The Count of Monte Cristo is a 2002 film, the 10th film based loosely upon the book of the same name, by Alexandre Dumas, père. It was directed by Kevin Reynolds and starred Richard Harris, James Caviezel, Dagmara Dominczyk, Guy Pearce and Luis Guzman.It loosely follows the general plot of the novel (the main storyline of imprisonment and revenge is preserved), but many aspects, including the relationships between major characters and the ending, have been changed, simplified, or removed, and several action scenes not in the novel have been added, presumably to satisfy modern-day action fans. The character of Sultan Ali Pasha's daughter Haydee, whom Edmond forms a bond with in the novel, is completely missing from this film version, though she was included in many others. The movie met with modest box office success, and surpassed its budget bringing in about $75 million worldwide.
Edmond Dantès (James Caviezel) and his friend Fernand Mondego (Guy Pearce), officers of a French trading ship, head to Elba seeking medical attention for their captain. Dantès and Mondego are chased by British Dragoons who believe they are spies for the exiled Napoleon Bonaparte (Alex Norton). The Emperor arrives and declares they are not his agents, and asks Dantes to give a letter to a friend in France. When the captain dies that night, they are sent on their way.
At Marseilles, Dantès is reprimanded by the ship's first mate, Danglars (Albie Woodington) for disobeying orders. However, the shipping company's boss, Morrell (Patrick Godfrey), commends Dantès' bravery, promoting him over Danglars. Mondego intercepts Dantès' fiancée Mercédès (Dagmara Dominczyk) and unsuccessfully tries to seduce her. When he hears of Dantès' promotion, Mondego realizes that Dantès will be able to marry Mercedes sooner than expected.
Mondego gets drunk and tells Danglars about the letter Napoleon gave Dantès. Danglars has Dantès charged with treason and sent to magistrate, J.F. Villefort (James Frain). Villefort is sure of Dantès' innocence, but discovers the addressee is Villefort's father, Clarion, a Bonapartist. Villefort denounced his father, improving his relations with the government. Villefort burns the letter and fools Dantès into submitting to arrest, then attempts to send him to an island prison, Château d'If. Dantès escapes and goes to Mondego for help, but Mondego turns on him and wounds him so he cannot escape. Dantès is re-arrested and successfully imprisoned in Château d'If.
News spreads that Napoleon has escaped from Elba. Mondego, Mercédès, Morrell, and Dantès' father go to Villefort to plead that Dantès is innocent, but Villefort rejects their efforts. Mercédès thanks Mondego for his support; but after she leaves Mondego and Villefort discuss their reasons for wrongfully imprisoning Dantès. Mercédès is later told that Dantès has been executed.
In prison, Dantès befriends Abbé Faria (Richard Harris), a priest and former soldier in Napoleon's army. Dantès learns Faria was imprisoned because he claimed not to know the location of the deceased Count Spada's fortune. As the priest educates him, Dantès discovers why he himself was imprisoned, vowing revenge. While escaping, their tunnel caves-in, burying Faria. Before dying, Faria gives Dantès the location of Spada's treasure.
The priest's death gives Dantès another opportunity to escape. When the guards put the priest into a body bag, Dantès removes the corpse, hides himself in the bag and is thrown into the sea.
Dantès washes onto an island. He encounters Luigi Vampa (JB Blanc), a smuggler and thief. Vampa persuades Dantès to fight Jacopo (Luis Guzmán), a traitor who they intended to bury alive. Dantès defeats Jacopo but lets him live; Jacopo vows to serve Dantès for the rest of his life. Dantès joins the smugglers for three months, leaving when they arrive at Marseilles. Not recognizing him, Morrell tells Dantès that his father committed suicide upon learning of Dantès imprisonment and that Mercédès has married Mondego. Danglars took over Morrell's shipping company after Morrell made him a partner. Dantès goes to the island of Monte Cristo, finds Spada's treasure and vows revenge on Mercédès, Mondego and the other conspirators.
Dantès becomes the "Count of Monte Cristo". He hires Vampa to stage a kidnapping of Mondego's son Albert (Henry Cavill) and then "rescues" him, inviting the boy to his residence. In return, Albert invites the count to his sixteenth birthday at the Mondegos' residence. Dantès meets with Villefort to discuss a shipment of unspecified property. Mondego meets with Villefort later that evening and mentions that his son heard Monte Cristo use the words gold, shipment, and Spada. They believe the shipment is treasure, and plot to steal it.
At the party, Mercédès suspects that the Count is Dantès. Jacopo allows her to hide in Monte Cristo's carriage to speak with him, wanting his master to take what he has won. Dantès does not admit to being her former lover, but accidentally says 'Edmond Dantès', which Mercédès had never spoken to him.
Dantès' confronts Danglars. When the police arrive, Danglars fights Dantès, who reveals his true identity. Danglars is arrested. Later, he gets Villefort to confess that Mondego killed his father, Clarion, in return for telling Mercédès that Dantès was executed. He is charged with conspiracy to murder, and realizes Monte Cristo's true identity.
Having determined who Dantès really is, Mercédès admits to him that although she married Mondego, she loves him. After sleeping together, Dantès decides to take Mercédès and her son and leave France. Dantès causes Mondego's debts to be called in, bankrupting him. Mercédès confronts Mondego, revealing she is leaving him and Albert is Dantès' son. Mondego leaves for his family estate, where the stolen gold shipment was to be taken. He finds that all of the chests are empty, and that Dantès has arrived to take his revenge. Albert rushes to defend Mondego, until Mercédès reveals to Dantès and Albert that they are father and son. Mondego attempts to kill Mercédès, but only wounds her, as Jacopo stabs Mondego's hand, throwing off his aim. Mondego realizes he can't live in a world where Dantès has everything. Dantès and Mondego duel, at the end of which Dantès kills Mondego.
Three months later, Dantès returns to Château d'If to pay homage to the priest and promises him that he has given up on revenge and will live a better life. He then leaves the island with Mercédès, Albert, and Jacopo.
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