Count of Monte Cristo (2002)

MIMDB score: 7.5
Current IMDB score: 7.7
Director: Kevin Reynolds
Main Actors you care about: Guy Pearce, Jim Caviezel, Luis Guzman

Why I liked it: It's a really good story.  Good thoughts to think through in life.  Not only about revenge but about love, perseverance, integrity, and being naive.  I haven't thought it all through yet but I think there's a lot of imagery in the story.

What stands out: The Count is the best character in the movie (besides maybe Jacopo).  He's the best of the qualities mentioned above except for probably revenge.  He's naive in the beginning which makes him likable.  By the time he becomes somewhat mean you're already on his side.

What I would change: By the end of movie the Count figures out that his ex-fiance isn't to blame for anything.  I feel like he should have seen that sooner.  She wasn't in a place to get him out of jail even if she believed he was alive.  I wouldn't have been upset with her at all.  Maybe he crazily thought she was in on it since she married Mondego but it makes perfect sense that she didn't have anything else to do in life but marry the only other man that wanted to marry her.  This is the 1800's we are talking about here.  This is where he's too blinded by revenge in my opinion.  He does need to seek some revenge on people like Mondego but his ex-fiance?  Did he really think she didn't love him?

Favorite Line(s)/Scene:
"Kings to you."  I love the back and forth of the king chess piece.  That's a cool little motif to have.

The birthday toast scene is pretty well done.  The father is suppose to give the speech to a son on his birthday.  Mondego is unable to so the Count does who is actually his father.  Just a really good web that was woven there.

Edmond: "Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes. You must look into that storm and shout as you did in Rome. Do your worst, for I will do mine! Then the fates will know you as we know you: as Albert Mondego, the man!"

It's a really good quote.  It really easy to be a good person when you have a good life.  It's easy to do the right thing when life is good.  What really matters, because not a lot of people can do it, is how you act when you are at low points in life.  For instance if you are relatively well off it is really easy not to steal.  When you have very little, how hard will it be not to steal the bread right in front of you?  What makes you a "man" or a better indication of ones integrity is restraining yourself from acting poorly when it is hard to do so.  How you act in that moment isn't necessarily your true self but it's a better indication of whether or not you have integrity.

Jacopo: "Why not just kill them? I'll do it! I'll run up to Paris - bam, bam, bam, bam. I'm back before week's end. We spend the treasure. How is this a bad plan?"

Oh Jacopo.  Indeed good sir, indeed.

Luigi: We shall call him... Zatarra.
Edmond: Sounds fearsome.
Luigi: It means, "driftwood."

Pretty funny as the movie doesn't have much humor.  It all comes from the pirates.

I have to mentioned the prison scenes.  I love them.  I've always wanted to go to prison for a little bit just to see what it's like.  To experience that part of life.  Maybe I'll fake rob a bank someday.  I'm sure it's awful and all that but for a lot of people I think it would be good.  You get a lot of time to think out your life and even improve your life by doing whatever activity you really want to (that you can do in prison).  The Count kind of grows out of his naivety, how to sword fight, and pretty much gets an education.  It was really beneficial for him as a person.  Not that it would be the same for me but I think it would give me a lot of extra time to maybe focus on more important things than you know . . . . work.

Similar Movies/TV Shows: V for Vendetta and Man in the Iron Mask.

"Side" note: The book has a mixed view.  A lot of people really like it.  I personally think it's slow and boring.  I've read the first few chapters and it was slow and boring.  Although books in general are slow and boring compared to movies in my opinion.  Books give you a more enriched looked the story but there's a million stories to understand.  Going through them slowly can maybe only be achieved by having a lot of time on your hands.  Maybe if I ever do go to prison. . . .

There's also other movie editions as hopefully you are aware this is a fairly old story.  The version from 1934 is in V for Vendetta.  That version has a 7.7 on IMDB as well so it could be just as good.