Count of Monte Cristo

Alexandre Dumas’ novel, The Count of Monte Cristo, is perhaps, next to the Three Musketeers, his best and most popular writing. In his typical style, the novel, set in the historical framework of post-revolutionary France in the years 1815 to 1835, is full of adventure, romance and intrigue, making it perfect for a modern movie adaptation. Unfortunately, the book is very complex, with so many characters and intertwining relationships that are impossible to portray in a movie. Therefore, the movie conflates and eliminates characters and simplifies the relationships. In an effort to appeal to a modern audience, the movie ends happily with the hero winning the woman he loves.

Edmond Dantes, a 19-year-old sailor, is promoted to captain by the ship’s owner, who is also the father of Mercedes, his fiancée. This promotion draws the anger and hatred of the ship’s first mate, Danglar, who feels he is the one who should take the dead captain’s place. Dantes’ closest friend, Fernand Mondego, also loves Mercedes but fails to win her heart away from Dantes.

Danglar and Mondego, however, plot against Dantes, using the fact that Dantes had met with the exiled Napolean while the ship had been anchored off the island of Elba. They inform the chief magistrate, Villefort, who condemns Dantes to life in prison in the Chateu d’If, and tells his fiancée that he has been executed. Upon hearing of Dantes’ death, Mercedes agrees to marry Mondego and Danglar schemes to take over the ship and the company from Mercede’s father.

While in prison, Dantes plots his revenge. An old priest teaches him while they dig a tunnel to escape. Before dying in prison, the priest gives Dantes’ a map of a hidden treasure on the island of Monte Cristo. Dantes escapes by exchanging places with the dead priest, is thrown into the sea, and then swims back to the mainland. With the help of a pirate, Jacopo, Dantes finds the treasure and returns to France as the Count of Monte Cristo to exact his revenge on Danglar, Mondego, and Villefort.

While carrying out his plans, Mercedes recognizes Dantes and tries to talk him out of his revenge. He refuses, and after destroying Danglar and Villefort, he faces Mondego. In the struggle, Mercedes is injured and Mondego is killed. In the end, Dantes repents of his revenge and promises to use his fortune to help others and do good. Mercedes, her son Albert, who is actually Dantes’ child, and Jacopo, live happily ever after.

The message the movie gives is that revenge, while not the best option, is justified as long as you don’t go to extremes. In the 1975 movie version, starring Richard Chamberlain, Dantes’ revenge causes the death of his son and the loss of his true love, as Mercedes leaves him in the end because he has been transformed into a different man by his hate. The message of this movie is that revenge will destroy you and those you love. This is much closer to Alexandre Duma’s intentions in the original novel, where the relationships are so intertwined, that as he seeks revenge on his enemies, Dantes’ inadvertently harms his friends and those he loves. Revenge is never sweet and ends up hurting everyone involved. That is why God says, “It is mine to avenge, I will repay.”