#lcdmc 2024

[leotanaka]

i know what the point of the dinner party ghost story scene was but it still makes me chuckle that edmond literally went: "i smoked opium and saw things" like, oh, yeah, i bet you did lol.

[satlun]

[froschgenosse]

[austinanimates]

Some Mercédès doodles because she’s awesome and incredible and best girl and I love her so much

[juliedherbl]

Thanks so much for this analysis. It is so interesting!

I think his "I will make him suffer" shows how fresh the wound is and how crazy it´s turning him, wanting to kill Albert is cold blood murder

Monte Cristo commenting on his great eye for actors is ironic, because he´s acting as MC too

Sins of the Father

It's time for another episode of me shouting into the void about The Count of Monte Cristo. Firstly, let's bring up a fun foreshadowing quote from the chapter The Trial:

Albert has just received a letter stating that his father did in fact betray Ali. (Still unaware that his father also betrayed his friend Monte Cristo) Albert reacts very strongly to this news.

Upon seeing his young friend in despair, Monte Cristo says:

"Poor young man!" said Monte Cristo, in a low voice, "it is very true that the sin of the father shall fall on the children to the third and fourth generation."

After a couple of scenes where Albert gets more information. He also finds out who is behind revealing his father as a betrayer. Let's see who is behind door number 1?

"No other than your friend Monte Cristo." (said Danglars)

Bring in chapter 89: The Insult

Albert goes to find Monte Cristo at the opera. He makes a point to call MC out on being elusive. 😂 Always taking 'refuge' in his house - bathing, eating and sleeping. (God forbid a wrongly-accused-man has hobbies, Albert... gees.) Albert's strong emotional reaction is a great contrast to the stoic MC.

"Ah, I shall know how to make you leave your refuge!" replied Albert, clasping in his convulsed grasp the glove, which Monte Cristo did not lose sight of.

I love how Dumas gently nudges our POV to Monte Cristo's without having his character break the act once.

There's no 'telling' of his emotion or intention right now, just a simple glance and we know the hamster wheel is spinning. Because one thing with Monte Cristo, every tiny movement is calculated.

... Albert understood the allusion in a moment, and was about to throw his glove at the count, when Morrel seized his hand... held him back.

And then we have this golden passage:

But Monte Cristo, without rising, and leaning forward in his chair, merely extended his hand, and, taking the damp, crushed glove from the clenched hand of the young man, - "Sir," said he, in solemn tone, "I consider your glove thrown, and will return it to you around a bullet. Now leave me, or I will summon my servants to throw you out at the door."

Now what the movie adaption did wrong is that Albert throws the glove directly. Thus, prompting Monte Cristo to accept the duel. But the book did it better. Albert never throws the glove. Dumas only indicates to us that Albert is holding it and might have thrown it if not stopped by his friends. Monte Cristo then plucks it out of Albert's hand and accepts the duel. 😂

Once Albert leaves with one glove, Monte Cristo goes back to his usual order of business as if nothing had happened. Dumas even writes to us:

... he certainly must have had a heart of brass and face of marble.

Morrel, the soundest of minds in this moment, asks him what on earth Monte Cristo has gone and done:

"I? Nothing - at least not personally," said Monte Cristo.

Well of course Monte Cristo hasn't done anything, it is the sins of the fathers. Him taking the glove was only him speeding up the process.

There are a few exchanges here, as Morrel tries to speak reason into his friend. Dumas makes it known to us a few times that Monte Cristo is as calm as a cucumber. Even when Morrel takes MC's hand in his and "...he shudders to feel how cold and steady it was."

This is how we know Monte Cristo - the man doesn't break the act.

Well, not until Morrel says this:

"Ah count," said he, "his father loves him so much!" "Do not speak to me of that," said Monte Cristo, with the first movement of anger he had shown; "I will make him suffer." Morrel, amazed, let fall Monte Cristo's hand.

Bingo, bango, we've got a trigger.

And as if it never happened, Monte Cristo snaps back to the mask, commenting on the opera and his great eye for actors.

It's a quick break of his act, the first I would say. So sudden that even when I first read it, I got a shock. 😂

"I will make him suffer" is a direct reaction to hearing Fernand has love for his son. The same love MC's father felt, and it is that suffering his father felt that he wishes to bring upon Fernand.

It is this poetic opportunity of seeing that tempting glove in Albert's hand, the son of the sinful father, that brings us to Monte Cristo breaking the act for a split second.

I have more to say on this chapter but for now this is enough 😂

[alexclassics]

How are we feeling about the Haydeé and Andrè dynamic in LCDMC 2024?

Might be late to the conversation. But I just have some... Positive! Thoughts.

[lerry-hazel]

lCdMC

No, seriously, people need to stop trying to “adapt” stories they don’t understand.

Book Edmond: horrified by Edouard’s death (which he couldn’t have possibly predicted), desperately tries to revive the boy, desperately tries to tell Villefort Valentine is still alive, and, seeing that’s too late for that as well, decides to spare his last remaining victim.

2024 film Edmond: What do you mean, “I’m going too far”? Of course, my revenge is more important than the lives of children under my protection!

IDK, he probably let Haydee and Albert go, after making Mercedes beg for her son’s life; but by that point I’d decided I’m not wasting another half-hour of my life on that shit.

[satlun]

dedicate these gifs to @juliedherbl 🩵

[satlun]

[juliedherbl]

These beautiful gifs by @satlun show so well Edmond´s tenderness ...melts one´s heart

Thanks so much, lovely @satlun

I´ll post about it but your gifs are self explanatory, really. He´s such an introvert in love, he hides his eyes every time so no one can see how much he loves her.

And the way Mercédès looks at him, with her intelligent gaze, evidently thinking of their secret too, trying to make eye contact with him every time.

dedicate these gifs to @juliedherbl 🩵