LES MISERABLES
UK, 2012, 158 minutes, Colour.
Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks.
Directed by Tom Hooper.
For over twenty five years, (French opening, 1980, London, 1985) theatre audiences around the world have been profoundly moved by Victor Hugo’s classic story, by the book and music of Alain Boublil (lyricist) and Claude-Michel? Schonberg (composer). The wonderful English lyrics were written by Herbert Kretzmer whose fine work is not acknowledged enough. There has been a DVD of the 25th anniversary performance. Wisely, the writers and director have decided to honour the theatre experience rather than ‘opening up’ the musical to a ‘realistic’ presentation.
This means that the audience who have seen the stage version will continue to remember and re-experience what they enjoyed. It is over to the power of the plot, the music and the performances to win over those who may have seen versions of the Hugo novel (1930s with Fredric March and Charles Laughton, 1950s with Michael Rennie and Robert Newton, 1990s with Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush) and those who have not. It may be a hard sell for those not used to this kind of musical theatre on screen. It is very long (157 minutes). It is basically sung. The locations (galleys, French mountains, town, Paris, the barricades and sewers) are real but stylized.
What the film adds to the theatre experience is the decision to film most of the songs in close-up, something audiences cannot do in theatres except with theatre glasses. We realise this early in the film with the well-known song, sung by Fantine, I dreamed a dream. The camera stays close on Anne Hathaway’s face throughout the whole song, drawing the audience to see her, hear her, feel with her and to do this intensely. It is a powerful experience.
The same method is used for songs by Jean Valjean, Inspector Javert, Cosette, Marius and Eponyne.
While there are close-ups of the Thenardiers at the inn and in Paris, the Thenardiers offer the only comic relief in this long saga of the miserable and the suffering. With Helena Bonham Carter, again looking bonkers as in so many of her films – just as well she portrayed the Queen Mother which reassures us she can do normal – and Sacha Baron Cohen bringing his satiric style to try to steal the show, there is a lot of singing, thieving, cooking and hypocritical lying to contrast with the somber story.
No complaints about the acting. Hugh Jackman is a wonderful presence as Jean Valjean, ranging through many emotions as he survives almost twenty years after his servitude in the galleys. Russell Crowe looks the part as Javert. Amanda Seyfried is Cosette and Eddie Redmayne is surprisingly strong as Marius. The drama of the film is communicated powerfully.
The singing? It was all recorded in performance rather than pre-recording for lip-synch during filming which offers more authenticity than in most films. Hugh Jackman is very good, though his tone and range are best suited to his successes on stage in Oklahoma, Beauty and the Beast. Others who have sung Jean Valjean have had a more operatic range that suits such songs as ‘God, on high’. Colm Wilkinson, who plays the Bishop here, sang Jean Valjean for the tenth anniversary concert and has the ideal voice for the role. Russell Crowe’s singing does seem forced at times and his singing voice is not the purest or clearest. The others are impressive, especially Anne Hathaway, as well as Eddie Redmayne and, particularly, Samantha Barks very moving as Eponyne.
Tom Hooper has directed after his Oscar-winning work for The King’s Speech.
Jean Valjean is one of literature’s great Everyman characters, living through humiliation for a meagre crime, bitter but redeemed by the kindness of the Bishop, able to do good for people, even when he is hounded by the legal rigidity of Javert. He learns to forgive, not hate. His joy is in Cosette as his daughter. This is powerfully seen when, as Javert says, he gives him his freedom but, in fact, has killed him and his reliance on the law for controlling his life.
Les Miserables has been popular with religious groups. With the film drawing us to the close-ups, we listen attentively to the lyrics, the language of grace, God and heaven, ‘ to love another person is to see the face of God’.
1. The impact of the film? The theatre reputation for so many years? Characters, situations, stagecraft? The score, the songs and the lyrics?
2. The decision for staging the film in relationship to theatre performance? The stagecraft? The film designed for the cinema audience – and the focus on close-ups to give the full impact of the songs and characters?
3. The blend of the stylised and the realistic, the sets, the situations? The fantasy and dream sequences?
4. The music and the melodies, the themes, recurring, with different characters?
5. The lyrics, wit, clever, emotional, religious? Depth?
6. Victor Hugo’s plot, the 19th century, the role of the law, justice and injustices, the miserable and the poor? The galleys? The background of the French Revolution, the new monarchy? Idealism? Complacence of the people? Heroism?
7. Jean Valjean as an everyman? A good man, his caring for his sister, the taking of the bread, becoming a victim, nineteen years, suffering, humiliated? The visuals of the pulling of the galleys, the picking up of the log with the flag? Freedom? His being spurned, no work available? His turning to robbery? A chance for a new life, the grace from the bishop? His using his wealth to establish a new character, tearing up the parole papers? The interactions with Javert? His being hounded? The new identity, the factory, his success, respect as mayor, Javert’s arrival? Taking the man to court, Valjean and his decision to be honest? The interaction with Fantine, her being sacked from the factory, seeing her in trouble, his rescue, concern for Cosette? His interactions with the Thenardiers? Fleeing to Paris, being pursued, arriving at the convent, the life in Paris for many years? Javert’s arrival in Paris, Cosette and Marius, changes, his decision to leave? Going to the barricade? Letting Javert go, saving Marius’s life, the sewers? His going away from Cosette, his dying? His advocating love rather than hatred? Hugh Jackman’s image, singing, acting? The lyrics dramatising his character?
8. Comparisons with Javert, his explanation of his poor origins, his embracing the law, relying on rigidity of the law for his identity? Hard, supervising the galley slaves, addressing Valjean as a number? Demanding that he pick up the flag? His reluctantly seeing Valjean go on parole? His arrival in the town, his respect for the mayor, the stirring of memories, seeing Valjean lift the wood on the cart to help the man pinned under? His going to find a victim to identify as Valjean? Saying that his failure was a crime, Valjean letting him go? The courtroom, the prisoner, Valjean’s confession? Allowing him to go to the Thenardiers? Pursuing him to Paris? His appointment in Paris, his role as a policeman, official, promotions, his disguise as a spy on the barricades? His being exposed by Gavroche, his being tied up, Enjolras allowing Valjean to execute justice on him? Valjean saving him? The scenes of Javert on the rooftop, overlooking Notre Dame, the song about the stars? The reprise after his being freed? Saying that Valjean had actually killed him by letting him go? His final song, plunging to his death?
9. The visuals of the galleys, the song, inhuman treatment, the men, the various men singing the song about their suffering? Valjean fearing his rearrest and being returned to the galleys? Keeping his identity a secret, finally revealing it to Marius?
10. The scene with the bishop, the bishop welcoming him in, the sisters in attendance? The meal, his hunger, the saying of Grace? The stealing of the silver, his being arrested and returned, the bishop and his graciousness, giving him another opportunity, the Gospel values? Giving him the candles? The bishop reappearing at the end, part of Valjean’s life of redemption and grace?
11. The town, the factory, the foreman and his leering, the women working, Fantine amongst the women? The chorus and the lyrics of the women about their plight? The fights in the factory? The foreman and his advances on Fantine? Her resistance? The revelation about her child? Her being flung out, resorting to prostitution, selling her hair, selling her teeth, Javert and the fop complaining about her, her arrest? Valjean seeing this, his conscience stirred, taking her to the hospital?
12. Fantine as a character, one of the most miserable, the father of her daughter, her love for Cosette, with the Thenardiers? Her being sacked, on the streets, the pathos of selling her hair, the pain of her teeth? The prostitution and the way she was treated? The fop and his accusations? The hospital, her singing, her relying on Valjean? Anne Hathaway’s performance – and the close-up for her song? Her reappearance at the end?
13. The Thenardiers, providing some comic relief, the thieving routines, preparing the food – low-class food? Cosette and her sweeping? Their love for Eponine? Their wanting money? Their allowing Cosette to go, M’sieur Thenardier and his mispronouncing her name? Their greed? Their giving the information to Javert? Their reappearance in Paris, poor, spying and informing? Their dressing up and gatecrashing the banquet? The challenges? Their treatment of Eponine? M’sieur Thenardier in the sewers, taking Marius’s ring, later going back and telling Marius what happened?
14. Eponine, as a little girl, favoured by her parents, in Paris, with the barricade leaders, in love with Marius, seeing Cosette, finding Cosette for Marius, her carrying the notes? Her disguised as a boy on the barricades, saving Marius’s life? The pathos of her songs and her love for Marius?
15. Marius, rejection by his father, his friends at the barricades? The plans, the leader and his death? The visuals of the barricades? The songs, Drink With Me? Marius and Enjolras? Enjolras’s leadership? Idealism? Marius seeing Cosette, she seeing him? His going to the convent, the songs, the notes? His decision to fight? Javert as a spy? Gavroche, his song about little people? His unmasking Javert? His boldness on the barricades, his death? Enjolras and his leadership, the furniture thrown out of the windows to form the barricades? The military, the demand for surrender? The population of Paris not rising? The deaths at the barricades? Valjean, the encounter with Javert, his taking Marius through the sewers, Javert letting them through? Marius’s revival, the visit of Thenardier, the ring? Valjean telling his story? The reconciliation with Cosette?
16. Cosette as a little girl, her songs, working for the Thenardiers? Her going to Paris with Valjean, climbing the wall of the convent, their being received? The picture of the nuns and their hospitality? The social life, meeting Marius, in love, his visit to the convent, Valjean and his wanting to leave Paris, her reluctance? The end and the wedding? The celebration?
17. The emotional impact of the story, the issues of justice? The religious dimensions, the bishop, the language of God, the language of grace, falling from grace, God in Heaven? To love another person is to see the face of God?
18. Victor Hugo and the history of Paris in the first half of the 19th century? The Revolution, the triumphant idealism, the song of Red and Black? Tomorrow?
19. Audiences accepting the stylised format of the film, the effect of the close-ups for all the songs? Appreciating the drama? The universal themes?
