The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
Synopsis :
Edmond Dantès (Jim Caviezel) and his friend Fernand Mondego (Guy Pearce), officers of a French trading ship, head to Elba seeking medical attention for their captain, though the British will kill anyone who sets foot upon the island. Upon arriving, Dantès and Mondego are chased by British Dragoons who believe they are spies for the exiled Napoleon Bonaparte (Alex Norton). The Emperor arrives and declares they are not his agents. He asks Dantes to secretly give a letter to a friend in France. When the captain dies that night, they are sent on their way.
Arriving at Marseilles, Dantès is reprimanded by the ship’s first mate, Danglars (Albie Woodington) for disobeying orders. The shipping company’s boss, Morrell (Patrick Godfrey), inspired by Dantès’ bravery and responsibility, promotes him over Danglars. Meanwhile, Mondego intercepts Dantès’ fiancée Mercédès (Dagmara Dominczyk) and asks her to sleep with him, but she refuses. They discuss the fact that Dantès will not be able to afford to marry her for two years. When Mondego learns of Dantès’ luck, however, he realizes that the wait will be much shorter.
While drunk, Mondego tells Danglars about the letter Napoleon gave Dantès. Danglars has Dantès charged with treason and sent to the chief magistrate, J.F. Villefort (James Frain). Villefort is sure of Dantès’ innocence, but discovers that the addressee is Villefort’s father, Clarion, a Bonapartist. Villefort denounced his father, improving his relations with the government; speculation about his loyalties could damage him. Villefort burns the letter and fools Dantès into submitting to arrest, then sends him to an island prison, Château d’If. Dantès escapes and goes to Mondego for help, however, fueled by envy, Mondego wounds him so that he cannot escape. Dantès is re-arrested and sent to the Château d’If.
In prison, Dantès befriends Abbé Faria (Richard Harris), a priest and former soldier in Napoleon’s army. Dantès learns that Faria was wrongfully imprisoned by Napoleon because he claimed not to know the location of the deceased Count Spada’s fortune. With the priest’s help through his gift of education and military skills, Dantès discovers the truth of his imprisonment, vowing revenge. Attempting to escape, their tunnel caves-in, burying Faria. Before dying, Faria gives Dantès the location of Spada’s treasure.
The priest’s death gives Dantès another opportunity to escape. When the guards put the priest into a body bag, Dantès removes the corpse and hides himself in the bag. He is taken to the cliffs and thrown into the sea.
Dantès washes onto an island. He encounters Luigi Vampa (JB Blanc), a smuggler and thief. He persuades Dantès to fight Jacopo (Luis Guzmán), a crewmember and a traitor whom they intended to bury alive. Dantès defeats Jacopo but lets him live. Jacopo vows to serve Dantès. Dantès joins the smugglers for three months, but leaves them when they arrive at Marseilles. Not recognizing him, the retired Morrell tells Dantès that his father committed suicide upon learning the nature of Dantès’ treason and that Mercédès has married Mondego, now a count. He learns that Danglars took over Morrell’s shipping company after Morrell reluctantly made him a partner. Dantès goes to the island of Monte Cristo, finds the treasure, and vows to break Mercédès, Mondego, and the other conspirators.
Dantès buys an enormous house and becomes the “Count of Monte Cristo”. He hires Vampa to stage a kidnapping of Mondego’s son, Albert (Henry Cavill), and then “rescues” Albert, inviting the boy to his residence. In return, Albert invites the count to his sixteenth birthday at the Mondegos’ Paris residence. At the party, Dantès meets with Villefort to discuss a shipment of unspecified property. Mondego meets with Villefort later that evening and mentions that his son had heard Monte Cristo use the words gold, shipment, and Spada. They believe the shipment is treasure, which they plot to steal.
At the party, Mercédès suspects that the Count is Dantès. Jacopo allows her to hide in Monte Cristo’s carriage to speak with him, wanting his master to take what he has won. Dantès does not admit to being her former lover, but accidentally says ‘Edmond Dantès’, which Mercédès had never spoken to him.
Dantès’ confronts Danglars. When the police arrive, Danglars fights Dantès, who reveals his true identity. Danglars is arrested. Later, the count gets Villefort to confess that Mondego killed his father, Clarion, in return for telling Mercédès that Dantès was executed. He is charged with conspiracy to murder, and realizes Monte Cristo’s true identity.
Mercédès has determined who Dantès really is. She admits to him that, although she married Mondego, she loves him. After sleeping together, Dantès decides to take Mercédès and her son and leave France. Edmond causes Mondego’s debts to be called in, bankrupting him. Mercédès confronts Mondego, revealing that she is leaving him and that Albert is Dantès’s son (the only reason she married him was because she was pregnant). Mondego leaves for his family estate where the stolen gold shipment was to be taken. He finds that all of the chests are empty and Dantès confronts him. Albert rushes to defend the man he believes is his father and Mercédès reveals to Dantès and Albert that they are father and son. Mondego shoots at Dantès, but ends up hitting Mercédès. To end the feud, Dantès and Mondego duel, resulting in Dantès killing Mondego.
Dantes purchases the prison Château d’If three months later, and thanks Abbé Faria for the sacrifice and wisdom that allowed him to reclaim his life. Mercédès recovers from the bullet, and Albert and Jacopo accompany them off the island, which Edmond leaves unattended, although he bought it intending to tear it down.
Starring :
James Caviezel … Edmond Dantes (as Jim Caviezel)
Guy Pearce … Fernand Mondego
Richard Harris … Abbé Faria
James Frain … J.F. Villefort
Dagmara Dominczyk … Mercedès Iguanada
Michael Wincott … Armand Dorleac
Luis Guzmán … Jacopo
Christopher Adamson … Maurice
JB Blanc … Luigi Vampa
Guy Carleton … Mansion Owner
Alex Norton … Napoleon
Barry Cassin … Old Man Dantes
Henry Cavill … Albert Mondego
Aliaz Moufid … Holga (credit only) (as Zhara)
Brendan Costello … Viscount
Director :
Kevin Reynolds
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