The Count of Monte Cristo is my all time favorite book...and both movie flavors (French and American) fail miserably in its re-telling.
The American version isn't a bad movie, per se, it just fails the book miserably and on so many levels. Dumas is rolling in his grave. They should have marketed it as "based on TCoMC," then maybe I could have stomached it. They left out half the damn book.
Now the French version with Gerard Depardieu was very good, keeping with all of the elements that make the story so complex--until the end. WTF. Dumas didn't write an HEA for Edmund and Mercedes on purpose--why change that. Ugh.
While I really enjoyed the movie, I was very disappointed that it didn't follow the book more closely. I also liked the ending of the book much better than the movie ending, although I can see why the director chose to end it that way. America loves a happy ending, and besides that, it sells. It's all about the money.
Oh for the love of all that is an HEA. The atrocities committed in it's face!
It would have been cool had they filmed 2 different endings (like they did in Lara Croft, Tomb Raiders). Then those Americans wanting the happy ending could have it--and I can have my Dumas they way his book was intended.
I'll get off my soapbox now. ;) Why? Becuase I'm a hypocrite. I was one of the faithful who threw the mother of all hissies when they ended La Femme Nikita's season 4 (it was suppose to be the series finale) with our beloved Nik blowing off Michael. Warner Brothers paid the grief tarrif and gave us the HEA we always wanted--sort of. But again, it's Nikita.
Oh, I didn't know you were the daughter of a librarian! That's neat.
I have only two movies that were better than the books: The Green Mile by Stephen King and Schindler's List by...whoever wrote that.
Have you ever read The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper? That is, without a doubt, the worst book-to-movie adaptation of all time. It was just embarrassing how horrible it was compared to the book.
I also enjoyed The Green Mile movie better than the book, although I have to disagree with you about Schindler's List. Personally I would have rather never watched the movie, my imagination is such that I can perfectly comprehend a situation without having to see it on the big screen. I've never heard of The Dark is Rising, I will definitely check it out. Is that the one with the boy with the powers, him being the 7th son of a 7th son? I only saw the movie.
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The American version isn't a bad movie, per se, it just fails the book miserably and on so many levels. Dumas is rolling in his grave. They should have marketed it as "based on TCoMC," then maybe I could have stomached it. They left out half the damn book.
Now the French version with Gerard Depardieu was very good, keeping with all of the elements that make the story so complex--until the end. WTF. Dumas didn't write an HEA for Edmund and Mercedes on purpose--why change that. Ugh.
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It would have been cool had they filmed 2 different endings (like they did in Lara Croft, Tomb Raiders). Then those Americans wanting the happy ending could have it--and I can have my Dumas they way his book was intended.
I'll get off my soapbox now. ;) Why? Becuase I'm a hypocrite. I was one of the faithful who threw the mother of all hissies when they ended La Femme Nikita's season 4 (it was suppose to be the series finale) with our beloved Nik blowing off Michael. Warner Brothers paid the grief tarrif and gave us the HEA we always wanted--sort of. But again, it's Nikita.
Reply
I have only two movies that were better than the books: The Green Mile by Stephen King and Schindler's List by...whoever wrote that.
Have you ever read The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper? That is, without a doubt, the worst book-to-movie adaptation of all time. It was just embarrassing how horrible it was compared to the book.
Reply
I've never heard of The Dark is Rising, I will definitely check it out. Is that the one with the boy with the powers, him being the 7th son of a 7th son? I only saw the movie.
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