The Count of Monte Cristo

This rollicking take on Dumas’ swashbuckler, packed with lavish spectacle and high-stakes drama, slayed all Hollywood films at the French box-office.

In 1815, sailor Edmond Dantès becomes the target of a sinister plot and is wrongly arrested on his wedding day for state treason. After spending 14 years in an island prison, he stages a daring escape and assumes the identity of the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo. Now fabulously wealthy, he sets out to exact revenge on those who betrayed him.

This lavish and rollicking adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ novel spares no expense when it comes to spectacle and entertainment. It was a huge commercial and critical success in France, where it was the second-highest grossing film of the year ahead of all Hollywood's big guns, with particular praise given to the extravagant production design and rousing score.