
            In the turbulent days in which France was transitioning away from Napoleonic rule, Edmond Dantes (Caviezel) and his closest friend, Fernand Mondego (Pearce), have their ship (one that represents Morel's (Godfrey) Marseille-based shipping business) diverted to Elba after their captain contracts brain fever. After a dangerous encounter with the island's guards, assistance comes, unexpectedly, in the form of the personal physician of the exiled Napoleon (Norton). In return for the use of his doctor, Napoleon demands that Edmond deliver a letter for him and that the mission and the letter be kept a secret. Unknown to the illiterate Edmond, the letter will inform Bonapartists in Marseille how to stage a possible rescue of Napoleon. Also unknown to him, Fernand has discovered and read the letter and has full knowledge of its contents.On his return to France, Morel names Edmond captain of one of his ships, much to the anger of Danglars (Woodington), the ship's second-in-command who argued against going ashore. An improved station in life prompts Edmond to propose to Mercedes Iguanada (Dominczyk), Edmond's beloved who Fernand continuously fails to court out of jealousy for Edmond's happiness. After revealing his good fortunes, Fernand leaves in a quiet stupor with Dante and Mercedes agreeing to marry with a simple string to act as a wedding ring. Depressed by his friend's rise in status and happiness in his life, Fernand gets drunk and reveals to Danglars the contents of the letter, which would implicate him in committing a treasonous act by the standards of the French government.Edmond is taken by local authorities in front of the magistrate, Villefort (Frain). Despite his assessment that Edmond is innocent of the crime of sedition, he becomes disturbed upon learning that the letter was addressed to a "Mr. Clarion," who, in actuality, is Villefort's own father Noirtier Villefort (Jones), an outspoken Bonpartist, and a politically inconvenient father for a young man aspiring to a prominent law and political career in post-Napoleonic France. To eliminate all evidence that his father was involved in plans for an escape attempt by Napoleon from Elba, Villefort burns the letter and has Edmond arrested and taken to the Chateau D'If, a maximum security prison, where Edmond rots for over a decade, with no prospects of getting out. Edmond loses his faith in God as the consistent beatings in his imprisonment at the hands of the prison's cruel warden, Dorleoc (Wincott).Edmond befriends a fellow prisoner named Abbe Faria (Harris), who is a great scholar and who gradually transforms Edmond into a wise, learned and cultivated man in exchange for helping Faria tunnel out of the prison. Faria admits that he was a soldier who had burned down a church with a band of rebels inside to his everlasting shame. He decided to turn to religion as a priest to make amends for his sins. Being responsible for the great fortune of Caesar Spada during his days as a soldier, Napoleon had Faria arrested believing he knew where the fortune was hidden and kept him imprisoned until Faria admitted where it was, with Faria maintaining his ignorance of Spada's wealth. Along with finally piecing together how Fernand and the others were able to betray him, Edmond convinces Faria to teach him the skills of a soldier, including the use of a sword.One day, as Edmond and Faria dig, there is a cave-in that fatally injures Faria. He reveals that he lied about not knowing the location of the treasure and gives Dante a map to where it is buried. He begs Edmond to follow the teachings of God and to abandon his crusade for vengeance before dying. Edmond secretly places himself in Faria's burial sack, which is to be thrown over the cliffs and into the ocean alongside the prison. In an attempt to grab the keys from Dorleoc while being thrown, Edmond and Dorleac are tossed into the sea, where Edmond kills him and leaves his body in the ocean before swimming away. Edmond washes up on a shore far from the Chateau D'If, but discovers it has been inhabited by smugglers and pirates. Luigi Vampa (Blanc), the head of the group, offers Edmond the chance to save his life, if he wins a knife fight with Jacopo (Guzmán) for the entertainment of the crew after Jacopo had attempted to keep gold for himself instead of sharing it with the crew. Edmond wins, but spares Jacopo, convincing Vampa that both of their talents can be put to good use rather than just one. Jacopo pledges his life to Edmond for sparing him. Years later, the group makes their way back to Marseilles where Edmond and Jacopo decide to leave together for their own fortunes.Edmond meets with Morel again after the many years of imprisonment, although he doesn't recognize him and Edmond stays quiet on his identity. He learns from Morel that his shipping company was taken over by Danglars (now a baron), Edmond's father had hung himself after his son was sent to prison, Villefort is now a chief prosecutor after the mysterious death of his father, Fernand has inherited his father's estate after his death, and Mercedes has married Fernand. All of the targets of his revenge live in Paris among Parisian high society. Edmond leaves a small bit of a gold for the financially crippled Morel. Edmond and Jacopo sail to the island of Monte Cristo where they discover wealth beyond imagination, but rather than retiring to a life of leisure, his new raison d'etre is vengeance, with the objects of his revenge being Fernand, Danglars, Mercedes, and Villefort. Edmond realizes that to gain access to them, he'll need to reinvent himself, and uses some of his newfound riches to purchase a huge estate near Paris. He then proclaims himself to be the Count of Monte Cristo, and although nobody knows of him, his substantial wealth takes the elite aristocracy by storm.The Count plans a party at his new estate and invites many members of Parisian high society, including all the objects of his vengeance. Now having considerable access to each of them, one at a time, he begins setting them up for failure and suffering. The Count gains close access to Fernand and Mercedes by paying Vampa to stage a kidnapping of their son, Albert (Cavill). This enables the Count himself to save Albert. Having saved their son, the Count is now welcome in the home of Fernand and Mercedes. Edmond begins applying pressure to Fernand's financial life, forcing him to go back to Danglars and Villefort out of desperation. Albert mentions to his father that the Count had mentioned a "Spada shipment" and gold, leading Fernand and Villefort to deduce that the Count had discovered Spada's hidden treasure and that the next shipment of it will arrive soon. Fernand, Villefort, and Danglars plan to seize the treasure using Villefort's legal power to legitimize the theft, but are caught in the act as apart of Edmond's trap. Danglars is arrested while trying to off-load the shipment.Taking note of his mannerisms, Mercedes soon works out that the Count is actually Edmond Dantes, though the Count still harbors intense resentment as she married Fernand very shortly after his arrest and had Fernand's son, Albert, not long after that. Her marriage to the man that had put him away drives Edmond to despise Mercedes and keep her at arm's length, even as she insists that he is Edmond. The Count ultimately learns that Villefort had announced that Edmond was dead shortly after the onset of his imprisonment. Fernand, it turns out, had bargained for this announcement, from which he hoped to gain the hand of Mercedes, by murdering Villefort's father, at Villefort's request. Villefort is tricked into admitting this within earshot of the authorities and is arrested.After accidentally revealing information in a confrontation with Mercedes at his home, he admits to his true identity, what had happened to him, and angrily chastises Mercedes for marrying the man that had put him away. She reveals her string wedding ring, showcasing her devotion to him after all of these years, and they begin their love again. Fernand's financial ruin, from a combination of his own gambling problems and bad business investments that were crippled by Edmond's invisible manipulations, motivates him to leave Paris to evade his debtors and the law, being charged with several crimes revealed by Villefort's confession. Unwilling to follow Fernand with their son, Mercedes, finally, tells the Fernand the truth - Albert is the son of Edmond, as Albert was conceived before Edmond's arrest. With his life falling apart around him, Fernand leaves Mercedes and his son.Fernand arrives at the location where the treasure him and Villefort intended to steal would be kept, only to discover that the chests are empty save for one that has a King chess playing piece - a token him and Dante shared in their younger days. The Count reveals himself to be Edmond and confronts Fernand for his betrayal, but Albert, learning about the location of where Fernand was going, protects his father, believing the Count to be an adulterous traitor who stole Mercedes away from the family. Edmond threatens to kill Albert if he gets in the way of his vengeance, but Mercedes arrives before the fight is finished and reveal to both of them that Edmond is Albert's father. Shocked at both the revelation and the fact that Fernand willing let his own son fight to death with his own biological father to save his own life, Albert lets his guard down. Fernand takes advantage of this moment to threaten to shoot Albert to get away, with Edmond begging him to spare his life in exchange for Edmond giving up his quest for vengeance after him. Jacopo wounds Fernand with a knife toss, but his gun goes off, wounding Mercedes in the process.As Albert, Jacopo, and Edmond tend to Mercedes, Fernand rides away only to realize that his life is now over with no wealth, status, family, or innocence in the eyes of the law to support him. He demands Edmond come out and face him, with Jacopo consoling Edmond that confronting Fernand is the only way to end this whole ordeal and that even Faria would understand. Fernand tells Edmond that he could never live in a world where Edmond, the lowly son of clerk, had everything he wanted in life. They engage in a violent clash and ends with Edmond killing Fernand.Some time later, Edmond returns to the Chateau D'If after purchasing it, speaking to Faria from beyond the world that he was right about how empty his path of vengeance was in bringing nothing but pain, returning back to a life of family and God. He remarks that he intended to tear down the prison, only to change his mind and keep it up as a reminder of his past and what it represents, as it's revealed that Mercedes, Albert, and Jacopo have made the trip with him. Edmond promises to do right by them as they all leave the island together.
    

The Count of Monte Cristo


            Jean Valjean, a man arrested for stealing bread nineteen years earlier, is released on account of Mrs. Herberst, Valjean's wife. When no one is willing to allow a convict to stay the night, Bishop Myriel kindly welcomes him into his home. Valjean explains to Myriel that sleeping in a real bed will make him a new man. In the night, Valjean, interrupted by Myriel while stealing his silverware, strikes him and flees. When the police arrest Valjean for stealing and drag him back to Myriel, Myriel tells them that the silverware was a gift and scolds Valjean for forgetting to take his candlesticks as well. Myriel then reminds Valjean that he is to become a new man.Nine years later, Valjean is now a wealthy industrialist and a mayor. Fantine, a single mother working at one of Valjean's factories, is fired when her manager learns she has had a daughter out of wedlock. However, Valjean is preoccupied with the arrival of Inspector Javert, who previously served as a guard at the prison in which Valjean was held. Fantine, in desperate need of money to pay the extortionate demands of Mr. and Mrs. Thénardier for looking after her daughter Cosette, turns to prostitution. Javert starts to suspect that the Mayor and Valjean are the same person. Fantine is attacked by some customers, and when she retaliates, Javert beats and arrests her, planning on sending her to prison. Citing his authority to do so as mayor, Valjean insists on her release and she is let go.Valjean nurses Fantine back to health, and promises her that she will have her daughter back. However, the Thénardiers continue to extort more money from Valjean and Fantine on the pretence of Fantine's daughter being ill. Later, Valjean receives word that another man is mistaken as being him and is about to be arrested. Valjean arrives at court where the man is being tried and reveals his identity that he is the real Valjean. Valjean then returns home and finds Fantine at death's door. Before she dies, Valjean promises Fantine that he will raise her daughter as his own. Javert arrives at Valjean's home to arrest both him and Fantine, but Fantine dies when Javert tells her she will be sent to prison. Angry and grieving, Valjean fights Javert and knocks him out, then flees the town. Valjean eventually finds and rescues Cosette from the Thénardiers, the corrupt innkeepers who were supposed to care for her, but are actually forcing her to be their servant. They care little for the girl, seeing her merely as a way to bring in money (going so far as to offer up Cosette as a child prostitute to the as-yet unrevealed Valjean). Both Valjean and Cosette finally make it to Paris where they start a new life together as father and daughter, cloistered within a religious convent.Ten years later, they leave the convent, and Cosette, now nineteen years old, falls deeply in love with a revolutionist, Marius. Meanwhile, Javert is now undercover as an insurrectionist, trying to undermine the organization to which Marius belongs. During an attempt to finally arrest Valjean, Javert is captured by Marius and is brought to the barricades as a prisoner to be executed. Valjean journeys to the barricades himself when he learns how much Cosette and Marius love each other, intending to persuade Marius to return to Cosette. When the soldiers shoot and kill Gavroche, a young boy allied with the revolutionists, Valjean uses his influence with Marius to have Javert turned over to him, so that he himself can execute him. Valjean takes Javert to a back alley, but instead of killing him, sets him free. Marius gets shot and Valjean takes him down a sewer to bring him to safety. Javert catches them, but agrees to spare Marius. Valjean takes Marius back to his home, also saying goodbye to Cosette. When Valjean returns to Javert, Javert tells him that he is now unable to reconcile Valjean's criminal past with his current lawful existence and the great kindness, generosity, and goodness that Valjean has shown. Stating, "It's a pity the rules don't allow me to be merciful," Javert finally sets Valjean free, shackles himself, adding "I've tried to live my life without breaking a single rule," and throws himself into the Seine thus taking his own life. Valjean walks down the empty street, finally a free man, with a smile on his face.
    

Les Misérables


            
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Christopher Adamson

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