The Four Musketeers (1974)

The Four Musketeers - 1974

Coming up next we have 1974's "The Four Musketeers", the continuing story of a version of "The Three Musketeers" that had been released the previous year.  This second part in the series focuses on the war between France and England and the Musketeers part in helping to stop an evil Cardinal achieve his endgame.

The film's cast includes Michael York, Oliver Reed, Frank Finlay, Richard Chamberlain, Raquel Welch, Christopher Lee, Geraldine Chaplin, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Faye Dunaway, Charlton Heston, and Simon Ward.

Constance, dressmaker to the Queen of France, is kidnapped by the Count de Rochefort under Cardinal Richelieu's orders.

When D'Artagnan tries to intervene, he is rendered unconscious by the Cardinal's guards.  Milady de Winter comes to his rescue and seduces him in order to provide a distraction from Constance's kidnapping, enabling her captors to get away.

When the Queen is told of Constance's disappearance, she immediately suspects the Cardinal's hand at work.

Over drinks one night, Musketeer Athos talks to D'Artagnan about a dangerous lady he was involved with (Milady de Winter) and her eventual downfall because of her being branded a criminal.

During another meeting with Milady, D'Artagnan discovers that all Athos said about her was true when he discovers the mark of a criminal on her shoulder.

The Cardinal offers D'Artagnan a place in his army, but he is refused, as D'Artagnan prefers to remain with his Musketeer friends.

Cardinal Richelieu is overseen giving Milady de Winter a letter which authorizes the bearer of it to do whatever is best in the interest of the state.  It also bears Richelieu's signature.

Richelieu sends Milady de Winter to England, where she threatens the Duke of Buckingham with the exposure of his affair with the Queen.  Unhindered by her threats, Buckingham is murdered after Milady intervenes.

Meanwhile, D'Artagnan and the Musketeers have rescued Constance and placed in her in a convent for safekeeping.  He tells Queen Anne of her safety.  However, a lady-in-waiting hears this information and passes it to the Cardinal.

Count de Rochefort and Milady de Winter make their way to the convent where Constance is hiding, and they post guards at every entrance.  Richelieu has now turned his attentions to killing both D'Artagnan and Constance.

Disguised as a nun, Milady de Winter finds Constance and strangles her with a rosary before escaping.  However, she is caught by the Musketeers.

D'Artagnan duels with the Count de Rochefort and ultimately wins the battle.

Athos, as a nobleman entitled to make such decisions, condemns Milady de Winter to death.  They take the letter from the Cardinal from her, and she is executed.

Immediately afterwards, the Musketeers and D'Artagnan are arrested by the Cardinal's guards.  When D'Artagnan tells the Cardinal that he has a letter authorizing him to act, the Cardinal wants to know from who.  "The Queen couldn't, and the King wouldn't," he says.

Richelieu is surprised when D'Artagnan hands over the letter from Milady de Winter.  The Cardinal mutters something about having to be careful about what one puts in writing.

D'Artagnan is promoted to the rank of lieutenant within the Musketeers, and the four friends walk away as free men.

Cast rundown:

   Michael York...............................D'Artagnan

   Oliver Reed.................................Athos

   Frank Finlay................................Porthos

   Richard Chamberlain....................Aramis

   Raquel Welch..............................Constance de Bonacieux

   Christopher Lee...........................Count de Rochefort

   Geraldine Chaplin........................Queen Anne

   Jean-Pierre Cassel........................King Louis XIII

   Faye Dunaway.............................Milady de Winter

   Charlton Heston..........................Cardinal Richelieu

   Simon Ward................................Duke of Buckingham

And that's it for The Four Musketeers.  The core cast of this film and its predecessor reunited in 1989 for a third film, set 20 years after the events of these films, entitled "The Return Of The Musketeers", which was not very well received.

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