At 12:24 AM 5/4/2002 +0000, you wrote: >I've just watched _The Count of Monte Cristo_. The movie >is good _qua_ movie, even thought I have some doubts wrt >the conversion book -> movie. Namely: > >(spoiler space) >. >. >. >. >. >. >. >. >. >. >. >. >. >. >. >. >. >. >. >. > >IIRC, in the book Mondego's son is really his son, and the Count >refrains from going in his revenge through the end, saving the >boy's life, and becoming a little more heroic than in the movie, >where he only spares the boy _after_ knowing that he is >_his_ son. > >Alberto Monteiro
Nope. Mondego's son (Albert) *is* the son of Fernand and Mercedes Mondego in the book. In the book, Dantes spares the Mondego boy because he realizes he still has some feelings for Mercedes, and does not want to be the killer of his lost love's son. None of the movie adaptations of Dumas' book have truly done justice to the source material. I do like the version produced in France with Gerard Depardieu, but it also has a "happy" ending where the Count and Mercedes are reunited. I also like the 1930's version produced in Hollywood with Robert Donat as the Count, but that's mainly because I like Robert Donat. AFAIK, only the US produced (but filmed in Europe) made for TV version, with Richard Chamberlan as the Count, does not end with the Count and Mercedes back together. (Chamberlan is a pretty good Count, but Tony Curtis is ridiculous as Mondego.) I've read the book many times, in both full and abridged versions. My favorite part is when Dantes returns to Marseilles and rescues his former patron, Morrel, from bankruptcy, disgrace and death. john
