Alexandre Dumas, 1802-1870
The French film of which the second part is broadcast tonight on Canale 5 is the last in chronological order of a whole series of film and television adaptations (but also comics and anime) of the novel THEthe Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (author, among others, of the cycle sui Three Musketeers),, written in collaboration with Auguste Maquet, whose serial publication began in 1844. One of the most famous and read feuilletons (or appendix novels), with an adventurous plot, full of characters, betrayals, mysteries, love, revenge, in short, all the ingredients that still make it one of the most loved classics today, even if for Umberto Eco “is undoubtedly one of the most exciting novels that have ever been written and on the other hand it is one of the most poorly written novels of all time and of all literature.”
The first Italian edition
The plot of the novel
The book has as its protagonist Edmond Dantès, a young nineteen-year-old sailor, first officer on board the commercial ship Le Pharaon, who disembarks in Marseille to marry Mercedes, his beautiful Catalan girlfriend, the following day. Betrayed by friends envious of his fortune, he is denounced as a “Bonapartist” conspirator and locked up in a cell in the Castle of If, off the coast of Marseille. Here he manages to survive desperation thanks to his friendship with a fellow prisoner, the abbot Faria, who on his deathbed reveals to him where a great treasure is located. After 14 years of imprisonment Dantès manages to escape and recovers the treasure on the island of Monte Cristo. After another nine years of adventurous travels, the rich and powerful returns to France in disguise, taking on the name of Count of Monte Cristo. His goal is to take revenge on all those who betrayed him and act as a benefactor to those few friends who remained faithful to him.
Richard Harris as Abbot Faria in the 2002 film directed by Kevin Reynolds
On the big screen
The long cinematic history of The Count of Monte Cristo begins in 1922 with a silent American film starring John Gilbert. The first French feature film dates back to 1929, directed by Henri Fescourt, with Jean Angelo in the title role. The novel takes shape in 1934 with Robert Donat in the role of Dantès and in 1954 it becomes colourful, directed by Robert Vernay, with Jean Marais as the protagonist. In between and immediately after the film versions are numerous and not always memorable. Then the cinema seemed to forget about the Count for almost over 30 yearsl 2002, when director Kevin Reynolds directed a new film, with Jim Caviezel (who two years later gave the face of Jesus in The passion by Mel Gibson), and Richard Harris as Abbot Faria, a version which however omits some key characters and changes the ending.
Pierre Niney and Pierfrancesco Favino in the 2004 French film
The Canale 5 film
And here we are today, with the blockbuster released in France on 28 June and now broadcast in Italy on Canale 5. Directed by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre De La Patellière, it stars Pierre Niney in the role of Edmond Dantès, awarded a César as best actor for the cult biopic Yves Saint Laurent. In the cast, of particular importance is the participation of Pier Francesco Favino, called to interpret Abbot Fariapriest, man of letters, polyglot, devoted to science, arrested and locked up in the Castle of If. Digging a tunnel, the abbot ends up in the cell where Dantès, now 36 years old, is segregated, to whom he will teach Latin and Greek, and will reveal the hiding place of the treasure of his ancestors: two million Roman shields, hidden on the island of Monte-Cristo, not far from Elba.
Gerard Depardieu and Ornella Muti in the 1998 TV series
On the small screen
Such a complex and detailed novel was particularly suitable for multi-part television versions. The career of the then very young Andrea Giordana was launched starting from the 1966 Rai black and white drama directed by Edmondo Fenoglio. While in 1975 it was Richard Chamberlain (later famous for Blackbirds) to take on the role of the protagonist, directed by David Green. Ugo Gregoretti proposed an updated version set in Naples in 1996, starring Corso Salani, and in which Alessio Boni also appears in one of his first television roles. Just two years later it was the turn of a major production with Gerard Depardieu and Ornella Muti, directed by Josée Dayan. Depardieu was twenty years too old to be truly credible, at least in the first part, but Depardieu, thanks to his versatility and stage presence, was able to afford every type of role in his career. More of a soap opera than a faithful transposition, Ornella Muti was given much more space to her character than in the novel. There was not even an anime series from the Gonzo studio (2004, revisited in a visionary fantasy key).
Sam Claflin and Jeremy Irons in the eight-episode TV series on Rai 1 from 13 January
coming soon on Rai 1
Great expectations for the Franco-Italian co-production directed by Billie August (who had already directed a film version of another great French novel in 1998, The wretched) and written by Greg Latter and Sandro Petraglia, which will be broadcast on Rai 1 from 13 January in eight episodes. Dantès has the face of the English actor Sam Clafin, not very well known in Italy (you will remember him for some athletic roles in the series Pirates in the Caribbean and The Hunger Games), while the star is Jeremy Irons (Abbot Faria)which needs no introduction and of which you can read the interview given to Christian family on the no. 2 on newsstands from Thursday 9 January. The cast includes several Italian actors, including Michele Riondino, Lino Guanciale and Gabriella Pession.
