''Dumas'' (original title: ''L'Autre Dumas'') is a 2010

French film French cinema consists of the film industry and its film productions, whether made within the nation of France or by French film production companies abroad. It is the oldest and largest precursor of national cinemas in Europe; with primary influ ...

directed by

Safy Nebbou Safy Nebbou (born 27 April 1968) is a French actor and director. Life and career Nebbou was born on 27 April 1968 in Bayonne, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France to a German mother and an Algerian father. He is the brother of actor Mehdi Nebbou. H ...

about 19th-century French author

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (, ; ; born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (), 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (where '' '' is French for 'father', to distinguish him from his son Alexandre Dumas fils), was a French writer ...

Plot

In February 1848,

(

Gérard Depardieu Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu, CQ (, , ; born 27 December 1948) is a French actor, filmmaker, businessman and vineyard owner since 1989 who is one of the most prolific thespians in film history having completed over 250 films since 1967 al ...

) is at the height of his fame. He has withdrawn for a few days into the immense

Château de Monte-Cristo The Château de Monte-Cristo is a writer's house museum located at Le Port-Marly in the Yvelines department of northern France. It was originally built as a residence for Alexandre Dumas, ''père''. History The château was designed by the arc ...

near

Le Port-Marly Le Port-Marly () is a commune in the outer western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region, north of Versailles. In 2019, Le Port-Marly had a population of 5,481. Population See also * ...

, that he is building. There he works with his collaborator,

Auguste Maquet Auguste Maquet (; 13 September 1813 – 8 January 1888) was a French author, best known as the chief collaborator of French novelist Alexandre Dumas, père, co-writing such works as ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' and ''The Three Musketeers''. ...

(

Benoît Poelvoorde Benoît Poelvoorde (, ; born 22 September 1964) is a Belgian actor and comedian. Early life His mother was a grocer and his father a driver, who died when Poelvoorde was still a minor. He attended the Jesuit Boarding School of Godinne before ...

). If the books bear Dumas' name, the tiring work undertaken by Maquet is colossal. Nevertheless, for ten years, Maquet has remained in the great man's shadow and never challenged his supremacy. When a quarrel breaks out between the two men, after Maquet passes himself off as Dumas in order to seduce Charlotte (

Mélanie Thierry Mélanie Thierry is a French actress. Early life and career Mélanie Thierry began her career as a model in France, then moved into acting. She began with a series of roles in French productions, and at the age of 17 appeared in the internationa ...

), a crucial question presents itself: what is the exact part each man has in the work's success? Who is the ''father '' of

d'Artagnan Charles de Batz de Castelmore (), also known as d'Artagnan and later Count d'Artagnan ( 1611 – 25 June 1673), was a French Musketeer who served Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard. He died at the siege of Maastricht in the ...

, and of '' Monte Cristo''? In short, who is really the author? Their formerly peaceful relationship is now in doubt and topples over into confrontation. And not far away, in Paris, a revolution is building which will seal the fate of another relationship—that of

Louis-Philippe Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate monarch of France. As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, he distinguished himself commanding troops during the Revolutionary Wa ...

— with the people of France.

Cast

–

Dominique Blanc Dominique Blanc (born 25 April 1956) is a French actress. She is known for her roles in the films ''May Fools'' (1990), '' Indochine'' (1992), '' La Reine Margot'' (1994), '' Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train'' (1998), and '' The Other One' ...

– Céleste Scriwaneck *

– Charlotte Desrives *

Catherine Mouchet Catherine Mouchet (born 21 August 1959) is a French actress. She studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, following the courses of Jacques Lassalle and Claude Régy. Her performance in the film '' Thérèse'', directed by Alain Cavalier, won he ...

– Caroline Maquet *

Jean-Christophe Bouvet Jean-Christophe Bouvet (born 24 March 1947) is a French actor, film director and writer. Filmography As actor *1969: ''La philosophie dans le boudoir'' as Le grand prêtre *1975: ''Change pas de main'' as Alain *1977: ''La Machine'' (directed ...

– M. Bocquin * Philippe Magnan – Guizot *

Florence Pernel Florence Pernel (born 30 June 1962) is a French actress. Early life Pernel was born on 30 June 1962 in Paris. She began her acting career at the age of 10 with the TV serial ''Plein soleil'' and two years later she made her film debut with Just ...

– Ida Ferrier Dumas *

Michel Duchaussoy Michel René Jacques Duchaussoy (29 November 1938 – 13 March 2012) was a French film actor, who appeared in more than 130 films between 1962 and 2012. At first a theatre actor, he worked for many years in the Comédie Française, where he ...

– Sub-prefect Crémieux * Roger Dumas – M. de Saint Omer *

Ophélia Kolb Ophélia Kolb (born 1982) is a French actress. Filmography Cinema * ''Pink Room'' (2004) … The Girl * ''Valériane va en ville'' (2006) … Valériane * '' Those Who Remain'' (2007) … Jennifer * ''Dans leur peau'' (2007) * '' Gainsbou ...

– Marion * Christian Abart – Inspector Flanchet *

Alexis Michalik Alexis Michalik, born 13 December 1982, is a Franco-British actor, scriptwriter and director. He adapted Shakespeare's ''Romeo and Juliet'' into his play ''R & J'' and he has written and staged his own plays, including '' Le Porteur d'histoire'' ...

– Jean-Baptiste Béraud

Reception

The Council of Black Associations of France criticized the decision to cast the white actor

to play the part of Dumas, who "was the grandson of a Haitian slave and often referred to himself as a

negro In the English language, ''negro'' is a term historically used to denote persons considered to be of Black African heritage. The word ''negro'' means the color black in both Spanish and in Portuguese, where English took it from. The term can be ...

References

External links

* 2010 films 2010s French-language films Alexandre Dumas Films set in 1848 French biographical films Films about writers Films directed by Safy Nebbou 2010s French films {{2010s-France-film-stub