Monte Cristo (1929)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Henri Fescourt

Writers:

Alexandre Dumas père (novel)
Henri Fescourt (scenario)

Release Date:

1929 (Turkey)

Genre:

Adventure

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel | Character Name In Title

Cast

Jean Angelo	...	Edmond Dantès / Abbé Busoni / Comte de Monte Cristo
Lil Dagover	...	Mercédès / Comtesse de Morcerf
Gaston Modot	...	Fernand Mondego / Comte de Morcerf
Marie Glory	...	Valentine de Villefort
Jean Toulout	...	Monsieur de Villefort
Michèle Verly	...	Julie Morrel
Pierre Batcheff	...	Albert de Morcerf
Tamara Stezenko	...	Haydée
François Rozet	...	Maximilien Morrel
Germaine Kerjean	...	La Carconte
Henri Debain	...	Caderousse
Robert Mérin	...	Benedetto / Andrea Calvacanti
Ernest Maupain	...	Monsieur Morrel
Bernhard Goetzke	...	L'abbé Faria
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Diane Farèze
Tina Meller
Armand Pouget	...	Le père Dantès
Jack Taylor	...	Ali

Runtime:

223 min

Country:

France

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Silent

Company:

Les Films Louis Nalpas

Movie Connections:

Version of Sous le signe de Monte-Cristo (1968)

Restaured wonder with palpable silver-screen magic

Last night, I incidentally tuned on Arte, and the first part was on (pre-intermission I guess). It was late and I thought a silent black & white flick would drown me into sleep in a gently manner, as usual.

Well, let's just say that sleep was simply not to come about soon...

Oddly, the long expected slide down the dozing-off slope was perversely disrupted by the interest I began to gradually feel sipping through the thick walls of my legitimate exhaustion.

For sure I can't comment on the whole movie until I watch the second part which will be aired next Monday (July 28th), but I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Although the restoration could not be complete as a couple of visual bugs persist on the odd instant (probably remnants of unfixable damages), the work accomplished allows the viewer to "touch" the picture : the characteristic make-up used in black & white movies, along with the slight overacting de rigueur in mute movies confer a kind of 3rd dimension in conjunction with the brilliant setting of the lights, and after this laudable & technically optimal restoration.

I guess we can get here an idea of the magic felt by non-blasé early 20th century movie-goers as they couldn't help but let the movie lead them to another sphere peopled by characters that look extremely human & close to us, yet somewhat otherworldly...

A scene in particular struck me as brilliant and reminds me of the main gimmick in "24 hours" some 75 years later : as Julie Morrel is returning home with her dowry as well as the receipt that saves her father from going bankrupt & imminent suicide, the scene is sliced with many shots at a clock to enhance the suspense... except that the shots were made in such a way that I still have to re-watch it to determine whether the same clock was used or not, even though I had a dozen opportunities to verify that after I'd noticed the trick !!!

I just can't wait for next Monday !!!