Film Review
Film adaptations of great works of literature rarely live up to the reputation of their
source; most fail because they fail to convey the author's message, subverting the original
novel for some misguided contemporary purpose. Some, however, do make the grade,
and one of these is Robert Hossein's 1982 adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic literary
masterpiece,
Les Misérables. This film is exceptional in that
not only does it adhere closely to the original text, in content and style, but it magnificently
conveys the mood and ethos of the original novel. Of the twenty or so film versions
of
Les Misérables, this is unquestionably one of the best, and probably
one of the few of which Hugo himself would have approved.
The film's exceptional production values are enhanced by Hossein's own stylised approach,
which gives the film a sense of authenticity and surprising modernity. The power
in Hugo's timeless novel stems from its harrowing naked humanity, and its relentless optimism
in the face of terrible adversity. These are keenly reflected in Hossein's
film, which, as a result, makes a thoroughly compelling study in human nature.
Lino Ventura, an icon of French cinema since the 1950s (renowned for playing tough gangster
types), makes a charismatic Jean Valjean, lovingly portrayed with the force and conviction
of a great actor who is also a great human being. Ventura's acutely humanist Valjean
makes a striking contrast with Michel Bouquet's cold and emotionally bereft Javert.
The subtle on-going conflict between the two characters is as much the driving force of
the film as it is for the original novel, making each work a haunting parable of prejudice
and redemption.
To those who are accustomed to historical dramas having pretty sets, nice cinematography
and beautiful costumes, this adaptation of
Les Misèrables will come as something
of a shock. With its brutally honest depiction of the squalor and misery of ordinary
people living in early 19th century France, the film boldly pushes the period drama into
new - and uncomfortable - territory. The approach became
de rigeur from the
1990s onwards, but in the early 1980s it was something of an innovation.
Another point of controversy is how the film uses comedy to lighten - and sometimes to
emphasise - its darker, more dramatic moments. This emerges naturally from the characters
in Hugo's novel, brought to life by some memorable performances. Those who stand
out most are Jean Carmet's brilliant Thénardier (the avaricious innkeeper with
a balance sheet where his heart should be) and Emmanuel Curtil's Gavroche (the comical
street urchin whose tragic life and death are laden with symbolic importance).
Where the film is most impressive, however, is in its moments of bleak despair.
Skilfully avoiding sentimentality and dramatic excess, the film can leave no one unmoved
by the way it recounts the story of Fantine (arguably the most miserable of the miserable
ones) and stages the famous barricade scene. The latter is particularly difficult
to watch: as each character is cut down one at a time, the horror, brutality and sheer
senselessness of the carnage is magnified ten-fold, leaving the spectator breathless and
traumatised.
The film's weaknesses are more apparent in its second half, but are relatively easily
overlooked. Marius and the older Cosette are handled almost as minor characters
and fail to take the film's focus in its later part (this being possibly the most noticeable
difference from Hugo's novel). This partly accounts for the film's weak final segment,
which fails to do justice to what is, overall, a magnificently inspired and humanist adaptation
of possibly the most important novel in French literature.
After its initial (successful) release in 1982, the film was re-edited (with the inclusion
of additional scenes) to form a four-part serial for French television, which was screened
in 1985.
© James Travers 2003
The above content is owned by frenchfilms.org and must not be copied.
Next Robert Hossein film:
Les Salauds vont en enfer (1956)
Film Synopsis
Sent to jail for stealing a loaf of bread, Jean Valjean has every reason for hating humanity
and embarking on a life of crime when he is released twenty years later. The gesture
of a kindly bishop changes his perspective and he decides instead to live the life of
a good and honest man. Through hard work over many years, Valjean becomes a successful
industrialist and mayor of a small town, respected by all as a great benefactor.
But everything he has achieved is suddenly lost when Inspector Javert, a former guard
at the prison where he served, recognises Valjean and decides to arrest him for a minor
offence he committed years ago. Valjean would have submitted to arrest had he not
already made a promise to one of his employees, Fantine, just before she died. Moved
by Fantine's tragic story, Valjean has agreed to adopt her daughter Cosette, who is currently
in the care of the unscrupulous innkeeper Thénardier and his wife. To fulfil
his promise, Valjean must flee from Javert and assume a new identity. Some years
later, Valjean and Cosette have settled in Paris, at a time when an uprising against the
restored monarchy is fermenting. A young revolutionary, Marius, falls in love
with Cosette, but events conspire to keep them apart. Meanwhile, the stone-hearted
Javert is not far away, and he is as intent as ever that Valjean be brought to justice...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by frenchfilms.org and must not be copied.