Film Meme Day 2

[redfiona99]

Well it's either that or me getting enraged at the Tories making it impossible for anyone from the working class to go to university. And get angrily amused at the people who are shocked, shocked they tell you to find a Tory government would do this.

Film Meme Day 2 - A Film That Is Underrated

The Three Musketeers, the Gene Kelly version - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three_Musketeers_%281948_film%29

Which remains my favourite version (although I haven't seen the Douglas Fairbanks version).

There's so many things in favour of it, the fact that MGM seem to have spent money on it helps because everything looks rich and it's filmed in glorious technicolour. I love technicolour.

Gene Kelly's dancing background means that he can sword-fight well, and the fight behind the nunnery is brilliant, and witty and well choreographed. He's also got such puppyish charm that when the plot progresses, it hurts to see him lose it.

Also, dear modern directors, a fight scene does not need to be cut in a manner likely to cause epileptic fits in order to look good.


Van Heflin as Athos is remarkable, because he and the script get the balance right between Athos who is a witty and entertaining, if perpetually drunk, Musketeer and the Comte de la Fere who is still not sure he did the right thing in regards to his wife and is in bitter and perpetual mourning.

I grant the remaining musketeers are only lightly sketched, but at least they're sketched with respect. I, for one, am sick of versions where one of the Musketeers is a dunderhead. They give them all such light and shade.

Milady is played by Lana Turner at her most stunning and ravishing, and dangerous. Technicolour almost does her justice.

Cardinal Richlieu is played by Vincent Price, being the affable charming kind of sneaky evil. And, this is something else they get right, it's not that he's actually evil, he's just against the musketeers, and it's nothing personal there either (he doesn't want to kill D'Artagnan), he just wants to have power over France. And of course Vincent Price is awesome.

I have seen this film more times than I can remember and yet, each time I find something new in it. It's wonderful.

The reason I say it's underrated is that, if you have heard of it, you probably only know it as the film that donated some of it's scenes to Singing In The Rain, for the bits that constitute The Laughing Cavalier. It deserves better than that.



Day 1 - Favourite Foreign Language Film

Day 03 - A film that brings you unadulterated happiness
Day 04 - A film cliché that you love
Day 05 - Favorite love story in a film
Day 06 - Favorite actor/actress
Day 07 - The most surprising plot twist/ending
Day 08 - The best opening/closing credits
Day 09 - The best soundtrack/score to a film
Day 10 - Favorite classic film
Day 11 - Favorite black-and-white film
Day 12 - A film that permanently altered your point-of-view
Day 13 - A guilty pleasure...
Day 14 - A film that you used to love but now hate
Day 15 - Favorite film sequel
Day 16 - Favorite film character
Day 17 - Favorite film quote
Day 18 - The best overall cast in a film
Day 19 - The most hilarious film you've seen
Day 20 - A moving (emotional) scene
Day 21 - Favorite film from your favorite actor/actress
Day 22 - Favorite Academy Award acceptance speech
Day 23 - A character who you can relate to the most
Day 24 - The best page-to-screen film adaptation
Day 25 - Favorite film villain
Day 26 - Favorite film poster
Day 27 - A film that you wish you had seen in theaters
Day 28 - Favorite film from your favorite director
Day 29 - A piece of trivia from a favorite film
Day 30 - Your favorite film of all-time