Film Review – The Count of Monte Cristo (2024)

“Will you do good, or will you feel your heart with hate?” says one of the characters in The Count of Monte Cristo. This is easily one of the most powerful lines of the film, but also one that represents the themes and topics the film touches on, especially through its fascinating and compelling main character who we can’t help but root for, even if he may not always be in the right.

Based on the famous book of the same name by Alexander Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo follows Edmond Dantès (Pierre Niney), a young merchant sailor engaged to Mercédès Herrera (Anaïs Demoustier) and about to become a captain. Jealous of his love life and quick career progression, Dantés is betrayed by Fernand de Morcerf (Bastien Bouillon), who once was his friend, the corrupt magistrate Gérard de Villefort (Laurent Lafitte) and the banker Danglars (Patrick Mille). He is wrongfully sentenced to life imprisonment. In jail, he meets his wise and old cellmate Abbé Faria (Piersco Favino) who confides in him a secret about the location of a significant treasure: the island of Monte Cristo. This may grant Dantes a second chance at life and to pursue his revenge against those who have wronged him.

Co-directed and co-written by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patelliére, The Count of Monte Cristo is a fascinating adaptation of one of the most well-known – and perhaps even best – novels in French literature. While it may not be entirely faithful, it is a new and fresh take on a timeless classic that adds its own touch to the original story. The sometimes small but always significant changes that were made to the source material are still very much in line with the themes and scope of the original novel.

With a story that is so heavily focused on one character – namely, the protagonist Edmond Dantés – the lead actor’s performance is naturally the one to stand out the most. It is, just as naturally, one of the most impressive elements of the entire film as Pierre Niney delivers a masterful and heartfelt performance throughout the film while also undergoing significant physical transformations to portray this very unique character in all his shades and colours.

The film is also extremely grounded in its historical context. It is immediately clear that The Count of Monte Cristo is a powerful commentary on the time it is set in, 19th-century , an age of social unrest and unbalanced class privilege. This is especially clear in Dantés character arc as he soon begins fighting his very own battles on multiple fronts as his three enemies – Morcef, Villefort, and Danglars – each represent three of the key pillars of society at the time, respectively the army, justice, and money. In the face of a cruel destiny – and similarly, society as a whole – that constantly fails to reward him but, instead, constantly punishes him despite doing nothing wrong, Dantés decides to take matters into his own hands as he starts acting like God, or some sort of divine Providence, to right some wrongs. But is our protagonist’s journey one we should look up to? The movie’s message can also just as easily speak to today’s audiences.

Despite being quite long – the film is almost 3 hours long – the film manages to keep the audience on the edge of their feet with every chapter we see in Dantés’ life, even to those of us who may have been familiar with the original book it is based on. The pacing and editing of the movie are excellent as the film takes us through Edmond’s life through well-structured time jumps and flashbacks. Similarly, the cinematography is also one of my favourite aspects of the film with some beautiful shots that allow spectators to travel back to in 1815 and live the struggles the protagonist goes through ourselves.

Overall, The Count of Monte Cristo is a wonderful film that can appeal to both audiences who are familiar with Dumas’ novel as well as with those who are not and are discovering this timeless story for the very first time. This new adaptation of the 1944 book is proof of the fact that its themes and questions remain relevant to this day.

★★★★

Out in cinemas in the UK on August 30/ Pierre Niney, Bastien Bouillon, Anais Demoustier/ Dir: Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patelliére/ Pathé /PG-13