The Three Musketeers (1921) Reviewed

The Three Musketeers, that quintessential swashbuckling tale, has been adapted for the silver screen many times, and for many the most famous one of all is still the one brought to life by that consummate swashbuckler, Douglas Fairbanks, who starred as the hero, D'Artagnan. A production of his own film company, the 1921 film had impressive sets, excellent outdoor cinematography, and a wealth of period costuming. If I rated a film in terms of production values, I would assess it as Great bordering on Superb.

The quality of the acting is more of a mixed bag, ranging from the weak melodrama of Mary MacLaren's Queen Anne to the convincingly regal bearing of Adolphe Menjou's Louis XIII. Nigel de Brulier successfully captures the innocuous posturing of Cardinal Richelieu, but doesn't quite convey the magnitude of his formidable power. Fairbanks, as might be expected, is a nearly nonstop burst of energy, as befits the character of the impetuous D'Artagnan, pausing from chases, duels, and general mêlées to express his grief at a given misfortune with a brief obligatory swooning (symbolized by the pressing of the back of the hand to the forehead), which would be forgivable if it were not repeated over and over again. But Fairbanks was not a great actor. He was a great swashbuckler; he was only an adequate actor. Nevertheless, he embodies the restless, roguish, courageous, idealistic spirit of his character very well, and the sum of all the film's parts constitute a very good film indeed.

Writing: Good
Directing: Good
Acting: Fair/Good
Cinematography: Good
Stunts: Great
Swordplay: Good
Panache: Great

Overall Rating: Good
Swashbuckling Rank: Great


[Originally posted in Cuparius.com on 30 July 2010.]


Addendum

Written by: Edward Knoblock
Based on: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Directed by: Fred Niblo
Performed by: Douglas Fairbanks, Nigel de Brulier, Marguerite de la Motte, Barbara La Marr, et al.