Customer Reviews

The Count of Monte Cristo

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Note: French with English subtitles.

The French adaptation of the classic Alexandre Dumas novel 'The Count of Monte Cristo' released in '99 as a television mini-series is a daunting 6 six hour and 54 minute production that is at times a little challenging to stay with, but overall will prove to be a satisfying and enjoyable watch. Gerard Depardieu is superb as the brooding and calculating Edmund Dantes proving once and for all that he is truly one of the best actors in the world today. The locations and sets are magnificent, the acting excellent and the women beautiful (Julie Depardieu as Valentine, Florence Darel as Camille, Ines Sastre as Princess Haydee and Ornella Muti as the beloved Mercedes).

Word of advice, take your time to watch this feature over a period of several sittings. If you tire at any given point turn it off and come back again later, you'll enjoy the subtle nuances that permeate this extaordinary film much more if you're rested and focused.

My rating: 4 1/2 Stars.

This is a superb translation of the Dantes classic, quite possibly the best one to date. Gerarde Depardieu delivers a deep and moving performance as the count, and the star laden international cast does not disappoint either. I must admit it is difficult to perceive the 200+ pound Depardieu as a starving prisoner in the Chateau-Dif, but this is part of where a viewer must suspend belief and let the story be told, and it does this in such a wonderful manner. This is the first version of the story I have ever seen that does not try to abbreviate the tale, or make characters into composites of people from the book in an effort to save time. Albeit there are always some changes in a screen-play from a book, but this so far is the truest adaptation of Dantes work. For those who are learning French, or already know it and want to keep your language skills sharp what better way then to do it while watching a movie you will definitely enjoy. For those intimidated by subtitles, don't be with this film. The story is so easy to follow you could turn them off and still understand what is going on. You can't go wrong with this movie it's a sure winner for any fan of classic stories.

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite books of all time so I was hesitant to see it translated on film. I purchased this version as opposed to the newer/American one, because I thought a French production would lend a certain authenticity to it. Not surprisingly, the dvd leaves parts of the story out; that's the harsh reality of translating a book into film. There were a few cheesy images--like a small boat surrounded by whipping waves but the boat didn't really move. Oh well. It's not perfect. But it is VERY good. I would rather rationalize a large Gerard Depardieu as a starved prisoner than watch a version that purports to condense a fabulous story like this one into a two hour movie. Very well acted and I highly recommend.

Almost everything that needs to be said about this version has already been said by other reviewers. I will only add three things which may explain my painful three stars instead of the five I would desperately like to give.

Firstly, as already mentioned, but needing emphasis in a big way - the physical quality of the two disks I got were atrocious. I had to rip and re-burn them to enable me to watch the whole series without interruption, and even then I had a hard error which I could not recover. Come on!!! This isn't the 1930's and we aren't talking about 45rpm scratchies. Not good enough!

Secondly, as a keen intermediate level student of French, I looked forward to being able to pick up a few gems while enjoying this magnificent story presented by a superb cast. It would have helped if the idiots who created the subtitles actually translated what was being said instead of just making some of it up themselves. (Example: "Donc, tu est sûr de ne pas pouvoir aimer une autre femme que Valentine de Villefort?" translated to "You're sure that Valentine is the one?".) I know, I know. Subtitles are always a problem, but gee, give us a break.

The final problem is the ending. It's ridiculous and has nothing to do with the original story. The ending for Monte Cristo was not some idyllic return to the past with his long lost love, who incidentally also betrayed him, but an attempt by an emotionally and physically exhausted man to find some happiness with a woman, the princess Haydée, who was also betrayed and who also suffered terribly as a result. The faux ending must have been created as a feel-good finale with an eye to the American market or something like that. It does leave a bad taste in the mouth though.

With all this in mind, you should still buy this version. It has lots and lots to offer and you will, as I have, enjoy hours of splendid viewing.

I'm a big fan of Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo, and read an unabridged version (the penguin classics edition) about 2 years ago. As you can imagine, faithfully converting a 1200+ page novel to film, even a 6 1/2+ hour film, is extremely difficult.



Judging the film on its own merits, it probably would have earned 5 stars. Despite it's length, it really doesn't have very many "slow" parts and I enjoyed it quite a bit, watching it over a period of two evenings. There are a few cheesy parts (it seems somewhat low budget and/or cheesy at times compared to the hollywood films we're used to), but the overall piece is excellent. The acting was good and the subtitles didn't bother me a bit, although I've never been bothered by subtitles.



I am a little bit surprised, however, at some of the reviews stating how true this film is to the novel - there really are a number of completely unneccessary differences versus the novel.



For example, it completely glosses over the entire first 1/4 or so of the book, without developing the relationship between Dantes and his accusors, and between Dantes and Faria. They also unneccessarily changed the dialogue of several key scenes, such as with Dantes' controntation with Morcerf, which detracted somewhat from the story if only for those of us who have read the book (come on though, how could the director think he knows better than Dumas?). The worst offense, however, was the ending - they completely changed it! Now, I understand some of the differences versus the novel were necessary given the task of converting 1200+ pages to 6.5 hours, but many of the differences were quite simply unnecessary and detracted from the story - hence the reason for 4 stars instead of 5.



On the plus side, I think Depardieu's interpretation of Monte Cristo was quite good, if a little unbelievable (come on, in order to pull off masquerading as 3-4 different characters without anyone catching on would require somewhat nondescript features, i.e. near average height and build ... Depardieu sticks out like a sore thumb regardless of which disguise he's wearing). But his Monte Cristo isn't the all-knowing, invincible Monte Cristo from the novel, and I think that does make the viewer better able to relate to the character.



Overall - a good interpretation of a great story. It's not perfect, but it's probably the best film adaptation out there.

I have read the classic novel twice and I've seen every film that has been created from this beautiful story by Alexandre Dumas. This one is my personal favorite! For being a T.V. mini-series adaptation, it sure is suprisingly excellent. This French film is shot on location, with none other than the legendary Gerard Depardieu starring in the lead role as Edmond Dantes (a.k.a. The Count of Monte Cristo). Even if you are not a fan of Depardieu, he is brilliant in this role. Yes, perhaps the producers were stretching it a bit, casting him in the lead and not going with a younger actor with more refined looks. However Gerard definitely can act, and like him or not, his portrayal is magnificent and dead on (the man has been nominated 15 times in his career for the Cesar, the French equivalence of the Academy Award for Best Actor, and he's won it twice).

This four part series (about 400 minutes total) is an absolute joy to behold. It has everything you would want in a film - excellent acting, great directing, action, adventure, romance, absolutely breathtaking scenery, lavish and exquisite costumes and sets, exceptional writing, etc... etc... This thourough adaptation may seem long, but I was longing for more once it ended. It's just that good!

For those of you who are new to this classic: The story takes place in early 19th century France, where we find our main protagonist, the young, dashing, heroic sailor Edmond Dantes falsely accused by a group of men whom he considers friends. The cabal are jealous of his good fortune and right before Edmond is to marry the love of his life (Mercedes) he is suddenly taken by force away to prison to spend the rest of his existence in solitary confinement for a crime he had absolutely no part in. After almost 20 years of imprisonment he finally escapes and that is all I wish to disclose in order to not ruin the fun for the rest of you. I actually envy those who have no clue about what happens in this story, because they are in for a treat beyond belief!

Finally, I can't say enough about the incredible acting. In particular, I was quite impressed and amazed by the actress who portrayed Mercedes - Ornella Muti. On top of being one of the most beautiful creatures I can ever recall setting my eyes upon, this woman is one hec of an actress. The scenes between her and Depardieu are just amazing. And my advice to those of you that are very sensitive and emotional, I would highly recommend having some tissue paper around. Believe me, this star-crossed love story (although it is obviously much more than that!) is definitely a tear-jerker and one that you will never be able to forget.

A truly wonderful, moving experience... Definitely a must see!

Converting a book into a movie is always a daunting task. When you're dealing with a massive masterpiece like "The Count of Monte Cristo," it's that much harder. Bravo's recreation worked well enough on several fronts.

One, the length. Instead of condensing the book into a two-hour movie, and deleting much of the story that made the book compelling. A story as large as "Monte Cristo" can only accurately be reproduced as a mini-series.

Second, the language and setting. While keeping the dialogue in French can annoy American audiences, it keeps the tone of the story intact. The sets and costumes were also first-rate.

Third, family touch. Depardieu's children made good counterparts, and you can feel the emotion between them.

On the downside, the mini-series had no reason to tamper the story. Like Kevin Reynold's movie, there was no reason for Dantes and Mercedes to reconcile at the end. Also, most distracting to the story was the unnecessary addition of Camille, who ruined Monte Cristo's self-imposed exile on the world.

This is the French mini-series that was originally available on another label and pulled off the market. Now, its back, and it's the one you've been waiting for..as great as ever. Gripping. Powerful. Epic. Riveting. As seen on Bravo.

I bought this version when it was first available on DVD and just bought one for my daughter, a French major, who keeps borrowing my set.

What a wonderful adaptation. I love Alexandre Dumas and have seen most movies based on his books. The best way to tell this magnificent story is in mini-series, that way needed details are not omitted.

Gerard Depardieu does an excellent job portraying Edmond Dantes. He conveys the emotion and intelligence of the character without over-acting.

Not sure why the Camille character was introduced. It doesn't hurt the story, but is unneeded. Caderrouse is an excellent minor character. Depardieu's children, in this movie, is a great touch. Depardieu the younger, portraying the younger Dantes, makes the flashback scences more real.

Great movie! I have watched it so often that I do not need the English subtitles.

Depardieu does a great job playing french sailor Edmond Dantès in this french literature classic. The series sticks to the book at much as it can with bittersweet results. I didn't like the fact that some characters were unecessarily added and that the ending is modified dramatically. I would strongly recommend you read the unabridged version so that you get the full array of emotions contained in this masterpiece. The one thing I didn't like about this Dantès is that the literary one is sad and full of melancholy rather than angry and wrathful. In the book, even while executing his vengeful plans he regrets having to do this since he never did anything to deserve the hell he went through. Anyway, this DVD collection is just fine and I hope you pick up the book and be swept away to a world of deception, treason, revenge, love and inner knowledge.