The Three Musketeers: d’Artagnan (2023)

As our resident francophile, I’ve been meaning to watch the recent Three Musketeers film, The Three Musketeers: d’Artagnan (2023). The problem is that unlike the rest of the universe, the whole concept of the three musketeers doesn’t appeal to me! It seems too boy-centric with lots of swashbuckling, so I keep putting it off (yes I know there are female characters). But I finally did my homework, and overall found it a reasonably watchable film with solid acting by Vincent Cassel, Louis Garrel, Eva Green, Romain Duris, and Vicky Krieps. I’d almost watch the sequel, Part II: Milady, but I’m assuming it’ll be more of the same, costume-wise, and I’m at about maximum on swashbuckling.

I’m not even going to bother getting into plot — it’s fine — and just focus on the costumes, designed by Thierry Delettre (Eiffel, Flashback, Germinal, and the upcoming The Count of Monte Cristo).

 

The Musketeers’ Costumes

Fine, whatever? The theme here is dark, gritty, dirty layers, with a general nod to being vaguely 17th century but nothing like what actual soldiers of the 1720s wore:

Instead of actual color, you get a lot of brown, grey, and black:

Leather jackets, with layering and vaguely doublet-y top layers:

Long coats:

Pants (jeans??) instead of breeches:

Yes, the big hats, which almost didn’t make the film:

And men who are filthy and, as Sarah so aptly once put it, look like they smell like foot.

 

Louis XIII’s Costumes

He’s the king, and sure, he’s not wandering around in coronation robes all the time, but despite Louis Garrel still being my boyfriend and wearing costumes that reflect elements of 17th-century dress, it’s all pretty stripped down:

Instead we get sort of doublet-y jackets with winged sleeve caps:

Dockers stuck into boots:

The most dressed up he gets is this blue and gold doublet made of sari fabric:

And midway between, another sari fabric with beaded cuffs:

 

Gaston, Duc d’Orléans’s costumes

The king’s younger brother basically dresses like Louis, until his wedding comes around and he goes emo bullfighter:

And then his scheming comes to fruition while he wears a mashup between a doublet and a 1930s fascist hunting ensemble:

 

Anne of Austria’s Costumes

Nope, we’re not seeing the queen dressed for court — except for Gaston’s wedding. Nonetheless, here’s the real deal in a super formal outfit from the 1720s:

And to fill out our sense of 1620s women’s fashion — going out of style is this very late Renaissance look, with ruffs, long bodices, and skirts tucked up at the hip over hoops:

And coming into fashion is the short-waisted bodice with an open neckline, somewhat squared by almost off-the-shoulder, and puffy sleeves:

Skirts get much smaller, with hoops going out of style, and the waistline is quite high with long skirtings:

In the film, the queen wears gowns with necklines that are a bit more 1660s:

Those look much more like:

She does have a hunting outfit that I liked:

Her most formal dress kind of combines that 1660s off-the-shoulder neckline with the going-out-of-fashion late-Renaissance look:

 

Milady’s Costumes

You can’t really see her in her first scene, but then she’s impersonating a countess? and slaps on a blond wig and a cross-over dressing gown:

After that, it’s Eva Green and she’s playing a villain, so it’s all WTF evil sorceress wear.

 

The Masquerade Scene’s Costumes

One key scene is at a masquerade, and overall I liked it, mostly because they went to town with the masks:

Milady, however, is dressed as a harlequin, which I wouldn’t know given the gazillion pheasant feathers seem to be the overall focus:

The Duke of Buckingham gets his hot-glued rhinestones on:

And d’Artagnan manages to wash his face but keep his manly chest out:

 

The Love Interest’s Costumes

Constance, I think was her name? Mostly just wanted to point out that she and the queen’s other servants all wear this as livery, but it feels like it’s Italian Renaissance:

Until she adds steampunk belts:

 

Maria de’ Medici’s Costumes

The king’s mother sticks with the late-Renaissance look:

 

And Some Only Semi-Shitty Historical Art…

I was okay with the not-too-paint-by-numbers art itself:

Until I saw the super modern engraved nameplate (it’s a plot point, but it’s ridiculous):

Have you seen The Three Musketeers: d’Artagnan or its sequel, Milady? What did you think?

 

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