Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Sam Clafin, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Jeremy Irons, Ana Girardot, Blake Ritson, Karla-Simone Spence, Lino Guanciale, Michele Riondino, Gabriella Passion, Harry Taurasi, Poppy Corby-Tuech, Nicolas Maupas, Amaryllis April Maltha August, Jason Barnett, Nicholas Farrell, John Ioannou, Martina Laird, Matthew Wilson, Steven Pinder, Kate Woodman, Simone Zambelli, Ben Moor, Bastien Fontaine-Oberto, Luke Carroll, Méghane De Crook, Robin Greer, Louise Gold.
The Count Of Monte Cristo finds itself perhaps more understood to modern audiences from being the backdrop in the film V For Vendetta than it does in own right, and whilst it has had huge impact on literature, and had a couple of adaptions, including the notable French series baring its name and directed by Stellio Lorenzi in1954, that have lived up to the sheer drama and feeling of living through history, the weight of the book by Alexandre Dumas has outlived and outshone anything that has been filmed, it is almost as if the context and themes of the book resonate with such vibrancy that the idea of revenge is too difficult to convey on screen.
Starring Sam Claffin as Edmond Dantès, Bille August’s direction of the classic reaches a level of secure and vital intimidation, it is unafraid to go in depth between the covers of the novel and see the texture of the long play of retribution for the wronged be more than just a simple measure of retaliation, and instead focuses on what vengeance can do a person’s soul, how it can corrode, it can rust the heart of a man, it can kill the passion and love in a woman, and when that retribution is completed, what else exactly is there to live for.
The intricate nature of the adaption under the stewardship of Bille August impresses for the viewer that The Count Of Monte Cristo is one of immensity; this is by no means a version that is sanitised, squeaky clean, or derivative in its nature, it is symbolic of the struggle of how we view freedom, how we see reprisal for others wounding to our lives, and like the impressive The Revenger’s Tragedy by Thomas Middleton, the pay off is one of damage limitation and the price we pay when other innocents get in the way of well laid plans.
With exceptional performances by Sam Claffin, Jeremy Irons, Nicholas Farrell, Michele Riondino, and Blake Ritson, this exceptionally envisioned and detailed version of the classic 19th Century novel is one of quality, unreserved emotional precision, and forceful bravery; a successful adaption that is a highlight of period drama.
Ian D. Hall