Les Miserables is an infamous musical. It's been done on many stages and made into multiple movies, yet I've never actually watched it. I've heard great things about the music, and numerous things about the performances in this particular movie. I know everyone gives Anne Hathaway great praise for her performance in this and that many say that Russell Crowe was a letdown for the role he took on. Hugh Jackman is a one man show on Broadway, so there's no way he won't perform impeccably in this and Eddie Redmayne is an incredibly dedicated actor who completely immerses himself into a character he takes on. I am eager to finally watch this film so I can finally know what all the hype is about. I know it's set in France, centuries in the past and it's about people living meager lives and being prosecuted for varying things. Life is misery and pain for the poor in this era and it's about the story of those who won't let their spirit be broken. Can't wait to watch this, so let's get it started! I found it on Netflix if you want to watch it with me.
The title of this movie is very apt. It's all about the miserable lives of the lower class of France during the French Rebellion. We forget so easily the suffering of those who came before us. In school we are taught the history, but it's not like most of us care. We're kids and can't understand the deeper meaning of it, so we gripe about having to learn dates, places and names. It's not until we've lived a little that we understand and empathize with those who have gone through terrible suffering. This is one of those movies that pulls at the heartstrings of empathetic people. There are those who can ignore the suffering of others because it doesn't relate to them, but that's the same mentality that the nobility and upper class had, causing the poor to get poorer. They couldn't empathize with the suffering and starvation around them and looked at the poor as a pestilence in the streets of any city. They couldn't imagine paying them an honest and fair wage for their work, so the poor got poorer, continuing a millennia old problem.
The story follows Jean Valjean as he gets paroled from prison throughout the remainder of his life. He first tries to get work but finds that no one is willing to let a parolee work for them or even be near them. He winds up at a convent where they give him food and shelter. He comes to find a purpose in life at this convent. Eight years later, he is a wealthy business man who runs a company that makes rosaries, employing the lower class of the city. One of those employees was Fantine, a mother of a young child just doing what she can to ensure the child's health and well-being. She loses her job, then her way, and she joins the other miserable people of the city. Valjean finds her and, at her request, he finds her daughter and cares for her. This sets off a series of events that shows Valjean what true love is. His role as father brings him much joy for the rest of his life, despite needing to stay ahead of the law. As she grows into a woman, she falls in love with a revolutionist. He struggles against the status quo to gain freedoms for the common folk of France, risking his very life for his cause. There's so much happening in this movie/play, but all the threads tie together in this tapestry of life during a dark time of human history.
There is much misery and strife, but under it all is love. Fantine's love for her daughter drives all her decisions. Valjean's motivation is his love for Cosette. Marius' cause is driven by his love for his country and fellow men. Once he finds Cosette and survives the start of the Revolution, his love for her drives him forward into their future. It always seems that love can bring us through the darkest times. It gives us hope for better times and fuels our determination to push forward through the muck that life throws at us. Though the story may have much sadness and loss, there are threads of hope to help you through it. I definitely teared up quite a bit throughout the film. So many amazing performances that tear at your heartstrings. So many songs with so much heart and depth. It really makes me want to see the play the next time it comes around.
As for the music, it is well written and flows easily with the story. The first song, Look Down, is a strong song that shows the struggles of the prisoners. They ask those in power to look down and see their strife, their pain. They have long been overlooked and dismissed. The tune is carried through the film and used in multiple scenes tying a common thread throughout the story. I really liked the underlying meaning of this song because it seems to be something that is still relevant today. Those in power get so caught up in their own lives that they forget the people that are affected by their decisions. Seems some things never change. It's repeated again with the lower class and poor singing of their struggles begging for the mercy of the rich. They starve and freeze, but the upper class can't be bothered by people they see as insignificant.
I Dreamed a Dream was absolutely stunning. Anne Hathaway's performance shows the anguish Fantine feels perfectly and tore my heart out with it's intensity. I completely understand why she got so much recognition for her performance. She's barely in the film, but her presence is so strong that her story sticks with you. Her love for her daughter carrying through even as she's dying. Her death leads us to Cosette. Castle on a Cloud was wonderfully done by the young Isabelle Allen. Her voice was beautiful and surprising and gave me the perfect picture of her longing for more in her life. The song shows she's timid and worn, yet she's still hopeful that something more is out there for her. Her innocence is completely endearing and I can completely understand why Valjean takes her under his wing.
Master of the House was hilarious and they couldn't have chosen a better pair than Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter for the innkeepers. It helps to break up the seriousness that the movie has throughout the rest of the film. It's lighthearted and raucous at the same time. Their crass nature and repellent establishment perfectly fit the characters and the portrayal by the actors are perfect performances. They appear throughout the movie and some times I'm more grossed out by them than others. It was especially gross when you see the one patron who has vomited all over their chest. Seriously... eww...
As for the rest of the music, one of my favorite songs was Can You Hear the People? It has a rhythm and a cadence that resonated with me as a call to action. It's meant to stir the people of Paris into action to stand up for better rights for everyone. They use it a few times when the people need to stand united. I love these kinds of songs because it sinks deep into your soul and reminds you that sometimes there are things worth standing up for and gives you the courage and determination to do so. The Hamilton play had a similar effect on me as this song did. Sometimes we need things like that to unite us together when so many things seem to tear us apart.
So, to address the elephant in the room, the number one thing I heard from people about this particular rendition of this play was that Russell Crowe's performance was terribly lacking. Maybe because I haven't seen the play in any other form, I wasn't as upset about his performance. It was mildly awkward, but he didn't have a bad voice and he carried the air of a man who was incredibly faithful to the law. I was definitely surprised by his way to resolve his issues of being indebted to a criminal (in his eyes) and it was a bit shocking that they didn't shy away from the resulting impact. The character is completely dedicated to the law and I understand why Valjean never holds it against Javert. He misses out on the gray areas of the law, though, where it's not as clear cut as he makes it out to be, like when Fantine needs a doctor instead of a jail. He just saw her crime of an injury to a higher class citizen and decided she needed to go to court to be tried and sentenced. Valjean always seems to be asking Javert for more time. At first it's three days to collect young Cosette, then it's an hour to save Marius. Each of these times, though, he doesn't actually give himself up after his time is up. He just runs and takes years of freedom for himself. Javert never gives up. To him, the audacity of Valjean is a wrong that must be corrected.
Eddie Redmayne's performance as Marius was surprising. After seeing him in his roles as Newt Scamander and Steven Hawking, I was unsure of his singing capabilities. I was blown away by his skill and I'm guessing he had some previous experience in theater because his ability to create an amazing vibrato was amazing. I love his performance in this film. Amanda Seyfried showed pure innocence with her performance and was a light in the darker themes of the film. I'm not much for the characters that are so pure they're near perfection, so she wasn't my favorite character, but that wasn't really about her performance. She definitely portrayed the character beautifully, with a lightness and hope evident in every scene. Her scenes with Redmayne were complimentary personalities, so it wasn't like there was an oddness or mismatch between the pair. He showed such wonder and adoration when he looked at her in every scene, so he fast became a favorite of mine.
The lovelorn Eponine, however, was beautifully tragic. As a child, when Cosette lived with them, she was the pride and joy of her parents. She was always dressed in nice things and had fancy toys to play with. It's quite telling just how hard the family's lives got after Cosette moved on since Eponine is now one of the girls living in dirty, worn clothing, hair unbrushed and unkempt and living in apartment buildings instead of the inn that her family ran. She falls hard for young Marius and he is completely clueless. I was thinking that she would become one of those scorned women who did everything she could to keep him away from the woman he set his eyes upon. She did just the opposite, though, completely endearing her to me. She saw how he looked at Cosette and knew that he would never feel that for her. Instead of trying to keep him from her, she found where she was staying and took him there. Her selflessness is something I can truly appreciate because we show others that we truly care for their happiness when we put our own wants and needs aside for their benefit. After she's been forgotten, as the two sing their promises of love, she goes off alone and sings the most beautifully sad song that can rip your heart out. On My Own is sung beautifully and with so much feeling that you ache with her. She sets her mind to aiding Marius' cause and standing by him in the best way she can. At the barricade, she sacrifices herself to keep him alive. In her dying moments, he finally understands what he means to her and is truly there for her, caring for her and holding her in his arms as she fades away. Completely tragic, yet her sacrifice is what gives him the chance to stand up again for their cause and a chance to find Cosette. I was worried about her motivations when I first realized that she was in love with Marius, but she proved that she had the purest intentions when it came to him and she truly cared whether he was happy first. She's my true favorite character of this play. Her kind of character is not seen enough in other movies and plays. Where the woman isn't shown as a scorned woman, intent of revenge for the love interest not showing favor to her, but compassionate and considerate. Sure she kept Cosette's letter from Marius at first, but she chooses to give it to him in the end to ensure his happiness. Love her.
This is another movie I've seen that I'm glad I watched. The story is strong and compelling, giving you a look at the plight of the French in the early 1800s. The music is fun at times and heart-wrenching at others, ensuring it will stick with you for days afterwards. The actors did well to portray the characters and sing their parts, some standing out above the rest. The thing I loved most about this movie and it's music was the way the rebellion made me want to stand up with them for their cause. The song hit me right in the chest and I felt their resolution to rise up (yes, that's a Hamilton reference) and stand against oppression. Even if you decide to not watch this version, there is another movie made in the 90s with Liam Neeson and the play winds up at theaters a fair bit because it's so popular. I do recommend seeing it at least once, though, in some form. It's a good story that shows we've been through darker times and it only takes a few to stand up first before the world follows.
I know I've been far behind on my blog since I went on vacation at the beginning of the month and I'm not sure how I'll catch up. I'm going to start on my movies for August that I have chosen so I don't fall any more behind. I decided to watch classic movies for August since I couldn't find many celebrations or awareness events for this month. If I can find the time to work The Wiz in somewhere and just have a bonus post, I'm going to do that, but it can't be at the cost of the rest of my blog. I do want to watch it, though, so I'm going to try for a week that isn't as crazy in my life. For now, my next movie is going to be Casablanca and you can watch it with me through HBOMax. Stay tuned!
For more movie love, check out my other blog, "You're Watching That Again?!"
