Personally, I don't care much for shonen. While I have a few gripes with it, like the over-simplification of some themes and over-use of comedy, the big thing I don't like is the way characters in action series can take deadly hit after deadly hit in fights that go on for episodes and still be standing. Rurouni Kenshin has this trope, but it's not only great shonen, it's great, period. For a lot of reasons.
I wish I could run a clip of the first few minutes of the series, because that would demonstrate a great point in favor of the show. We see Kenshin in a situation in the first few minutes that tells us about his personality, current worldview, how he deals with violent situations, his former life, and current "occupation." Already, we know more about Kenshin than we did about the Bride in the entire four hours of Kill Bill. We see his personality, his appearance is intriguing (this short, long-haired guy was a great assassin? Really? But--cool scar! How'd he get that?), and his reactions and reverse-blade sword tell us a bit about his philosophy and allude to his history.
Part of the reason is the Japanese voice actors, especially for Kenshin. Mayo Suzukaze is utter perfection here. Her vocal range gives Kenshin a lot of individuality. He's a very original and three-dimensional character, so it's fitting that he should have an atypical voice. He doesn't sound like a woman--he sounds like a kind, small man. There's also the fact that Kenshin has a lot of verbal tics that don't translate to English. Japanese has many pronouns for "I" depending on politeness, sex, age, etc. He uses the very archaic and humble "sessha," meaning "this one" (NOT the same "this one" Cheza uses in Wolf's Rain). However, when he reverts to his assassin self, his verbal tics ("Oro" and "de gozaru") vanish, and "sessha" changes to the more masculine and vulgar "ore," all of which are audible in the Japanese dub if you know what to listen for but appear nowhere in the English dub because English doesn't have multiple "I" pronouns. These changes are essential for understanding how much Kenshin changed from the war days to peacetime and how he can fall back into that harmful personality if the situation's right. (It's also a testament to the crafting of the character and the talent of Suzukaze that the Japanese rendering of the line "I will kill you? That's my line" is not cheesy, as the English dub feels, but subtly terrifying.) Please stick with the Japanese dub for this one. As well, if you're going to watch the OVAs for this show, be warned that the English vocal cast changes whereas the Japanese cast remains the same.
A huge point in Kenshin's favor as a shonen series is that it is a historical drama. It's not an action-comedy that happens to be set in the early Meiji period--it's about the early Meiji period, the dissatisfaction so many people have with the new government, and what assassins do once their services are no longer needed because swords are illegal. Kenshin himself was based on an assassin who looked like a woman and used that to his advantage to carry out assassinations. Much of, if not all, the conflict arises from various characters showing their distaste for the Meiji regime and wanting to undermine it in various ways. This angle gives the show a lot of depth that most action shows lack. It has a purpose: it's teaching us history and about how war changes people.
Another benefit is the inclusion of philosophy. Most of the fights are duels of philosophy more than they are between swords/fists/spears, and learning swordfighting is as much about worldview as it is about slashes. One fight ends when one combatant has been rendered completely unable to move, yet he wins because he has so thouroughly deconstructed his opponent's view on life that he must admit defeat. The conflicts are much richer when words and minds fight alongside brute force. Having said that, some fights do drag on a bit too long or suffer from the pitfalls of shonen where a character will perform some superhuman move and then say, "Oh, I was only at three steps below my optimum level," and then work up from there. Those fights become a bit more aggravating, but this may be more of a issue with my opinion of shonen than an inherent flaw in the shonen-action genre. As well, none of the individual fights last more than three episodes.
Sometimes the tone can be a bit uneven, especially in season one. It will go from goofy comedy to serious drama a little too abruptly. Season two, the pinnacle of the show, seems to balance this much better with a bit of comedy applied in the right places.
About once per episode, I wondered how silly, goofball Kenshin, when falling off a roof after being caught spying, getting chased by a girl, or playing blindman's bluff with the kids, was once the greatest assassin in Japan. This is all in the series' favor--it demonstrates how an assassin can become carefree and how carefully he has to watch himself to keep from reverting to his manslayer persona. It also inspires interest in his history, which is revealed in pieces in the series and the OVAs.
Rurouni Kenshin was followed by Samurai X: The Motion Picture and the OVAs Trust, Betrayal, and Reflection. These OVAs are so different in tone and content than the TV show that I don't feel comfortable talking about them in this review. They deserve their own review.
Seasons one and two are fabulous and great fun to watch. Season three is much more mixed, as it is not based on the manga and suffers appropriately. The first and last episodes are fine, the Christianity arc is decent, and the fake-Battousai episode is amusing, but the rest of the season is entirely skippable. Definitely put this show on your list.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
"Hugo" See This Film
Hey! I went to a theatre to see a movie! First time in three years.
And Martin Scorsese did not let me down. This is a wonderful film. I smiled the whole way through it and all the way home. It's not mean-spirited; it's wholesome but not devoid of conflict. The conflict is all emotional--the journeys Hugo and Georges take are quite relatable and full of substance.
Though I would call it a PG movie for adults, I think that children would enjoy it too. I don't think adults give kids enough credit for what they'll enjoy. I know young children who like Babette's Feast and Branagh's four-hour Hamlet. They like quieter, calm films sometimes, and other times they just like something because they do, even if they don't understand it. Hugo is an emotionally healthy film for kids and mentally stimulating film for adults. If you know about silent film and Scorsese's life, you will get more out of it, but it's not necessary to enjoy the film. This is a true film, one that makes perfect use of the medium. It's not a plug for film restoration, though it does clearly support it. Instead, it maturely supports film preservation by showing how not doing so leads to deep unhappiness in certain folks' lives. If no one remembers old films (or books or plays or songs for that matter), then what was the point of it all in the eyes of the ones who made them? The material is handled subtly and depends on the audience to make the connections.
I hadn't seen a 3D film before, so I have no way to judge, but I did not find the image dark or murky. Maybe it's getting better, or maybe Scorsese just utilised color very well, but it's a very clear, colorful film. The 3D was never distracting.
I'm hoping for some acting nominations here. And directing, visual effects, sound, editing, and picture. Films like this used to win Best Picture, but these days, it's unlikely they're even nominated. The Oscar race has mostly gone to PG-13 and R films. I hope it gets some recognition. Especially considering that Breaking Dawn Part One is the top grossing film of the weekend on the week that Hugo, The Muppets, and Arthur Christmas (all getting rave reviews) came out.
And Martin Scorsese did not let me down. This is a wonderful film. I smiled the whole way through it and all the way home. It's not mean-spirited; it's wholesome but not devoid of conflict. The conflict is all emotional--the journeys Hugo and Georges take are quite relatable and full of substance.
Though I would call it a PG movie for adults, I think that children would enjoy it too. I don't think adults give kids enough credit for what they'll enjoy. I know young children who like Babette's Feast and Branagh's four-hour Hamlet. They like quieter, calm films sometimes, and other times they just like something because they do, even if they don't understand it. Hugo is an emotionally healthy film for kids and mentally stimulating film for adults. If you know about silent film and Scorsese's life, you will get more out of it, but it's not necessary to enjoy the film. This is a true film, one that makes perfect use of the medium. It's not a plug for film restoration, though it does clearly support it. Instead, it maturely supports film preservation by showing how not doing so leads to deep unhappiness in certain folks' lives. If no one remembers old films (or books or plays or songs for that matter), then what was the point of it all in the eyes of the ones who made them? The material is handled subtly and depends on the audience to make the connections.
I hadn't seen a 3D film before, so I have no way to judge, but I did not find the image dark or murky. Maybe it's getting better, or maybe Scorsese just utilised color very well, but it's a very clear, colorful film. The 3D was never distracting.
I'm hoping for some acting nominations here. And directing, visual effects, sound, editing, and picture. Films like this used to win Best Picture, but these days, it's unlikely they're even nominated. The Oscar race has mostly gone to PG-13 and R films. I hope it gets some recognition. Especially considering that Breaking Dawn Part One is the top grossing film of the weekend on the week that Hugo, The Muppets, and Arthur Christmas (all getting rave reviews) came out.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Shigurui: Death Frenzy
In the early Edo period, a cruel lord stages a tournament of eleven death matches between twenty-two samurai. One of his vassals begs him to let the samurai fight with wooden swords to show their worth, as otherwise the only thing they will get is eleven dead samurai and a floor covered with intestines, but the lord refuses and begins the tournament. The first two combatants are a blind ronin and a one-armed samurai. It turns out that they have a history together, and the rest of the show fills in some of that history.
Technical details: the show looks gorgeous, with photorealistic characters, chiaroscuro galore, and a very limited color palette (mostly black, white, grey, and red) to complement the bleak story. It's by Studio Madhouse, the same one that brought us the also gorgeous Death Note, Paranoia Agent, Claymore, Boogiepop Phantom, and Texhnolyze, so that should give you an idea of the art you'll see. Since this is a very Japanese show about sword technique, I recommend the Japanese dub, since the actors in English are going to bandy around a lot of Japanese terms anyway.
Shigurui: Death Frenzy is a deconstruction of the romantic samurai film. The show deals with the darker side of the samurai way, bringing up the harsher side of things like honor, proving your strength with the sword, succession, marriage, betrayal, apprenticeship, and the consequences of your actions. The hallmark of the Kogan style showcased in the series is giving the opponent a new look, like cutting off an ear or nose. Hardly the type of idyllic lifestyle depicted in Seven Samurai, The Hidden Fortress, or even the also deconstructive, but much more fun to watch, Rurouni Kenshin, where warriors strive to protect the weak (and keep those dojos clean). Shigurui makes you think, "Why would anyone want to become a samurai at all?" The lifestyle is completely devoted to sword fighting, innocent people may die so that the samurai can show the world they got revenge for the death of an apprentice while they look for the real killer, and the Kogan master, who does unseemly things to his daughter, is demented for most of the year and looks like he's a corpse in the third stage of decay. Oh, and then there's the inherent violence.
This show is violent. Violent violent violent violent violent violent violent violent. Perhaps the most violent animation you'll ever see. Or maybe just the most violent thing you'll ever see. In twelve episodes, you'll see a lot of things that you never wanted to see, thing you never realised someone thought up, and things you never realised were even possible. The show doesn't trivialise its excessive gore, however--the violence looks real and has plenty of consequences for all involved. Like Texhnolyze, when someone is sliced with a sword, it matters. The characters feel it, get bloody, and go into shock. The wounds may even alter their lives. The sword fights resemble actual sword fights, which are often over after a few slashes. It's refreshing to see gore actually mean something instead of being there to excite the audience on a base level. While unpleasant to watch, the violence is necessary to fully appreciate the darker side of the samurai. Only watch this show if you've got an iron stomach. You know, the kind of person who can watch Goodfellas while eating spaghetti. Warning: don't eat Cherrios while watching episode 6. Or anything else small and crunchy.
With harshness like this, a story better have some interesting, sympathetic characters so that you'll care when bad things happen to them. But Shigurui doesn't. There is nothing pleasant about any of these people. You know you're in trouble when the only person you can pick out as the "hero" is the person who won't rape a girl when offered the chance. Having only wicked, despicable characters can work--gangster films do it all the time because the characters are fun to be around in some way. That doesn't happen here. There's no one to root for, no one likeable, no one whom you'd invite to a party. Though the show's only twelve episodes long, this lack of sympathetic characters poses a real challenge to sitting all the way through it.
The series also never comes back to its framing device of the death matches, which is odd, considering that the original manga does. Nor do we see how one of the samurai lost his arm. I've read the manga summary, and it looks interesting and quite tragic. Too bad it didn't appear in the series, which could easily have been longer.
Shigurui is worth watching if you want to see the samurai period film broken into tiny pieces, but it does have a few serious flaws that keep it from being the masterpiece it really could have been. I recommend watching these episodes alternating with season one or two of Rurouni Kenshin--Shigurui will be an antidote to Kenshin's shonen-style violence where you can take hit after deadly hit and never even pass out, and Kenshin will cheer you up after Shigurui's bleak bleakness.
Technical details: the show looks gorgeous, with photorealistic characters, chiaroscuro galore, and a very limited color palette (mostly black, white, grey, and red) to complement the bleak story. It's by Studio Madhouse, the same one that brought us the also gorgeous Death Note, Paranoia Agent, Claymore, Boogiepop Phantom, and Texhnolyze, so that should give you an idea of the art you'll see. Since this is a very Japanese show about sword technique, I recommend the Japanese dub, since the actors in English are going to bandy around a lot of Japanese terms anyway.
Shigurui: Death Frenzy is a deconstruction of the romantic samurai film. The show deals with the darker side of the samurai way, bringing up the harsher side of things like honor, proving your strength with the sword, succession, marriage, betrayal, apprenticeship, and the consequences of your actions. The hallmark of the Kogan style showcased in the series is giving the opponent a new look, like cutting off an ear or nose. Hardly the type of idyllic lifestyle depicted in Seven Samurai, The Hidden Fortress, or even the also deconstructive, but much more fun to watch, Rurouni Kenshin, where warriors strive to protect the weak (and keep those dojos clean). Shigurui makes you think, "Why would anyone want to become a samurai at all?" The lifestyle is completely devoted to sword fighting, innocent people may die so that the samurai can show the world they got revenge for the death of an apprentice while they look for the real killer, and the Kogan master, who does unseemly things to his daughter, is demented for most of the year and looks like he's a corpse in the third stage of decay. Oh, and then there's the inherent violence.
This show is violent. Violent violent violent violent violent violent violent violent. Perhaps the most violent animation you'll ever see. Or maybe just the most violent thing you'll ever see. In twelve episodes, you'll see a lot of things that you never wanted to see, thing you never realised someone thought up, and things you never realised were even possible. The show doesn't trivialise its excessive gore, however--the violence looks real and has plenty of consequences for all involved. Like Texhnolyze, when someone is sliced with a sword, it matters. The characters feel it, get bloody, and go into shock. The wounds may even alter their lives. The sword fights resemble actual sword fights, which are often over after a few slashes. It's refreshing to see gore actually mean something instead of being there to excite the audience on a base level. While unpleasant to watch, the violence is necessary to fully appreciate the darker side of the samurai. Only watch this show if you've got an iron stomach. You know, the kind of person who can watch Goodfellas while eating spaghetti. Warning: don't eat Cherrios while watching episode 6. Or anything else small and crunchy.
With harshness like this, a story better have some interesting, sympathetic characters so that you'll care when bad things happen to them. But Shigurui doesn't. There is nothing pleasant about any of these people. You know you're in trouble when the only person you can pick out as the "hero" is the person who won't rape a girl when offered the chance. Having only wicked, despicable characters can work--gangster films do it all the time because the characters are fun to be around in some way. That doesn't happen here. There's no one to root for, no one likeable, no one whom you'd invite to a party. Though the show's only twelve episodes long, this lack of sympathetic characters poses a real challenge to sitting all the way through it.
The series also never comes back to its framing device of the death matches, which is odd, considering that the original manga does. Nor do we see how one of the samurai lost his arm. I've read the manga summary, and it looks interesting and quite tragic. Too bad it didn't appear in the series, which could easily have been longer.
Shigurui is worth watching if you want to see the samurai period film broken into tiny pieces, but it does have a few serious flaws that keep it from being the masterpiece it really could have been. I recommend watching these episodes alternating with season one or two of Rurouni Kenshin--Shigurui will be an antidote to Kenshin's shonen-style violence where you can take hit after deadly hit and never even pass out, and Kenshin will cheer you up after Shigurui's bleak bleakness.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Book Review: "Ashfall"
Ashfall by Mike Mullin depicts the Earth after the supervolcano beneath Yellowstone erupts and turns the world into a dead wasteland. This book is so frightening because it presents an entirely realistic, plausible scenario that could happen at any time and there'd be nothing we could do about it. The book's epigraph says as much. Our civilisation--computers, civilised medicine, clean running water, all of our art, even our species--could vanish instantly, and possibly never return, because of a natural event.
Ashfall never goes into lots of detail about the catastrophe, but the fewer details work in its favor. We never forget that the sun no longer rises or that it is nigh impossible to do something as simple as walking because the ashen rain has the consistency of cement, making each footstep exhausting and time-consuming. Even the action of breathing is deadly, requiring characters to take precautions when venturing outside.
The characters are entirely believable--they make near-deadly mistakes, they have great resourcefulness, they don't give up even when they know the world may never return to what they know as normal. Alex and Darla, the leads, are so well-done that when the obligated love develops between them, it doesn't feel forced. They are careful about their intimacy because Darla can't afford to get pregnant at this time and they can't find pills or condoms. As well, when they say they sleep together, they mean they sleep together--they want to wake up able to reach out and touch the other person to know they both are safe. Another character doesn't understand it, showing how much a euphemism can come to be the only meaning we understand for something. Sleeping together doesn't always mean sex--it can mean "sleeping together." It was a nice variation on the typical teen love story.
The only major pitfall I see in Ashfall is the inclusion of a villain. In stories like these, the protagonists often come across hostile people, but in the capacity of one-shot obstructions, not long-running antagonists, which this book has in the first half. The environment is the "enemy" in this story: the cold, ash, and lack of food. No human can match that intensity. A story like this doesn't need a villain, especially one that does something so incredibly stupid as what he does as his last act in the book. Nobody would do something that idiotic for the sake of vengeance in this new, harsh world. He would want to use everything he came upon and destroy nothing that could be of use to him. Though the one question I always have about some of these apocalyptic scenarios: would people really turn to violent theft and cannibalism so quickly after a wide-spread devastating event?
If you like apocalyptic fiction in the vein of Threads and Swan Song, you should check out Ashfall. It's a quick but painful read. I look forward to the sequel, Ashen Winter.
Ashfall never goes into lots of detail about the catastrophe, but the fewer details work in its favor. We never forget that the sun no longer rises or that it is nigh impossible to do something as simple as walking because the ashen rain has the consistency of cement, making each footstep exhausting and time-consuming. Even the action of breathing is deadly, requiring characters to take precautions when venturing outside.
The characters are entirely believable--they make near-deadly mistakes, they have great resourcefulness, they don't give up even when they know the world may never return to what they know as normal. Alex and Darla, the leads, are so well-done that when the obligated love develops between them, it doesn't feel forced. They are careful about their intimacy because Darla can't afford to get pregnant at this time and they can't find pills or condoms. As well, when they say they sleep together, they mean they sleep together--they want to wake up able to reach out and touch the other person to know they both are safe. Another character doesn't understand it, showing how much a euphemism can come to be the only meaning we understand for something. Sleeping together doesn't always mean sex--it can mean "sleeping together." It was a nice variation on the typical teen love story.
The only major pitfall I see in Ashfall is the inclusion of a villain. In stories like these, the protagonists often come across hostile people, but in the capacity of one-shot obstructions, not long-running antagonists, which this book has in the first half. The environment is the "enemy" in this story: the cold, ash, and lack of food. No human can match that intensity. A story like this doesn't need a villain, especially one that does something so incredibly stupid as what he does as his last act in the book. Nobody would do something that idiotic for the sake of vengeance in this new, harsh world. He would want to use everything he came upon and destroy nothing that could be of use to him. Though the one question I always have about some of these apocalyptic scenarios: would people really turn to violent theft and cannibalism so quickly after a wide-spread devastating event?
If you like apocalyptic fiction in the vein of Threads and Swan Song, you should check out Ashfall. It's a quick but painful read. I look forward to the sequel, Ashen Winter.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Television Censors are Morons
I'm not talking about editing Casino or Goodfellas so that tense scenes become comedy with all the profanity bleeped out ("Freak you Sam Rothstein, freak you!"). I'm talking about content edits that call into question the morality of the censors. I present two exhibits for your approval:
#1: The Godfather on Spike TV. When I watched this film, it was advertised as "unedited." And for the most part, it was: all the violence and profanity was present. Except for one thing. On Michael and Apollonia's wedding night, right as she's taking off her shirt, the TV blurs her breasts out.
So let me tell you what the network has just told us: you can show two men being slowly strangled, a man being shot in the eye, a man being riddled with two hundred bullets, a guy shooting two other guys in the head, many persons being killed in gruesome manners at the same time as a baptism, a man beating his pregnant wife, and a man waking up with a bloody severed horse's head in his bed, but you can't show a woman taking off her shirt in front of her husband. So, are woman's breasts the most evil thing we can see? Gosh, I don't know how they expect 51% of the population to go their whole lives without looking down. It's ridiculous. Everybody's nude sometimes, and it's perfectly harmless and natural, but not everyone partakes in violence, which is damaging for reasons I hope I don't have to lay out. Would they rather people strangled others instead of seeing others nude? I think Spike needs to set its priorities straight.
But even better is #2: Apocalypse Now Redux on Bravo. You know, some films just shouldn't be on cable. I knew it would be butchered like the cow in that film, so I watched parts of it just to see how bad it got. Every single profanity, mild and strong, was gone, as was the nudity. Then, right at the end, Marlon Brando says, "We train young men to drop fire on people, but their commanders won't allow them to write 'fuck' on their airplanes because it's obscene." Of course, Bravo edited out the word you'd think they'd edit out, even though in this context, it's not even swearing: it's merely stating a word. They then proceed to show the rest of the scene uncut--Brando being hacked to death by Martin Sheen, and a real water buffalo being slaughtered by a real tribe for their real ritual. Unstaged violence, real carnage. When it was over, Bravo started it again and showed Martin Sheen punching the mirror unedited. Real blood, people.
Thank you very much, Bravo. You just proved Kurtz's point.
#1: The Godfather on Spike TV. When I watched this film, it was advertised as "unedited." And for the most part, it was: all the violence and profanity was present. Except for one thing. On Michael and Apollonia's wedding night, right as she's taking off her shirt, the TV blurs her breasts out.
So let me tell you what the network has just told us: you can show two men being slowly strangled, a man being shot in the eye, a man being riddled with two hundred bullets, a guy shooting two other guys in the head, many persons being killed in gruesome manners at the same time as a baptism, a man beating his pregnant wife, and a man waking up with a bloody severed horse's head in his bed, but you can't show a woman taking off her shirt in front of her husband. So, are woman's breasts the most evil thing we can see? Gosh, I don't know how they expect 51% of the population to go their whole lives without looking down. It's ridiculous. Everybody's nude sometimes, and it's perfectly harmless and natural, but not everyone partakes in violence, which is damaging for reasons I hope I don't have to lay out. Would they rather people strangled others instead of seeing others nude? I think Spike needs to set its priorities straight.
But even better is #2: Apocalypse Now Redux on Bravo. You know, some films just shouldn't be on cable. I knew it would be butchered like the cow in that film, so I watched parts of it just to see how bad it got. Every single profanity, mild and strong, was gone, as was the nudity. Then, right at the end, Marlon Brando says, "We train young men to drop fire on people, but their commanders won't allow them to write 'fuck' on their airplanes because it's obscene." Of course, Bravo edited out the word you'd think they'd edit out, even though in this context, it's not even swearing: it's merely stating a word. They then proceed to show the rest of the scene uncut--Brando being hacked to death by Martin Sheen, and a real water buffalo being slaughtered by a real tribe for their real ritual. Unstaged violence, real carnage. When it was over, Bravo started it again and showed Martin Sheen punching the mirror unedited. Real blood, people.
Thank you very much, Bravo. You just proved Kurtz's point.
Friday, March 11, 2011
The All-Chicken Channel
Canada will launch the All-Chicken Channel--24 hours a day of chicken roasting. Whoever thought of it, thinking that viewers would want to watch chicken roasting all day, and anyone who would want to watch chicken roasting all day instead of reading, quilting, fishing, dancing, playing music, gardening, target practicing, or just working, seriously needs a new hobby.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
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.
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.
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