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The Count of Monte Cristo
by
debbie lynn elias
Probably best remembered for his
lavish disaster, "Waterworld", director Kevin Reynolds admirably
redeems himself with this lavish, seemingly spare-no-expense production of
"The Count of Monte Cristo." With exacting precision, staggering
attention to detail, exquisite location selection and costuming, opulence, just
the right touch of humor and all those fine elements of jealousy, betrayal,
greed and vengeance, not to mention, swashbuckling, dueling, murder and sunken
treasure, too, Reynolds breathes new life into the time honored Alexandre Dumas
literary classic of the same name.
Somewhere deep in your mind, you
may recall the tale of Edmond Dantes, a commoner with a kind heart working as a
sailor, who is framed by several members of the aristocracy on the trumped up
charge of treason for assisting the exiled Napoleon escape from the Isla of
Elba. In a departure from the Dumas version, however, the primary conspirator,
Fernand Mondego, is not merely a nobleman, but Edmond’s best friend since
childhood. While seemingly historically impossible for nobles and commoners to
mix and mingle in friendship, this minor deviation by screenwriter Jay Wolpert
only enhances the story, adding increased depth and passion to the characters
and the action itself.
As the saying goes, politics
makes strange bedfellows, and even in Dumas’ day, this was no exception.
Entangling the politically ambitious Villefort in his web of deceit and
destruction so that he might have Edmond’s beautiful fiancé Mercedes for his
own, Mondego’s efforts prove successful and Dantes is sent off to life in
prison at Chateau D’If. Needless to say, the plot thickens when Villefort
reports to Mercedes and Edmond’s father that Edmund is dead, pushing Mercedes
into the arms of her other "friend", Mondego.
Meanwhile, Edmond is in his own
living hell at Chateau D’If. Run by the villainous Dorleac whose idea of fun
is to beat the prisoners on the anniversary of their incarceration, Edmond is
driven to the point of insanity with an insatiability for revenge against those
that left him for dead. At the end of his rope after eight years of
imprisonment, salvation comes in the form of Abbe Faria, a soldier turned priest
who pops up through the rock flooring in Edmond’s cell. Unlike Edmond, Faria
is a cheerful and wise old soul who has kept his mind, body, and hope for
freedom alive by digging an escape tunnel. Unfortunately he was a bit
directionally challenged and instead of digging out, dug up, running into
Edmond. But everything happens for a reason and this bump in the road is no
exception as Faria enlists Edmond in his escape efforts. In exchange for Edmond’s
conversation and able bodied assistance, Faria tutors the illiterate Edmond in
reading, writing, economics, history, politics, mathematics, physical and mental
arts, and swashbuckling, giving him hope, life, mental fortitude and, oh yes, a
map to buried treasure.
After another five years, Edmond
eventually escapes (without a doubt still one of the most astonishing and
adventuresome ever conceived) and meets up with pirates and in particular,
Jacopo, who becomes his servant, and true friend, for life. After recovering the
buried treasure off the Isla of Monte Cristo, Edmond reinvents himself as the
Count, using his extraordinary wealth to re-enter the world, reclaim his life
and exact revenge on those that stripped him of all that is human.
Certain to transform Jim Caveziel
from just a good actor into top bill romantic leading man, his portrayal of
Edmond is nothing short of breathtaking, convincingly transforming from the
innocent illiterate into a swashbuckling, educated and worldly nobleman with the
hardened resolve of the prison granite, all the while mesmerizing you with his
quiet strength, elegance and mystery. Guy Pearce as Mondego brings a pompous,
weasley wickedness to the role that surpasses anything one could have imagined
when reading the novel. James Frain gives a nice turn as fellow conspirator
Villafort while Richard Harris, currently riding high as Professor Dumbledore
in"Harry Potter" is once again an absolute delight in his portrayal of
Abbe Friar. The real surprise here is Luis Guzman as Jacopo. With a flair for
dead pan delivery and a touch of overacting, Guzman provides light-hearted
relief, and a little bit of conscience, at just the right moment. As he so aptly
states to Edmond, "I have sworn to protect you. Even if it means protecting
you from yourself."
Filmed on location in Ireland and
Malta with grottos, chateaus, fortresses, sweeping estates, seascapes and
prisons, Reynolds and cinematographer Andrew Dunn do a remarkable job of giving
the film an 18th century realism. The prison sequences are especially
powerful and gripping, almost letting you smell the stench in the air and feel
the cold roughness of the stone floor on which Edmond sleeps. The one
disappointment though - not enough swordplay. The raw emotion and choreography
between Caveziel and Pearce (and their stunt doubles) in their one-on-one duels
is so high energy and exciting that you find yourself wanting more. Far superior
to the 1934 Robert Donat version, like the book itself, the 2002 version
of"Monte Cristo" is certain to become a classic for the ages.
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