Background: My sister got The Count of Monte Cristo on VHS when our local video store went out of business (Nancy’s, for you Central City people)—but I’m fairly certain I had borrowed the DVD from the library before that. I have absolutely no recollection of buying my copy, though … I was just looking through my DVDs the other day and saw it, filed in its rightful place under “C.”
Plot: Edmond Dantes (Caviezel) is falsely accused of treason and sent to prison at Chateau d'If. There he meets a fellow prisoner (Harris) who teaches him to read, write, think, and fight—and who gives him a treasure map. After 14 years in prison, Dantes escapes, finds the treasure, and reenters French society as the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo. Bent on revenge, he seeks out his best friend Fernand (Pierce), who betrayed him, and his former fiancée Mercedes, who married Fernand only a month after his arrest.
Reactions: As I watched this movie, I had no idea how it was going to end. Yes, I remembered that Fernand got his due … but beyond that, I couldn’t remember who lived and died or if the story ended happily. It was almost like watching the film for the first time, and I found that quite enjoyable.
Confession time: I don’t read classics. At all. They bore the pants off of me. I survived my years as an English major by relying heavily on Sparknotes.com. So trust me when I say that it was a big deal when, while watching the movie, I thought, “I should really read this book.” What this means is that if (and that’s a big if) I ever feel compelled to read a classic, The Count of Monte Cristo is the one I’ll go for. And then I’ll probably read about 20 pages and decide to just watch the movie again!
Verdict: Keep
P.S.: Look for a young Henry Cavill (Superman in the upcoming Man of Steel and Charles Brandon on The Tudors) as Mercedes’ son Albert.
Oh, I totally agree with you about a lot of the classics...except I love Jane Eyre...and Charles Dickens novels. And I hope to love reading Jane Austen someday :)
ReplyDeleteHere's the thing: When there's a fabulous movie adaptation of a book out there (especially the BBC productions), why should I slog through the book? That said, I have enjoyed the abridged versions of some classics that I've taught in my ESL classes. And I completely appreciate the classics ... but I can appreciate them without reading them :-)
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