Review: Les Miserables [1998]
Starring: Liam Neeson as Jean Valjean
Geoffrey Rush as Javert
Uma Thurman as Fantine
Claire Danes as Cosette [adult]
Mimi Newman as Cosette [child]
Hans Matheson as Marius
Directed by: Bille August
Screenplay: Rafael Yglesias
Review by: Joy Wyse
In the movie theater, prior to the screening, a trivia statement appeared on the screen. It said that Les Miserables was the first full-length motion picture filmed in America, in 1809. Now if that was so Victor Hugo would have been writing science fiction because the story begins in 1812 after Jean Valjean has served 19 years in prison, and continues for another 20 years. The date should have read 1909. Some later versions have been 1913 [France], 1918 [US], 1922 [ GB], 1925 [France], 1934 [France] 1935 {US - with Fredric March and Charles Laughton], 1946 [Italy], 1952 [US - Michael Rennie and Robert Newton] and 1957 [France]. And, there is the musical version.
The trivia statement also said that the current version stars Geoffrey Rush. When did Javert become the main role? Perhaps it was because we get to know Javert a bit better in this rendition than in others. His admission that his father was a thief and his mother was a prostitute helps us understand more fully his reactions to Valjean, Fantine, and Cosette.
Unless you have read the very long book by Victor Hugo, you will have different memories of the main and sub-plots as they unfold. It was interesting to me that an unusual number of people got up and left the theater for short times. When I went outside, because I started coughing, I spoke with a couple of people. They said that they knew the plot well enough to miss a bit of it. That does not speak well for a film. How many went outside during Titanic, because they knew the ending?
A brief synopsis is that Valjean had served 19 years in hard labor for stealing food because he was hungry. After his release he is shunned by most people except for a bishop who gives him a second chance in life. Ten years later, in 1822, he owns a factory and is the mayor of Vigau, living a quiet life.
Javert, who was a guard at the prison, is assigned to Vigau and thinks that he recognizes Valjean, although he's not certain.
Working at Valjean's factory is Fantine who is an unwed mother. Her daughter, Cosette, is living with a foster family, The Thenardiers, who treat the child poorly and overcharge Fantine for her keep. Fantine turns to prostitution but becomes ill. Valjean takes her into his care and promises her, on her deathbed, that he will protect Cosette and raise her as his own.
As Javert closes in, Valjean and Cosette leave Vigau and take refuge in a convent elsewhere, but when Cosette grows to be a young woman she does not wish to become a nun. She longs to learn of the world outside of the convent walls. During one of her first ventures into those unfamiliar surroundings she falls in love with a young political activist, Marius.
The conclusion combines an attempted rebellion, Javert's pursuit, Marius' injury, and what destiny holds in store for all of them.
Marius was the big disappointment. He came across as a wimp. It had to be Cosette's lack of knowledge that attracted her to him. She could have done so much better. I don't feel that anyone, with the exception of Fantine, was portrayed as well as possible. There were times that I should have been brought to tears, and I wasn't. Perhaps it was because August and Yglesias tried to condense the plot too much. Only the scenes with the Bishop, or the ones with Fantine moved me. What should have been a memorable motion picture was simply a good one. Instead of wanting to see it again, I'd like to see another version or re-read the book.
Because it does have so many redeeming features including costumes and locations, I give it a B. I wish it had been an A.
SEE YOU AT THE MOVIES!
The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.
Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews