The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) - Betrayal is Bad, but Revenge is Fun!

Ah, ignorance is bliss. Well, sometimes, at least. When I recently saw The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), not only had I never seen a film version before, I didn’t even know the story, based on the famous novel penned by Alexander Dumas in the 1840’s. My knowledge of the history of the period was even a little shaky. I had to look up the Napoleonic timeline! Serious ignorance, I will admit, but sometimes that makes for mighty fine movie watching.

For those who, like me, have heard of, but don’t really know, the story of the Count of Monte Cristo, I’ll give you a rundown. The year is 1814, and Napoleon has spent the nearly twenty years since the French Revolution attacking and conquering much of Europe. His empire finally crumbles beneath the weight of his own ambition and arrogance and he is captured by the British and placed in exile on the island of Elba. No outside contact is allowed. Period.

Enter our characters, Edmond Dantes and Fernand Mondego. Edmond is a member of the crew of a merchant vessel whose captain has fallen ill, and he defies the orders of the first mate, Danglars, by setting out to land at Elba and receive medical attention for the captain. With him is his “friend”, Fernand, the son of a wealthy businessman who is on the journey to guard the interests of the family company. They run into resistance, but are eventually allowed access to medical care. Napoleon chooses Edmond to run a personal errand for him, something strictly forbidden, but Napoleon makes this a condition of the use of his personal physician. Edmond agrees, and gives his vow of silence, as he has been assured that the letter he is to deliver is nothing more than personal correspondence. This transaction is witnessed by Fernand, who says nothing, but clearly seethes at his “friend” keeping this secret.

Back in Marseilles (without the captain, who perished on Elba), Danglars accuses Edmond of disobeying his direct orders by attempting to obtain care for the captain. The head of the shipping company chastises Danglars for not taking action himself, and promotes Edmond to the position of captain. While this is taking place, Fernand is busy trying to seduce Mercedes, the fiancé of Edmond, who will have none of it. She sees Fernand for what he is, a jealous, bitter man, who only wants her because she is committed to Edmond. She and Edmond plan to be married and celebrate the wonderful news of his promotion.

It is at this point that Edmond is arrested for treason, thrown into a hellish prison and left to rot and plan his revenge against those who have betrayed him.

Edmond is played here by Jim Caviezel, at first with an almost stupid, wide-eyed innocence that turns to a bitter and cunning intelligence as the story progresses. Caviezel handles the part with aplomb, making the transformation believable and the resulting character quite dashing. Fernand, played by Guy Pearce, is an amazingly effective weasel, at once arrogant and cowardly. Guy Pearce is really quite adept, turning in strong roles in films as diverse as Memento and LA Confidential. Dagmara Dominczyk, who I had never seen in a film before, plays Mercedes. More than credible as the grief stricken fiancé, the part nevertheless asks much less of the actress than those of the two leads. Richard Harris plays Abee Faria, who Edmond meets in prison and who is the source of much of Edmond's newfound skill and cunning. A wonderful performance by the late Harris, with just the right mix of savior and co-conspirator.

The film is chock full of action, pirates, intrigue, betrayal and redemption. The fight scenes are wonderful, with just the sort of swashbuckling excitement that the story deserves. The photography (by Andrew Dunn) is absolutely stunning. Filmed in Ireland and Malta, the film has wonderful, sweeping shots of barren vistas, foreboding prison castles and perilous cliffs, as well as an underwater treasure hunt scene that is delightful in its simplicity. The score (by Edward Shearmur) fits the action and the story very well, escalating the tension when necessary, but not overwhelming the story itself.

Director Kevin Reynolds and Screenwriter Jay Wolpert did themselves proud with this fun, exciting and very engaging adaptation of a classic novel. Always a gamble to take on a classic, they did so with considerable panache. This is what an action movie should be, full of intrigue and a complex story, not just explosions and car chases. The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) is great fun, an entertaining and absorbing film that is a pleasure to watch.