Movie Review: Les Miserables (2012)

Les Miserables (2012) directed by Tom Hooper

In this big screen adaptation of the hit stage musical based on the classic Victor Hugo novel, Hugh Jackman stars as the wronged convict Jean Valjean. He is just finishing a nineteen-year sentence of hard labor for stealing a loaf of bread because his sister's boy was starving. Nineteenth-century French law has no room for mercy, an attitude personified by Javert (Russell Crowe), the law enforcer who keeps his eye on the paroled Jean Valjean. Valjean returns to a life of crime when he steals a bunch of house silver from a clergyman who has taken him in. When the local police catch Valjean and take him back to the church, the clergyman does not press charges. Rather, he says Valjean was supposed to take two silver candlesticks as well, whispering to Valjean that he is buying Valjean's freedom so that he can become an honest man. Valjean fulfills the trust, though he assumes a new identity. In eight years he has turned into a wealthy businessman and mayor of a small town. One of his employees is wrongfully fired without his knowledge and she turns to a life of ill repute in order to send money to support her daughter. She accuses Valjean of abandoning her; Valjean pledges to find the daughter and raise her as his own. At the same time, Javert shows up and thinks he recognizes Valjean. He is dissuaded when a message comes from Paris that Valjean has been captured there. The real Valjean heads to Paris to save an innocent man from his fate, then escapes to help the daughter. And that's only the first third of the story!

The story has a lot of resonant themes. The need to temper justice with mercy is a perennial problem and makes for very good drama. The need for honesty and kindness, and the damage from the absence of those two virtues, creates tense conflicts and hard situations for the characters. It's hard to go wrong with the story from a novel that's been popular since its publication over 150 years ago.

The musical does not have any catchy tunes (except maybe "Master of the House") but that's because of the more somber tone of the whole story. The music and songs fit very well and the cast delivers them well. Crowe and Jackman give fine performances though the standout is Anne Hathaway as Fantine, the single mother who drops into misery at the beginning. The story wends its way through post-Revolution and post-Napoleonic French history but viewers don't need to know much about history to appreciate the great drama that unfolds.

Highly recommended.

Also, it was discussed a while back on, you guessed it, A Good Story is Hard to Find Podcast #117.

Movie Review: The Man Who Laughs (1928)

The Man Who Laughs (1928) directed by Paul Leni, based on Victor Hugo's novel

Gwynplaine (Conrad Veidt) is the son of disgraced nobleman Lord Clancharlie under English King James II. The king punishes the nobleman by turning the ten-year old Gwynplaine (Julius Molnar) over to Comprachicos, a band of gypsies who disfigure people and sell them. The king gets the idea from his sadistic jester Barkilphedro (Brandon Hurst). The Comprachicos give Gwynplaine a broad, ridiculous grin. James banishes the Comprachicos from England but they leave Gwynplaine behind. Gwynplaine flees through the snows, discovering a baby cradled by a dead mother. He takes the baby and winds up at the house of Ursus the Philosopher (Cesare Gravina), who takes both of them in as his children. Ursus is also a traveling showman. 

Once the children are grown, the trio wanders England putting on shows featuring Gwynplaine as "The Man Who Laughs." The show is popular but Gwynplaine is ashamed of his disfigurement. The baby has grown up to be Dea (Mary Philbin), who is blind but still performs in the show. She loves Gwynplaine but he can't believe any woman would love him with the way he looks. They go to a popular fair near London where the doctor from the Comprachicos has his own freak show (including a five-legged cow!). The doctor recognizes his work. He also knows that the spoiled Duchess Josiana (Olga Baclanova) has inherited the Clancharlie estate. The doctor plans to blackmail Josiana. The plan doesn't work out because Barkilphedro, who has become a noble, intercepts the letter. He offers the information to Queen Anne so she can get rid of Josiana, or better yet, humiliate her by forcing her to marry Gwynplaine, who is now destined to wind up in the House of Lords. Tragedy ensues.

Veidt's makeup inspired the look of Batman's arch-nemesis, The Joker. Barkilphedro seems more like the inspiration for Joker's personality. He's sadistic and vicious, ready to take advantage of anyone for his own benefit or even just his own amusement. Gwynplaine is a sensitive and caring man who can barely stand other people seeing his face. Veidt gives the character lots of pathos and delivers a great performance, though often only his eyes are visible. The rest of the cast is also good. The movie is a silent film and the actors use the typical exaggerated gestures common in the silent era. 

The sets are impressive, capturing the gloominess of the story and the roughness of the late seventeenth/early eighteenth century England. Leni's directorial style is nice, with occasional expressionistic flourishes that heighten the drama. I was a little worried when I bought this BluRay/DVD because the cover art looks unprofessional, but the film looks great and the score is fine.

Recommended, highly for silent film buffs.