Day Fifty-Seven: Les Miserables

LES MISERABLES

Starring:
-Liam Neeson
-Geoffrey Rush
-Uma Thurman
-Claire Danes

Directed by: Billie August

Screenplay Credits: Rafael Yglesias

MPAA Rating: PG-13 – for violence and some sexual content


When Jean Valjean was very young, he was starving in the streets. One day he stole a loaf of bread. For this crime he was captured, imprisoned, and forced to serve 19 years of hard labor in a work camp. One of his overseers, Javert, was especially brutal and Valjean never forgot his cruelty.

When Valjean is finally released, he is to meet a parole officer in another city. He stops in his travels to dine with a priest. In the middle of the night, he runs off with the house silver. The police arrest him just for looking suspicious and they bring him to the priest, who claims that the silver was a gift. He also gives Valjean the two silver candlesticks he left behind, telling him he must honor his promise to become a new man. This kind act touches Valjean deeply, and he goes on to make something of himself.

He neglects to meet with his parole officer and instead goes to the city of Vigou to get a job as a worker in a factory. The factory goes bankrupt and Valjean is able to use his meager savings to purchase and rebuild it. Valjean’s kindness is legendary, and the townspeople insist he become Mayor. Valjean reluctantly accepts the title and continues to do good work in the city.

Long story made short, he feels responsible for Fantine losing her job in his factory and becoming a prostitute. Now she’s dying of some random hooker disease and her child is stuck with some horrifyingly evil innkeepers in another city. Valjean promises Fantine that he will collect her child and take care of her. He assures her that Cosette will want for nothing.

Fantine dies and Valjean takes Cosette away from the innkeepers. All the while, Javert is on their trail. He wants to send Valjean back to prison for life for his parole violation. Javert is obsessed with rules and procedure and the keeping of the law. He’s very anal about it. Maybe he wasn’t breastfed.


Anyway, this is a really fine movie adaptation. It’s sweeping cinematically and visually very beautiful. Obviously some things had to be changed around and several things had to be omitted (I never liked you anyway, Eponine. You’re a man-stealing slut.), but it hits the high points and gets the main plotlines across.

Next to Valjean, my favorite character is Javert. He’s such an intriguing guy, and Geoffrey Rush is unbelievable in this part. I mean, you want to smack him, but you can’t wait to see what he’s gonna pull next.

I did sort of miss the songs in a couple of places, like at the innkeepers, but I most certainly did not miss hearing Fantine’s deathbed banshee screech: “Look, monsieur, at how the children PLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!” It’s also good to be without little Cosette’s whimpy, tinny rendition of “Castle on a Cloud.”

But I did miss Javert’s “Stars” and I certainly missed the priest’s little song at the beginning when he gives Valjean the candlesticks (“But my friend, you left so early. Surely something slipped your mind. You forgot, I gave these also. Would you leave the best behind?”) I get chills every time he tells him his soul has been bought for God. CHILLS.

Whether you’re a fan of the musical or not, check this one out. It’s one of the coolest stories I’ve ever heard, and it’s magnificently told in this film.


FINAL GRADE: A+

Off in search of Valjean,

M.