Le comte de Monte Cristo (1961)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Claude Autant-Lara

Writers:

Alexandre Dumas père (novel)
Jean Halain (writer)

Release Date:

September 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

The adventure supreme!

Plot:

Edmund Dantes is falsely accused by those jealous of his good fortune, and is sentenced to spend the rest of his life in the notorious island prison...

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Treasure | Island Prison | Revenge | Escape

Cast

Louis Jourdan	...	Edmond Dantès / Comte de Monte Cristo
Yvonne Furneaux	...	Mercédès
Pierre Mondy	...	Caderousse
Bernard Dhéran	...	Le procureur Henri de Villefort
Franco Silva	...	Mario
Claudine Coster	...	Haydée
Jean-Claude Michel	...	Fernand de Mortcerf
Yves Rénier	...	Albert de Mortcerf
Marie Mergey	...	Madame Caderousse
Jean Martinelli	...	Vidocq
Henri Guisol	...	L'abbé Faria
Alain Ferral	...	Benedetto (as Alain Feral)
Roldano Lupi	...	Morel
Henri Vilbert	...	Danyès - le père d'Edmond
Jean-Jacques Delbo

Also Known As:

Il conte di Montecristo (Italy)
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Story of Monte Cristo
The Story of the Count of Monte Cristo (USA)

Runtime:

180 min | USA:132 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12

Filming Locations:

Alpes-Maritimes, France

Company:

Cineriz

Movie Connections:

Version of "Eu Compro Esta Mulher" (1966)

Though opulent in clothes and decoration, not the best of versions

The first film of this story, that I came to know, was the 1975 version with Richard Chamberlain as ruthless avenger and I must say, this older film (1961) with Louis Jourdan as Edmond cannot compare with it.

Sure, the filmmakers made all efforts, if you look at the settings, equipment and clothes. But to my taste the film lacks suspense. The story unfolds nice and neat but without any climax. All dramatic moments are predictable. Also in contrast to the 1975 TV version here the music is no more than pleasant background noise without any dramatic effect.

The scene with the Abbe Faria in the dungeon is but a small intermezzo - nothing shows the development from the naive, unsophisticated Edmond into the clever coldblooded count of Monte Christo by learning from the Abbe. Even this version is much longer than the 1975 film, it has less story in it. Here the count is still too much Edmond, showing more feeling as would fit for an avenger. Like an ordinary man, he rummages in the treasure, whereas Richard Chamberlain keeps this short and considers the treasure just a tool for his revenge.

The 1961 count of Monte Christo is still in love with Mercedes and tries to get her back and she also yearns for him. Maybe so much romance was wanted by the 1960s audience. So the ending - even similar with the 1975 version is not really credible here. Whereas in the latter it fits with the depicted characters, here it only seems to be a tribute to the original book. Considering the story unfolding in this older film, a happy-end would be the logical consequence.

Richard Chamberlain, on the other hand, is exclusively a count with barely any rest of Edmond left in him, whereas Louis Jourdan is as the count still too much Edmond and no sinister look can hide that. Jourdan is a brilliant actor and makes the best of it, however, he cannot save the film. It should be noted, that this very Louis Jourdan plays the State Attorney Villefort in the 1975 version - and plays it wonderful.