Directed by Martin Bourboulon, the 2023 French box-office hit had flamboyant heroes and plenty of swashbuckling swordplay
“All for one, and one for all!” The immortal catch-cry is bellowed by a beloved group of Frenchmen in very large hats, moments before they engage in valorous swordplay. The Three Musketeers have been a cultural mainstay since 1844, and there have been countless screen retellings of their adventures since as far back as 1903.
So why not supercharge this exceedingly well-trodden tale with a duology of films; crammed with kinetic swordplay, long takes, and sets so filthy you can practically smell the streets of Paris?
In 2023, that’s exactly what we got. The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan (Les Trois Mousquetaires: D’Artagnan) was what the saga had been begging for – a big-screen adaptation with genuine cinematic heft, incredible production, and a steadfast devotion to the source material. With a whopping €70m budget and director Martin Bourboulon at the helm, it swiftly became France’s biggest box-office hit of the year.
The titular trio – Vincent Cassel as Athos, Pio Marmaï as Porthos, and Romain Duris as Aramis – are somehow fully realised the moment they appear on screen; deeply careworn and likable. Meanwhile the central hero, D’Artagnan, is played with youthful vigour and lust for adventure by François Civil.