Les Misérables (1982)
Directed by Robert Hossein

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.

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...