This Swashbuckling Adaptation Understands The True Essence Of Great Cinema

The Count Of Monte Cristo
is a classic novel that has been adapted many times for the screen, and though many might remember the title from assigned reading in high school, this new French take on the story is quite different. Of course, The Count of Monte Cristo hits the beats of revenge that are vital to the story, but it isn’t afraid to use the narrative by Alexandre Dumas as a jumping-off point rather than a strict guideline. With a budget of over $46 million, this addition to the book’s storied history is an epic worth committing to.

At just under three hours long, The Count of Monte Cristo is the kind of novelesque grand tale that we have been hungry for. It was written and directed by Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte. The Count of Monte Cristo stars Pierre Niney as Edmond Dantès, AKA The Count of Monte Cristo, and is joined by a fantastic ensemble cast. One of the younger characters, Albert de Morcef, is played by Vassili Schneider of the French vampire movie The Vourdalak. Albert finds himself unwittingly caught in the crosshairs of the Count for no reason other than his parentage.

For All Its Tragedy, The Count Of Monte Cristo Makes The Book’s Story More Hopeful

Edmond Is Still Tortured, But He’s Not Quite As Doomed As In The Novel

Spanning over 20 years, The Count of Monte Cristo sees the familiar rise and fall of Dantès. After his happiness is stripped away by three rivals, he swears revenge upon them and executes a brilliantly twisted plan of vengeance. For those who are unfamiliar with the story, the twists will leave you shocked, and Dantès’ deliberate march toward darkness will leave you unsure who to root for. There’s plenty of heartbreak and disappointment woven throughout the story, but The Count of Monte Cristo has too much ground to cover to let itself wallow.

Though it’s a long and winding story, The Count of Monte Cristo rarely drags; there’s so much action that it must maintain a propulsive pace to do justice to the most important moments. However, this does mean that some sequences are a little rushed. Though Dantès’ time in prison is merely a prologue in many ways, the movie could’ve established his relationship with Abbé and the torture of his years of isolation more effectively. For Dantès’ single-minded path of revenge to make sense, we must believe in the destruction of his soul.

Since the narrative gives so much ammunition for us to despise the evil Fernand de Morcerf, Gérard de Villefort, and Danglar, it doesn’t matter too much that some of the prison and its immediate aftermath are condensed. It’s easy to be swept up in Dantès genius and start to thirst for vengeance along with him, only to realize how many people are getting caught in the crossfire. There’s little to argue against it, as it’s the kind of movie that doesn’t seem to get made anymore, recalling a time when good cinema was the event of the year.

The changes that The Count of Monte Cristo makes to the original text are predominantly for the better, as Dantès’ endings in the original book and the popular 2002 American movie are too concerned with providing a fairytale-like happily ever after. The movie has penned the best conclusion for Dantès I’ve seen so far, as the filmmakers seem to understand him and the nature of vengeance almost better than Dumas himself. There’s no question that he goes too far and loses the man he once was, but he could never be the man who was once going to marry Mercédès.

Every Moment Of The Count Of Monte Cristo Is Vividly Real & Tangible

With Gorgeous Sets & Sequences Shot On Location, The Movie Is Immersive From The First Shot

In a world of green screens, half-written scripts, and predictable narratives, The Count of Monte Cristo is a breath of fresh air. It’s been years since a film of this scale was able to put its budget to good use with over-the-top sets and locations that feel as real as the characters. Of course, it wouldn’t be The Count of Monte Cristo if there wasn’t a good old-fashioned sword fight between Dantès and Morcef during the film’s conclusion, and Niney and Bastien Bouillon deliver, as the entire story has been leading to their inevitable clash.

The Count of Monte Cristo is as much a swashbuckling adventure as it is a warning about the dangers of letting yourself get lost in the desire for things that don’t matter. With a gorgeous score that uplifts every scene, making them more tense, romantic, and devastating, and sets and costumes on par with the best period pieces of the 21st century, everything about the movie is planned and carefully executed. The Count of Monte Cristo sees the value of biding time and waiting for the perfect moment, finally providing the book adaptation the world’s been waiting for.

The Count of Monte Cristo will be in theaters on December 20th, 2024.

Pros

• The cinematography is beautiful and the settings were filmed on location.
• It features a perfectly complimentary score.
• The performances suit the sweeping nature of the narrative.

Cons

• The pacing undercuts some of the tragedy.