the ending

I don't believe that statement either. I think the Count enjoyed dishing out his justice as it applied to each of his enemies. What's interesting in the end, after his revenge was complete, what joy did the Count have? None. His "purpose" for living was over and he could never get the happiness he once had back, not even with all of his money. I think it was Confucius that once said when seeking revenge, to dig a grave for yourself as well - kinda fits for the Count here psychologically.

Would have been interesting if Dumas wrote a sequel continuing the Count's life and the direction he would have gone in.

I think it brought him complete satisfaction, but that is a whole different attitude than joy.

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(sorry I wrote this before I saw other comments)

I have read the book twice so my understanding is based more on the book than the film - in truth I cannot judge whether it is a believable end to the film version. Here is a bit more understanding I have from the book:

By the end of all his plots, the Count is starting to doubt whether he truly had the authority to enact his revenge. Specific events convince him that he is indeed doing God's work, however the joy has been stripped and he is just completing his task he began in the Chataux D'If. Like a wave deciding as it hits the shore that it doesn't wish to break, he has no true option - the completion of his revenge is the final breaking of the wave of vengeance that took him from the ocean outside the prison to his final act.

In the book, his revenge on Villefort is much more complex, and has more collateral damage that in the film version - he must decide what is the cost of his revenge and questions his own morality, the Abbe Faria ever in his head.

I enjoyed this version of the film as it gave a glimpse into a lot of my favourite sections of the book; however, I think the fact I know the book so well added weight to every scene.

If you haven't already, I recommend reading the book for a better understanding. Its quite an undertaking, but in my view worth the effort as the intricate weaving of his revenge is a thing of beauty.

I can believe it. I mean, he needed to revenge, among other "things" his father died of starvation, in order to punish his enemies who destroyed his life in such a brutal way.

He had the possibility to revenge and he did it indeed, another different thing if the whole situation brought him really joy.