#129: The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), a film by Kevin Reynolds

Spoiler alert: I like the movie more than the book.

Hello, readers!

Four weeks ago I mentioned that I was excited about two upcoming collaborations, and both went out this week! I wrote this for my buddy Jeremy’s online book club The Big Read. If you aren’t a member already, you must check it out! We are doing “The Lottery” at the end of October and East of Eden in November and December. Check out the exciting 2024 slate here and be sure to sign up!

I always think this is Antonio Banderas

This is the kind of adventure picture the studios churned out in the Golden Age--so traditional it almost feels new.
-Roger Ebert

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An old-fashioned swashbuckler.
-Several critics

Hello, Big Readers!

I’m happy to be here to discuss the merits of the 2002 film adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo, a movie I have loved for two decades. It stands out so vividly in my memory that I was shocked, upon finishing the book a few weeks ago, to discover so many differences! Big ones! If you have finished the book by now, I hope you watch and enjoy the movie. If you haven’t finished the book yet and need a little boost to get you across the finish line, you could watch the movie right now and still have no idea what’s going to happen next in the book.

Yes, this is a case of faithlessness to the source material being a feature, not a bug. This is also one of those rare cases where the movie is more enjoyable than the book.¹ Yep, I said it! The movie has rewatchability whereas the book is something I’m glad I read once but won’t be re-reading. I know some of you book lovers will disagree and that’s fine! I’d love to hear from you in the comments. I’ll try not to be unkind to the book while I praise the movie.

Here’s a spoiler-free run down of what makes the movie so rewatchable.

It came out at a perfect time: Late 90s/early 2000s

The Count of Monte Cristo came out at a great time for movies.² So great that you’d think a small adventure flick based on a classic door stopper would get lost in the shuffle. But if the performances of The Mask of Zorro (1998) and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) proved anything, it was that audiences during that time were hungry for swashbuckling adventure. The late 90s/early 2000s have some stellar cinematic sword fights and The Count of Monte Cristo fit right in.³

Location, location, location

Director Kevin Reynolds (center) with stars Jim Caviezel (left) and Richard Harris (right). Image courtesy of IMDb.

Seven years before making TCoMC, director Kevin Reynolds made one of the biggest box office flops in cinematic history called Waterworld starring Kevin Costner. But you know what Waterworld has that a lot of movies are missing these days? Practical effects and on-location filmmaking.

TCoMC has those too. The caves, cliffs, island prison, and vast estate grounds of Powerscourt House in County Wicklow all feel real and look great because they are real. While not filmed in France, Ireland and the island of Malta were more than suitable stand ins.

The Count of Montage Cristo

I’m a sucker for a good training montage and this film has one of the best, including a great visualization of tunnel digging progression. It helps the 14-year prison sentence fly by.

Super, magical casting

19-year-old Henry Cavill as Albert, Caviezel as Dantes, Pearce as Fernand Mondego, and Dagmara Dominczyk as Mercedes. Image courtesy of IMDb

When the OG Albus Dumbledore aka Richard Harris pops up (literally) in this movie, it immediately takes things to another level. Harris is who I saw in my mind’s eye when I was reading the Abbe Faria chapters.

Jim Caviezel as Edmond Dantes and Guy Pearce as Fernand deliver their lines with relish. Caviezel does the pious yet conflicted act well. Pearce is so evil that to this day I think of him as an antagonist. Unfortunately, there is no Caderousse, but Pearce’s Fernand more than makes up for it with extra sleaze.

Dagmara Dominczyk is stunning as Mercedes and has a couple of the best lines and young Henry Cavill as Albert is here in one of his earliest roles!

Timeless one-liners

I doubt a single line from the book is in the film, but I haven’t fact checked that assumption. There are some zingers that don’t sound 18th century, but I forgive screenwriter Jay Wolpert since they don’t scream 20th century either.

“Here is your final lesson - do not commit the crime for which you now serve the sentence.”

“Perhaps you should get out more.”

“Do your worst!”

“May I steal your wife?”

“Don’t rob me of my hate.”

“You never pleased me.”

“God sees you out of the corner of his eye.”

Killer ending

The big Hollywood action ending is fun to revisit. More sword fights need to take place in long grass! I’ll say no more.

Image courtesy IMDb

It’s not the book

I’ll be the first to acknowledge this is a highly dumbed down and oversimplified version of such an intricate story, but that scores points in its favor. As a movie, it had to be simpler and bring the named character count way down. Caderousse isn’t the only character missing, so are the Cavalcanti’s, Maximilien, Valentine, Bertuccio, Ali, Beauchamp, Château-Renaud, Eugenie, Haydee, and more. As an action-oriented crowd pleaser, the movie ending is much tidier and more “Hollywood” than the book.

Would I like to see a more faithful adaptation? Sure! There are book scenes and plotlines that are intriguing and thrilling and would work well in a prestige TV multi-season format.

But this movie holds up and is rewatchable because it’s so lean and well-paced. It’s easy to compartmentalize and enjoy it as a loose adaptation that isn’t offensive and simply reflects Hollywood trends of the time.

My mainstream-movie-loving self loved it when I first saw it in theaters more than 20 years ago and I still love it now.

What do you think of the 2002 film adaptation? Have you seen any other adaptations? There are many!

Thanks for reading!
—Kyle

1. Other movies that are more enjoyable than their books: Children of Men, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Edge of Tomorrow, The Prestige, True Grit, The Social Network, Casino Royale, and Die Hard. Feel free to disagree in the comments :)

2. First installments of Spider-Man, Bourne Identity, and Lord of the Rings (a December 2001 release) kicked off new franchises in 2002. Second installments of Harry Potter, Men in Black, and the Star Wars prequel trilogy made big bucks at the 2002 domestic box office. In 2002, Brosnan was still Bond, Myers was still Powers, Shyamalan had a huge hit with Signs, and a guy named Christopher Nolan had yet to make a Batman movie but did release a movie with Robin Williams & Al Pacino (Insomnia). There were banger romantic comedies (My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Sweet Home Alabama), horror flicks (The Ring, Red Dragon), and adventure flicks (xXx, Minority Report). Seriously, scroll through this list and tell me 2002 wasn’t a great year for movies!

3. Other movies with great sword fights: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Hero (2002), Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003), Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)