LES MISERABLES
"Les Miserables" is an epic movie with the texture, scope and grandeur of some of Hollywood’s finest historical films. It has love, hate, revenge, mercy, redemption, and spectacle. Victor Hugo’s famed story of the reformed convict who spent 20 years in prison for stealing a piece of bread, and the inspector obsessed with bringing him to justice for violating his parole, is told against the backdrop of the post Napoleonic era. It begins at a time of class division and economic hardship and ends amidst a period of political unrest and social upheaval.
The no-nonsense script from Rafael Yglesias and the no-frills direction of Bille August concentrate on characterization and rely on the historical context to shape the motivation of the flesh and blood inhabitants of the oft-filmed "Les Miserables".
Liam Neeson dominates the screen with his powerful portrayal of Jean Valjean, the petty thief transformed from a hardened criminal to a humble servant of the people by a simple act of forgiveness. The scene between the parish priest, the gendarmes, and the downtrodden Jean caught with a set of stolen silver candlesticks is as classic as Hamlet’s soliloquy. Valjean manages to be something other than he was, and not to be what the times demanded of a lesser man - a destitute victim without hope of ever rising above his station. With a roll of the shoulder, a subtle shift of expression, and a tilt of the head, Liam turns despair into hope.
Geoffrey Rush is frightening as the imperious Inspector Javert, the self appointed guardian of social order who has built his career on the misery of others, rising from prison guard to prefect in the town of Vigau. There he comes into conflict with the reclusive mayor, who reminds him of a prisoner he once knew, known as - you guessed it - Jean Valjean. Valjean gives himself away by an act of brute strength that saves the life of a man who later becomes his savior. Javert sees the eccentric Monsieur Le Mayor’s humanitarianism as merely a ruse to conceal his criminal past. Through cunning and gamesmanship, Javert sets out to expose him.
Uma Thurman is heartrending as Fantine, the woman who must support herself as a prostitute after she is fired from her job at the factory owned by Monsieur Le Mayor. Jean rescues her from the grip of Javert’s justice when he learns the circumstances that prompted her dismissal. Claire Danes is the picture of wide-eyed innocence as Fantine’s daughter Cossette who is raised by Jean in the sanctuary of a convent. She falls in love with Marius, an impassioned revolutionary, who becomes the catalyst that brings Jean back into conflict with Javert. Marius is played by relative newcomer Hans Matheson.
Unfortunately Hans’ Marius is one of several weak links in this retelling of "Les Miserables." He and Claire strike the right chord as a love struck couple when they are together, but the passionate oratorical skills that are supposed to be his drawing card come across like an audition for a part in a high school play. It does not have the ring of truth. Neither does the very end of the movie. The narrative lacks a defining dramatic moment when Javert realizes that honor is something that comes from within and not from a code of behavior that is defined by the letter of the law.
The success or failure of "Les Miserables" rests squarely on the shoulders of Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush as his adversary. Their scenes together bristle with a tension that makes "Les Miserables" a compelling experience, despite its shortcomings.
There have been numerous screen and TV adaptations of "Les Miserables" one of which is a bona fide classic. The 1935 Hollywood version is still considered the version by which all others are measured with Fredric March as Valjean. This one has a more satisfactory ending that probably has more to do with the dimension that Charles Laughton brings to his Inspector Javert than the mechanics of the story. Laughton was known to agonize over every role until he captured the essence of the character. It was directed by Polish emigre, Richard Boleslawsky, who not only studied acting under Stanisalvsky but wrote one of the first definitive texts on the subject, Six Lessons of Dramatic Art. He died two years later. The cinematographer was Greg Toland who is best known for his deep focus photography on "Citizen Kane."
Two versions that attempted to broaden the scope of "Les Miserables" were the 1978 mini-series with Richard Jordan and Anthony Perkins, and a 210 minute French production with Jean Gabin. The most recent remake was made by Claude Lelouch with a parallel story of a man who is inspired by the actions of the literary Jean Valjean to help a Jewish family escape from the Nazis. Jean-Paul Belmondo plays both parts.
Depending upon what source material is consulted, the new "Les Miserables" could be the eighteenth film version. The stage musical does not count, unless that too is turned into a movie. Bille August’s film may not add anything new to the story, but the performances alone make it a worthy introduction to Victor Hugo’s timeless classic for a whole new generation.