The Count of Monte Cristo (2024 film)

For other uses, see The Count of Monte Cristo (disambiguation).

The Count of Monte Cristo
Theatrical release poster
French	Le Comte de Monte-Cristo
Directed by	Matthieu Delaporte Alexandre de La Patellière
Screenplay by	Matthieu Delaporte Alexandre de La Patellière
Based on	The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Produced by	Dimitri Rassam
Starring	Pierre Niney Bastien Bouillon Anaïs Demoustier Anamaria Vartolomei Laurent Lafitte
Cinematography	Nicolas Bolduc
Edited by	Célia Lafitedupont
Music by	Jérôme Rebotier
Production companies	Chapter 2 Pathé M6 Films Fargo Films Logical Content Ventures Umedia
Distributed by	Pathé
Release dates	22 May 2024 (2024-05-22) (Cannes) 28 June 2024 (2024-06-28) (France)
Running time	173 minutes
Country	France
Languages	French Italian English Romanian
Budget	€42.9 million
Box office	$100 million

The Count of Monte Cristo (French: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) is a 2024 French period adventure-drama film based on the 1844 novel by Alexandre Dumas. Written and directed by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière, the film stars Pierre Niney in the role of Edmond Dantès.

The Count of Monte Cristo had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on 22 May 2024, and was released theatrically in France a month later by Pathé. With a budget estimated at €42.9 million, the film is the most expensive French production of 2024. It has sold over 9 million admissions in France, where it is the second highest-grossing film of 2024. Worldwide, it has grossed $100 million, and received critical acclaim.

Plot

In 1815, on the last days of Napoleon’s exile, Edmond Dantés defied his captain’s orders to rescue a shipwrecked woman named Angèle, while voyaging through the Mediterranean. She was carrying a letter from Napoleon, which Captain Danglars seized from her.

Upon reaching Marseille, Danglars reported Dantès’s conduct to the shipowner Morrel, who, however, dismissed Danglars for neglecting his duty to aid shipwreck survivors. Morrel then promoted Edmond to Danglars’s position. Edmond went to the Château de Morcerf, where his father served as a butler and where he himself had grown up. There, he met Mercédès de Morcerf, to whom he shared the news of his new promotion, which would now allow him to marry her. He later informed his friend Fernand de Morcerf, Mercédès’s cousin, of their engagement and invited him to be his godfather.

On his wedding day, just before the church ceremony, Edmond Dantès was arrested and brought before Gérard de Villefort, the king’s deputy prosecutor in Marseille, who informed him that he was accused of being a Bonapartist. Despite Dantès’s insistence on his innocence, Villefort initially considered releasing him. Dantès then mentioned that he knew the identity of the shipwreck survivor, Angèle. Villefort temporarily detained Dantès while interrogating Gaspard Caderousse and Danglars. However, in reality, Villefort had conspired with Danglars, Caderousse, and Fernand de Morcerf to eliminate Edmond. Villefort, who is Angèle’s brother, orchestrated this scheme to prevent her from revealing his affair and illegitimate child with his mistress, Victoria. When Angèle demanded Edmond’s release, threatening to expose Villefort’s secrets, he silenced her and enlisted Danglars to deal with her.

While imprisoned in the Château d'If, Edmond meets a fellow inmate, Abbé Faria, who seeks his help to escape. Over the following eight years, Faria educates Dantès in a wide array of subjects, including languages, history, culture, mathematics, chemistry, medicine, and science. Just before their planned escape, Faria shares a story about the crusaders who, despite amassing a vast treasure, neglected it in their pursuit of revenge. He reveals that he is a protégé of one of the last crusaders, who left this treasure on the island of Monte Cristo and promised it would be his if he managed to escape. However, on the day of their escape, Faria is fatally injured when bricks collapse from the hole they dug. After Faria’s death, Dantès places his body in his own cell and hides in the burial sack in Faria’s place. Once thrown into the sea, Dantès cuts through the sack and swims to a nearby island. Upon reaching land, he visits Mercédès’s home, where he learns that his father has died, and that Mercédès and Fernand have married, moved to Paris, and now have a son. Edmond journeyed to the island of Monte Cristo and discovered the hidden treasure there.

A year later, he transformed the island and took on the title of count, becoming known as the “Count of Monte Cristo.” Now in this new identity, he sought out Angèle, who was dying and had been forced into prostitution. Angèle disclosed that she had once fled in a quest for revenge against her brother, Villefort. During her attempt to kill him, she witnessed him burying his illegitimate son, André, alive. Angèle rescued the child by placing him in an orphanage before being recaptured by her captors. Later, Edmond tracked down André and took him under his wing as an accomplice in his quest for vengeance. Under Edmond’s guidance, André adopted the title of Prince Andrea Cavalcanti.

At the end of a ceremony where General Fernand de Morcerf announces his retirement from the military to take up his position in the Chamber of Peers, a thief steals his Legion of Honor brooch. Albert gives chase but falls into an ambush, from which he is rescued by Monte Cristo. The Count leaves the unconscious Albert lying on the pavement with a pistol marked by his insignia, then departs with the thieves, who are secretly under his employ. This staged encounter provides Monte Cristo with an introduction to Fernand, who then introduces him to Baron Danglars and the prosecutor Villefort.

Later, during a hunt, Prince Cavalcanti is introduced to these three men, and Dantès uses him to charm Eugénie, Danglars’s daughter. Monte Cristo also introduces Haydée, a beautiful young woman he presents as his ward, and encourages her to captivate Albert de Morcerf. Manipulating Albert’s youth and inexperience, the Count makes him promise to keep a respectable distance from Haydée, all while subtly hoping Albert will fall in love with her. After the hunt, before allowing him to return home, Fernand introduces Monte Cristo to his wife, Mercédès. The Count remains composed, but Mercédès is visibly unsettled as she recognizes her former fiancé.

The Count’s long-anticipated revenge unfolds meticulously. L’Impartial, a Halifax newspaper, reports the theft of Danglars’s entire fleet in Marseille, leading his stocks to plummet. As a general, Fernand de Morcerf has access to the military telegraph and is able to inform Danglars that this news is fabricated. Danglars, then desperate, borrows a large sum from Monte Cristo to repurchase his shares, using all his assets as collateral and hoping to profit when the stock recovers. Believing Lord Halifax responsible for spreading the false news, Danglars, with Villefort’s support, sues him for defamation.

At the trial, Andrea Cavalcanti represents Halifax, revealing himself as Villefort’s illegitimate son, whom Villefort had once tried to eliminate. Villefort denies this accusation and threatens legal action against Andrea before leaving the courtroom, sparing his former mistress, who is in attendance, from scandal. As the trial pauses, André confesses to his half-sister Eugénie that he only seduced her as an act of vengeance; he could never truly love her, as they share the same mother, Victoria, who is now Baroness Danglars. Wishing her happiness with Suzanne, he departs.

Meanwhile, Gaspard Caderousse redeems his past wrongs by capturing Danglars’s fleet in Marseille. As he exits the court, the Count informs him that the fleet has indeed vanished and that Danglars’s fortune now belongs to him. The Count advises Danglars to go into exile to protect his wife and daughter from financial ruin. However, events soon take a fatal turn: ignoring the Count’s instructions, André de Villefort, consumed by his own desire for revenge, murders his father just as he is about to be imprisoned, only to be shot by soldiers as he attempts to flee.

André’s death drives Haydée to turn against the Count, whom she holds responsible. As Haydée and Albert plan to leave, they are confronted by the Count, who demands that Haydée reveal the truth of Albert’s father’s betrayal to his father, Ali Pasha of Janina. Mercédès also approaches the Count, acknowledging his true identity and pleading with him to spare Albert’s life. Despite her appeal, the Count insists that his duel with Albert will proceed the next day.

The duel takes place, yet ends without bloodshed, sparing both Albert and the Count. They return to the Count’s home, to Haydée’s great relief. The Count then tells Haydée and Albert to leave together and find the love he and Albert’s mother never could. Mercédès subsequently leaves Fernand, who, filled with desperation, goes to confront the Count at his manor.

A fierce swordfight ensues, leaving both men wounded, but the Count gains the upper hand. Fernand begs the Count to end his life, but the Count refuses, declaring that death would be too merciful, leaving Fernand to live with his losses.

Years later, the Count departs from his estate and begins a life of travel, leaving a letter for Mercédès with the words: "l'humaine sagesse était tout entière dans ces deux mots: attendre et espérer!" ("all human wisdom is contained in these two words: 'Wait and Hope'").

Cast

• Pierre Niney as Edmond Dantès
• Bastien Bouillon as Fernand de Morcerf
• Anaïs Demoustier as Mercédès Herrera
• Anamaria Vartolomei as Haydée
  • Amaya Ducellier as young Haydée
• Laurent Lafitte as Gérard de Villefort
• Pierfrancesco Favino as Abbé Faria
• Patrick Mille as Danglars
• Vassili Schneider as Albert de Morcerf
• Julien de Saint Jean as Andrea
• Julie de Bona as Victoria
• Adèle Simphal as Angèle
• Marie Narbonne as Eugénie Danglars
• Bernard Blancan as Louis Dantes

Production

The film is written and directed by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière and produced by Chapter 2 and Pathé Films. They were revealed to be working on the project in November 2020. It is co-produced by M6 Films, Fargo Films, Logical Content Ventures and Umedia.

With a budget estimated in €42.9 million, The Count of Monte Cristo is the most expensive French film of 2024.

Casting

Pierre Niney was cast in the lead role in February 2023. In July 2023, Anaïs Demoustier, Laurent Lafitte, Anamaria Vartolomei, Bastien Bouillon, Patrick Mille, Vassili Schneider, and Julien de Saint Jean were cast in the film.

Filming

Principal photography got underway in the summer of 2023.

Release

The film was selected to be screened out of competition at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 22 May 2024, and earned a nearly 11-minute standing ovation at the end of its screening.

It was theatrically released by Pathé in France on 28 June 2024.

The film had its international debut at the 2nd Mediterrane Film Festival on 22 June 2024. It also played at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival on 19 July 2024, and has been scheduled to screen in a gala presentation at the 2024 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival. It made its U.S. premiere at the Hamptons International Film Festival on 11 October 2024.

Reception

Box office

As of November 2024, the film has sold over 9 million admissions in France, becoming the third highest-grossing film of 2024, and 11 million admissions worldwide for a gross of over $76 million worldwide.

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 24 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Condensing Alexandre Dumas' hefty tome into a brisk and lavishly appointed action-adventure, this French adaptation of The Count of Monte-Cristo hits the sweet spot with rapier-like precision." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. On AlloCiné, the film received an average rating of 3.6/5, based on 40 reviews from French critics.

Accolades

On 11 September 2024, The Count of Monte Cristo was one of the 4 films shortlisted by France's Oscar committee to be selected as the country's official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards.

Year	Award / Festival	Category	Recipient(s)	Result	Ref.
2024	Cabourg Film Festival	Golden Swan for Best Film	The Count of Monte Cristo	Won
	Fantasia International Film Festival	Cheval Noir for Best Film		Won
	Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival	Audience Choice		Won

External links

• The Count of Monte Cristo at IMDb 
• The Count of Monte Cristo at AlloCiné (in French)