The Count of Monte Cristo (2002 film)

The Count of Monte Cristo
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Kevin Reynolds
Produced by	Gary Barber Roger Birnbaum Jonathan Glickman
Screenplay by	Jay Wolpert
Based on	The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, père
Starring	James Caviezel Guy Pearce Dagmara Dominczyk Richard Harris Luis Guzman
Music by	Edward Shearmur
Cinematography	Andrew Dunn
Editing by	Stephen Semel
Studio	Spyglass Entertainment
Distributed by	Touchstone Pictures
Release date(s)	January 25, 2002 (2002-01-25)
Running time	131 minutes
Country	United Kingdom United States Ireland
Language	English
Budget	$35 million
Box office	$75,395,048

The Count of Monte Cristo is a 2002 adventure film directed by Kevin Reynolds. The film is the tenth adaptation of the book of the same name by Alexandre Dumas, père and stars Richard Harris, James Caviezel, Dagmara Dominczyk, Guy Pearce, and Luis Guzman. It follows the general plot of the novel (the main storyline of imprisonment and revenge is preserved); but many aspects, including the relationships between major characters and the ending, have been changed, simplified, or removed; and action scenes have been added. The character of Sultan Ali Pasha's daughter Haydée, with whom Edmond forms a bond in the novel, and who ultimately falls in love with Edmond, is missing from this version. The movie met with modest box office success.

Plot

In 1815, Edmond Dantès, second mate of a French trading ship, and his friend Fernand Mondego, a representative of the shipping company, head to the isle of Elba to seek medical attention for their ailing captain. Dantès and Mondego are chased by English Dragoons who believe they are spies for the exiled Napoleon Bonaparte. Bonaparte declares they are not his agents, and asks Dantès to give a letter to a friend in France. After the captain dies, they depart from Elba. On returning to France, Dantès is reprimanded by the ship's first mate, Danglars, for disobeying orders. However, the shipping company's boss, Morrell, commends Dantès' bravery, promoting him to captain over Danglars. Mondego intercepts Dantès' fiancée, Mercédès, and tries to seduce her. When he hears of Dantès' promotion, Mondego realizes that Dantès will be able to marry Mercédès sooner than expected.

Meanwhile, Dantès and Mercédès spend the rest of the day together in a secluded part of the Marseille sea-side, swimming, making love and discussing the future.

Mondego gets drunk and tells Danglars about the letter Napoleon gave Dantès. Danglars has Dantès charged with treason and sent to magistrate J.F. Villefort. Villefort is sure of Dantès' innocence, but discovers the addressee is Villefort's father, Clarion, a Bonapartist, whom he denounced to secure a promotion. Villefort burns the letter and fools Dantès into submitting to arrest, then attempts to send him to the island prison, Château d'If. Dantès escapes and goes to Mondego for help, but Mondego wounds him so he cannot escape. Dantès is imprisoned in the Château d'If. Meanwhile, news spreads that Napoleon has escaped from Elba. Mondego, Mercédès, Morrell and Dantès' father go to Villefort to plead Dantès's innocence, but Villefort rejects their efforts. Mercédès thanks Mondego for his support, but after she leaves Mondego and Villefort discuss their reasons for imprisoning Dantès. Mercédès is told that Dantès has been executed.

In prison, Dantès befriends Abbé Faria, a priest and former soldier in Napoleon's army. Faria was imprisoned because he claimed not to know the location of the deceased Count Spada's fortune. For 13 years Faria educates Dantes, teaching him mathematics, literature, philosophy, economics, hand and sword combat and military strategy. While escaping, their tunnel caves in, mortally wounding Faria, who gives Dantès the location of Spada's treasure. When the guards put the priest into a body bag, Dantès removes the corpse, hides himself in the bag and is thrown into the sea.

Dantès washes onto a desert island and encounters Luigi Vampa, a smuggler and thief. Vampa persuades Dantès to fight Jacopo, a traitor whom they intended to bury alive. Dantès defeats Jacopo but makes a deal with Vampa to let him live; Jacopo vows to serve Dantès for the rest of his life. Dantès joins the smugglers for three months, leaving when they arrive at Marseille. Not recognizing him, Morrell tells Dantès that his father committed suicide upon learning of his imprisonment and that Mercédès has married Mondego. Danglars took over Morrell's shipping company after Morrell made him a partner. Dantès goes to the island of Monte Cristo, finds Spada's treasure and vows revenge on Mercédès, Mondego and the other conspirators. Dantès becomes the mysterious "Count of Monte Cristo". He hires Vampa to stage a kidnapping of Mondego's son Albert and then "rescues" him, inviting the boy to his residence. In return, Albert invites the count to his sixteenth birthday at the Mondegos' residence. Dantès meets with Villefort to discuss a shipment of unspecified property. Mondego meets with Villefort later that evening and mentions that his son heard Monte Cristo use the words gold, shipment and Spada. They believe the shipment is treasure and plot to steal it.

At the party, Mercédès recognizes Dantès, with whom she is still in love. Jacopo allows her to hide in Monte Cristo's carriage to speak with him, wanting his master to abandon his obsession with revenge and simply live his life. Dantès does not admit to being her former lover, but accidentally says 'Edmond Dantès'; Mercédès had never mentioned Edmond's last name. Dantès confronts Danglars with the police in tow; Danglars fights Dantès, who reveals his true identity before having Danglars arrested. Dantès gets Villefort to confess that he persuaded Mondego to kill Clarion in return for telling Mercédès that Dantès was executed. Villefort is charged with conspiracy to murder, and realizes Monte Cristo's true identity before being imprisoned.

Mercédès confronts Dantès, realizing who he is, admits that she is still in love with him, and the two make love that night. The next morning, Dantès decides to take Mercédès and her son and leave France. Dantès has Mondego's debts called in, bankrupting him. Mercédès confronts Mondego, revealing she is leaving him and Albert is Dantès' son; she only married him and claimed that the boy was born prematurely to hide his true paternity. Mondego leaves for his family estate, where the stolen gold shipment was to be taken. He finds that the chests are filled with dirt and sand, and that Dantès has arrived to take his revenge. Albert rushes to defend Mondego, until Mercédès reveals to Dantès and Albert that they are father and son. Mondego attempts to kill Mercédès, but only wounds her, as Jacopo throws off his aim. Mondego fights Dantès, and Dantès stabs Mondego through the heart, killing him.

Dantès returns to Château d'If to pay homage to Faria and promises him that he will live a better life with those who love him. With his revenge complete, Dantès leaves the island with Mercédès, Albert and Jacopo.

Cast

• James Caviezel as Edmond Dantès
• Guy Pearce as Fernand Mondego
• Richard Harris as Abbe Farria
• Luis Guzmán as Jacopo
• James Frain as J.F. Villefort
• Dagmara Dominczyk as Mercedès Iguanada
• Michael Wincott as Armand Dorleac
• Christopher Adamson as Maurice
• JB Blanc as Luigi Vampa
• Alex Norton as Napoléon
• Henry Cavill as Albert Mondego

Reception

The Count of Monte Cristo was well received by critics with a rating of 74% based on 133 ratings at Rotten Tomatoes with critics conceding that it was an "entertaining tale of revenge reminiscent of those swashbuckling movies made in the 1940s."

At Metacritic, the film received a score of 61 out of 100, with generally favourable reviews.

Soundtrack

The Count of Monte Cristo OST
Soundtrack album by Edward Shearmur
Released	January 25, 2002
Recorded	2001
Genre	Soundtrack
Length	53:03
Label	RCA

The Count of Monte Cristo Official Soundtrack was composed and conducted by Edward Shearmur and performed by the London Metropolitan Orchestra.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
SoundtrackNet	link

Track listing

1. "Introduction" – 1:56
2. "Landing on Elba" – 3:33
3. "Marseille" – 4:23
4. "Betrayed" – 3:52
5. "Chateau d'If" – 4:26
6. "Abbe Faria" – 2:24
7. "Edmond's Education" – 0:58
8. "Training Montage" – 1:54
9. "Escape from the Island" – 7:24
10. "Finding the Treasure" – 2:52
11. "Invitation to the Ball" – 2:12
12. "Involving Albert" – 2:47
13. "After the Party" – 3:06
14. "Retribution" – 5:29
15. "End Titles" – 5:47

External links

• The Count of Monte Cristo at the Internet Movie Database
• The Count of Monte Cristo at the TCM Movie Database
• The Count of Monte Cristo at AllRovi
• The Count of Monte Cristo at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Count of Monte Cristo at Metacritic