So you can imagine my excitement on Saturday evening when finally I was on my way to the cinema to see Les Miserables. To put it into context - it is a rare occasion that I would ever go to the cinema. I have never known the release date of a film before it is out (or, probably, after) and to see a film within the first 48 hours of it's release is nigh on a miracle for me. But for Les Miserables no amount of fuss is too much.
I'll tell you now, I loved it!
My boyfriend Andy, who hadn't seen Les Mis before said he hadn't expected it to be such a dark film. I get what he means, there's not much light relief - and what there is (I'm talking about the Thernadiers) retains a grimness which still makes you grit your teeth. But for me the story, and the film, is about light. It is a story of redemption - and I can't think of anything better than that.
The film was so good for me because it is so faithful to the book, it has understood the original intention. It is not a carbon copy of the stage musical, it is deeper and darker and more detailed than could ever be done on the stage and every bit of that detail is from the book. And it has turned out really well, it is touching, you experience the emotions of each of the characters with amazing clarity when they are portrayed in such close up as the film can afford. You understand much more deeply that each of the lives in this story is a complete person, the totality of human experience is there.
The real winner in this film is not any of the actors or the score or the location, but it is as it should be, the story wins. And as I said before it is a worthy story, one of redemption.
The essence of the story is of individuals cut adrift, people suffering, who are redeemed by grace, sacrifice, human kindness and faith. It is a story of sinners who are saints. In each of the characters is the fullness of the human experience, not only joy but suffering, not only virtue but sin, not only reason but folly. The main character Jean Valjean is a convict made bitter and corrupted by years of unjust imprisonment and hard labour, it is his redemption at the hands of a kind Bishop, Monseigneur Bienvenue that brings light into this dark tale.
When Valjean attempts to steal silver from the kind Bishop who has taken him in, when no one else would give him even the corner of a cowshed, and is caught by the gendarmerie, the Bishop gives him that which he tried to steal and more. He hands over his prized candlesticks (if you read the book, you know that the silver is the last luxury he affords himself, everything else is given to the poor) telling Valjean "I have bought your soul for God". This is redemption, the price upon Valjean's head is paid, he is bought out of the slavery of sin, and now he has a new master, one who is benevolent, one whose burden is light.
We see also the suffering mother who would lay down her life for her child, the man who would risk his livelihood for a debt of gratitude, the woman in love who sacrifices her own feelings to lead the object of her love to his intended and the child who would give his life for the cause of justice and for his brothers.
This film has a lot to live up to, and on the whole it does, the theme of redemption was never so clear in this story than when I saw it on the big screen - and this is from a slight obsessive - because the detail is so perfect, and the telling of the story is so faithful, the themes have been retained perfectly where other sacrifices have been made. And while some of Victor Hugo's views and beliefs, I know, were not what I believe, his story sheds light on the reality of what it is to be a christian, to be a redeemed soul, giving your life as a sacrifice for others. It's a challenge and an inspiration.
If I'm allowed one objection it is the casting of Javert. And I hope I am - being that Javert is the character that fascinates me most (and he has some of my favourite songs). He should be tall, dark, greasy and sharp, with an edge to his voice. Poor Russell Crowe, though he did the character and his inner turmoil as much justice as he could in the way he played the role just looks and sounds a little too much like a teddy bear. This is what Javert should be like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urxk4mveLCw .
Javert is so fascinating because he strives all of his life for justice and yet his actions produce what seems to be the opposite of that, he is in error because he is over-scrupulous, can he ever be forgiven when he has wreaked so much ill, and refused to reconcile with his neighbor even when his life is given to him? And yet, all of this springs from an innocent and fervent desire to see the law upheld and justice done - it's a trap I could certainly fall into.
Reading at least the first half of the book recently (it's really long!) showed me not only how amazing the story itself is in it's complexity and in its portrayal of what it is to be a human and a christian but also how incredibly well it has been adapted into a musical and into a film. The music is perfect, the style is perfect, it makes so much sense.
Go watch the film, and take a box of tissues, and a friend to hold your hand!
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| Image from lesmiserables-movie.co.uk |
