46/45
Introducing La grande semaine: Episode #113 ( 2024)
Plot
After escaping from an island prison where he spent 14 years because he was falsely accused of treason, Edmond Dantès returns as the Count of Monte Cristo to take revenge on the men who betrayed him. The budget was estimated at 42.9 million euros. The Count of Monte Cristo is the most expensive French film of 2024. When Albert watches Hyde sing and play the guitar, it is very obvious that he does not even touch the strings half the time.. It is difficult not to notice that modern adaptations of classic works often sacrifice depth and complexity for the sake of fast pace and entertainment.
Deep feelings, nuances of character, dramatic internal conflicts – all this was clearly not enough
As a result, the special atmosphere and emotional depth of the original texts are often lost. “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas is not just a twisted tale of revenge with many bright twists, it is a reflection on life and how circumstances and one’s own decisions change a person. Unfortunately, the new film adaptation, and this one, of course, in my opinion, coped with conveying this transformation – satisfactorily, but no more, leaving the characters at the level of simple and understandable archetypes. Expectations did not come to naught, because many people read this fascinating revenge tragedy and hoped to see the development and deepening of the characters at the level of the original source. At the same time, the audience was offered a set of events that occur too quickly, as if on a fast-paced cinema.
But I expected more and I’m a little disappointed
But it is these details that make the work vivid and truly memorable. Yes, undoubtedly, thousands of pages of a novel cannot be transferred into one film, but this is the power of creativity – the ability to evoke images and give the viewer empathy. In the film, all this is present, but dosed, within the framework of the standard format of monosyllabic presentation. The film is not bad, but to spoil Dumas means complete incompetence, and I can’t blame anyone for that. The whole film was shot with a 24mm wide-angle lens, and it was unnecessary: there are clearly not enough close-ups, especially when the actors play well.
Perhaps this is a sign of the times
Despite the decent actors, the characters seem inexpressive and aimless, reduced and stripped-down images. During the viewing, I hoped to see a philosophical reassessment or depth of thought in the scene of “Abbé Faria”, but unfortunately only the Soviet painting by Georgi Jungwald-Khilkevich, where the abbot was played by Alexei Petrenko, was able to prepare the viewer, lay the foundation for the climax, make them understand the suffering of the prisoners and catch up with the main question: “What are you going to spend your life on, for revenge or for good?”. After this episode, it became clear that the story would quickly sweep through the pages of a refractory manuscript, and so it did. The connection with the era and the literary echoes of the past, which give the original its special flavor and indescribable integrity, has been lost. Modern technology allows you to create impressive visual effects, but no technology can replace the power of the story, the ability to convey the mood and invite the viewer to a deep understanding of life.
One thing is certain: adapting the classics is always a challenge that requires incredible skill and understanding of the text
This is a difficult task, and unfortunately not everyone can overcome this path, but the task was done well, although disappointment remained.