The Task: Watch and write about every movie on my shelf, in order (Blu-rays are sorted after DVDs), by June 10, 2015. Remaining movies: 298 Days to go: 288
Movie #75: The Count of Monte Cristo
The Count of Monte Cristo isn’t a perfect movie any more than it’s a perfect adaptation of the original novel by Alexandre Dumas. What I really like about it, though, is that it’s a thrilling movie. Even a thin novel can be difficult to adapt it its entirety into a film (look at The Hobbit), and The Count of Monte Cristo is not a thin novel, so it’s impressive how efficient and streamlined the adaptation is to introduce the primary players and sufficiently characterize them all, take us through the betrayal of Edmond Dantes (Jim Caviezel), the years at and subsequent escape from the horrid Chateau d’If, and the full extent of Edmond’s revenge all in just over two hours. The emotional weight of the novel is retained without losing any sense of urgency or suspense.
The movie is exciting from start to finish, from the intriguing meet with Napoleon on Elba to the final showdown against Fernand (Guy Pearce), and while many people might say the crazy escape from prison is their favorite part, mine is actually all the time spent with the priest (Richard Harris) studying science, economics and languages while also learning the sword and other forms of combat. It’s not quite a montage, because there are exchanges and little bits of dialogue as we move from each mini-scene to another, but it’s a great way to show the passage of time, the progress on the tunnel, and also the education of Edmond. When he escapes, it makes sense how hardened, but also how intelligent and cunning he now is.
In true movie fashion, Edmond ends up with Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk) and their son Albert (baby Henry Cavill, before he really grew into his Man of Steel looks) because if a woman has loved a man her whole life, he have to end up with her and her son must really be his son as well because she would never have a son with someone else. That is the movie way. And it works here because the characters are so strongly written. Mercedes is heartbroken and desperate all of her years after Edmond’s supposed death, but because of the baby she of course married Fernand. Fernand is cocky, self-righteous and rude, sneering down at everyone he considers beneath him, especially Edmond. And Edmond is a naive and earnest young man who grows into a hardened cynical man, but who, when faced with the love of Mercedes and their child, begs to be given the chance to start over with them. Just as in the book, he learns to never give up hope.
While I’m not a vengeful person by nature (I’m far too lazy to hold a grudge that long), I do understand the impulse when faced with grave injustice and betrayal. So I really like that in this movie Edmond betters himself and exposes his enemies for the cowardly villains they are, but that when faced with a future of hope and love, he takes those instead. It’s the fantasy of getting to show up everyone who picked on you or somehow wronged you as a kid without losing the idea that you’re a good and moral person. It might not be entirely realistic, but it’s a popular fantasy all the same.
Viable Option 