Radley Metzger is not to everybody's taste but this is less extravagant than others of his and avoids the most extreme excesses. Bringing the classic Dumas story up to date was a highly (over?) ambitious task, trying to project the characters and their interactions over such a time span, but it works remarkably well. The futuristic setting looks rather dated now, but it must have been quite convincing at the time as a portrayal of a fin-de-siècle jet-set world and does not adversely the main theme.
The chemistry between principals is almost tangible, and most of all the way their emotions are handled by the their eye-expressions in the "jail party" scene. Several supporting characters are outstanding - the malevolent Baron de Varville and the manipulative Olympe provide weight, while seemingly carefree Gaston provide much needed balance.
One trick I would have expected from Metzger given his penchant for bizarre symbolism was to have made the opening scene a production of "la Traviata". But he showed his true talent in the closing moments.
Best, Metzger remains true to the original story, modifying only as dictated by the modern context and making the translation with skill and sensitivity. From beneath the superficiality and cynicism, a deeply moving film emerges.
The chemistry between principals is almost tangible, and most of all the way their emotions are handled by the their eye-expressions in the "jail party" scene. Several supporting characters are outstanding - the malevolent Baron de Varville and the manipulative Olympe provide weight, while seemingly carefree Gaston provide much needed balance.
One trick I would have expected from Metzger given his penchant for bizarre symbolism was to have made the opening scene a production of "la Traviata". But he showed his true talent in the closing moments.
Best, Metzger remains true to the original story, modifying only as dictated by the modern context and making the translation with skill and sensitivity. From beneath the superficiality and cynicism, a deeply moving film emerges.