Man in the Iron Mask one ever saw his face because it was hidden by a mask of black velvet cloth, the true identity of the prisoner remains a mystery; it has been extensively debated by historians, and various theories have been expounded in numerous books and films. Among the leading theories are those proposed by writer and philosopher Voltaire: he claimed in the second edition of his "Questions sur l'Encyclopédie" (1771) that the prisoner wore a mask made of iron rather than of cloth, and that he was the older, illegitimate brother of Louis XIV. What little is known about the historical Man in
The Man in the Iron Mask (1998 film) was successful financially, benefiting greatly from Leonardo DiCaprio's post-"Titanic" boost in popularity. The film currently holds a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 39 reviews. It holds a 48% rating on Metacritic, based on 18 reviews. DiCaprio won a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Couple for his interactions as twins in the film. Music for this film was written by English composer Nick Glennie-Smith. Figure skater Alexei Yagudin became a gold medalist skating to this music in the 2002 Winter Olympics. He won with the program "The Man in the Iron Mask", based on the movie soundtrack. The