Les Miserables (1998)
Director: Bille August Cast: Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman, Claire Danes Screenplay: Rafael Yglesias Producers: James Gorman, Sarah Radclyffe Runtime: US Distribution: Columbia Rated PG-13: violence, sexual content
By Nathaniel R. Atcheson (nate@pyramid.net)
Those of you who frequently read my reviews are not likely to be surprised by the fact that I have not read Victor Hugo's novel Les Miserables. I don't know if a lot of people have, though I imagine many are familiar with the popular musical based on the novel. I haven't even seen that. Going into this film, I had almost no knowledge of the story or its characters (I even expected the film to be a musical). Walking away from it, I'm kind of glad I had no prior experience with the material. Writer/Director Bille August's film version is a straightforward, beautifully told film.
Liam Neeson stars as the miserable Jean Valjean; in the beginning, he has just been released from a 19-year prison sentence. He is allowed to stay in a convent by a kindly priest despite his rude and destructive behavior. The priest's words of wisdom influence him, and he makes a vow to change himself. Nine years later, we are informed that he is now the mayor of a town called Vigo; nobody knows his real name, and that he is wanted for skipping his parole nine years ago.
Conflicts arise when Inspector Javert (Geoffrey Rush) is assigned to Vigo. Valjean remembers Javert as one of the prison guards who constantly beat him, and Javert remembers Jean to be a convict. Javert is hell-bent on upholding the law, and he does everything in his power to bring Jean to justice. Along the way, Valjean meets and falls in love with a peasant woman, Fantine (Uma Thurman), and vows to take care of her daughter, Cosette (played later by Claire Danes).
Les Miserables is visually a solid and often striking picture. The production design by Anna Asp is authentic and vast, and the sets don't look like sets (they look like real towns and villages); Gabriella Pescucci's costumes are noticeably spectacular. Basil Poledouris' soundtrack is thick and usually well-placed (though it does get a bit heavy at times). Many scenes in the film have a memorable photographic quality, such as the climax, which takes place next to a dark river in the grey obscurity of early evening.
Augusts keeps the story simple (which I hear is a good thing, since the novel is so complex) and easy to follow. He manages to develop the main characters and most of the subplots adequately. I was also impressed that he didn't go overboard with flash and style, which is something so many directors seem to be doing to classic stories these days (such as Baz Luhrmann's vicious tragedy William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet). This film feels solid and whole, and each scene has a certain amount of importance and vigor that keeps the audience interested.
Liam Neeson is terrific in the main role; Neeson is the kind of actor who does solemn desperation extremely well, and Valjean is certainly a man who clearly fits that adjective. Thurman, in her small role, is very good, and proves that she has a lot of range and can perform in a very non-glamorous role such as this one. Rush is absolutely incredible as Javert; I don't remember ever feeling so strongly about a villain as I do here; he adds depth and complexity with subtle glances and nuances, and effortlessly makes each of his scenes intense. I can't be as charitable for Danes, however; though I know she is a talented actress, here she tends to overact when it might have been better to underplay the character a bit.
Les Miserables is, as I've said, a solid, intelligent motion picture. My only complaint is that it feels a bit too easy, and perhaps too staged. Each scene is grand and huge, and exploding with Poledouris' score, but I didn't always want them to be. For the most part, Les Miserables is not a subtle or deep picture. It's a good movie, and tells its story well, but August tends to hand-feed us themes and scenes that would have worked better had they been more subtle. However, in a film this exciting and well-produced, a few minor flaws are easily overlooked.
*** out of **** (7/10, B)
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Nathaniel R. Atcheson
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