke if he does not comply. In return, de Winter asks for a warrant, so she can kill d'Artagnan and Constance. Richelieu reluctantly signs one, wording it in a way that leaves no evidence against himself: "By my order and for the good of the state, the bearer has done what has been done."

After revealing himself to de Winter, Athos takes the death warrant from her and later tells d'Artagnan of the plot. D'Artagnan sends his servant Planchet to warn the Duke. In England, de Winter asks Buckingham not to help the rebels, but he refuses. De Winter tries to assassinate him, but she is captured. Buckingham has his servant [[John Felton (assassin)|John Felton]] lock her away in the [[Tower of London]], but she seduces Felton and convinces him that Buckingham is his enemy. Felton helps her to escape and return to France, then murders Buckingham before Planchet can warn him. Soon after, La Rochelle surrenders.

Rochefort and de Winter are still intent on killing d'Artagnan and Constance. With a force of guards, they occupy the convent at ArmentieresArmentières and battle all four musketeers when they arrive. While Rochefort and his men hold the musketeers at bay, de Winter strangles Constance. Athos captures de Winter; D'Artagnan duels Rochefort and apparently kills him with a lunge through the chest (though it is revealed in the sequel ''The Return of the Musketeers'' that he actually survived the wound). The four musketeers sentence de Winter to death by beheading, and they hire an executioner to carry out the punishment. Afterward, they are arrested by the Cardinal's guards.

Richelieu charges d'Artagnan with murder for killing a valuable servant of the State, but d'Artagnan shows him the signed death warrant which, due to its ambiguous phrasing, appears to authorize d'Artagnan's actions. Defeated and quite impressed at d'Artagnan's achievement, the Cardinal offers him a commission for either him or one of his three friends to become an officer. Athos, Porthos, and Aramis all reject it, and d'Artagnan is promoted to Lieutenant of the Musketeers.

==Cast==

* [[Michael York (actor)|Michael York]] as [[d'Artagnan]]

* [[Oliver Reed]] as [[Athos (fictional character)|Athos]]

* [[Frank Finlay]] as [[Porthos]]

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* [[Charlton Heston]] as [[Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal Richelieu|Cardinal Richelieu]]

* [[Faye Dunaway]] as [[Milady de Winter]]

* [[Christopher Lee]] as the [[Comte de Rochefort|Count Dede Rochefort]]

* [[RaquelSimon WelchWard]] as Constancethe Bonacieux[[Duke of Buckingham]]

* [[RoyRaquel KinnearWelch]] as Planchet[[Constance Bonacieux]]

* [[Roy Kinnear]] as [[Planchet]]

* [[Michael Gothard]] as [[John Felton (assassin)|Felton]]

* [[Sybil Danning]] as [[Eugenie ]]

* [[Nicole Calfan]] as Kitty

==Production==

During production on ''The Three Musketeers'', the producers realized that the project was sotoo lengthy that they would not be able to complete it as initially intended — as a roadshow epic with intermission — and still achieve their announced release date. The decision was therefore made toThey split the project into two films, and thus the two halves were released as ''The Three Musketeers'' and ''The Four Musketeers'' some six months apart. Most of theThe actors were incensed that their work onwas the long shoot wasbeing used to make an entirelya separate film, while they were only being paid for the work of one. Lawsuits were filed on behalf of those contributing to the film to gain the salaries and benefits associated with a second film that was not mentioned in the original contracts. All [[Screen Actors Guild|SAG]] actors' contracts now have what is known as the "Salkind clause", which stipulates how many films are being made.<ref>{{cite newsmagazine|title= Franchise This|workmagazine= Entertainment Weekly|date=2004-04-09|url= https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,607128,00.html2004/04/09/whats-secret-franchise-films-success/|access-date=2010-10-10|first=Tom|last=Russo}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title= FILM VIEW; THE SALKIND HEROES WEAR RED AND FLY HIGH|work= The New York Times|date=1983-07-17|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/17/movies/film-view-the-salkind-heroes-wear-red-and-fly-high.html|access-date=2010-10-10|first=Sandra|last=Salmans}}</ref>

==Reception and awards==

The film received mostly positive reviews.<ref>{{cite news|title= The Four Musketeers |work= Variety|date=1974-12-31|url= https://www.variety.com/review1974/film/reviews/the-four-musketeers-the-revenge-of-milady-1200423357/VE1117791061.html?categoryid=31&cs=1|access-date=2010-10-11}}</ref>▼

▲The film received mostly positive reviews.<ref>{{cite news|title= The Four Musketeers |work= Variety|date=1974-12-31|url= https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117791061.html?categoryid=31&cs=1|access-date=2010-10-11}}</ref>

It was also nominated at the [[48th Academy Awards]] for [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costumes]] ([[Yvonne Blake]] and [[Ron Talsky]]).<ref name="Oscars1976">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1976 |title=The 48th Academy Awards (1976) Nominees and Winners |access-date=10 April 2014|work=oscars.org}}</ref>

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==External links==

* {{IMDb title|0073012}}

* {{Amg movie|18326}}

*{{rotten-tomatoes|four_musketeers}}▼

* {{Amgtcmdb movietitle|18326id=75529}}

* {{AFI film|53903}}

▲* {{rotten-tomatoes|four_musketeers}}

{{Richard Lester}}

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[[Category:1974 films]]

[[Category:1970s historical adventure films]]

[[Category:British films]]▼

[[Category:British historical adventure films]]

[[Category:SpanishBritish swashbuckler films]]

[[Category:Swashbuckler films]]▼

[[Category:Films based on The Three Musketeers]]

[[Category:Films directed by Richard Lester]]

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[[Category:Films set in France]]

[[Category:Films set in Paris]]

[[Category:Films set in La Rochelle]]

[[Category:Films set in London]]

[[Category:Films set in Hampshire]]

[[Category:Films with screenplays by George MacDonald Fraser]]

[[Category:Cultural depictions of Cardinal Richelieu]]

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[[Category:Films shot in Almería]]

[[Category:Films shot at Twickenham Film Studios]]

[[Category:Films produced by Pierre Spengler]]

▲[[Category:Swashbuckler1970s English-language films]]

▲[[Category:1970s British films]]

[[Category:Cultural depictions of Anne of Austria]]

[[Category:Cultural depictions of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham]]