When they put the mask on the imprisoned Leo, it gets put on in three different pieces. When the priest(or Athos,I forget) takes it off, it is in two pieces:a front and a back.The three piece mask had a metal frame, and then a hinged front and back to go over it. On the two piece mask, it had a hinged front and back with the other piece attached to it.
yes, and correct me if I am wrong, which is very possible, but didn't the mask come off in ONE piece at the end of the movie? Seems like it went from 3 pieces, to 2 pieces, to one piece!
Ok, first, we know from the first time the mask was taken off that it has basically four parts. There's the iron mask itself, then there's a cage that holds it in place on the face of the wearer. The sides of the cage are attached to two hinged peices that lock in the back.
I looked at the last scene where the mask is taken off in freeze-frame. Here's what happens.
1. Philippe screams "get this off me."
2. You see the key being turned in the lock at the back of Philippe's head.
3. Cut to a close-up of Athos asking D'artanion (sp?) to forgive him.
4. Cut to a shot over Philippe's shoulder while D'artanion begins to tell Philippe that this is the death he always wanted. At this point, Philippe's hands are behind his (Philippe's) head, in the right position to pull the two hinged peices apart.
5. Cut to a front-shot of Philippe lifting the mask off. It's so fast you really can't see how many peices there are, but if you freeze-frame it, you can see it looks just like it did the first time it was taken off. The metal mask itself is kind of "stuck" to the cage that holds it in place, and the two side peices are hanging open. Philippe uses both hands to lift the whole assembly straight off and casts it aside. The number of peices hasn't changed.
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