The Count of Monte Cristo

"Dantès" (Pierre Niney) is to be promoted to captain a ship for the wealthy "Morrel" (Bruno Raffaelli) after he disobeyed orders at sea and dived in to rescue a woman from drowning. This action immediately earns him the enmity of the now fired captain "Danglars" (Patrick Mille) and then just as his joy is to be complete with his marriage to "Mercedes" (Anaïs Demoustier) the soldiers arrive and he's implicated in a Napoleonic plot! The prosecutor, "de Villefort" (Laurent Lafitte) appears sympathetic and accepts his pleas of innocence, but when his close friend "Morcef" (Bastien Bouillon) is called upon to vouch for "Dantès" his own envious agenda takes hold and next, our naive young seaman is heading to the solitude of the Chateau D'If from which prisoners never escape. As the years of relentless frustration and boredom go by, his only conversation is a regular call from his jailers to see if he's still alive. Then a miracle occurs. Another prisoner has been tunnelling for years and inadvertently breaks through to his cell. It's this man - the Abbé Faria (Pierfrancesco Favino) - who gives him more than a little education as they try to dig their way to the sea wall. It's not to be for both, though, but armed with a knowledge that could change his life for ever, he manages to trick the guards and make it to land. It's now that the story of revenge hots up as we jump forward a few years and are introduced to the eponymous Count. He travels in style, has great wealth and style and is determined to avenge himself on the three men who framed him. As with himself, these men have gone on to great things with his denouncing friend now married to his love, "Danglars" owning a great trading fleet and the prosecutor now a powerful state official. "Dantès" has used his time well, assembling some allies whose roles in this unfolding drama are gradually revealed to us as politics, greed and jealousy stride to the fore of this classically designed production. The lavish costumes, stately homes and opulence of their lives contrasts well with the poverty and ruin faced by those collaterally damaged by the ambitions of men who cared but for themselves, and for whom our dashing and calculation gazillionaire is gunning. Nimey (who occasionally looked a bit like Kevin Kline here?) delivers that wronged and now Machiavellian characterisation especially well. There are also strong efforts from the younger characters "Albert" (Vassili Schneider); "André" (Julien De Saint Jean) and "Haydée" (Anamaria Vartolomei). It's essentially a thoroughly potent story of revenge, but it's as much about just how that can become a toxic influence that can eat into a man's soul and the challenge for "Dantès" and those around him whom he loves - however unwillingly on the surface - is not to become an obsessed demon every bit as ghastly as those he wishes to punish. It's this slow, dripping, evolution that the film delivers enthrallingly as we see this troubled man tread an increasingly conflicted line between love and hate. Revenge is said to be a dish best served cold, but like most things served cold - it doesn't keep for long.

The 2024 reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo is a cinematic triumph, setting a new benchmark for adaptations of the beloved Dumas classic. Directed by Jacques Bernard, this latest French interpretation is nothing short of spellbinding, with Pierre Niney delivering a portrayal of Edmond Dantès that feels both deeply authentic and timeless. From Dantès’ naive beginnings to his calculated, unrelenting vengeance, Niney embodies the role with a level of intensity and depth that captivates from the very first scene.

Visually, the film is breathtaking. The cinematography paints each setting—from the claustrophobic depths of Château d'If to the grandeur of Parisian society—in vivid, atmospheric detail. Every shot feels like a piece of art, masterfully capturing both the story’s drama and its rich historical backdrop. The film’s use of real locations transports viewers to the story’s world, making each moment feel hauntingly real, a rare achievement in period cinema.

Adding to the experience is a lush, evocative score that amplifies the film’s emotional power. The music captures Dantès' inner turmoil and triumph with remarkable sensitivity, lending every high-stakes scene an added layer of tension. It’s a soundtrack that will stay with you long after leaving the theater, a perfect companion to Dumas' tale of betrayal and redemption.

The film’s costumes, masks, and makeup are absolutely spectacular. Every detail—whether the intricate designs of Dantès' masquerade attire or the worn expressions on characters weathered by hardship—feels perfectly tailored to the time period. The masks, in particular, add an air of intrigue, shrouding key characters in mystery and creating a rich visual metaphor for the story’s themes of deception and disguise.

At a generous three hours, The Count of Monte Cristo thoroughly explores Dantès' journey, though I found myself wishing it were even longer. An adaptation of this depth and quality could have easily been extended to a two-part epic, much like last year’s exquisite French rendition of The Three Musketeers, with an expanded runtime of four or five hours to fully savor each intricate turn of Dantès' revenge.

In every respect, this 2024 version is a masterpiece and, without a doubt, the definitive Monte Cristo for a modern audience. It balances faithfulness to Dumas' original with bold, cinematic flair, capturing the story's essence in a way that is grand, poignant, and unforgettable. This is a film that will surely stand the test of time.