The Man in the Iron Mask

In 1662, the Kingdom of France moves toward revolution, facing bankruptcy from King Louis XIV's wars against the Dutch. The young and callous King Louis redistributes spoiling food supplies from the army to his starving citizens, and instructs former Musketeer Aramis to find and kill the unknown leader of the renegade Jesuits seeking to assassinate the king. At a palace festival in Versailles, Louis attempts to seduce Christine Bellefort, the fiancée of Raoul, son of former Musketeer Athos, while D'Artagnan, captain of the king's guard, foils a Jesuit assassination plot. Sending Raoul to his death on the battlefront, Louis takes Christine as his mistress, and Athos, angered by the loss of his son, lashes out at the musketeer barracks, wounding some of the soldiers, and renounces his allegiance to the king. When D'Artagnan defuses a riot over the rotten food supplies and alerts Louis of the food that was distributed, Louis orders his chief advisor, Pierre, to be executed and future rioters to be shot. Aramis summons Athos, D'Artagnan and former Musketeer Porthos for a secret meeting, revealing himself as the Jesuits' leader with a plan to depose Louis, but D'Artagnan refuses to join them. Athos, Porthos and Aramis infiltrate the Île Sainte-Marguerite prison and free a prisoner wearing an iron mask, whom Aramis reveals to be Philippe, Louis's identical twin brother. To avoid dynastic warfare when Queen Anne gave birth to twins, King Louis XIII sent Philippe to be raised in the country without knowledge of his true identity, telling the queen that the child had died. On his deathbed, the king informed his wife and son of Philippe's existence; fearful of losing his throne, Louis XIV forced Aramis to seal Philippe in the iron mask and imprison him for life. Wishing to redeem himself and save France, Aramis informs Anne of his plan to replace the cruel Louis with the benevolent Philippe. The trio tutor Philippe in courtly life at an estate run by the Jesuits as they learn of a masquerade ball Louis intends to hold in 3 weeks time. There, Porthos becomes suicidal and attempts to hang himself, which fails, courtesy of Aramis. Upon learning that Louis is hosting the ball earlier than expected and the musketeers are ordered to shoot rioters on sight, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis sneak into the palace and subdue Louis during the ball, as Philippe assumes his brother's identity and returns to the festivities. Philippe meets his mother for the first time. After Queen Anne retired for the night, Christine publicly confronts the king for his role in Raoul's death, after using Louis' seal to send a letter to the Commander, learning the real truth after he wrote back, and D'Artagnan realizes the ruse when Philippe treats her with kindness, in stark contrast to the heartless Louis. D'Artagnan and his men intercept Athos, Porthos and Aramis in the dungeons, rescuing Louis as the trio escape, but Philippe is captured. After learning of Philippe's identity, D'Artagnan begs Louis to spare his brother, and Louis returns Philippe to prison in the iron mask, while Christine hangs herself. D'Artagnan summons Athos, Porthos and Aramis to help rescue Philippe from the Bastille. Louis, suspicious of D'Artagnan's allegiance, has them cornered in the Bastille, and offers D'Artagnan clemency and a quick death for the others in exchange for his surrender. D'Artagnan refuses, revealing to his comrades that he is Louis and Philippe's biological father, having long been in love with Anne. The four former Musketeers and Philippe charge as the king's guards open fire, but their bravery compels the soldiers to deliberately miss. After surviving the charge, the musketeers salute them. Louis, however, attempted to stab Philippe. Shielding Philippe from Louis, D'Artagnan is fatally stabbed, while his protégé Lieutenant André turns against Louis, as Philippe again takes his brother's place as king. Philippe ascends to the throne under Louis's identity, naming Athos, Porthos and Aramis as his closest advisors and holding a funeral for D'Artagnan. It was rumored that he had issued his brother a royal pardon, allowing Louis to live out the remainder of his life in peace, with his mother often visiting him. Philippe ultimately becomes one of France's greatest kings.