The Face of Alexandre Dumas: The Man in the Iron Mask Page #4

Hang himself?!

Oh, mon Dieu!

A sign from God...

Oh, my God!

If Porthos is determined

to end his life,

he'll find the opportunity.

Goodbye, cruel world.

Farewell to useless Porthos.

- What was that?

- I sawed the beam.

I'm a genius,

not an engineer.

ARAMIS! You did this!

You knew I'd hang myself

and you sawed the beam!

- Admit it!

- Of course I knew.

You've been moping around

for months.

Now you can stop boring

everyone and be useful!

- Well...all right.

- Put some clothes on!

I've worn this mask so long,

I don't feel safe without it.

I will sit with you.

I can't sleep either.

I've been in prison

for six years.

You have freed me.

Now you ask me

to enter another prison.

A palace is hardly a prison.

Do you see

those farm maids?

See the one holding the lamb?

I would tend lambs with her

the rest of my life.

We're offering you

a chance to be king.

No, you offer me a chance

to pretend to be king!

A king you hate!

Not everyone hates him.

Don't you?

Why should I become him?

Until you give me

a reason, I won't.

I cannot.

We're all God's instruments,

like it or not.

All we can do is keep faith.

Though I sometimes

find that hard.

We all fail at faith, Aramis.

That's why we must eat,

drink, and make love to life.

As king, you can have

a thousand ploughmaids.

Porthos! You miss the point!

What point?

Phillippe is right.

We haven't given him a reason

to do what we ask.

I understand

your reason, Athos.

You do?

Porthos told me about your son.

You think that's why I'm here?

Yes, Raoul is my reason,

but not the way you think.

Once, all of us believed

in serving something

greater than ourselves.

Aramis had his faith.

Porthos, his lust for life.

D'Artagnan, his devotion.

And I had Raoul.

But we all had a common dream -

that one day we would

be able to serve a king

worthy of the throne.

It is what we dreamt,

what we bled for,

and what we have waited

a lifetime for.

I taught Raoul

to believe in that dream.

And now my son is dead.

So I am here to find out

if his life was in vain.

And the only one who can

answer that question is you.

Athos...

if we fail in this attempt -

and we probably will -

I am honoured to die beside you.

And you.

This arrived for you.

[Raoul's voice]

'My darling Christine,

'in parting from you

'I have left heaven for hell.

'I go because I can love you

only in honour.

'You've created in me

the need to be a better man.

'I will love

through heaven or hell

'to love you

as you should be loved.

'Remember that

and give yourself no blame.

'Yours forever, Raoul.'

What's wrong?

What's the matter?

What's wrong?

I received a letter

from Raoul.

He sent it to the palace,

knowing that he would die

and that I would be here.

How would he know that?

I...I can't guess

what he was thinking.

He was irrational.

I ordered him placed

far from the fighting...

but he plunged in

against my wishes.

He forgives me for all

that he knew I would do.

But how can I forgive myself?

Forgive?

I loved him, Louis.

I love him still.

Still...

And in pretending to love you,

I do something awful.

You pretend?!

I have sinned

against love and God

for the sake of your mercy,

which you would not

have given without my sin.

I will burn in hell

and so will you.

No. No, no.

No, my love.

You will burn in hell,

but I will not,

for I am King, ordained by God.

[Horses hooves]

[Horses hooves]

[Aramis]

Come on! We have to get started.

- Get my bag.

- Where do you go?

Paris. I'll be gone a few days.

Make sure everything

is ready when I return.

You want me to do

the impossible alone?

This is the perfect solution -

a revolution without bloodshed.

Or treason -

for he is a king's son.

I can't get him ready in time!

The urgency is not my choice.

Instead of distributing food,

Louis has ordered

the rioters shot.

Imagine what will happen

when the starving people

hear about this ball.

This is not for me, Athos.

It's for everything

we once were...

and might be again.

Thank you, Father.

The ball is now tomorrow night.

Louis is unhappy

with his mistress

and needs revelry.

My tailors must work all night!

Saddle my horse!

The brothel is closed

for the night.

Everyone out,

except the ladies. OUT!

Closed? We came here...

Go somewhere else.

Out! Out!

You must finish

the clothes you were making.

We'll go, and take

your money with us!

Come on, old man!

Old? You try to rob me

because you think me old?

Oh...!

See if you can rob someone

with your pistol up there!

Out! Everybody out!

Out! Get out!

Porthos,

I finished this for you.

I love Paris! I love life!

And I love you, ladies!

Now get busy - except for you!

Come!

No, wait.

With a king, it is so.

Servants have

touched the goblet,

so the king touches

as little as possible.

Again...

I'm sorry.

No, do not be sorry!

There are no mistakes

when you are king.

You never apologise.

The king cares for

nothing and for no one.

Is that the king

you wish me to be?

Or do you say this

because your son is dead?

Forgive me. I did not mean...

I am not angry with you.

Do you understand?

Good. Of course we wish you

to be a good king,

but first you must pass as

Louis, who is cold and cruel.

His eyes say he cares

only for himself.

Your eyes ask too much.

You shouldn't care about me.

You shouldn't care about...

You mustn't ask about my son.

[Queen Anne] Bless me, Father,

for I have sinned.

And so have I.

Aramis!

Your Majesty.

Do you believe

that just as one can lie

can destroy a life,

one truth can put it

together again?

I pray every day

for such a miracle.

I have prayed every day

for forgiveness.

But forgiveness

must come from you

before it can come from God.

It was I who took

your other son from you.

And I was never brave enough

to find the truth.

I have raised a son

who destroys lives

instead of saving them.

And I have failed to save a son

who died within an iron mask.

No! That mask

was Louis' creation.

Now we have a chance

to make a miracle -

to strip all masks away forever.

These rooms are yours.

Through this corridor

and upstairs,

or through this passage,

are the rooms of your

mistress Christine.

And whose rooms are these?

Your mother's.

My mother's...?

Change the horses!

Clear everything out!

Now!

[Aramis] Remember, Phillippe:

nobility is born in the heart.

[Porthos] Make love as if you

don't care. Fart when you wish.

[Athos] Hold your goblet

with two fingers.

If you get stuck,

just say "Continue."

[Aramis] In the morning,

order that we be brought

to the palace as your advisors.

D'Artagnan watches everything!

We will need luck.

We will make our own luck!

If Phillippe holds up.

Relax, Phillippe!

You're doing well.

My brother!

What is wrong, Your Majesty?.

Nothing. Carry on.

Did you see that?

What, Your Majesty?

A mask! I saw a mask!

The ballroom is full

of masks, Your Majesty.

[Music stops]

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