There are boatloads of onscreen adaptations of The Count of Monte Cristo. The latest version of Alexandre Dumas’ literary classic is a limited series starring Sam Claflin and Jeremy Irons, and it just debuted in the United States through PBS Masterpiece, right after the series premiere of The Forsytes, another Masterpiece adaptation of a literary classic. How does this new adaptation compare to its source material? Warning: Spoilers for The Count of Monte Cristo series premiere ahead!
The Count of Monte Cristo is an eight-episode limited series directed by two-time Palme d’Or and Oscar-winner Bille August. Claflin stars as Edmond Dantès, a young sailor who was falsely accused of treason and is imprisoned without trial in the Château d’If, a grim island fortress off Marseille, France. After 15 years of captivity, he finally escapes and discovers treasure, making him one of the richest men in the world. Under the identity of the Count of Monte Cristo, he plans to take revenge on those who wrongly accused him.
Irons plays Abbé Faria, Edmond’s cellmate in the Château d’If. The Gilded Age‘s Blake Ritson and Harry Taurasi play the villainous Danglars and Fernand Mondego, respectively, the men who frame Edmond, with Mikkel Boe Følsgaard as Gerard Villefort, the prosecutor who helps put Edmond in prison to save his career. Ana Girardot is Mercédès, Edmond’s fiancée, and Karla-Simone Spence is the orphaned Haydée.
The series first debuted in Europe and is now airing on Sundays on PBS as part of Masterpiece (the whole season is already available to stream through PBS Passport). When it comes to the first episode, PBS’s adaptation stays pretty loyal to the book. It’s a faithful adaptation that focuses its efforts on shooting on location in France, Malta, and Italy, making for a beautiful viewing experience. It’s also largely character-driven, spending ample time revealing the emotions motivating each character’s actions.
The Count of Monte Cristo‘s first episode shows Edmond’s return from his seafaring voyage, during which he was promoted to captain by the ship’s dying leader. He’s promoted instead of Ritson’s Danglars, who had a more senior position on the ship. Edmond, however, had been sailing for this company for most of his life and was a respected and loyal employee. Danglars had a shorter history with the company, but that mattered little to him.
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