The Count of Monte Cristo version 2024
After the diptych dedicated to Three Musketeers released in 2023, Pathé and Chapter 2 continue to exploit the rich work of Alexandre Dumas on screen with a new adaptation of the classic The Count of Monte Cristo, presented as a world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.
Directed and written by Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte, (already involved in the screenplay of The Musketeers), the film is carried out by Pierre Niney, who plays Edmond Dantès.
The latter is a promising young sailor, who is preparing to marry Mercédès (Anaïs Demoustier), his great love. But on the day of their wedding, Edmond is taken prisoner following a false accusation of treason by three of his rivals: Danglars (Patrick Mille), Villefort (Laurent Lafitte) and Fernand de Morcef (Bastien Bouillon).
Imprisoned without trial at the Castle of If, he meets the abbot Faria (Pierfrancesco Favino), an imprisoned scholar, who becomes his mentor and reveals to him the existence of a immense treasure hidden on the island of Montecristo. After years of imprisonment, Dantès manages to escape with only one idea in mind: recover the treasure and take revenge on those who betrayed him.
Like a formidable chess player, he will multiply identities and faces to destroy his enemies. He will be helped in his task by André (Julien de Saint-Jean) and Haydée (Anamaria Vartolomei), two young people who he takes under his protection, and who also have scores to settle with Dantès’ three rivals.
A great adventure film
The opening scene of Count of Monte Cristowhere a boat sinks before our eyes, immediately sets the tone: this film promises to be a visual treat, with a generous budget of 43 million euros to testify to this. Filmed in real locations, the film transports us to the beginning of the 19th century, a time of upheaval after the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte. Unlike the dark shades of Three Musketeershere, a beautiful light bathes the film, highlighting the first loves and carefree youth of Edmond Dantès.
The film’s ambition is also evident in its running time: a three-hour marathon that, far from daunting, is essential to immersing yourself in Edmond’s complex journey from simple sailor to master of revenge. The film, while respecting the tripartite structure of Dumas’ novel, it particularly excels in its last part, where Dantès’ revenge strategies are brilliantly deployed. The dialogues, finely crafted by Delaporte and De la Patellière, are a delight for the ears, especially in the touching exchanges between Edmond and Mercédès, in which he shows his true colors.
Pierre Niney is perfect and juggles between different identities and different faces (special mention for his splendid make-up), supported by a very prestigious casting. The ambivalence of his character is particularly well treated: driven by a desire for revenge which he describes as a search for justice, Dantes navigates in a gray area where the line between the two is often blurred. This new adaptation of Count of Monte Cristo strikes a delicate balance between epic spectacle and intimate storytelling, making it both grand and moving. It is precisely this extra soul that was perhaps missing Three Musketeers really convince, and that hits the mark here.
The Count of Monte Cristo is the return to great popular adventure cinema, which should attract audiences to theaters from June 28th.
Source: Cine Serie
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