Factual error: At the end of the movie, the shot of the castle on the left hand side of the main building, you can see a white or gray car drive by. (02:04:44)
Factual error: 6 years in a mask and he's able to keep that lovely babyface with just a little bit of grime, which easily comes off? Of course it would have wrecked the whole story but still...
Factual error: The film is set in the year 1662. Louis is supposed to be in the middle of a war against the Dutch. This is actually not correct. The war against the Dutch didn't begin until 1672.
Factual error: Six years in a mask and Philippe's teeth are in perfect condition. All that time without brushing or flossing, you'd think he'd have lost some teeth or been in wracking pain from toothaches.
Answer: It is partially true. Author Alexander Dumas based his character on records that were recovered about an unknown prisoner whose identity was kept secret by a black cloth that constantly covered his head. The facts gradually changed as a myth grew up around this account, and the cloth mask was eventually said to be iron. This person, who is believed to have been of high rank, was incarcerated in several prisons, including the Bastille. Dumas adapted the legend for his novel and made the unknown man the twin brother of King Louis XIV. However, the man's true identity has never been discovered. The movie has also distorted historical facts about the Bastille. It was originally built as a fortress during The Hundred Years War, and only later was it used as a prison. (It only held about 50 people.) When it was stormed by French peasants in 1789, there were only seven inmates, and it is believed the rioters were actually looking for ammunition rather than attempting to free prisoners.
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