The Count of Monte Cristo

Rating:
Summary: A Wimp's Revenge
Review: A long time fan of Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo, I looked forward to seeing the latest remake. After seeing it, I felt like I had been ripped off. The first part, about the unjust imprisonment of a young seaman, his befriending by a fellow inmate, and his escape to find the long lost treasure on the Isle of Monte Cristo followed the book very well. However, the vengeance, which occupies 2/3 of the original book (and lasts about 1000 pages), was the worst rendition of this section that I have seen. In the original, one of Dantes' enemies finds himself dishonored and abandoned by his family and subsequently commits suicide; a second goes insane after his wife is driven to both herself and their son; the third, a major banker, is driven to bankruptcy and yet serves to pull Dantes from "the dark side". There are subtle and blatant murders, mysterious strangers harboring vicious pasts, and all manner of human conditions. The final vengeance is indeed a tribute that the best vengeance is that served cold. Unfortunately, this movie reduces it to a few tepid drops of blandness.

Rating:
Summary: Brutal yet gentle.
Review: This movie, loosely based on the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas, has reasonable merit because of the rich source on which it was drawn. It is a movie of dark intrigue, of desperation and deliverance, defeat and despair, and ultimately of triumph at an awful cost. Spiritual applications abound throughout as learned from within dungeons to palaces, and our notions of justice and mercy are sorely tested as a wronged man loses all and then begins to execute what he considers to be, and may well be, God's judgment. I had enjoyed this movie tremendously and would have given 4 stars, possibly even 5, had I not later read the much superior novel. If you haven't the time or discipline to wade through the complicated and lengthy novel, then see the movie and glean what you can from it, but understand that it only loosely follows the original storyline and greatly diminishes the scope of the original work. Dumas would likely be horrified at the condensed and different version that has been packaged for the 21st century. Having now read the book and carefully endured the more tedious portions to ensure that I missed little, I can only say that we do ourselves much disservice by not committing the time to study works such as the novel. Yet even in the adulterated movie, love, hate, revenge, mercy, justice, and forgiveness are explored in detail in the lives of Edmond Dantes (the Count) and his friends and foes. I have revisited this review and toned down my praise for the movie after attempting to watch the movie for a second time. With having read the novel now, what I thought was once a powerful movie has lost its elegance of expression. If I knew I would not read the book, then even the stunted presentation on screen would definitely still be worthwhile. Just understand that the original story is far richer.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing Rendition
Review: I felt that the 2002 release of this classic tale was amazing. James Caviezel did an outstanding job along with the other actors and actresses in bringing this story into life. It captures your attention from beginning to end in following one man's determination to set the record straight. I loved this movie and would recommend it to anyone. Besides, who wouldn't want to see gorgeous James Caviezel!

Rating:
Summary: Swashbuckling intensity that never lets up
Review: This 2002 film brings the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas to the screen with a swashbuckling intensity that starts at the beginning and never lets up. It's set in France at the beginning of the 19th Century and tells the tale of a young man, falsely imprisoned because of his friend's betrayal, who escapes and eventually has his revenge. Of course it's more complicated than that. There are ups and downs and twists of fate. There is swordplay and hidden treasures and pirates and secrets unfolded. And it's all wrapped up in a package that swept me up in the story and held me captive till the end.

Jim Caviezel plays Edmond Dantes who has the misfortune to have Fernand Mondego, played by Guy Pearce, as a friend. When Dantes is betrayed, he is sentenced to an unlimited amount of time in a terrible prison where he lives in solitary confinement and gets whipped once a year. The years pass, his clothes grow ragged, his hair grows longer and his despondency increases. Then, one day, another prisoner, Abbe Faria, played by Richard Harris, tunnels his way into Dantes' room. Abbe Faria is old, but he has hope. And together they plan their escape. All they have to do is spend the next eight years digging another tunnel. In the meantime, Faria teaches his young protégé to read and write. He also teaches him to use a sword. Eventually, as they make their escape, the old man dies, but not before he gives Dantes a map to hidden treasure.

The story now takes a different turn because the treasure that is found allows Dantes to become The Count of Monte Cristo, return to his home town and exact revenge on Fernand Mondego, who is now married to Mercedes, played by Dagmara Dominczyk, who was once Dantes' sweetheart.

The acting was excellent, the cinematography outstanding and the story wonderful. And, because I saw it on DVD, the extras made the experience of watching this film even better. There's a short history of Alexandre Dumas, who was of Caribbean heritage and one of the most prolific authors of his time. There's a interview with the screenwriter who talked about the difficulty of adapting this classic and explained exactly why he made certain changes in the story. There's a section that shows the actors learning the art of fencing. And a section that shows how the sets were built. These extras were like icing on a cake and certainly enhanced the experience of the film.

I loved it. And highly recommend it. Especially the DVD version.

Rating:
Summary: Pret-ty stupid
Review: If you read the book or have, indeed, ever read ANYTHING by Dumas, don't insult yourself by watching this movie. What's especially amusing is the bonus interview they have with the screenwriter, who truly believes he's improving Dumas.

Hollywood really knows how to mess up a classic. It's well-acted and has great costumes, but the rest is pretty ridiculous.

Rating:
Summary: Read the book? Don't bother with this film version...
Review: A terribly disappointing adaptation of Dumas' classic novel, this fast-paced, well-costumed film lacks any of the depth or intricacies of this tome.
Perhaps the movie would have been better had I not just read the book; but then again I think I still would have thought it a cross between Zorro and Ben-Hur. I mean, how many fencing scenes can you possibly fit in a film?!? And I don't recall any offhand in reading the book...
Mercedes comes off as a terribly unimportant character- on second thought, they really all were very underdeveloped, with the exception of Dantes, who came off rather well due to his actor's talented performance, but still lacked the psychological intrigue portrayed in the book.
Whoever scripted this mess needs to lay off stealing lines & scenes from Ben-Hur and stick to the author's ideas- they are so much more original!! All those wonderfully detailed revenge plots, planned over such a long time frame-- you couldn't ask for better scenes for a movie, and yet they are not here. Sad, sad, sad...

Rating:
Summary: You Can't Keep A Good Man Down
Review: The Count of Monte Cristo is like James Bond - intelligent, indomitable and intriguing. The movie is quite faithful to the book and some scenes are really harrowing like the one where they catch a rat in the dungeon and feast on it as if it were foie gras from Le Cinq or La Tour d'Argent. In real life, my friend who survived a re-education camp in Vietnam, told me that when you are hungry you'll eat absolutely anything. He was a colonel in ARVN when Saigon fell. Edmond Dantes' sadistic streak surfaces when he gives one of his enemies a flintlock pistol. The poor creep puts it to his head and pulls the trigger expecting to die but it is not loaded. Edmond then puts his head in the window of the coach to say softly and menacingly a la Clint Eastwood as "Dirty Harry", "Did you think it would be so easy?" Edmond also makes friends with the son of his arch enemy using that old and devious Ninja maxim, "To defeat your enemy, first become his friend". Later he discovers that the boy is actually HIS own son. Ah, as the French say, c'est l'amour! The sword fighting scenes are very good. They will appeal to fencers and those who like to work with cold steel. The clash of hard, sharp cold steel and the expressions of concentration on the faces are very true to life. The sword choreography is very nicely done and not too showy and unrealistic. As I have been told I wield a mean sabre myself, I found the scenes were very well done from a technical aspect. The Count's punchline as he puts an end to his arch enemy with the final gut wrenching coup de grace is sardonic and cynical, "I'm a Count, not an angel." The fight scenes with daggers are also extremely interesting and after he spares the life of his henchman to be, Jacopo is devoted to him forever. A very inspirational movie. It reminds me of that centuries old German song, "Die Gedanken sind frei". It means that no matter what happens to you, even if you are in the deepest dungeon, your thoughts are free. Nobody anywhere can ever keep a good man down Dr. Michael Lim The Travelling Gourmet

Rating:
Summary: Better than I expected
Review: This is the perfect period piece. I just saw it yesterday and I plan to buy it today. Jim Caveziel is perfect as the innocent sailor and Guy Pearce soars as the convining traitor. Richard Harris is an added bonus as in a small but important part. The sets are esquisite and even the DVD menu is eye candy. Awesome overall-
also reccomended: Orlando, Miss Julie.*

Rating:
Summary: Some interesting twists on the Alexander Dumas classic
Review: The tendency is to see this 2002 version of "The Count of Monte Cristo" as redemption for director Kevin Reynolds after the fiasco of "Waterworld," but this particular retelling of the classic adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas père is mainly the creation of screenwriter Jay Wolpert. I read the novel--the unabridged version--in the sixth grade despite the insistence of my teacher that I could not possibly do so. Consequently, "The Count of Monte Cristo" holds a special place in my mind. Wolpert's adaptation provides several new twists on the classic tale, but these are not gratuitous liberties. The idea that Edmond Dantes (Jim Caviezel) and Fernand Mondego (Guy Pearce) are now best friends, the creation of the sadistic Armand Dorleac, d'If Warden (Michael Wincott), and the new rationale for the marriage of Mercedès Iguanada (Dagmara Domincyzk), all work within the framework of the story. They are not additions as much as much as ways of enhancing the tragedy. The animosity between Edmond and Fernand is now that of a man betrayed by his jealous "brother." Edmond's imprisonment at Chateau d'If takes on added horror as the warden willingly admits it is a place to which only the innocent are sent. The secret Mercedès reveals at the end allows the final battle between Edmond and Fernand to be played out against a new dynamic of suddenly revealed relationships.

Edmond Dantes has the misfortune of becoming involved in the shifting politics of France in the period between the two reigns of the Emperor Napoleon. Betrayed by the self-interest of several men, he is imprisoned for life on a desolate rock. There he has a fortuitous encounter with the Abbé Faria (Richard Harris), who becomes Edmond's mentor and who reveals the secret of the treasure buried on the island of Monte Cristo. This wealth will provide Dantes with the means to gain vengeance on those who destroyed his life, especially when he learns that insult has been added to injury and that his beloved Mercedès is now the Count of Morcerf and married to Mondgeo. "The Count of Monte Cristo" was filmed on location in Malta and Ireland, and the art direction and set design are well suited to the tale being told. Kevin Reynold's direction provides a brisk pace to the adventure and I especially liked the low angle tracking shots he used during the climatic duel between Edmond and Fernand. Special mention needs to be made of William Hobbs, who choreographed the swordplay as the "fight arranger," a job he has done on other Dumas films before in his lengthy resume.

This is Wolpert's first movie screenplay. Previously he worked as a writer on the television series "The Lot," having mostly been a producer of television games shows such as "The Price is Right" and "Match Game." So it is rather surprising that his adaptation is so strong. I would not have minded if the film had more of an epic heft to it, but I do understand the Hollywood mentality that depends such films come in under two hours. Wolpert's dialogue also has some wonderful moments, such as when Dorleac strings up his new prisoner, Edmond, and says: "Now you're thinking, just now 'Why me, O God?' The answer is, God has nothing to do with it. In fact, God is never in France this time of year." Later on Jacopo (Luis Guzmán), the smuggler turned valet who serves the Count, tells his master "God sees you out of the corner of his eye." There are several gems like this throughout the film, which balance the more pedestrian lines and the several anachronistic examples of street talk that intrude on the tale. This version of "The Count of Monte Cristo" is not a great film but it is a very good adventure story, whether you know the original tale or not (unabridged or not).

Rating:
Summary: Well-Done Rendition of a Well-Done Story
Review: The Story: James Caviezel plays Edmond Dantes, a young Frenchman wrongly accused of, convicted of, and imprisoned for treason, after a brief, fateful encounter with the exiled Napoleon. Locked away in Chateau d'If, he is tortured and starved by the sadistic warden and his henchmen, and educated by a fellow prisoner, who teaches him as they work on a years-long escape attempt. His fellow prisoner dies just before the escape, but not before telling Dantes where to find a vast, hidden treasure. Dantes makes his escape, finds the treasure, assumes the title of Count of Monte Cristo, and avenges himself on the various people who contributed to his misimprisonment. But, is revenge worth it, when he could just enjoy his newfound wealth and status?

I had never heard of any of the actors before in this film, except for the late Richard Harris. I think I will hear of James Caviezel and Guy Pearce again, though, as they were excellent as Dantes and the ruthless friend who betrayed him. Instead of pumping out another action-adventure film filled with beautiful people, "The Count of Monte Cristo" did well by the Dumas classic story of a man obsessed with revenge but not wanting to become evil, a man who cannot be happy with what fate has given him because of what fate has taken away from him. And, of course, Richard Harris shines in his small but crucial role as the mentor of Dantes.

This is a good action-adventure film, but it is also a well-acted, well-told story with a stunning setting. Enjoy the richness and depth of this film.