The Count of Monte Cristo (2002 Film) - Plot

Plot

Edmond Dantès and his best friend, Fernand Mondego, officers of a French trading ship, head to Elba seeking medical attention for their captain. Dantès and Mondego are chased by English Dragoons who believe they are spies for the exiled Napoleon Bonaparte. The Emperor declares they are not his agents, and asks Dantès to give a letter to a friend in France. After the captain dies, they are sent on their way. Dantès is reprimanded by the ship's first mate, Danglars, for disobeying orders. However, the shipping company's boss, Morrell, commends Dantès' bravery, promoting him to captain over Danglars. Mondego intercepts Dantès' fiancée, Mercédès, and tries to seduce her. When he hears of Dantès' promotion, Mondego realizes that Dantès will be able to marry Mercédès 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. Villefort is sure of Dantès' innocence, but discovers the addressee is Villefort's father, Clarion, a Bonapartist, whom he denounced to secure a promotion. 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 wounds him so he cannot escape; when Dantès asks why he betrayed their friendship, Mondego says that he is angry that he wants to be Dantès despite his wealth and superior social position. Dantès is imprisoned in the Château d'If. Meanwhile, 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 imprisoning Dantès. Mercédès is told that Dantès has been executed.

In prison, Dantès befriends Abbé Faria, a priest and former soldier in Napoleon's army. Faria was imprisoned because he claimed not to know the location of the deceased Count Spada's fortune. For 13 years Faria educates Dantes, teaching him mathematics, literature, philosophy, economics, hand and sword combat and military strategy. While escaping, their tunnel caves in, mortally wounding Faria, who gives Dantès the location of Spada's treasure. 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 a desert island and encounters Luigi Vampa, a smuggler and thief. Vampa persuades Dantès to fight Jacopo, a traitor whom they intended to bury alive. Dantès defeats Jacopo but makes a deal with Vampa to let 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 his 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, Danglars and Villefort. Dantès becomes the "Count of Monte Cristo". He hires Vampa to stage a kidnapping of Mondego's son Albert 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 recognizes Dantès, with whom she is still in love. Jacopo allows her to hide in Monte Cristo's carriage to speak with him, wanting his master to abandon his obsession with revenge and simply live his life. Dantès does not admit to being her former lover, but accidentally says 'Edmond Dantès'; Mercédès had never mentioned Edmond's last name. Dantès confronts Danglars with the police in tow; Danglars fights Dantès, who reveals his true identity before having Danglars arrested. Dantès gets Villefort to confess that he persuaded Mondego to kill Clarion in return for telling Mercédès that Dantès was executed. Villefort is charged with conspiracy to murder, and realizes Monte Cristo's true identity before being imprisoned.

Mercédès admits that she still loves Dantès. After spending the night together, Dantès decides to take Mercédès and her son and leave France. Dantès has Mondego's debts called in, bankrupting him. Mondego is also due to be arrested for Piracy, Corruption, and Murder. Mercédès confronts Mondego, revealing she is leaving him and Albert is Dantès' son; she only married him and claimed that the boy was born prematurely to hide his true paternity. Mondego leaves for his family estate, where the stolen gold shipment was to be taken. He finds that the chests are filled with dirt and sand, 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 throws off his aim. Mondego fights Dantès, and Dantès impales Mondego through the heart, killing him.

Dantès returns to Château d'If to pay homage to Faria and promises him that he has given up on revenge and will live a better life. He leaves the island with Mercédès, Albert and Jacopo.