Unknown how many times "The Count of Monte Cristo" has been turned into a movie but the versions of interest for this article are one which was filmed around 2002 and another which was filmed in 1975. It would be novel if the newer one adhered more faithfully to the story line ... but it didn't.
The '75 version starred Richard Chamberlain as Edmund Dantes. Perhaps there are earlier versions but this became the classic in elegant revenge movies. Alexander Dumas' telling of the story is an exceptional portrayal of a gamut of deep human experience. Despite the deepest possible love, the desire for revenge is supreme and it is exacted mercilessly, all except for the duel with the Count Mondego's son, Albert.
Albert was the son of Mercedes, the first and only love of his life, and she married the Count Mondego years after Edmund Dantes was railroaded into exile in the Chateau D'if, a prison on an island from which no-one had ever escaped.
The revenge portion of the movie is calculated precisely and it ruins or kills all of the perpetrators of the Count's betrayal. This part is delicious as we all have that fantasy of the Great Fantasy Payback. The elegance of the way Richard Chamberlain plays this part is exceptional as he is one dashing Count of Monte Cristo. As men go, he is one beautiful man who is remarkably good-looking with striking, chiseled features.
(Ed: marry him? )
I emailed a marriage proposal but he (sob) never answered.
It's when the target of the revenge moves on to Albert, we have all of the human passions blowing up at the same time. Albert is the son the Count of Monte Cristo and Mercedes, the Countess Mondego, might have had together. The wild first love of children is re-ignited while there is the ongoing drive to make those bastards burn. But how can I shoot the kill the kid who might have been ours. Albert knows nothing so the only way to stop him from avenging his father is to shoot him.
This is the point where the '02 version and the classic '75' version shoot off in different directions and they do shoot as the directions don't resemble each other.
The '05' version has the love burning even larger than when they were kids, Albert is actually Edmund's true son, and they go off to the island with the treasure to live happily and in immense wealth forever. In plain English, this is Hollywood crap piled all the way to the Moon. That is not how the story ends and they covered it with chocolate to make it palatable for wimps who can't handle reality. There was extensive revision to the ending of the story.
The '75' version features the final meeting between the Count and Mercedes before she leaves to meet her son in Africa. It all comes down to one sentence. 'Avenging angels may not ask forgiveness of their victims.'
That such an important point was thrown out to sell chocolate in the '02 version is not forgivable. The '02 version has many good things to it, one of which is the much deeper focus on the pirates who had initially pulled Edmund Dantes from the water after his escape. One is featured prominently for the remainder of the movie but the ending is still not satisfying. They make a really beautiful swimming pool but that made it so shallow it might have been a child's wading pool.
To end the '75 version, Mercedes is taken out to the ship to take her to Africa and the Count knows he will never see again. She knows it as well and neither want this to happen but neither can shed what the Count did in the course of his revenge and love could not grow back to anywhere near where it was when it is so much poisoned by that.
That, for me, tells it perfectly as, sure, you can go ahead and exact your revenge but don't think for a moment it will bring you happiness or peace in doing it. The point is so vital ... but, wtf, must sell chocolate in '02. The '75 version is not as pretty as the '05 telling but it has much greater depth and true relevance to anyone.
The '75 version starred Richard Chamberlain as Edmund Dantes. Perhaps there are earlier versions but this became the classic in elegant revenge movies. Alexander Dumas' telling of the story is an exceptional portrayal of a gamut of deep human experience. Despite the deepest possible love, the desire for revenge is supreme and it is exacted mercilessly, all except for the duel with the Count Mondego's son, Albert.
Albert was the son of Mercedes, the first and only love of his life, and she married the Count Mondego years after Edmund Dantes was railroaded into exile in the Chateau D'if, a prison on an island from which no-one had ever escaped.
The revenge portion of the movie is calculated precisely and it ruins or kills all of the perpetrators of the Count's betrayal. This part is delicious as we all have that fantasy of the Great Fantasy Payback. The elegance of the way Richard Chamberlain plays this part is exceptional as he is one dashing Count of Monte Cristo. As men go, he is one beautiful man who is remarkably good-looking with striking, chiseled features.
(Ed: marry him? )
I emailed a marriage proposal but he (sob) never answered.
It's when the target of the revenge moves on to Albert, we have all of the human passions blowing up at the same time. Albert is the son the Count of Monte Cristo and Mercedes, the Countess Mondego, might have had together. The wild first love of children is re-ignited while there is the ongoing drive to make those bastards burn. But how can I shoot the kill the kid who might have been ours. Albert knows nothing so the only way to stop him from avenging his father is to shoot him.
This is the point where the '02 version and the classic '75' version shoot off in different directions and they do shoot as the directions don't resemble each other.
The '05' version has the love burning even larger than when they were kids, Albert is actually Edmund's true son, and they go off to the island with the treasure to live happily and in immense wealth forever. In plain English, this is Hollywood crap piled all the way to the Moon. That is not how the story ends and they covered it with chocolate to make it palatable for wimps who can't handle reality. There was extensive revision to the ending of the story.
The '75' version features the final meeting between the Count and Mercedes before she leaves to meet her son in Africa. It all comes down to one sentence. 'Avenging angels may not ask forgiveness of their victims.'
That such an important point was thrown out to sell chocolate in the '02 version is not forgivable. The '02 version has many good things to it, one of which is the much deeper focus on the pirates who had initially pulled Edmund Dantes from the water after his escape. One is featured prominently for the remainder of the movie but the ending is still not satisfying. They make a really beautiful swimming pool but that made it so shallow it might have been a child's wading pool.
To end the '75 version, Mercedes is taken out to the ship to take her to Africa and the Count knows he will never see again. She knows it as well and neither want this to happen but neither can shed what the Count did in the course of his revenge and love could not grow back to anywhere near where it was when it is so much poisoned by that.
That, for me, tells it perfectly as, sure, you can go ahead and exact your revenge but don't think for a moment it will bring you happiness or peace in doing it. The point is so vital ... but, wtf, must sell chocolate in '02. The '75 version is not as pretty as the '05 telling but it has much greater depth and true relevance to anyone.
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