The Face of Alexandre Dumas: The Man in the Iron Mask Page #3

better than anyone.

Are they a threat to me?

If they are a threat,

we need not seek them out.

They will find us.

Not if you find them first.

Who is that?

Chi ?

malato.

Lo rimpiazzo io.

[Guard]

He says he's a replacement.

Parla francese?

Non lo parlo.

Il prigioniero

ha solo un giorno al mese

per la confessione.

He says the prisoners

gets Confession once a month.

The usual priest is sick.

Vai, vai! Avanti!

Grazie.

Grazie tanto, signore.

Grazie. Grazie.

It is my Confession day.

I'm sorry. You've never

seen me before.

I must shock you.

I am a friend.

I am here to help you.

What are you doing?

It is your escape to freedom.

Who is this?

He is you.

Signore, scusi, scusi!

Signore!

Ehi, ehi! Signore, scusi!

Cosa c'?

caduto stecchito

mentre leggevo la messa.

He says he fell stone dead

as he was reading him the Mass.

[Guard]

How could he just keel over?

Ha la peste.

Come I'altro prete.

He says the prisoner

had a fever, like the priest.

Plague? They brought

plague in here?

Get him out! Get him out now!

No last rites! Get away!

We could chisel it off

and see who it was.

No one will ever know.

Bruciatelo!

O la peste ci colpir tutti!

He says burn it

or we will all get plague.

He's right!

Dio! Dio, Dio...

Don't touch me!

Get out!

Stay back! He has plague.

Hurry up!

Via!

Hurry, hurry, hurry!

Go away! Hurry!

My God!

[Horses' hooves]

Whoah!

[Aramis] Jesuits. They're mine.

[Clang of metal, cry of pain]

[Clang of metal, cry of pain]

[He collapses]

Here...

Drink.

It's all right.

I have waited six years

to ask this question...

Why was this done to me?

You don't know?

What do you remember?

I lived in a country house.

I had guardians.

An old woman and a priest.

But no friends.

They took me to the prison.

- Who?

- A man in black.

I never saw his face...

but he took me to the prison

and he put me into the mask.

And you don't know why?

For days I shouted,

"What have I done?"

Then I realised there was

something about my face

which had to be hidden.

But I never knew what.

What is your name?

The old woman called me...

Phillippe.

Phillippe...

These men will clean you.

They won't harm you.

Thank you.

Thank you for your kindness.

Why are you so glum?

Why are you so glum?

I expected action.

There was no killing,

no fighting.

I was useless.

Porthos, I grow tired

of this attitude.

You are surrounded by beauty,

by intrigue, by danger.

What more can a man want?

Look around you.

The robins are singing,

the pigeons cooing...

Can't you listen to their song?

Oh...!

There's food here, but Louis

sends it all to the army.

I have no appetite.

I'm wasting away.

Even women don't

interest me any more.

Say goodbye to Porthos.

He is gone.

Who is he?

Seek the truth, not facts.

You are not my priest!

And wouldn't be

even if I had one!

That's bitter.

The loss of Raoul

and d'Artagnan,

who you held as a brother

and now you hate.

What right have you to judge me?

Are you holier

than everyone else?

Yes, and I'm more intelligent

than anybody else.

[Porthos yells in pain]

Porthos, what is it?

Kidney stones.

It hurts when I piss.

It hurts when I sh*t.

I'm just a fat old fart

with nothing to live for.

I'm going to hang myself

as soon as I'm sober.

Come on!

Aramis! He is ready!

The greatest mystery of life...

is who we truly are.

Yes.

I will tell you the secret

that was kept from you.

[Aramis] It began the night

King Louis was born.

D'Artagnan, Athos

and I were dining.

D'Artagnan was drunk -

the only time

I've seen him like that.

[Aramis] I was on duty.

I was summoned to the

rear door of the palace.

The Queen's priest

handed me a baby.

Do you understand this, Athos?

The Queen had given

birth to twins.

The child I carried

was the younger of the two.

[Baby cries]

[Man] Another!

[Echo] It's another.

[Two babies cry]

The King realised

he had two heirs.

He'd seen brothers

tear apart enough kingdoms

that he decided to make one

disappear. You, Phillippe!

He ordered your identity

kept from you.

On his deathbed,

he revealed the truth to Louis

and your mother.

She had been told

you died at birth.

She blamed herself

for believing it.

She wished to restore

your birthright.

But now, Louis was King.

He was afraid to kill you,

for his claim to power

rested on the sanctity

of royal blood.

So he devised a way

to keep you forever hidden.

For my country, for my king...

I bought peace with your life

and with my soul.

One day...I will

ask your forgiveness.

But not until I have

restored you to what is yours.

Restored?

We will replace Louis

with Phillippe.

That is your plan?

Exchanging one for the other?

It's ludicrous!

It's brilliant. What did

you think we were up to?

Revolution, open war!

Blood in the streets.

At least it's a change.

Physical resemblance is a start,

but Louis' arrogance...

[Aramis] ..can be adopted!

[Athos] And people close to him?

I have considered everything.

Have you considered

you not only risk our lives,

you risk Phillippe's as well?

And like us, he has a choice.

What about it, Phillippe?

All those years in prison,

were they for nothing?

Or have they given you strength

unlike ordinary men?

You have the chance to be king,

if you have the heart

to take that chance,

you have the heart.

Do you?

I...I...

Do you?

Your Majesty!

A box has arrived

whose contents

are for your eyes only.

Take this to my mother.

[Weeping] My son!

My son!

Please...forgive me.

I can never make it right.

My Lady...

D'Artagnan...

No... No...

If anyone sees...

it is death.

If I don't kiss you,

I'll die anyway.

I cannot bear to see you cry.

Please...

Tell me what's wrong.

Anna!

I know that to love you

is treason against France.

But not to love you

is treason against my heart.

Then we will both

die traitors, d'Artagnan.

[Aramis] More wine!

More wine.

How is he?

Exhausted. He's had a long day.

- Aramis...

- More wine!

Consider this plan.

Phillippe is like a child.

- He cannot be ready...

- You can do it!

- No!

- Yes!

- In a year maybe...

- Three weeks!

Three weeks?!

The King is having

a masquerade ball.

A swirl of people,

their faces covered.

It's a perfect opportunity.

We must act!

Phillippe could be

discovered at any time.

More wine! Where is everybody?

[Porthos] No! It's no use.

My sword is bent.

It'll be all right.

You're just taking

a while to get started.

- I'll make your sword straight.

- No, it's dead.

It's dead! I am useless!

Useless...

Three weeks to learn

all he must know?

For 16 years, he was

educated as a gentleman.

And for six more,

he lived in that mask!

Now he knows that those

who should have loved him

threw him into

loneliness and pain.

You're fond of him. That's good.

Don't play God with me, Aramis!

Nothing can replace Raoul!

What is Porthos doing?

Walking into the barn naked,

or so it seems.

[Athos] What is he doing?

Going to hang himself.

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