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6.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Die Gräfin von Monte-Christo remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a thing for old German cinema or just really love the idea of a revenge plot that refuses to slow down, you'll probably enjoy Die Gräfin von Monte-Christo. If you need realism or a plot that makes sense every single second, skip it. You will likely hate the way the coincidences just keep piling up like dirty laundry.
Brigitte Helm is the star here, and she spends most of the movie looking like she’s about to either cry or destroy someone's entire life. It’s great. She gets framed for a crime, and instead of just, you know, going to the police, she goes on this massive, elaborate journey to reinvent herself.
It reminded me a bit of the frantic, slightly unhinged energy you see in something like Her Kingdom of Dreams. Everything feels like a stage play that decided to wander onto a film set.
There is this one scene near the middle where the pacing just... stops. Everyone is standing around in these gorgeous, expensive costumes, and they just stare at each other for what feels like five full minutes. I checked my phone twice. I think the director just really liked the curtains in that room.
Also, the transition from "downtrodden victim" to "vengeful countess" happens so fast it gave me whiplash. One minute she’s in rags, the next she’s waltzing around like she owns the building. It’s almost funny how little effort the movie puts into explaining the logistics of her money.
It’s not as tight as The Guardsman, that's for sure. But there’s a certain grit under the polish that I didn't expect. It’s a bit messy, and sometimes the camera lingers way too long on a reaction shot that wasn't that interesting to begin with. But I couldn't look away. 🎩✨