#the man in the iron mask

[marthajefferson]

The three primary uses of masks in film are entertainment, disguise and protection. From ancient Greek plays through Japanese Noh theater, masks are deeply intertwined in the universal language of entertainment and ritual, and its power as a transformative tool is so ritualized and timeworn that it is the unofficial logo for an entire artform. Since theater was an influence on early motion pictures (consider the framing and gestural acting of silent film), it figures that masks would be smuggled into movies, and some of the most enduring images from film history are now associated with masks. —Alex Vlahov

V for Vendetta (2005), The Mask (1961), The Mummy Returns (2001), Emerald City s01e06 (2016), Black Orpheus (1959), Judex (1963), The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Eyes Without A face (1960), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Squid Game s01e07 (2021), Knights of the Zodiac (2023), Onibaba (1964), Scream (1996)

[vertigoartgore]

1982's Fantastic Four Vol.1 #247 page 1 by writer/artist/inker John Byrne, colorist Glynis Wein and letterer Jim Novak. Source Source

[aragarna]

Gabriel Byrne, John Malkovich, Gérard Depardieu and Jeremy Irons as d'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis in The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)

+ bonus (for that smile)

[gwydpolls]

Time Travel Question 48: Early Modernish and Earlier 3

These Questions are the result of suggestions a the previous iteration.This category may include suggestions made too late to fall into the correct earlier time grouping. In some cases a culture lasted a really long time and I grouped them by whether it was likely the later or earlier grouping made the most sense with the information I had. (Invention ofs tend to fall in an earlier grouping if it's still open. Ones that imply height of or just before something tend to get grouped later, but not always. Sometimes I'll split two different things from the same culture into different polls because they involve separate research goals or the like).

Please add new suggestions below if you have them for future consideration. All cultures and time periods welcome.

[nanashi1869]

andre: i just wanted to be like d'artagnan fr.

me, a book reader: you mean an asshole who can't pay his rent?

[rwpohl]

the invisible man, james whale 1933

[jeanlib]

Jeremy Irons x Dumas' characters

[raurquiz]

#happybirthday @LeoDiCaprio #leonardodicaprio #actor #producer #inception #titanic #thedeparted #KillersoftheFlowerMoon #thewolfofwallstreet #TotalEclipse #RomeoandJuliet #TheManintheIronMask #CatchMeIfYouCan #TheAviator #BloodDiamond #ShutterIsland #DjangoUnchained #TheGreatGatsby

[hurtcomfortguaranteed]

More Man In The Iron Mask! Having only just escaped from years of captivity with his face hidden from the world, Philippe panics under pressure, and tries to hide his face. Athos is there to calm him down.

[farmerbebop]

I would watch ten hours of youtube reaction videos to this casting of the French Minister of Finance by Irish people, lol.

[vertigoartgore]

Doctor Doom by Carlos Magno and Espen Grundetjern. From 2021's Kang the Conqueror Vol.1 #3 (by Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing).

[the-hinky-panda]

No Matter What

Title: No Matter What

Rating: R

Summary: Everyone has their reason for committing treason. But ultimately, it's for a better future. They just hope they get to live that long to see that future.

Author's Note: It's been a shitty week for me and I've been struggling to write. I have no idea where this came from but here it is. I don't know if there'll be more parts or if this is it.

“Love is not a because, it's a no matter what.” ― Jodi Picoult, Second Glance

You don’t meet with the musketeers in the catacombs. Instead, you go straight to the country, to the monastery. Emotions are going to be high, loyalties tested. Suggesting treason will do that. Porthos, desperate for adventure, will be an easy one to convince to join the mission. Athos, your brother-in-law, is still grief stricken and looking for an opportunity of revenge. He will join any mission that will ease the pain from the loss of his son. You had also helped raise your nephew when his mother passed away in childbirth. He was just as much your son as he was Athos’ and revenge is also a motivation for you. You've been loyal to Aramis and his cause for over the last six years now. It’s D'Artagnan that is the one that could bring this all down on your heads. 

This is why your orders were to immediately report to the monastery. You have all of Aramis’ notes, documents, and evidence. If D’Artagnan decides to turn the three of them over to the king for treason, hope is not completely lost. You will have to be the one to carry through. Being a woman affords you less suspicion so it could be possible to spirit the prisoner away from the Bastille and train him to replace the King. That is why you’re at the monastery in the first place, to tutor him. He will need to behave in the same educated manner that the current king maintains. Reading, writing, art, history, all subjects that had been denied him since he was imprisoned. 

When you arrive at the small farm that houses the Jesuit order that Aramis is affiliated with, one of the priests takes your horse and hands you a lantern. You’re a common face around the monastery, often arriving to deliver news or offer literary discussions. The Jesuits were an order dedicated to enlightenment and knowledge which allowed a woman such as yourself to be an acceptable source of knowledge. It’s brought you comfort in a difficult world. 

“Brother Aramis will arrive later on tonight, if…” 

You nod in understanding. “I’ll wait in the kitchens if that’s acceptable.” 

“Of course,” he gives you a small smile. “There’s a bottle of wine if you wish to help yourself.” 

You give your thanks and head towards the kitchen. There’s still a chill to the night air so you take a seat near the hearth. You’re still sitting there, half the bottle of wine gone despite your watering it down significantly, and a hundred pages read in your book when Aramis arrives. You try to read his face, the firelight casting shadows on his face and making it difficult. He takes the chair next to yours, dropping tiredly into it with a sigh. You pass him a cup of wine and wait till he takes a drink before asking your question. 

“How much danger are we in?” 

“As much as we normally are.” 

“That’s reassuring.” 

He gives you a half smile before turning serious again. “We were right, Athos and Porthos are behind us completely.” 

“D'Artagnan?” 

“Horrified at our treason. But willing to let us hang ourselves.” 

“That’s smart of him. Athos and Porthos both have suicidal ideations so those two problems will take care of themselves. Which leaves us.” 

“Well, me, at least. I don’t think he knows anything about your involvement.” He frowns. “Which brings me to a question that I’ve had for quite a few years now. Does Athos know?” 

You close your book and set it down next to the wine bottle. “Does Athos know what exactly? That I’m a part time tutor for this particular Jesuit order? That I’ve been working secretly with you to replace the king? Or that we’ve been lovers for the past ten years?” 

“How about the trifecta?” 

“He knows of my tutelage. That is all.” 

You don’t tell him how you went to visit Athos a few weeks ago to finally confess to the secret relationship you had been carrying with Aramis. A secret that was soon to come out eventually when you discovered, despite your age, you were with child. Aramis was already making arrangements to leave the order, return to civilian life once more so you wouldn’t face a ruined reputation. A kind but unnecessary gesture you had told him since you had spent the majority of your life as an unconventional woman. But you had wanted to let Athos know before you started to show. 

But when you had arrived, it had been just hours after another kind of news had been delivered. The tidy home had been destroyed. Shards of pottery littered the floor, fabric had been ripped apart, furniture overturned. You didn’t even have to ask what happened, you knew. As you were tidying up, you found the letter that had been delivered in the early morning hours that day confirming your assumption. Raoul, the boy the two of you had raised together, had been killed on the front lines. Even if Athos had been stone cold sober when he stumbled through the doorway that afternoon, you couldn’t bring yourself to tell him your news. That was the moment that had felt like a betrayal. 

“How are you feeling?” 

“Tired.” 

He hums before standing up and offering you his hand. You take it with great gratitude, having spent the last couple weeks apart. There’s such familiarity in knowing where all the calluses are from holding a sword and pistol. The parts rubbed smooth like the rosary beads he uses everyday. The warmth and strength found in his hold as he pulls you to his side, presses his lips to your forehead. You used to worry about the other priests and brothers seeing these displays of affection but your relationship is the worst kept secret in the monastery. And Aramis, with his personality and charisma won over the entire building’s silence on the matter. 

“To bed, then.” 

He picks up your travel bag and keeps his other hand on your waist as you make your way through the quiet halls to the guest quarters where you typically stay during your visits. You smile as you remember the first time you came here, to visit him after he took his vows. You understood why he left the Musketeers, why he retreated here. Penance is typically only achieved through isolation. One night, he lasted one night before coming to your bed, despite your reservations. You had spent four years together on the outside of these walls. Four years and you had resigned yourself that it would be enough, it would have to be enough. But it wasn’t, not even close. 

“Do you remember what you said to me?” you ask when you reach the door to your room. “Our first night here?” 

“I’m not sure, I said many things that night.” He gives you that devilish smile. “I was a desperate man that evening.”  

“Indeed you were.” You step inside and wait for him to close the door. “I had asked you afterwards if you regretted coming here that night.” 

“Ah, yes, I remember that. And I said breaking one vow out of three was still a respectable record.” 

Poverty. Chastity. Obedience. Those were the fundamental vows of a Jesuit priest. “What we’re planning to do though, it’s going to take that record down to one. Certainly treason against the king goes against the vow of obedience.” 

He nods solemnly before reaching to undo the laces in your corset. “I suppose it’s a good thing then, that I won’t be a Jesuit for much longer.” 

You take in a deep breath when the boned garment is tossed into a chair. “Like you were a good one to begin with. A good man, but a lousy priest.” 

He presses his lips against your neck, his hands curling around your waist and pulling you back towards him. “If it wasn’t for you, I’d been an excellent priest.” 

[widevibratobitch]

he was so funny for this btw. local evil scheming priest experiences An Emotion and his brain takes a screenshot

[artbecome]

I watched The Man in the Iron Mask for the first time today

I thought it was mostly a medieval action movie with horse-chases and sword fights. I truly didn’t expect it to be a heartwarming movie about camaraderie and love

You get the romantic love between D’artagnian and Anne

You also see the love in the loyal comraderie between the musketeers

You see the parent- child love that Philippe feels towards D’artignian, the Queen, and even Athos

You even see the love in the comraderie between the way the soldiers cannot kill their respected commander, preventing them from killing him

This goes to show how Louis, a king who doesn’t carry himself with love, becomes the antagonist of the story

[nine-frames]

The Man in the Iron Mask, 1998.

Dir. & Writ. Randall Wallace | DOP Peter Suschitzky

[sugarplumfuckwit]

Guys guys guys. Have you fucking read this shit? Alexandre Dumas is off his ass and I love it.