The Man in the Iron Mask

The twin brother of Louis XIV is taken from court at birth and raised in secret. Years later, when the two men finally stand side by side, it turns out that the only difference between a throne and a cell is which of them was born first. The film is not interested in swordplay. It is interested in legitimacy: the king is cruel, the brother was raised well, and the film asks the question directly. Does the crown belong to whoever is fit to wear it? The form is pure thirties studio adventure: wide halls, crowds of extras and brisk duels. Louis Hayward plays both roles, so the scenes in which the twins meet depend on the optical tricks of the day. The name in the director's chair is unexpected for this material: James Whale, who made Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein. The gothic sets and shadow work he developed in horror are carried here into a Dumas adaptation. Joan Bennett and Warren William are in the cast. Who it is for: viewers who like classic swashbucklers and Dumas adaptations. Who it is not for: anyone expecting fidelity to the novel. The film treats its source very freely and makes no claim to historical accuracy.