The Count of Monte Cristo

Alexandre Dumas' 1845 classic novel about Edmond Dantès, the sea captain who is framed, unjustifiably imprisoned for nearly two decades, and later escapes to claim a vast treasure on an uninhabited island off Italy, has been filmed many times, most recently in 2002 starring Jim Caviezel. This 1998 French miniseries, which gets off to a rocky start and has problems convincing viewers that big, beefy Gerard Depardieu is a man who's been subsisting on thin soup for 18 years, improves considerably following Dantès' return to civilization, as it chronicles his many machinations and schemes to exact revenge as well as his anonymous acts of generosity. Depardieu inhabits the central role with one of his most knowing and subtle performances, and the lengthy drama is directed with flashes of bold inventiveness by director Josée Dayan. Presented with a decent transfer, but no extras, this is recommended. (T. Keogh)