Comte de Rochefort
Encyclopedia
The Comte de Rochefort is a secondary fictional character in Alexandre Dumas
' d'Artagnan Romances
. He is described as "around forty or forty-five, fair with a scar across his cheek".
. He insults d'Artagnan
and steals his letter of recommendation to Monsieur Treville, causing d'Artagnan to swear revenge.
He reappears from time to time as the story progresses; d'Artagnan regularly sees Rochefort and tries to catch him, but never gets to actually meet him again and learn his name until the end of the novel. It is Rochefort who kidnaps Constance Bonacieux, and we eventually learn that he is the other main agent (in addition to Milady de Winter) of Cardinal Richelieu. He is sent by Richelieu to escort Milady de Winter
in some of her missions. At the end of the novel, Rochefort tries to arrest d'Artagnan for the cardinal, who eventually orders the two men to become friends. In the Epilogue, we learn that Rochefort, and an older and wiser d'Artagnan, have fought on three occasions (all duels being won by d'Artagnan), settle their differences and become friends.
. Having been put into bad favor with Richelieu's successor Mazarin, he only comes out of the Bastille
after five years. When Mazarin dismisses him from service for being too old, he joins the side of the Fronde
urs. He aids Athos
in freeing the Duke of Beaufort and reappears in the end at the riot against Mazarin's return. Not realizing who he was in the chaos, d'Artagnan kills his old friend, as he had predicted he would if they fought a fourth time.
. Courtilz de Sandras also wrote Mémoires de M. d'Artagnan (1700). Dumas combined the two, replacing an aristocrat named Rosnay from the d'Artagnan story with the Comte de Rochefort.
Film incarnations tend to depict Rochefort as a far darker character than in the novel, and often extend his role. Unlike in the original novel, d'Artagnan ends up killing Rochefort in duel in The Four Musketeers (though he turns up alive in The Return in the Musketeers, only to die "again" in a gunpowder explosion intended for (and partially triggered by) the musketeers), and the character suffers the same fate in the 1993 adaptation. In his three appearances as Rochefort, Christopher Lee
wore an eyepatch
, intended to make the character look more sinister. The eyepatch, while a departure from Rochefort's appearance in Dumas' novel, was deemed striking enough to be retained in several other film adaptations, as Wincott and Mikkelsen retained it in their portrayals, as well as in the cartoon series Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds
and the anime version. Tim Roth
's Febre, the main villain of The Musketeer
, also wears an eyepatch (although Rochefort does not).
Dogtanian's Rochefort has a scar on his forehead rather than his cheek. Throughout the series, the title character often calls him "Black Moustache".
Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, , born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was a French writer, best known for his historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world...
' d'Artagnan Romances
D'Artagnan Romances
The d'Artagnan Romances are a set of three novels by Alexandre Dumas telling the story of the musketeer d'Artagnan from his humble beginnings in Gascony to his death as a marshal of France in the Siege of Maastricht in 1673....
. He is described as "around forty or forty-five, fair with a scar across his cheek".
In "The Three Musketeers"
Known throughout the novel as "The Man from Meung", his first appearance is in the opening chapter of The Three MusketeersThe Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, first serialized in March–July 1844. Set in the 17th century, it recounts the adventures of a young man named d'Artagnan after he leaves home to travel to Paris, to join the Musketeers of the Guard...
. He insults d'Artagnan
D'Artagnan
Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore, Comte d'Artagnan served Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard and died at the Siege of Maastricht in the Franco-Dutch War. A fictionalized account of his life by Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras formed the basis for the d'Artagnan Romances of...
and steals his letter of recommendation to Monsieur Treville, causing d'Artagnan to swear revenge.
He reappears from time to time as the story progresses; d'Artagnan regularly sees Rochefort and tries to catch him, but never gets to actually meet him again and learn his name until the end of the novel. It is Rochefort who kidnaps Constance Bonacieux, and we eventually learn that he is the other main agent (in addition to Milady de Winter) of Cardinal Richelieu. He is sent by Richelieu to escort Milady de Winter
Milady de Winter
Milady Clarick de Winter, often referred to as simply Milady, is a fictional character in the novel The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, père. She acts as a spy for Cardinal Richelieu and is one of the chief antagonists of the story....
in some of her missions. At the end of the novel, Rochefort tries to arrest d'Artagnan for the cardinal, who eventually orders the two men to become friends. In the Epilogue, we learn that Rochefort, and an older and wiser d'Artagnan, have fought on three occasions (all duels being won by d'Artagnan), settle their differences and become friends.
In "Twenty Years After"
Rochefort would reappear in the sequel, Twenty Years AfterTwenty Years After
Twenty Years After is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, père, first serialized from January to August, 1845. A book of the D'Artagnan Romances, it is a sequel to The Three Musketeers and precedes The Vicomte de Bragelonne .The novel follows events in France during La Fronde, during the childhood reign...
. Having been put into bad favor with Richelieu's successor Mazarin, he only comes out of the Bastille
Bastille
The Bastille was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. The Bastille was built in response to the English threat to the city of...
after five years. When Mazarin dismisses him from service for being too old, he joins the side of the Fronde
Fronde
The Fronde was a civil war in France, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. The word fronde means sling, which Parisian mobs used to smash the windows of supporters of Cardinal Mazarin....
urs. He aids Athos
Athos (fictional character)
Olivier d'Athos de la Fère, Comte de la Fère is a fictional character, a Musketeer of the Guard in the novels The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas, père....
in freeing the Duke of Beaufort and reappears in the end at the riot against Mazarin's return. Not realizing who he was in the chaos, d'Artagnan kills his old friend, as he had predicted he would if they fought a fourth time.
In Other Fiction
The Comte de Rochefort was the subject of an earlier novel, Mémoires de M.L.C.D.R. (Memoirs of Monsieur Le Comte de Rochefort) written in 1678 by Gatien de Courtilz de SandrasGatien de Courtilz de Sandras
Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras was a French novelist, journalist, pamphleteer and memorialist.His abundant output includes short stories, gallant letters, tales of historical love affairs , historical and political works, biographies and semi-fictional "memoirs" Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras (1644,...
. Courtilz de Sandras also wrote Mémoires de M. d'Artagnan (1700). Dumas combined the two, replacing an aristocrat named Rosnay from the d'Artagnan story with the Comte de Rochefort.
- A thug nicknamed Rochefort plays the role in the book "The Club DumasThe Club DumasThe Club Dumas is a 1993 novel by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. The book is set in a world of antiquarian booksellers echoing his previous work, The Flanders Panel....
" by Arturo Pérez-ReverteArturo Pérez-ReverteArturo Pérez-Reverte Gutiérrez is a Spanish novelist and journalist. He worked as a war correspondent for twenty-one years . His first novel, El húsar, set in the Napoleonic Wars, was released in 1986. He is well known outside Spain for his "Alatriste" series of novels...
.
- Rochefort is the narrator and protagonist of Mary GentleMary Gentle-Literary career:Mary Gentle's first published novel was Hawk in Silver , a young-adult fantasy. She came to prominence with the Orthe duology, which consists of Golden Witchbreed and Ancient Light ....
's novel 1610: A Sundial in a Grave.
- Rochefort appears in Jason'sJason (cartoonist)John Arne Sæterøy , better known by the pen name Jason, is a Norwegian cartoonist, known for his sparse drawing style and silent, anthropomorphic animal characters....
2008 graphic novel The Last Musketeer in which he colludes with the Emperor of Mars to invade Earth.
In Film
In film Rochefort has been played by:- Ian KeithIan Keith-Life and career:Born Keith Ross in Boston, Massachusetts, Ian Keith was a veteran character actor of the legitimate theater, and appeared in a variety of colorful roles in silent features of the 1920s. His stage training made him a natural choice for the new "talking pictures"; he played John...
in both the 1935 and 1948 versions of The Three MusketeersThe Three Musketeers (1948 film)The Three Musketeers is a Technicolor adventure film adaptation of the classic novel The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, père which starred Gene Kelly and Lana Turner... - Christopher LeeChristopher LeeSir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
in the 1973 movie The Three MusketeersThe Three Musketeers (1973 film)The Three Musketeers is a 1973 film based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas, père. It was directed by Richard Lester and written by George MacDonald Fraser . It was originally proposed in the 1960s as a vehicle for The Beatles, whom Lester had directed in two other films...
, as well as the sequels The Four MusketeersThe Four Musketeers (film)The Four Musketeers is a 1974 Richard Lester film that follows upon his film of the year before, The Three Musketeers, and covers the second half of Dumas' novel The Three Musketeers...
and The Return of the MusketeersThe Return of the MusketeersThe Return of the Musketeers is a 1989 film adaptation loosely based on the novel Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas, père. It is the third Musketeers film directed by Richard Lester, following 1973's The Three Musketeers and 1974's The Four Musketeers...
. - Michael WincottMichael WincottMichael Anthony Claudio Wincott is a Canadian actor.Wincott was born in Toronto, Ontario and is renown for playing villainous roles-Filmography:*Title Shot - Robber*Wild Horse Hank - Charlie Connors...
in the 1993 movie The Three MusketeersThe Three Musketeers (1993 film)The Three Musketeers is a 1993 film from Walt Disney Pictures and Caravan Pictures, directed by Stephen Herek from a screenplay by David Loughery and starring Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O'Donnell, Oliver Platt, Tim Curry and Rebecca De Mornay....
. - David SchofieldDavid SchofieldDavid Schofield may refer to:*David Schofield , English actor*David Schofield , English football player...
in the 2001 movie The MusketeerThe MusketeerThe Musketeer is a 2001 American film very loosely based on Alexandre Dumas, père's classic novel The Three Musketeers, directed by Peter Hyams and starring Catherine Deneuve, Tim Roth, Mena Suvari, Stephen Rea, Nick Moran, Bill Treacher and Justin Chambers.The film features Tsui Hark's regular...
. - Mads MikkelsenMads Mikkelsen' is a Danish actor.-Life and career:Mikkelsen was born in the Østerbro area of Copenhagen, the son of Bente Christiansen and Henning Mikkelsen, a cab driver. He is the brother of actor Lars Mikkelsen. After attending Århus Theatre School, he made his film debut in the movie Pusher...
in the 2011 movie The Three MusketeersThe Three Musketeers (2011 film)The Three Musketeers is a 2011 3D action-adventure film directed by Paul W. S. Anderson which is a reinterpretation of the novel of the same title by Alexandre Dumas, the film was released in Germany, Austria, France & Switzerland on September 1, 2011, and in the U.S...
.
Film incarnations tend to depict Rochefort as a far darker character than in the novel, and often extend his role. Unlike in the original novel, d'Artagnan ends up killing Rochefort in duel in The Four Musketeers (though he turns up alive in The Return in the Musketeers, only to die "again" in a gunpowder explosion intended for (and partially triggered by) the musketeers), and the character suffers the same fate in the 1993 adaptation. In his three appearances as Rochefort, Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
wore an eyepatch
Eyepatch
An eyepatch or eye pad is a small patch that is worn in front of one eye. It may be a cloth patch attached around the head by an elastic band or by a string, or an adhesive bandage. It is often worn by people to cover a lost or injured eye, but it also has a therapeutic use in children for the...
, intended to make the character look more sinister. The eyepatch, while a departure from Rochefort's appearance in Dumas' novel, was deemed striking enough to be retained in several other film adaptations, as Wincott and Mikkelsen retained it in their portrayals, as well as in the cartoon series Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds
Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds
Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds is an animated cartoon adaptation of the classic Alexandre Dumas story of d'Artagnan and The Three Musketeers. Most of the characters are anthropomorphizations of dogs, hence the title of the cartoon...
and the anime version. Tim Roth
Tim Roth
Simon Timothy "Tim" Roth is an English film actor and director best known for his roles in the American films,Legend of 1900, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Four Rooms, Skellig, Planet of the Apes, The Incredible Hulk and Rob Roy, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for...
's Febre, the main villain of The Musketeer
The Musketeer
The Musketeer is a 2001 American film very loosely based on Alexandre Dumas, père's classic novel The Three Musketeers, directed by Peter Hyams and starring Catherine Deneuve, Tim Roth, Mena Suvari, Stephen Rea, Nick Moran, Bill Treacher and Justin Chambers.The film features Tsui Hark's regular...
, also wears an eyepatch (although Rochefort does not).
Dogtanian's Rochefort has a scar on his forehead rather than his cheek. Throughout the series, the title character often calls him "Black Moustache".