> What is, in the list's opinion, the best rendition of the > Musketeers' tale on film? Also, what's the best translation of Dumas? My favorite film rendition is still the old Gene Kelly version, despite the singing. :-P That probably says more about my enjoyment of Gene Kelly than about how great that particular version is. It takes liberties with the story, as they all do. Unlike most, though, it focuses as much on the darker side of the story as it does on the swashbuckling. If the death of Constance is recounted a bit differently than Dumas wrote it, at least the story is told, unlike most of the more modern renditions that prefer a happier ending. Likewise, if the business of the Carte Blanche is recounted a bit differently, it is at least recounted in something like the spirit of Dumas instead of the usual Hollywood ending that dispenses with it altogether in the name of a "rousing swashbuckling finish". Besides, if you aren't going to hire a real Frenchman to play Richelieu then I can't think of anyone better suited to capture the power and menace of the man than Vincent Price. I'm not qualified to recommend a translation. I found no fault with the version available at the Online Literature Library (http://www.literature.org/authors/dumas-alexandre/the-three-musketeers/chap ter-01.html ) but I don't speak French and have no clue at all who translated it or the quality of said translation.