Der Mann mit der eisernen Maske

There seems to be an inferiority complex about this version of THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK but why ? Mike Newall is a competent director and he's assembled a fine cast in something that doesn't resemble a made for television movie . The story itself is based upon a Dumas swashbuckling classic but there's a fly in the ointment that is an obvious giveaway that this version lacks confidence .

What am I talking about ? Why the music of course . Whenever the film wants us to feel something Allyn Ferguson's score dictates how the audience should be feeling . Certainly the score for THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK goes with the visuals but did it need to be so obvious ? It's almost like listening to PETER AND THE WOLF where the music itself is the narrative and I'm not sure if that's a good thing in cinema