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82 of 87 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mini-series king Richard reigns supreme here. . ., October 18, 2000
I first saw this production in 1975, when I was a senior in high school, about the same time I was writing a paper about the book it's based on. From the time I was a little girl, Richard Chamberlain had made my heart flutter as Dr. Kildare on TV. "Count" was after the filming of Richard Lester's "Three Musketeers", but before such classic mini-series as "Shogun" and "Thorn Birds", which are what this generation associates the Chamberlain name with most readily. This production did a wonderful job depicting Edmond's despair and loss of hope as the years pass and he realizes that his enemies mean for him to rot away in the solitary confinement of prison. Fortunately, while trying to dig out of there, he digs himself into the cell of Abbe Faria, who becomes his teacher, mentor, savior. . .and ultimately, benefactor. (Trevor Howard was marvelous here, by the way). It takes 20 years, but Edmond finally escapes jail, finds the treasure, engages the best barber and tailor in Paris, and proceeds to make monkeys of his betrayers. Chamberlain was physically right for this part--very thin, as if he'd subsisted on soup and bread for two decades--and capable of moving as smoothly as a panther. Kate Nelligan was excellent as Mercedes--a woman whose heart was equal mixtures of bitterness, regret, and love for her son alone after losing the great love of her life at age 20. I liked Tony Curtis--he'd played so many good guys in movies like Spartacus, and also comedy such as in Some Like It Hot--that it was fun to see him be the villian here. All in all, this production was an excellent SHORT adaptation of the book. Had it been made five years later, when mini-series became more popular in America, much more could have done more with the secondary characters and little subplots. It would be the French who beat Hollywood to the remake, however, with the 1998 mini-series starring Gerard Depardieu in the title role. I rented the Chamberlain version and watched it again last year after having seen the Depardieu version for the first time. It's as good as it was 25 years ago, and the prison scenes are far superior to the ones in the Depardieu production. Other than that, you can't really compare the two of them. The French had a longer version, bigger budget, etc. The Chamberlain version, however, holds its own among newer English or American versions of Dumas' works. If you love the book, then all the video and DVD versions are worth collecting. I'll be adding this one to my own collection soon:)
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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Watchable, though not a faithful rendition of Dumas' book, May 23, 2000
Few films can be said to be faithful to books they are based on. It's simply not possible to accomodate the same level of character development, plot and subplot development, and rich descriptions possible in a book on a 2 hour film. "The Count of Monte Cristo" is no exception to that trend. This movie is, nevertheless, a good show with good acting (and some not so good) that tells much of the basic story of Dumas' book of the same name. I think that Richard Chamberlain does a good job as Edmond Dantes, Tony Curtis as Fernand Mondego, Donald Pleasance as the Baron Danglar, and Louis Jourdan as DeVillefore. I was not at all impressed by the character that played Cadarousse. The scenes with Edmond Dantes and his fiance, Mercedes, are done well and set the emotional stage for the rest of the movie. Most of the the main elements of the book are touched on in the movie, but not much about the relationship between Monte Cristo and the daughter of the Ali Pasha. The way that Monte Cristo earns his revenge is rivetting, especially the plan to destroy DeVillefore. A masterpiece of deception and intruige. While the movie lacks a lot that the book offers, I still enjoy the movie immensely, and believe that you will too. 4 stars.
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Revenge and Retribution Make For An Entertaining Film, July 12, 2005
This is a very well- made television movie based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas. The Count of Monte Cristo has been remade numerous times, most recently starring James Caviezel in the lead, but this 70's version has aged well, and is still very enjoyable 30 years later.
A marvelous cast, including Tony Curtis, Louis Jourdan, and Donald Pleasence as the co-conspirators responsible for the false imprisonment of Edmond Dantes, are all first-rate, especially Donald Pleasence as Danglars.
Richard Chamberlain in the lead role, and Trevor Howard as the Abby Faria, both received Emmy nominations for their efforts. Richard Chamberlain is a dynamic Count, and looks regal and dashing in any period costume you put him in. He also moves with the grace of a gazelle, and handles the French dialect effortlessly, in his melodious baritone voice.
Other noteworthy performances come from Kate Nelligan as Mercedes, and Taryn Power, who were both acting professionally for the very first time in "Count of Monte-Cristo." Both actresses demonstrate emotional depth and command in these initial roles.
With a superb ensemble cast, and the beautiful chateaus and scenery of Italy and France as a backdrop, this "Count of Monte Cristo" adaptation is very enjoyable. Be forewarned, however, there are no happy Hollywood endings in store for Edmond Dantes--only depressing ones.
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