The Count of Monte Cristo- 2002 and 1934 versions compared

The Count of Monte Cristo is a story that was written in 1844, made into a movie in 1934, and then remade in 2002. There are two other versions of it as well, but out of the 1934 and 2002 editions, I preferred the latter. This is mainly due to the fact that I found it easier to follow and thought that the characters' personalities were much more realistic.

Being that I'm not used to black and white films, I had trouble understanding what was going on at times, especially in dimly lit scenes (which there were an abundance of). The way the dark shadows and flickering lights showed up in black and white was very distracting and it was hard work to distinguish what was going on. With colour, the movie was much more enjoyable and easy to watch. It added another element of entertainment as it helped set the mood of the scenes and increase the beauty of the sets. The 2002 version also had more elements to the story, like when Dantes defeats Jacopo on the beach, but persuades the captain to let him live, putting Jacopo in Dantes' debt. The extra details helped make the story easier to follow and much more fluid.


The characters in the 2002 version of this film were much more realistic and relatable in my opinion. The main character, for example, Edmond Dantes, was thrown into a prison where he was malnourished and tortured for many years. The Dantes in the 1934 film almost seemed accepting of  this situation. He continued life after his imprisonment as if the experience had not effected him. The Dantes in the 2002 film though, took a much more realistic approach, revealing his anger at his predicament in the Chateau D'If and his insane lust for revenge afterwards. This portrayal of the character was much more relatable for the audience as the character's emotions seemed genuine and realistic. This also aided the story to be more believable.

For these reasons, I enjoyed the experience of watching the 2002 version of The Count of Monte Cristo more than that of the 1934 make. The story is exceptional, and the 1934 version was made at a time with much less cinematic technology, but overall, I thought that the story was better presented in the later made film.