

France, 17th century, during the reign of Louis XIII. When a dear friend, the Duke of Nevers, is treacherously assassinated by a powerful relative, a skilled swordsman, the noble Henri de Lagardère, seeks his rightful vengeance as he tries to protect the innocent life of the duke's last heir.
Stunts
Pre-CGI sword fights that actually look dangerous and delicious
Costume
Velvet, capes, and Fabrice Luchini's smug little goatee
Acting
Auteuil's committed chaos versus Luchini's delicious villainy

Director
Philippe de Broca
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was director Philippe de Broca's final film, and he went out swinging—literally—with a budget that let him build entire 17th-century villages for about twelve minutes of screen time.
The 'La fille de d'Artagnan' novel source material had been adapted twice before, but this version invented the hunchback assassin entirely—because apparently 1997 France needed more disability-coded villains.