The Count of Monte Cristo

Here is my movie review for the Count of Monte Cristo (I had to do it for a school assignment):

“The Count of Monte Cristo” is a high-action/adventure movie. It was based on the book written by Alexandre Dumas. After reading this exciting tale, Kevin Reynolds, the director, decided to make it into a movie, and it was released on January 25, 2002. It is rated PG -13 by the MPAA for violence. Its average rating is 6.7 out of 10. The main characters are James Caviezel (Edmond Dantes), Guy Pearce (Fernand Mondego), Richard Harris (Abbe Faria), James Frain (J.F. Villefort), Dagmara Dominczyk (Mercedes Iguanada), Luis Guzman (Jacopo), Patrick Godfrey (Morrel), Albie Woodington (Danglars), and J.B. Blanc (Luigi Vampa). The movie is about a young man who has just made it in life. He is thrown in prison for something he did not do. He escapes later and uses a secret treasure that he finds to get revenge on those who wronged him.

In the movie, a sailor on the Pharaon, named Dantes, comes home to Marseilles to marry his beautiful fiancé, Mercedes.  He learns when he gets there, that he will become captain of the Pharaon and will no longer have any worries. However, when his envious friends learn about his great fortune, he is fallaciously accused and tried for treason against his country for supposedly helping Napoleon Bonaparte. Wanting revenge after being mistreated in prison for thirteen years, he escapes, and uses his enormous wealth that he acquires to get vengeance on those who imprisoned him and ruined his life.

 

Even though The Count of Monte Cristo is a well-made movie, there are still many bloopers in it. The costumes were excellent and were in fashion for the time period, and the lighting was good, too, even though some mistakes were made with it. When the Abbe Faria and Dantes are crawling in the tunnel, the Abbe blows out his candle, but light is still coming from the candleholder, showing that the producers knew that they could not get rid of the candlelight, or else it would be too dark. Also the dialogue spoken from the actors was well written and easy to understand, but I do not think the words were appropriate for the time period.  Many of the things that they said did not seem to add to the believability of the movie because the words had not evolved yet. Jacopo’s accent also was not very good because it seemed to contrast with the time (1820’s). It sounded like a Mexican-American, who did not speak English very well or have very good grammar.

Although there were beautiful oceans, cliffs, and islands in the background, the scenery was not perfect. It had its errors, too. Many crew members and their equipment could be seen throughout the movie. For instance, when Edmond goes back into the building after fighting in the wheat field, a crewmember is visible in one of the windows. Another time, when Edmond has discovered the treasure, him and Jacopo are traveling in a boat. Just ahead of them, an orange buoy can be plainly seen. These are also examples of how the believability of the movie is distracted by minor trivialities.

The actors in the movie did a wonderful job acting, particularly the Abbe Faria, who was played by Richard Harris. He seemed to know exactly how to act, as if he had actually been in prison before. He appeared very old, and acted very frail and thin, showing that he was not being taken care of in prison. His vast expanse of knowledge in the movie caused Dantes to be awe-struck at how he can make the best out of every circumstance. In one part of the movie, Edmond says “There are 72,519 stones in my walls. I’ve counted them many times.” In response, the priest says “But have you named them yet?” The priest praises God in everything he does, even when he is bored in prison. He has read all the books he has been given, and written some of his own, studied mathematics, theology, economics, and much more. He shares all of his knowledge with Dantes, which is part of Dantes’ “fortune”.

For those who have read the book, I do not recommend this movie because it is very disappointing. It leaves out much of the plot, many main characters, and many of the actors did not seem right for their parts. I think the movie is best for adults, even though it is rated PG-13, because it is very violent and there are a few bad scenes. The Count of Monte Cristo is a good movie, and would probably be more enjoyable for audiences who have not yet read the book.