The Count of Monte Cristo

If a faithful rendition of a great work of world literature, maintains the qualities that make reading the book memorable, without having to slavishly reproduce every scene, then this is one. Compare this effort with the more recent American version to see what a magnificent piece of film this is. Depardieu is magnificent; he delivers a stream of often complicated lines with great lucidity without glossing over their moral dimensions. As an aside, they must have rounded up every first rate show horse in France (with priceless tack in period and a parking lot filled with elegantly restored carriages--- it earns 5 stars as a horse show) for this visual delight; The acting is uniformly strong; the locations exceptional, the women beautiful. I would say many more wonderful things, if were getting paid by the word, but suffice to say that for anyone who loves the book yet fears what moviemakers might make of it, fear not. This is a visual and literary delight. For criticism: the quality of the DVD could be better and the subtitles can't be made to go away. This follows the general assumption that no one in zone one has sufficient French to live without inept translation cluttering the screen... WRONG. Relative to the massive enjoyment this production provided to me, those are quibbles not criticism... Joey Tranchina

Having spent seven years in France as a child, I always remembered the stories that charmed me and Le Comte de Monte Cristo was my favorite story. This version is about ten hours long, but never tedious. I preferred this french version to the Hollywood version with Jim Cavel, which was too glamorous and over the top at times. Gerard Depardieu is one of the greatest actors of all time and he is perfect in the role of Monte Christo in all his disguises. It was interesting to find the role of the young Edmond Dantes played by Guillaume Depardieu, keeping the illusion alive. Anyway, I highly recommend this wonderful film.

One of the few memories I have of my father is that he raved about The Count of Monte Cristo as being among his favorite novels.

During my American 'education' - in front of the TV screen - I have of course come across the recent version with James Caviezel, and I thought it a nice movie but, as I have come to perceive most films, it was nothing really spectacular.

I have begun listening to audio books, which I can rent a great number of for free from the public library, and per chance I have come across an unabridged version of this novel. It is a narration by Fred Williams spanning 40 CDs.

No literary or visionary escapade I have yet witnessed compares with the sublime splendor of the masterpiece which I have, quite by accident, discovered - that is why ... I couldn't STAND this movie, which I hurried to procure immediately afterward. I progressively grimmaced through the first part and didn't even watch the latter ones, though I had rented them from the library. I'd rather enojoy the Caviezel version which greatly changed the story [including the ending ... aia yai] than this one which parallels close to the literary masterpiece, yet only enough so in order to remind an aware viewer of its desperate inferiority.

An audio book is the ideal compromise between the fatigue of actually reading an enormous novel in today's demanding society and the superficiality of Hollywood interpretations. If you would see a Count of Monte Cristo that dazzles you by his personality more than his wealth; if you would experience a script that inspires in its expression and a plot that is leagues beyond anything even Tom Clancy can conceive, then vizualize it in the fathoms of your mind, as you contemplate the unabridged audio version of this book.

Sadly, I am not certain that Amazon has it in stock, but you can find it in other sources. The relevant information is that it is narrated by Fred Williams and published by Blackstone Audio, Inc and has an ISBN of 078613853X. Be careful to not settle for an abridged version ... the full length book is at least 35+ CD lengths long.

I have read the classic novel twice and I've seen every film that has been created from this beautiful story by Alexandre Dumas. This one is my personal favorite! For being a T.V. mini-series adaptation, it sure is suprisingly excellent. This French film is shot on location, with none other than the legendary Gerard Depardieu starring in the lead role as Edmond Dantes (a.k.a. The Count of Monte Cristo). Even if you are not a fan of Depardieu, he is brilliant in this role. Yes, perhaps the producers were stretching it a bit, casting him in the lead and not going with a younger actor with more refined looks. However Gerard definitely can act, and like him or not, his portrayal is magnificent and dead on (the man has been nominated 15 times in his career for the Cesar, the French equivalence of the Academy Award for Best Actor, and he's won it twice).

This four part series (about 400 minutes total) is an absolute joy to behold. It has everything you would want in a film - excellent acting, great directing, action, adventure, romance, absolutely breathtaking scenery, lavish and exquisite costumes and sets, exceptional writing, etc... etc... This thourough adaptation may seem long, but I was longing for more once it ended. It's just that good!

For those of you who are new to this classic: The story takes place in early 19th century France, where we find our main protagonist, the young, dashing, heroic sailor Edmond Dantes falsely accused by a group of men whom he considers friends. The cabal are jealous of his good fortune and right before Edmond is to marry the love of his life (Mercedes) he is suddenly taken by force away to prison to spend the rest of his existence in solitary confinement for a crime he had absolutely no part in. After almost 20 years of imprisonment he finally escapes and that is all I wish to disclose in order to not ruin the fun for the rest of you. I actually envy those who have no clue about what happens in this story, because they are in for a treat beyond belief!

Finally, I can't say enough about the incredible acting. In particular, I was quite impressed and amazed by the actress who portrayed Mercedes - Ornella Muti. On top of being one of the most beautiful creatures I can ever recall setting my eyes upon, this woman is one hec of an actress. The scenes between her and Depardieu are just amazing. And my advice to those of you that are very sensitive and emotional, I would highly recommend having some tissue paper around. Believe me, this star-crossed love story (although it is obviously much more than that!) is definitely a tear-jerker and one that you will never be able to forget.

A truly wonderful, moving experience... Definitely a must see!

This DVD deserves more than 5 stars. Is very fine making and pleasant. More indepth of the story. As European I was delighted to spend hours of
viewing this French version....WELL DONE .....