THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO

US, 1934, 113 minutes, Black and white.
Robert Donat, Elissa Landi, Louis Calhern, Sidney Blackmer, Raymond Walburn, O.V. Heggie, Irene Hervey.
Directed by Rowland V. Lee.

The Count of Monte Cristo is a classic telling of Alexandre Dumas’ popular story. It was filmed several times after this including a television version with Richard Chamberlain and a lavish version with Jim Caviezel and Guy Pearce.

The film is famous for its presentation of the young naval officer who has to take a message to Napoleon, is framed by his enemies and spends twenty years in the harbour at Marseilles in the Chateau d'If. With the help of the Abbe Faria, he tunnels out of the chateau and finds a treasure on the island of Monte Cristo. Recuperated and wealthy, he then reappears to wreak vengeance on his enemies. In the meantime, his fiancée has been forced to marry his rival.

This is not a particularly swashbuckling version of the story, rather a focusing on the issues and themes as well as character. Robert Donat is persuasive as Edmond Dantes who becomes the Count of Monte Cristo. He was to appear in many British films including his Oscar-winning Goodbye Mr Chips. Louis Calhern was at the beginning a career of villains and character actors and Elissa Landi was a popular lead of the time.

The film was directed by Rowland V. Lee who made quite a number of these films including The Son of Monte Cristo as well as Tower of London, The Son of Frankenstein and Captain Kidd.

1.A classic version of a classic novel? The popularity of Alexandre Dumas and his son? Their stories? A film of the 1930s – early sound film-making?

2.The techniques of the 30s, the black and white photography, the re-creation of the 19th century? The period, the chateau, the wealthy world of the count? The musical score?

3.The popularity of the Dumas stories? French history? The Dumas stories of The Three Musketeers, The Man in the Iron Mask, The Corsican Brothers and The Count of Monte Cristo being made into films – and shaping popular imagination about French history.

4.The Napoleonic era, Napoleon and his conquests, those loyal to Napoleon? The clash with the monarchy? The rebellion against Napoleon? Issues of power? Imprisonment? The history of France at the beginning of the 19th century?

5.Robert Donat as Edmond Dantes? Edmond Dantes as an everyman figure? His life on the ship, his age? Summoned by the captain? The message and its delivery? Going to Marseilles? His becoming victim of a plot? His love for Mercedes, Mercedes and de Villefort’s father? The intrigues with Mondego? Danglas and the finance? Conspiring against him? His not having a trial? His being sent to Chateau d'If? His disappearance? The death certificate?

6.Edmond Dantes as a prisoner on the Chateau d'If? The nature of the prison, his cell? The guards and their taunting him? Isolation, the meals? The chains? The passing of time, the passing of the years? The contact with the Abbe Faria? Their talking? Dantes and his being educated by the abbe? Learning, wisdom? The long period of digging? The passing of the years, his age? The transformation in Edmond? His desire for vengeance?

7.The character of the abbe, his imprisonment, his learning? The good influence on Edmond? His death? Edmond substituting for him and the coffin going out of the chateau, his escape? The meticulous detail of the escape, the suspense?

8.The possibility of a new life after twenty years, the sailors and friends? His travelling to Monte Cristo, the information about the treasure, his discovering it? His wealth, growing reputation, household and servants, getting the dossiers, planning his revenge?

9.The character of de Villefort, his power? The king and the honours? His father? The encounter with Edmond? The law, the court, the denunciation?

10.The confrontation with Mondego, the duel?

11.Danglas, the banker, the count and his manipulation of Danglas’ financial ruin?

12.His going to the court, the reunion with Mercedes? Her suffering over the years? The son?

13.The revenge – and what had he achieved? The film’s message about brooding, planning revenge, vengeance? The achievement of vengeance? The possibility of destroying one’s own life? Hopes for the future?