Talking Meme #7

[thisbluespirit]

(I found this lurking unposted on my Dreamwidth. I wrote it on April 1st; I don't know why I didn't post it. I suppose a Talking Meme would be no fun if it didn't take me all year to get through it!)

For the Talking Meme, from dimity_blue: What are your favourite Dumas film adaptations?


I thought this was pretty funny for a minute, as I have only ever actually watched one Dumas film adaptation, and then I eventually remembered that I have in fact seen the 2011 Three Musketeers as well. I suppose I could also count the endless 1980s cartoon version, Dogtanian and the Muskehounds, but it's obvious that there's no competition here. Also I've never seen a Dumas film that isn't The Three Musketeers, so it's really not as if I'm an expert.

Anyway, my favouite out of this *cough* wide line-up is clearly the 1970s Richard Lester films. When I saw them first, I'd just read the unabridged English translation instead of the cartoon and the abridged Puffin version and decided it was one of my favourite things ever after all and that I would never watch an adaptation because no adaptation would get the tongue-in-cheek attitude of the book, and then my Dad made me watch this and while it alters some things, it does indeed get the tongue-in-cheek attitude of the book exactly right, and the cast are hard to beat: Michael Yorke, Richard Chamberlain, Faye Dunaway, Oliver Reed, Racquel Welch, Roy Kinnear, Spike Milligan, Christopher Lee and Charlton Heston.


Tumblr graphic made a while back, by me. I can't remember why. Probably just because.

I have some quibbles about some things, maybe, and obviously it would have been nice if the director had actually paid the actors for two films instead of one, but it still wins easily out of all the three and a bit Three Musketeers adaptations I have seen.

Comments

[dimity_blue]

I'm glad I amused you, even though it was unintentional!

I have to agree with your choice of the best. It's so funny in places despite being such a heartbreaking story.

I adore Oliver Reed in this film. He was amazingly good as Athos.

Like you, I love the tongue in cheek feel to the whole thing - there are so many bits that make me laugh.

[thisbluespirit]

It's a good question, it's just that for some reason I have never seen many Dumas adaptations! ;-)

BUt obv. nevertheless I am totally right about the Richard Lester ones.

[liadt]

Nice graphic! It wouldn't be hard to beat the 2011 one, but some people like it!

[thisbluespirit]

Thank you! I have a funny feeling I actually made it for a meme once before, but I'm not sure.

Well, the 2011 takes quite a few things from the 1970s ones - if you haven't seen them, maybe that improves it?

(Although I am impressed that they made one written by Andrew Davies with Athos played by Matthew Macfadyen and a catwoman/batman type relationship between him and Milady AND a random airship and somehow I still didn't like it much. I don't understand how that's even possible. I may have to rewatch it till I do like it, just for the Athos/Milady factor. But, OTOH, life is short, and I have problematic old telly to watch...)

[liadt]

and I have problematic old telly to watch Don't we all;)

[aralias]

i like it actually ;) it's so bad it's very good fun, and orlando bloom is fantastically evil and stuff. i mean, it is objectively VERY BAD, but the 1970s one is SO GOOD... that i don't really need a good musketeers any more. the 1990s one with tim curry is just bad.

nice graphic indeed :)

[liadt]

The 2011 film wasn't as clever as it thought it was. I can live without it!

Oh and if you'd prefer Jeremy Brett D'artganan getting hysterical plus the War Chief in a blond wig I can recommend the 1960s BBC one;)

[aralias]

THAT SOUNDS AMAZING.

[liadt]

There's one episode where they all get hysterical except for the War Chief who swirls his cloak around himself and walks off which is about right;p

The DVD is American but I think it's region free. The sequel is on UK DVD but I don't think Brett is in it.

[thisbluespirit]

I keep thinking I should rewatch it because it had everything designed to put it in the gloriously bad category, but then I remember that apart from the beginning, it was just bad and I fast-forwarded most of it. Maybe one day I will try again now I find it easier to watch films. But. am not keen. It seems impossible that it couldn't be so bad it was good, though. :-(

Some people like the 1990s one, but I expect they haven't watched the 1970s version. Heh.

[executrix]

"I've never washed a woman's legs...with a horse's legs, you start at the top.P

[thisbluespirit]

Hee.

[jaxomsride2]

I prefer the 1970s version over the 2011 version,much better acted,scripted and so on.Though I did adore the steampunky airship! It also wins against Leonardo DiCaprio's Man in the Iron Mask

[thisbluespirit]

It should have been better to justify the steampunk, yes! Oh well. At least we'll always have that 1970s one where the director swindled the cast into making two films for the price of one by accident... ;-D

[sallymn]

These are among my absolute favourite movies of all time so of course I agree. The cast was for the most part absolutely spot on fabulous, the costumes and sets were to die for (okay, Welch's dresses were a tad dodgy but the rest, especially Milady's... oh lord!!!) and the script funny, exciting and touching...

[thisbluespirit]

Hee! I do love them, I was just amused at the "rate Dumas films adaptations" and then I realised that I had seen a total of... two. :-D

They are really great, though. They have exactly the right feel and everything came together wonderfully, even the bits that maybe shouldn't have.