The story of Three musketeers is one that we know by heart, whether or not we have read the novel by Alexandre Dumas. After so many films and series, the names of Athos, Porthos, Aramis and especially d’Artagnan are firmly anchored in the collective imagination. Without forgetting the formidable Milady and the vile Cardinal de Richelieu.
However, when you want to propose a new adaptation, all this baggage can be cumbersome, since there will necessarily be a comparison with what came before. Therefore, as much to make a clean sweep. In the diptych The Three Musketeers. D’Artagnan And The three Musketeers. Miladythis is the approach favored by Martin Bourboulon, to whom we spoke.
“My first contact with The three Musketeers go back to childhood, to school: it happened that certain passages of the novel were used in class. Ah and, still as a child, I remember being marked by this adaptation in cartoons, in which the musketeers were little dogs, ”confides the French director.
There is obviously nothing like it in The three Musketeers. D’Artagnan, premiering here next week. We follow the young Gascon (François Civil) as he tries to join the king’s musketeers. With the help of three of them, who obviously do without introductions (Vincent Cassel, Pio Marmaï, Romain Duris), d’Artagnan will try to thwart the plans of the deceitful cardinal and his “henchwoman”, Milady ( Eva Green).
In the balance: the honor of the queen (Vicky Krieps), as well as the peace of the kingdom, to which the king (Louis Garrel) is attached.
This means that the main lines of the classic remain. It is between these that this most recent version stands out. It is sometimes subplots invented from scratch, sometimes new details coming to flesh out the characters, such as the bisexuality of a certain musketeer recognized for his voracious epicureanism (outraged reactions in 3, 2, 1…). And it all works.
It was very important to patinate the whole thing, to use patinas, but not simply in order to obtain a different look from the other versions: it was first of all for the sake of realism. It was for the public to believe in it. The 17th century was not a clean era: the streets were dirty; mud was everywhere.
“If I was immediately tempted by the project, it was because I very quickly understood that we could take a fresh look at this story, and at what had been done in the past. Upstream, the question was: how to offer the public something they haven’t seen yet, and that they will like? I also understood that we would have greater freedom on the visual level, in the way of filming the fight scenes as much as the costumes and sets. »
Authentically muddy
This “visual freedom” refers in this case to one of the most distinctive aspects of the film, that is to say its execution. Far from the immaculate vision of Richard Lester in his otherwise tasty adaptation, and also divided into two films (1973-1974), that of Martin Bourboulon is not, but not at all sanitized. On the contrary, we almost have the impression that we could touch the mud so much it is omnipresent. And that’s not to mention all those grime-covered faces.
In other words, we are here closer to Queen Margot by Patrice Chéreau (again Dumas, well), released in 1994, only three musketeers by Disney, released the year before.
“It was very important to patinate the whole thing, to use patinas, but not just to get a looks different from the other versions: it was primarily for the sake of realism. It was for the public to believe in it. The XVIIe century, it was not an era clean : the streets were dirty; mud was everywhere.”
In an interview at Duty published on April 5, the film’s cinematographer, Quebecer Nicolas Bolduc, explained about this aesthetic bias: “Martin often spoke of western […] So I naturally started to imagine something dusty, dirty, weathered; nothing clean. »
And in fact, Martin Bourboulon adds: “Before the scenes, we made up the actors accordingly. They were even blown dust in their faces before the takes. Beyond this desire for authenticity, it helps to make people forget that we are in the presence of very well-known actors: it promotes immersion. Moreover, all my staging, I wanted it to be immersive. »
Waiting for Milady
To return to the costumes and sets mentioned by the director, they are of an impressive opulence, although in conformity with the universe depicted. They also report on the considerable resources made available to Martin Bourboulon to adapt this masterpiece of French literature which, ironically, has more often been taken up by Hollywood.
“In fact, I did everything possible not to think about these means, because basically, this budget was above all to be at the service of history. »
A story which, it is clear, seems to enjoy a lasting popularity. In France, the first part of the diptych has indeed been a big success since its release on April 5. “The film exceeded one million admissions in the first week,” confirms Martin Bourboulon.
Sigh of relief at the thought that audiences loved this reverent yet never-before-seen version?
“Yes, that’s for sure, but success is fragile. Word of mouth is excellent: fingers crossed. »
We can’t blame the director for his caution, but the fact remains that it bodes well for the second part, The three Musketeers. Milady, expected in France in December. To conclude Martin Bourboulon:
“We are working on it right now. And we have a nice surprise in store for you compared to Milady. »
We are already looking forward.
The film The three Musketeers. D’Artagnan hits theaters April 28.
It was very important to patinate the whole thing, to use patinas, but not simply in order to obtain a different look from the other versions: it was first of all for the sake of realism. It was for the public to believe in it. The 17th century was not a clean era: the streets were dirty; mud was everywhere.