Sunday, May 7, 2017

I've now seen the BBC Count of Monte-Cristo staring Alan Badel

It's 12 episodes of about 25 minutes each.  So by far the most in-depth adaptation of the story I've seen in Live Action.  Like the movies the origin part takes up half the story.  So binged it almost feels like two movies, an origin story and then the main story.

It reminds me a good deal of The Caesars, being a Black and White 60s BBC production that basically feels like filmed mini plays.  I happen to really like that, but some people might find the stageiness of it awkward at times. It might have some actors in common with The Caesars, but I'm unsure.  The acting was all very good.

I thought I recognized the voice of the actor playing Villefort but couldn't put my finger on it.  Then I watched the credits for one episode and it's Michael Gough, who was Alfred in the Burton and Shumacker films, as well as two BBC Radio dramas, one being an adaptation of Knightfall.

As you may already know, a main reason I wanted to see this was it being the only dramatization of the story to include both Eugenie Danglars and Louise d'Armilly.  They aren't in it a lot of course, but all things considered I feel they handled them well.  I would have liked Louise to be blonde but that is superficial.

In general I felt the female characters got to shine more then they usually do, even Gankutsuou falls into too many Anime gender issues.

It does take some liberties, but is overall the most faithful adaptation of the story.  Only one to keep Danglars being the one spared at the end, and the only one that has Edumund end up with Haydee.  Gankutsuou is still great, being the most Epic feeling version, and in plenty of areas still more in-depth.  So picking between those two isn't easy.

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