Comparing Film and Television Adaptations of "The Count of Monte Cristo"

Going through six film and television versions of the novel, I noticed many similarities between them and consistant differences between the adaptations and the book.  Here are some general observations and comparisons I made about the six film and television versions of The Count of Monte Cristo that I saw.  Some are inconsequential details while others are essential to the story's success or lack thereof.  All movies and series will be referred to by their year, except the 2004-05 series, which I will call the anime.  The three films (1934, 1975, 2002) are American productions; the miniseries are French; the anime is Japanese.

Celluloid used:
The Count of Monte Cristo.  Dir. Rowland V. Lee.  With Robert Donat, Elissa Land, and Sidney Blackmer.  Reliance Pictures, 1934.  Film
The Count of Monte-Cristo.  Dir. David Green.  With Richard Chamberlain, Tony Curtis, Louis Jourdan, and Kate Nelligan.  1975.  Made-for-TV movie
Le Comte de Monte-Cristo.  Dir. Denys de La Patelliere.  With Jacques Weber, Manuel Tajeda, and Carla Romanelli.  1980.  Miniseries
Le Comte de Monte Cristo.  Dir. Josee Dayan.  With Gerard Depardieu, Ornella Muti, and Jean Rochefort.  Cite Films, 1998.  Miniseries
The Count of Monte Cristo.  Dir. Kevin Reynolds.  With James Caviezel, Guy Pierce, and Dagmara Dominczyk.  Spyglass Entertainment, 2002.  Film
Gankutsuou.  Dir. Mahiro Maeda.  Studio Gonzo, 2004-2005.  Series

Comparisons between the Versions

The 2002, anime, and possibly 1998 versions make Edmond and Fernand friends instead of two men who met once briefly.

The 1934 and 2002 versions make it quite clear that the Count orchestrated Albert's kidnapping.  This is a very acceptable change because planning the kidnapping is something the Count of the book would do, considering his manipulative and all-knowing nature.  He would want to make absolutely sure that he could get into the lives of his enemies in a heroic way.  Both of these films also make Faria die in a tunnel collapse.

The three series contain all or nearly all of the characters.  The film versions cut many characters.  That's to be expected with the shorter running times.

Every single version except 1998 includes a sword duel between the Count and Fernand that was not present in the novel.  Only the 2002 version has Monte Cristo kill Fernand in said duel.

1934, 1975, 1998, 2002, and anime have the prison inform Mercedes of Edmond's "execution" or "death" shortly after his arrival.
The reason why Fernand doesn't just kill Edmond himself in the book is because Mercedes says that she will kill herself if Edmond dies, and Fernand knows she means it.  So, the problem is to get rid of Edmond without killing him, leading him and Danglars to write the letter.  Some adaptations remove the element of Mercedes' death promise, but with that gone and no other explanation given, there is no reason why Fernand can't just off Edmond.  It's a tiny detail, but an essential one to understanding why Edmond is sent to prison at all instead of having himself an accident.  After all, sending him to prison leaves the slight possibility that he will escape or be released one day, a chance Fernand and Danglars wouldn't want to take.  The 2002 film has an excuse: the two are friends, though Fernand is intensely jealous of Edmond.  Fernand might not want to kill Edmond on account of their friendship.  The anime also works, as Fernand actually does come to hate Edmond for loving Mercedes, even though Edmond had thought they were great friends.  Fernand hates Edmond so much that he wants him to suffer for all eternity.  Creepy.

The 1934, 1998, and 2002 versions have Edmond and Mercedes getting back together.  This does not work for the reasons I mentioned in my reviews--it would be an abomination of love, two changed persons trying to live out an old dream of youth.  They don't love each other as they are now, and they can't get who they were as youths back.

1934, 1998, and 2002 change the theme from the original "revenge is hollow" to "revenge is sweet and love conquers all."

1980 is the only one where the Count sails off with Haydee, which is how the book ends.

In the 1934 and 2002 versions, Mercedes does not love Fernand.  In 1934 she marries him to fulfill her mother's dying wish.  In 2002, she does it to conceal being pregnant with her and Edmond's child.  She loves Fernand as a brother in the book.  1934 also gives Mercedes a mother.  In the novel she is an orphan, which is one of her incentives to marry.

1934, 1975, and 2002 lengthen the proportion of time spent in prison.  In the novel, Edmond breaks out 1/7 of the way through.  In the films, it's closer to 1/3 or even 1/2.  This is a major reason why the revenge plots aren't as slow and deliberate as they should be.  The film has to show prison time, but it also has to stay within the 2-2 1/2 hours that filmmakers shoot for.

1980, 1998, and the anime get Fernand's name and history right--he starts out as a poor laborer, Mondego, and becomes Le Comte Fernand de Morcerf.  In the American films, he is born an aristocrat and keeps the name Mondego.  It is important that Fernand starts out poor because he gets everything he has--his title, fortune, honor, and wife--by screwing over various people: Edmond, Ali Pasha, Haydee, etc.  He starts with nothing and gains everything by underhand means, and all is revealed by Haydee, which humiliates him in the public eye.  If he starts out as a noble, he would still be a noble.  Starting out as a peasant, once it's revealed how he got his noble status, all his friends would shun him, taking away all he achieved.  In 1934 and 1998, he commits suicide out of social disgrace, not because Mercedes and Albert left him.

The anime is the only one that omits Faria.  However, it adds Gankutsuou, who fulfills the same role.

The Shawshank Redemption is the only one where the character is called "The Count of Monte Crisco."

The anime is the only one that preserves the emerald pillbox.  I don't know why I noticed this, but it's interesting that this detail about the Count taking drugs almost never makes it into adaptations.

1975 and 1998 omit the Carnival.

Villefort goes in insane only in 1975 and the anime.

The three films omit the serial poisoning.

Edward dies only in 1980; the only other version to even include him is the anime.  Without Edward's death, there is no catalyst for the change in Monte Cristo's view on revenge and he never realises the error of his ways.  The anime makes up for it by replacing Edward's death with relationships with Albert and Haydee, which make the Count feel remorse for his actions when his actions hurt them.

The series include Monte Cristo's alter-egoes; the films do not (presumably because of time constraints).

Not one version includes the rain of blood.

Not one version includes transvestite lesbian Eugenie.  Only 1980 and anime include Eugenie at all, and only the anime makes her important to the plot.

1934 and 1975 match Valentine with Albert, not Maximilien.

Only the anime preserves the way that Haydee reveals Fernand.  In the others, she just shows up or is ordered to speak by the Count.  It's important that she comes when the Count is away so "he can't stop her" because it speaks loudly about how the Count can control everything perfectly.  He leaves at a crucial time, taking Albert with him (an event represented only in the anime), so that Haydee can do what she likes to satisfy her revenge, and Albert can't support his father at a critical time.  She thinks that the Count will disapprove of her actions, so she can only expose Fernand when he is not around to stop her.

The anime is the only version where Edmond dies.

The anime is the only one to explore what happens to the characters in the years after the Count's scheming.  It is also the only one to show Haydee's emotional response after getting revenge on Fernand.

1934, 1998, and 2002 change Mercedes' surname to de Rosa, Igualada, and Iguanada.  I'm not sure why, since she's given the name Herrera in the novel.

Amount of time book Edmond spends in prison: 14 years.
Amount of time 1934 and anime Edmond spend in prison: 15 years.
Amount of time 1975 Edmond spends in prison: 14 years.
Amount of time 1980 Edmond spends in prison: ?
Amount of time 1998 Edmond spends in prison: 18-20 years.
Amount of time 2002 Edmond spends in prison: 13 years.
An inconsequential detail, but it's odd that most don't match the book.


Now, in conclusion, I sum up and rank order which ones are the best in certain areas.

Most faithful adaptation: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo (1980).  Nearly every scene and character is present.  With only seven hours, this leads to a rushed feel.  Then Gankutsuou, especially in the way of themes and characters--the change of time period is inconsequential.  Then the film The Count of Monte-Cristo (1975).  1998 contained many subplots but added too many frivolous ones and changed the title character too much.  1934 strayed too far as well.  2002 stands as the least faithful.

Best Count: Gankutsuou.  No contest.  A perfect representation of an alluring, intelligent, manipulative, sadistic, and overwhelmingly charismatic man who ultimately learns that the price of revenge is too high.  Next, I say Jacques Weber from 1980 because of his charm and ability to flawlessly slip into any persona.  Next, Richard Chamberlain.  Then Jim Caviezel, who lacks the dark edge but shines in the charisma/originality department.  Then Depardieu; his acting is fine, but he missed the character.  I'm not sure who he is, but he's not the Count of Monte Cristo.  In my mind, Robert Donat is the worst, possessing very little of what makes the Count who he is.

Best overall: Gankutsuou  (2004-05)
Le Comte de Monte-Cristo (1980)
The Count of Monte-Cristo (1975)
These three best represent the spirit and themes of the novel.  1975 somewhat lacks point 2, but it still does reasonable service to the book, especially with such a short running time.

These next three I would not recommend:
The Count of Monte Cristo (1934)
Le Comte de Monte Cristo (1998)
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
These three changed too many details, especially the theme of the story.  2002 was definitely the poorest of the six, with almost nothing to compare it to the original novel, which is the intent if you're going to name your film after and base it on a novel.  However, 1998 was not much better with its atrocious writing.  1934 at least works as a movie, if not an adaptation.


And finally...WiseWolf's pointless awards!

Best Mercedes: 1975
Best Fernand: anime
Best Danglars: 1980
Best Villefort: 1980
Best Caderousse: 1980
Best Albert: anime
Best Franz: anime
Best Eugenie: sort of unfair, since she only appears in two series, but anime
Best Haydee: anime, hands down.  She never gets a break in the others.
Best Faria: 1975 and 2002
Best "entourage" (Bertuccio, Ali, Jacopo, Luigi Vampa, Baptistin): anime
Best Andrea: anime
Best Maximilien: 1998
Best Valentine: 1998
Best costumes: 1998 and anime
Best score: anime
Best sets: anime

And now I've finished.  I hope you enjoyed this series of articles.