The Count of Monte-Cristo (1975)

Fantastic!

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

This is a nice introduction to the Dumas story. Chamberlain is very convincing count. The greatest strength are the scenes at the Château D'if and the relationship of Edmund Dantes with the old priest who saves him. This is really quite gut wrenching. I know it's not the responsibility of the writers to explain everything historically, but it would have been good to have a bit of the Bonapartist issues and the turmoil in France. Once Dantes finds the fortune and begins his quest for revenge, things get so short on detail, but that is the price of a two hour effort with commercials thrown in. Chamberlain makes a good swashbuckler. Louis Jordan and Tony Curtis do quite a bit of overacting, but that's OK. It's a big book and others have tried to put the story on screen, but this has always been fun for me.

I have never seen nor read any other version of The Count Of Monte Cristo. But I do know that it is probably the most popular revenge story of all time. I decided to sit down and watch this movie because I kind of liked the director's movie Small Sacrifices, even though it's depressing. So I found this and watched it tonight. It actually is pretty good.The plot for those who don't know is that in 1815 Edmund Dantes is on top of the world. He's getting married to a woman who loves him, he's about to be promoted to a captain of a ship and will use the money he earns to help buy his father a proper house. When he sees the person under him in ship ranking, a man in love with his fiancée and a thief that he took prisoner talking, he thinks nothing of it. On the day before his wedding he is charged for conspiring with Napoleon Bodepart. When he is taken to the prosecutor Demund reveals that the old captain was dying and demanded Edmund deliver a note.It turns out the old captain is working with Bodepart, and the person he will deliver the message to is actually the prosecutor's father. Under the impression that Edmund was to be taken to the church where he was to be married, he instead is taken to a living hell of a prison. 10 years later he meets an old man who is digging his way out to the sea wall but instead finds Edmund. So they decided to dig together out of the prison.It turns out with both of them digging would take another 4 years and the old man teaches Edmund everything he knows and also helps him piece together who actually conspired against him and why. Driven by revenge he continues digging and the old man then dies but not before giving him a treasure map over 3 centuries old. Edmund takes the old man's place in the body bag and gets thrown off the island. He then gets picked up by Italian smugglers.He finds the treasure and uses it to assume the identity of The Count Of Monte Cristo, where he uses diabolical schemes to destroy the social status of the people who framed him and helped his father starve to death. However, after nearly 2 decades of him being imprisoned and hatching the scheme there are people who will be caught in the crossfire. Such as his former fiancée and her son.The acting is great, Richard Chamberlain makes way for a great Edmund Dantes and is very believable. Everyone else is also good but Chamberlain is the stand out. The writing is also good and makes way for a sad movie. David Greene's direction is also pretty top notch for a movie of this kind. The more I see some of the movies this guy has done the more I want to see the rest in my opinion.Just as a compliment... a minor compliment I find the scenery in this movie to be very good. I was actually surprised at the scenery and how convincing it was as 1800's France. I might be giving TV Movies like this a lack of credit (I wouldn't know I barely watch TV Movies, period) but I was surprised.If there is a complaint with this it would definitely be the pacing of the first few scenes. We barely have comprehension why these people are conspiring to put Dantes behind bars in the first place and it's only made clear by the old man. It might be a nitpick because it is actually explained later but I really was confused as to why that was going on.So if you can find it my advice would be to watch it now. It really captures the pain Dantes is going through as well as how to an extent what he is doing is hurting people he barely knows. It is worth a look and for a TV movie it is one of the best.

I have seen four film versions of this story: This 1975 version, the 1998 French language version with Gerarde Depardieu, and the 2002 version with Jim Kaveizel, as well as one animated version. I have nothing against Kaveizel, or Depardieu. The 1998 version was certainly longer, and the 2002 version had a much bigger budget. But this is the best film version out of all of them.Chamberlain's performance conveys both Dante's initial naiveté, and his later pathological need for revenge, far better than Depardieu, who just does not seem right for this role, or Kaveizel, who seems to be on sedatives during the 2nd half of his film. And, without giving anything away,this version also has the most interesting-and believable-ending.NOV 2015 Update: I have now read the Dumas novel, AND I have also seen the 1934 version with Robert Donat (see my review for that film).I still believe this is the BEST film version, & while not perfect, it nevertheless captures the essence of the novel to the greatest degree.M

Though this was one of many versions of the book, and was done 30 years ago, it still holds up well in comparison to later productions. It is too bad it was never released on DVD, and the video can only be purchased as used, since it is out of print. That being said, the production itself was beautifully shot in elegant European locations, and the costumes and dialects of the strong and impressive cast add to the authentic feel for the period the movie is portraying. Of course, as in all movies made from wonderful novels, there simply is not enough time to capture the expansive details an author puts forth in their literary work, but as long as you look at the movie as more of a short-handed summary of the book, you should like this particular rendition. What sets this apart from later versions, is that Richard Chamberlain, at the height of his career, fit the description of what the Count physically looked like much better than Gerard Depardieu ( a very fine actor!) Mr. Chamberlain was perfect casting, as he was tall,slender, and elegant, and looked dashing and handsome in the period costumes of the era. In addition, his classical speaking voice is perfect in presenting the Count as the charismatic mystery man depicted in the novel. A great supporting cast completes the movie, particularly Trevor Howard, Louis Jourdan and Kate Nelligan as Mercedes, and I also especially like the two young actors who portrayed Albert Mondego and Jacopo--very talented!! All in all, a very entertaining ensemble piece from the 70's, that is very well paced, and still holds up 30 years later.