The Count of Monte Cristo premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024 to little fanfare. However, it turned out to be a stunning and emotionally-satisfying tale of adventure. While Hollywood continues to focus on blockbusters and the ever-expanding superhero universe, the French have wisely returned to one of their most iconic authors. I would go as far as to suggest that, due to our contemporary lack of imagination, I see no better way to spark a new wave of creativity than by reeducating people with the classics.
Last year, Martin Bourboulon’s The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan and The Three Musketeers: Milady won over the French box office and grossed nearly 45 million pounds internationally. These two adaptations – old-fashioned swashbuckler adventures – paved the way for Alexandre Dumas’ triumph The Count of Monte Cristo (1846), scripted by the writing duo behind the Musketeers films, Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière, now in the director chairs.
The plot follows young sailor Edmond Dantès. Soon to be promoted to captain, he is now finally permitted to marry his beloved Mercédès. He is giddy in love, reunited with his father and best friend, and a happily-ever-after seems plausible. But before the couple can say “I do”, Dantès is falsely accused of conspiring with Napoleon, arrested and sent to an island prison where he will remain for the next 14 years. What began as the best of times quickly turns into the worst of times. As Dantès plans a daring escape with fellow prisoner Abbé Faria, he is taught multiple languages and learns of the location of a treasure hidden on the island of Monte Cristo. After successfully breaking free, Dantès uses the riches to reinvent himself as one of the world’s wealthiest men: The Count of Monte Cristo. And thus begins his tale for revenge against all those who wronged him.
What is clear from the start of the film is that, despite the three hour running time, it is fast-paced, scripted by people who know how to compress a 1,300 page novel into a coherent film. It is grand, entertaining and heartwarming, a reminder that the old way of telling stories still works perfectly. The film packs in so much action that one can only watch with amazement and bated breath, immersed in the magic of old-style epic adventures. Dantès’ modus operandi is that: “All human wisdom is contained in these two words: Wait and Hope.” He spends decades planning his revenge, waiting and hoping for the right moment and opportunity to come, and yet the film itself never lingers, constantly moving forward with endless, exhilarating action.
The greatest compliment I can bestow on the film is that it is old-fashioned, executed with golden-era Hollywood panache. With an estimated budget of around €43 million, it is the most expensive French film of 2024 – and rightly so. Each piece of set and costume, every inch of lighting and second of camera placement, is well considered. The attention to detail is a testament to the directors’ dedication, and serves to immerse viewers completely in 19th century France.
Leading the film is the handsome, Ben-Barnes-if-turned-French, Pierre Niney, who plays Edmond Dantès. Niney has a haunted coolness that suits his character’s obsessive persistence, set on a project of retribution against the three men who stole his chance at happiness. Despite often donning various disguises, his hawkish nose and saturnine features are always recognisable. He is outstanding in the role, portraying Dantès with intensity and depth, brilliantly depicting his character’s evolution from a youthful sailor to a vengeful aristocrat on the verge of losing himself.
French cinema has always been a revolutionary force in the world of film. And The Count of Monte Cristo is an example of its greatness. It is a movie that reminds me of how much I love cinema and that there are people out there who love making cinema just as much. In my eyes, The Count of Monte Cristo is one of the best films of this decade, especially for lovers of historical fiction. It is a much welcome return to the epic nature of classic adventure stories, remade with a big budget to match the richness of the author’s imagination. Thus, until this film gains greater global recognition, all I can do is “Wait and Hope” that the world and cinema returns to the wealth of the classics. “Wait and Hope” that quality and heart will surpass publicity and trends. “Wait and Hope” that you watch this film.
