# The Man in the Iron Mask

The Man in the Iron Mask is a 1998 action/adventure film, directed by Randall Wallace, The movie circles around the aging Musketeers, Athos, Porthos and Aramis, and the reign of King Louis XIV of France, the son of the now-deceased Louis XIII.

## Aramis

* You are surrounded by beauty, by intrigue, by danger, what more can a man want?
* Athos. If we fail in this attempt... and we probably will... I'll be honored to die beside you.
* This is not for me, Athos. This is for everything we once were, and might be again!
* It's judgement day.
* This secrecy is regrettable but necessary.
* We will replace the king.
* I am the general of the Order of the Jesuits.
* I need you. All for one, one for all.
* But now Louis was King. He was afraid to kill you. His whole claim of power rested on the sancitity of Royal blood. So, instead, he devised a way to keep you forever hidden. For my country... for my king... I bought peace... with your life... and my soul.
* Well I'm a genius, not a engineer.

## Philippe

* I wear the mask; it does not wear me.
* However I have wronged you, I will make amends.
* You were the one in the mask.
* Put this man away where no one will hear his insanity. Let him be fed by a deaf-mute but feed him well.

## D'Artagnan

* You take my king, and I shall take yours.
* For a moment, I thought you had become the king I had always wanted you to be.
* Anne! I know that loving you is treason against France, but not loving you is treason against my heart.
* Your people are most anxious to love you, but they are eating rotten food and sometimes none at all.
* Even if I could give up my king, I could never give up my son. I loved your mother. I love her still. I never knew you existed, and I have never felt pride as a father until now.
* I was told, each time I drew my sword, I should consider not what I killed, but what I allowed to live.
* All that you have suffered... I would gladly have borne myself to keep it from you.
* when all the sky is dark the night is light and will light the way

## Athos

* Yes, Raoul is my reason for being here, but not in the way you think. Once I, once all of us believed in spending our lives in the service of something greater than ourselves. Aramis had his faith, Porthos his lust for life, D'Artagnan his devotion and I had Raoul. But we all had a common dream; that one day, we would finally be able to serve a king worthy of the throne. It is what we dreamt, what we bled for and what we have spent a lifetime waiting to see. I taught Raoul to believe in this dream... and now my son is dead. So I am here to find out if his life was in vain, and the only one who can answer that question is you.
* It has everything to do with it. The king is a dog. A dog and a coward.
* It's a prison. Of course, there's no trouble getting in. The problems will come when we want to get out.
* You're the traitor.
* One for all. All for one.
* Whatever the plan, I am with you.
* The next time we meet, one of us will die.
* Your eyes ask too much.

## Porthos

* "My friend", returned Porthos sententiously, "there is always time when one chooses to find it".
* I love life!
* We're in a tomb?
* I am Porthos! I defy the king!
* I'd rather die covered in blood than an old man lying in my own piss.
* If you can name me one thing, one single thing, that is more sublime than a plump pink nipple between my lips... I will build you a new cathedral.

## King Louis XIV

* [He's] my twin. My blood. A fact which has kept him alive until now.
* No, my love. You will burn in hell. I will not. For I am king, ordained by God!
* Of all the wonders I have seen, I have never looked upon anything as beautiful as you.
* As for you my brother, back to the prison you shall go, and into the mask you hate. Wear it until you love it! And die in it!

## Lt. André

* Magnificent valor.
* All my life, all I EVER wanted to be... was him [D'Artagnan]
* The corridor nullifies our numbers, and no one has the stomach to fight the Captain.

## Dialogue

    Philippe: I'm sorry I failed you.
    Athos: We failed you.
    Porthos: Aramis, is this the way to hell?
    Aramis: Hell may be our destination, but not this trip.
    Louis: Who is that?
    Francois: Raoul, son of Athos.
    Louis: Francois, your tastes may run to young soldiers, but I was referring to the beauty next to him.
    Francois: Her name is Christine.
    Aramis: When we were young men and we saw injustice, we fought it.
    D'Artagnan: Now we know that some problems cannot be solved with a sword.
    Athos: And some cannot be solved without one.
    Advisor: There are riots in Paris.
    Louis: Riots? But Paris is the most beautiful city in the world. Why should my people feel anything but pride and contentment?
    Advisor: Well, I'm sure they are content - and proud - but they are also starving.
    Aramis: Louis has ordered me to discover the true identity of the General of the Jesuit order and to kill him.
    Porthos: You should let the secret general worry about that.
    Aramis: Problem is that I am he.
    Athos: What do you propose to do?
    Aramis: Replace the king.
    D'Artagnan: You cannot ask me to betray my king. I have sworn an oath.
    Athos: When a king is dishonorable, you are removed from your oath of honor.
    D'Artagnan: An oath is an oath precisely because it cannot be removed.
    Athos: Why do you follow him, D'Artagnan? Why? What we fought for is greater than king or rank or reward! What do you fight for now?
    D'Artagnan: I fight for the belief that every man can be better, even Louis.
    Porthos: [he puts the rope around his neck and prepares to jump] Farewell cruel world... farewell to useless Porthos. [jumps]
    Athos: [Aramis and Athos are watching the building from the outside] What was that?
    Aramis: It's all right; I sawed the beam. [the building promptly collapses, and Athos stares at Aramis in disbelief]
    Aramis: Well, I'm a genius, not an engineer! [the pair run over and pull Porthos out of the rubble]
    Porthos: [furious] ARAMIS! You did this! You knew I would try hanging myself and you sawed the beam! Admit it! Admit it!
    Aramis: Of course I knew! You've been moping around for months! Well maybe now you've gotten the idea of killing yourself out of your head, you can stop boring everyone and be useful for a change! [pause] And put some clothes on!
    Louis: I hear there was an incident at the Musketeers' gate, where a man came intent on killing me. Is it our policy now to let would-be assassins go free, d'Artagnan?
    D'Artagnan: He wished to kill his own pain. His son is dead. I can think of nothing worse.
    Louis: What about losing your king?
    D'Artagnan: That depends on the king
    Athos: What gives you the right to judge me, to play God with the lives of others? Is it because you're so much holier than everyone else?
    Aramis: Well yes, there is that. But also because I'm more intelligent than anybody else.
    D'Artagnan: You're constantly surrounded by beautiful women. Do you love any of them?
    Louis: Quite frequently, actually.
    Aramis: We're offering you a chance...to be king.
    Philippe: No. You're offering me a chance to pretend to be king. A king that you hate.
    Athos: No, wait. With a king it is so. [pinches the goblet between thumb and forefinger] Servants have touched the goblet of the King, therefor he will touch it as little as possible. Again.
    [Phillippe tries it and the goblet slips from his fingers, crashing onto his plate and spilling onto everything]
    Phillippe: I am sorry!
    Athos: No. No! Do not be sorry! There are no mistakes when you are the King! You must never apologize. The King cares for nothing and for no one.
    Phillippe: Is that the kind of king you wish me to be? Or do you say this to me because your son is dead?
    [Athos is silent, he shoves back from the table and turns away]
    Phillippe: Forgive me, I would never mean to disrespect...
    Athos: I am not... I am not angry with you. Do you understand? Good. Of course we wish you to be a good king. But first you must pass as Louis, and Louis is cold and cruel. The eyes of this King say that he cares for nothing at all but himself. Your eyes ask too much. You shouldn't care about... about me... you shouldn't care... [his voice breaks] You mustn't ask about my son...
    Christine: I shall burn in Hell. So will you.
    Louis: No, no my love. You shall burn in hell. But I will not. For I am King... ordained by God!
    Aramis: Perhaps you should take his offer. We're dead anyway.
    Porthos: He's right, D'Artagnan.
    Phillippe: Wait. Bargain me to Louis for all your lives. You've done your best. Please let me go.
    D'Artagnan: No, I cannot do it. Even if I could give up my king, I could never give up my son.
    [they all look at him, thunderstruck]
    Phillippe: Your son?
    D'Artagnan: I loved your mother. I love her still. You are my son. I never knew you existed. And I never felt pride as a father. Until this moment.
    Aramis: D'Artagnan... They're young Musketeers. They've been weaned on our legends. They revere us. It is an advantage.
    Porthos: Yes. Why don't we charge them?
    D'Artagnan: I trained these men. They will fight to the death. But if we must die - if we must die - let it be like this.
    [He draws his sword and points it at the floor. Aramis, Porthos, and Athos, join their swords with his]
    Athos: One for all. All for one.
    [As Philippe, Porthos, Athos and Aramis mourns D'Artagnan's death, Louis tries to stand up. Lt. Andre draws his sword on the latter and pins him in his place, angered over the death of his mentor.]
    Lt. Andre: All my life, all I ever wanted to be was him.
    [Louis is angered as Andre meant D'Artagnan. Later on, the guards ram the door open and Philippe appears dressed in Louis' clothes. Lt. Andre, Porthos, Athos and Aramis appear in the Musketeers uniform with the real Louis in the iron mask.]
    Lt. Andre: We have recaptured the prisoner.
    Louis: No. I'm....
    [Athos punches him in the neck to silence him. He falls down and Lt. Andre picks him up by the arms.]
    Phillippe:(posing as Louis) You'll put this mad man where no one will hear his insanity. Let him be fed by a deaf mute. Feed him well and let him find redemption in a tainted place among others. Take him.
    [Lt. Andre takes Louis away as he's screaming his real identity. One of the lead guards stare at Porthos, Athos and Aramis.]
    Guard: And them?
    Phillippe: They are my royal council and truest friends.

## Taglines

* (from the trailer) In a turbulent time, power ruled, injustice reigned, and a tyrant took whatever he desired. He thought no one could take his place. But he was wrong.

## Cast

* Leonardo DiCaprio — King Louis/Phillipe
* Jeremy Irons — Aramis
* John Malkovich — Athos
* Gabriel Byrne — D'Artagnan
* Gérard Depardieu — Porthos
* Peter Sarsgaard — Raoul
* Judith Godrèche — Christine Bellefort
* Anne Parillaud — Anne of Austria (also known as Queen Anne)
* Edward Atterton — Lt. Andre
* Hugh Laurie — Pierre, King's Advisor

## External links

* The Man in the Iron Mask quotes at the Internet Movie Database