This semester, I’m studying abroad in Paris with a French immersion program. And to kick off my immersion, my host family took me to the movies to see “Le Comte de Monte Cristo,” a three hour French-language film … without subtitles. Surprisingly, I was able to follow what was going on. So, to honor the beginning of my study abroad experience (and for the benefit of any French speaking Brandeisians) I am going to review the film.

“Le Comte de Monte Cristo” is an adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ 1844 novel of the same name. The book is notoriously long and complex, so even a three hour film had its work cut out trying to tell the whole story. The 2024 film, written and directed by Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte, is remarkably faithful to the original, though some edits had to be made.

The story follows mariner Edmond Dantès (Pierre Niney), whose new promotion to captain allows him to propose to his sweetheart, Mercédès de Morcerf (Anaïs Demoustier). However, he is falsely accused of being a Bonapartist and arrested on his wedding day. Dantès is ultimately condemned to life in prison through a conspiracy between Prosecutor Gérard de Villefort (Laurent Lafitte), disgraced captain Danglars (Patrick Mille) and Mercédès’ cousin Fernand de Morcerf (Bastien Bouillon), all of whom have their own reasons for wanting to get rid of Dantès. After four years in prison, Dantès is on the brink of suicide when he meets Abbé Faria (Pierfrancesco Favino), via Faria’s failed escape tunnel. The two become friends over the next ten years, and Faria tells Dantès about the hidden fortune of Monte Cristo. After Faria’s death, Dantès manages to escape the prison in a body bag, learns that Fernand married Mercédès, finds the hidden treasure and reemerges as the fabulously wealthy Count of Monte Cristo. Next up? He gets his revenge on the three who locked him up in the first place, served ice cold. He enlists the help of André de Villefort (Julien de Saint Jean)–the illegitimate child of Villefort and Danglars’ wife Victoria, whom Villefort tried to bury alive as a baby–as well as his Italian ward Haydée (Anamaria Vartolomei) and then proceeds to ruin everyone’s lives. Phew.

If this story seems both complicated and episodic, that’s because it is. And yet, the film hangs together as a cohesive whole thanks to the phenomenal performance of its lead. Pierre Niney convincingly portrays Edmond Dantès at all stages of his journey, from hopeful romantic to desperate prisoner to the suave and powerful Count exacting his revenge. He also cuts quite an intimidating figure swooshing around with a long black coat and a cane. While the rest of the film’s acting doesn’t quite hit Niney’s heights, Demoustier has great heart as Mercédès, and de Saint Jean does a wonderful job with André’s emotional journey. Our trio of villains end up feeling cartoonishly evil when they could have been afforded more depth, but are acted well.

However, we don’t spend too much time with characters who aren’t Dantès, because the story is by its very nature a tale told in three parts, with Dantès as the only character appearing in all three. This three-part structure is a strength in that it provides variety for a long run time, but at the same time a weakness in that the film sometimes feels tonally dissonant. The transitions between moods aren’t necessarily smooth–the gritty realism of the prison quickly shifts to the absurdity of the nearly starving Dantès swimming to shore and finding the treasure of Monte Cristo. Likewise, the exciting revenge plot suddenly veers into an emotional family drama before falling back into absurdity at the end. The film leans heavily on Niney’s performance, as well as a repeated dramatic violin score, to paper over the cracks, but they are still visible.

Part of the film’s absurdity lies in the difficulty of adapting such a long novel. While the book explains details like how Dantès found his way home from prison and how he established himself as the Count of Monte Cristo, the film skips these sequences, leaving the viewer to wonder what they missed. Some characters, like Haydée, are simply dropped into the film with little explanation, and a great deal of exposition is delivered via voiceover while other scenes play out on screen. However, some elements of absurdity, such as Dantès surviving a deep stab wound in the gut, can’t be explained away by time constraints. Additionally, the film loves to use wide establishing shots and sweeping panoramas that eat into its already precious runtime. A slight reallocation of priorities might not have gone amiss, but it’s still an impressive feat that the complex story was told clearly and engagingly.

And while I may gripe about the establishing shots, I can’t deny that they, along with the rest of the film, look absolutely gorgeous. Stéphane Taillasson’s production design is top-notch, aided by gorgeous location filming and clever direction. Thierry Delettre’s costume design puts you right in the 19th century, effortlessly conveying decade, class and character type. And while the dramatic violin music over stunning scenery might not have been the best use of the film’s runtime, I can’t deny that it was an impactful viewing experience on the big screen. I found myself fully immersed in the time and place of the film. If you love historical dramas for the aesthetics, you won’t be disappointed by this film. 

I was also impressed by the accessibility of the story. I am not a native French speaker, and I wasn’t particularly familiar with the original book, but I was able to follow the majority of the plot and become emotionally invested in the main characters. The politics feel suitably complex but never dry, the twists are exciting, and the climactic moments are suitably dramatic. As a viewer, I knew every emotion I had while watching the film had been carefully engineered by the filmmakers. While some compromises had to be made, the emotional impact of the film cannot be denied. This is a powerful story, and in the hands of talented actors and directors, it’s not hard to produce something entertaining.

Overall, “Le Comte de Monte Cristo” is worth a watch if you’re a fan of the book, if you’re looking to watch some French cinema or if you just love historical dramas featuring broody men in fabulous outfits. It’s not perfect, and a significant level of suspension of disbelief is required for certain choices. However, the acting is excellent, the film looks great and as a historical drama, it’s an excellent watch. I declare my first foray into French media–in France–a success.