The Lowdown

BBC TV adaptation made 1964; stars thespian Alan Badel as the Count. Done in twelve 25 minute instalments, which gives them long enough to tell most of the story.

Some Observations

• Alan's an excellent count. He's deliciously cool and laconic, and threateningly camp. He really brings his own interpretation to the character, and brings out some things about the character that don't feel like they were in the script. Even at the end when he's being magnanimous, when everything's supposed to have worked out ok for everyone, he's still playing it really dark. We really get the sense that he'll never return to being Edmond, and the callous, dark side of his personality will stay with him forever.
• He's not a great young Edmond though, as he is quite noticeably in his early 40s, despite being supposed to be 19.
• Interestingly, quite a few of the actors regularly fluff their lines, but just carry on regardless. Perhaps film was too expensive to waste the 1960s? Villefort is particularly bad for this.
• Happily, in this one we get the Eugenie Danglars / Louise d'Armilly lesbian relationship, which is often omitted. Not forgetting that gay sex (between men at least) was still illegal in the UK back then. Eugenie has an excellent line in one of the episodes, but I think the irony of this may have been lost on them:
  Eugenie: Louise... we both hate this foolish fashionable world; let's turn our backs on it forever!
  Louise: But where would we go?
  Eugenie [dramatic pause]:.... to *Italy*!
• This is the only time I've actually liked Albert. He's much more caddish in this one. As usual though, Franz d'Epinay doesn't get a look in.
• A notable mention to Morris Perry, playing Danglars in this one. At his best, Danglars can get you on his side a little bit. Sure he's a treacherous, miserly fool, but there's something you like about him. At least he still has a bit of comtempt for the pompous society which has been forced to accept him, and he has a more honest self interest than the other conspirators.

The Verdict

This is one of the best versions, and it definitely demonstrates the benefits of taking longer to tell the story (seems like the short episode format works best - see Gankutsuo) For example when we first meet Fernand, we get a long scene where he doesn't want to shake Edmond's hand; we get lots of scenes throughout with him in and they build his character; later, when the time comes for Edmond to take his revenge, it has an emotional impact. Compare this to the Richard Chamberlain version - here we only see Fernand a couple of times so we don't really have long enough to care much what happens to him - so when we have a sword fight at the end, it isn't nearly as affecting as when Alan Badel just whispers the name '...Edmond Dantes' in his ear.

Characters and Plot Elements