Continuity mistake: After King Louis stabs d'Artagnan with the dagger, the good brother (Phillipe), rushes him and Louis drops the dagger to the prison floor. However, in the next scene, a close-up of the two brothers fighting, Louis has the dagger in his hand again.
Factual error: Six years in a mask and Philippe's teeth are in perfect condition. All that time without brushing or flossing, you'd think he'd have lost some teeth or been in wracking pain from toothaches.
Answer: It is partially true. Author Alexander Dumas based his character on records that were recovered about an unknown prisoner whose identity was kept secret by a black cloth that constantly covered his head. The facts gradually changed as a myth grew up around this account, and the cloth mask was eventually said to be iron. This person, who is believed to have been of high rank, was incarcerated in several prisons, including the Bastille. Dumas adapted the legend for his novel and made the unknown man the twin brother of King Louis XIV. However, the man's true identity has never been discovered. The movie has also distorted historical facts about the Bastille. It was originally built as a fortress during The Hundred Years War, and only later was it used as a prison. (It only held about 50 people.) When it was stormed by French peasants in 1789, there were only seven inmates, and it is believed the rioters were actually looking for ammunition rather than attempting to free prisoners.
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