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The Iron Mask
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0738329024826
Format: Black & White, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Label: Kino Video
Languages: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Manufacturer: Kino Video
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Kino Video
Region Code: 1
Release Date: June 18, 2002
Running Time: 103 minutes
Studio: Kino Video
Theatrical Release Date: February 21, 1929
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Editorial Review:
While all Hollywood was gearing up for sound, Douglas Fairbanks lavished money and attention on this ambitious period adventure, a jaunty, jubilant sequel to his early swashbuckler The Three Musketeers. The Iron Mask is set 20 years later, and Fairbanks (by now 43 years old) reprises his role as D'Artagnan as the older and more mature personal protector of young Louis XIV. When he tips a plot by the powerful cardinals to replace the heir to the throne with his twin brother, D'Artagnan reunites his aging compatriots of old for one last hurrah. Energetically directed by Allan Dwan, who guided Fairbanks through his biggest hit, Robin Hood, and handsomely designed by William Cameron Menzies (The Thief of Bagdad), this action-packed film moves through plot twists and conspiratorial machinations with quicksilver speed (it begins and ends with breathless chase scenes), but it also carries a dimension of melancholy: the musketeers are aging and the era of chivalry fading. The touching denouement, a scene both ebullient and affecting, becomes Fairbanks's farewell to the silent screen. In a way the film is a farewell to the grace and energy of the silent cinema that almost disappeared in the early sound years. Fairbanks only appeared in five talkies before retiring in 1935. Kino's edition features the 1952 reissue with narration by son Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and an orchestral score by Allan Gray. --Sean Axmaker
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - A Triumphant Farewell to the Silent Era
"The Iron Mask" (1929) was Douglas Fairbanks' glorious valedictory to the art of silent film. Collaborating with director Allan Dwan and set designer William Cameron Menzies, the producer-star poured all his resources into this lavish sequel to "The Three Musketeers" (1921) -- acknowledging the advent of sound with two brief talking interludes. Restored by film historians Patrick Stanbury and Kevin Brownlow from an original 35mm print (courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art), "The Iron Mask" can be ... Read More
Rating: - A somewhat bittersweet end to an era
This film, released in the final year of the silent era (at least in America; other regions of the world were still making silents until the early Thirties), is a sequel to the earlier Fairbanks film 'The Three Musketeers,' and similarly is based upon the novel by Alexandre Dumas père. While it is helpful to have seen the first film (if not read the book) to get some background information on the main characters and a sense of where the general plot is picking up from, it's one of those sequels ... Read More
Rating:  - Great movie, but the DVD has problems
I can't say enough good things about this film, and the restoration done by Kino. Unfortunately, the DVD seems to have some kind of factory defect. The film itself plays fine, but the rare outtake footage suffers from digital dstortion that makes the picture quality completely unwatchable.
I returned my first order of this DVD for an exchange, hoping that a fresh DVD would not have this problem. But it does, and it's factory sealed, so it must be a problem on Kino's end. I had a similar ... Read More
Rating: - one of the top 5 greatest silent films
This is a magnificent film that has been overlooked for too long.It's Fairbank's shortest swashbuckler and this really helps.
The film just flies by and is not bogged down by too much pagentry or an inane love story. The brief wooing of Constance by D'Artagnan is adorable and the musketeers only "defeat" - though pure slapstick - is simply wonderful. There are other bits of comedy but this a is a very dark film. At the end, eight of the films ten leading characters have died and only one ... Read More
Rating: - The Original Film with a Great Score
This is actually a new issue (for 2002) of The Iron Mask from Kino featuring a new print from the Museum of Modern Art and a score written by Carl Davis. Kevin Brownlow is one of the producers. There are two brief scenes where Douglas Fairbanks speaks to the audience that has been remastered for this version of the film. The print is flawless, and it was a pleasure to see such a loving restoration. Carl Davis does an excellent job with the score; it fits the mood of the film perfectly. Even if you ... Read More
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