#villefort

[vintagecamping]

Postcard from the "Little Paradise" campground.

Villefort, France

1965

[romangoldendreams]

The Count of Montecristo (2024)

Sam Claflin as Edmond Dantes & Ana Girardot as Mercedes Herrera

Mikkel Foolsgard as Villefort

Jeremy Irons as Abate Faria

Harry Taurasi as Fernand Mondego

Blake Ritson as Danglars

[hoangfngocjnhi]

Edmond: I will use my enemies's information against them >:) Edmond 5 mins later: WHAT THE HECK IS THIS??

[gerarddevillefort]

Fellas, I am at it again - trying to convince you Villefort is more attractive than you thought. Jk, I just wanted to redraw an illustration of him. Here's side by side two images. It was fun to draw

[rainsofcamelot]

i wanna talk to whoever decided not to put this song on the english cast album. we could've had more of mark seibert as villefort. why would anyone do this

[vickyvicarious]

You know, Villefort is really introduced as a very intentional contrast to Edmond, isn't he?

They are both relatively young, stepping into the role of a superior (the former captain who died, and the crown prosecutor who is away)

They are both about to be married, and in fact both are celebrating their betrothals when Dantes is arrested

They are both facing some disapproval from their fiancee's family

They both have a relationship with their father that dictates a lot of their actions

But of course, despite all these similarities their personalities and the specific circumstances of each are almost opposite:

Edmond's acting captainship was driven largely by duty, which is what gets him involved in the letter business to begin with. While his time spent captaining the ship went well, the actions outside of the typical duties he took (stopping at Elba, getting the letter) were for other people's request without much thought of how it looked for him. He was more focused on this being his duty as an honorable person. On the other hand, during his interview with Dantes, Villefort was looking for ways to please others initially (his fiancée asked for mercy and he wanted to get on her good side) but it was still self-serving motivation in the end (he wanted her pleased for what it got him, not just to make her happy). He also abandoned that plan, and the idea of justice altogether, as soon as he realized the letter Dantes carried could injure him. His motivations were selfish throughout.

Edmond is engaged to a poor woman with almost no family who he loves deeply and sincerely. Villefort is engaged to a rich woman with an important family who he loves 'sensibly' for what he will get out of the marriage in the long run. He doesn't hate her but he isn't in love with her romantically, really. When Villefort realizes the coincidental timing of this arrest pulling them each away, his reaction is brief sympathy quickly superseded by him planning out how to make this a witty story impressive to his guests on his return. He doesn't tell Edmond the similarity between their situations.

Fernand dislikes Dantes because he wants to marry Mercedes instead; a deeply personal motive. Edmond dismisses any suspicions suggested about the man and chooses to see him as a friend, trusting Mercedes. Villefort faces some reluctantance from his fiancee's mother, but it's due to his father's political reputation and how that might look, more than anything. Villefort plays along really well and deliberately, greatly emphasizing his political zeal in order to better ascend higher in society. When he talks about his harshness as a judge he is doing so in front of a group of people with a mind to their opinions, giving a speech calculated to impress.

Edmond loves his father very much and the two are very close. He acts to protect his father's pride, and works to bring in money to support him. At his wedding, his father was a major presence, the most excited person there other than the bride and groom themselves. Villefort has denounced his father publicly, given himself a new name to completely separate them in the world's eyes. He wasn't at the betrothal feast except as a name talked badly of, and Villefort only acts to protect him (by burning the letter and arresting Dantes) because the bad publicity/shame would rebound onto himself.

All in all, Edmond is very focused on personal matters. Personal honor, true emotions... even his enemies are driven by feelings of jealousy and envy and hatred. He's emotion-driven and while he works hard and has ambitions, they come second to his love, his honor, his pride. When political considerations intrude on his life it is due to the actions of others (the former captain) and even the way politics is used against him by Danglars and Fernand is motivated by their feelings for him, not their own beliefs.

Villefort is very focused on public perception. He wants a good reputation, he wants more power, he is climbing that social ladder and politics is his way to get up while distancing himself from his father. He is very calculating, and while he does have emotional moments (affection for his fiancée, sympathy for Edmond) they come in second every time to his ambition and self-interest. His life is built largely around politics and reputation, and his personal feelings of sympathy for Edmond are brief and easily overshadowed by his worries about the connection to his father's politics getting out and harming him. Not to mention his ambition when he realizes he can use this to further his career.

Where Dantes trusts those around him and says he has no enemies, Villefort worries deeply about the consequences of the letter getting out. He assumes the people around him will shun him easily if his name is dirtied by this affair. (He's probably right, but it's a very different view of people than Edmond.) He is willing to send Edmond to prison rather than trust him to never mention the letter to anyone, placing his suspicious and self-serving nature above any sense of honor.

[scripted-downfall]

[aira-l]

[aleccries]

[glacierruler]

Me: wants to draw Villefort

Me: tries to look up his description so I don't have to go back in the book and figure it out

Google: You meant for this anime that you've never watched before right? Right?

[meageramountoflouis]

Some Count of Monte Cristo characters as bracelets

(My friend made the Dantès and Villefort ones)

[hoangfngocjnhi]

What a genius he is.

[rowan-ravenwood-art]

ehehe here it is!!

tcomc fans, i'm still here! quietly watching from the corner :]

have some lovey-dovey Gérard and vampire/ghostly Renée!

version without text under the cut:

[rainsofcamelot]

this dude

[vickyvicarious]

Villefort at the beginning of chapter 72:

[lunabeelight]

The Count of Monte Cristo, "Father and Son" is the title to chapter 2 and 12, contrasting Dantes and his father's relationship, to Villefort and his father. One rooted in love, and the other cold and mistrusting, ready to betray each other.