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I've never seen the play nor the film of several years ago. I think it was up for some Oscars, but it never caught my fancy even though I've not even seen a trailer for it. It's on one of the streaming channels right now, and I know it's a long film, but I'd heard some reviewers really did NOT like it. I know the story as I recall reading the Victor Hugo novel in school. PASS or RECOMMEND?
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Recommend. (Despite director Tom Hooper's odd close-ups-against-three-quarters-of-a-blank-wall setups.)
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I tried it, but i just could not get into this thing. Musicals (to begin with) are sort of a 'hit and miss' type genre for me. Sometimes I can REALLY get into the films: 'Fiddler on the Roof', 'Cabaret', 'Singing in the Rain', 'HAIR', 'Oliver!'. Sometimes, no matter what, I can't get into them: '1776', 'Jesus Christ Superstar'. 'Man of La Mancha'. now this, 'Les Miserables'. It was like an 'operetta', no one speaks, they all sing..'pass-me-the-salt-please', as an example. Not my cup of tea. I don't know why I CAN get into orphans in London singing, and Hippies in Central Park singing and dancing, but Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson singing in '1776', nope, can't do it.
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Montana, do you enjoy any particular non-musical movie versions of it?
I could never get into "JCSuperstar", either.
I was always more of a "Godspell" fan--even though I'm not a smelly hippy.
Well, Octoberman, I'm glad you asked because there IS a version I like(d), but haven't seen since I was in school. The High School showed a 1935 (?) black and white version of 'Les Miserables' starring Charles Laughton and Frederic March, which as you know are two Academey Award winning actors. I've never seen it since, anywhere but I remember I liked the cinematography and the music, (Alfred Newman) did the music. There is a French Version on Criterion, (I think it's Criterion) that is around 5 or 6 hours long, and I think it's from the 1950's, but I've never seen it.
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Posted: |
Jan 21, 2020 - 3:21 PM
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By: |
Octoberman
(Member)
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Well, Octoberman, I'm glad you asked because there IS a version I like(d), but haven't seen since I was in school. The High School showed a 1935 (?) black and white version of 'Les Miserables' starring Charles Laughton and Frederic March, which as you know are two Academey Award winning actors. I've never seen it since, anywhere but I remember I liked the cinematography and the music, (Alfred Newman) did the music. There is a French Version on Criterion, (I think it's Criterion) that is around 5 or 6 hours long, and I think it's from the 1950's, but I've never seen it.
How cool!
I'm glad I asked, too, because the 1935 is EXACTLY my favorite film version!
The purists seem to blow this one off because it plays too fast and loose with the storyline and omissions.
And while I know very well how true that is, I think that--more than any other version--it gets to the emotional heart of the story without having to play out against the larger context of the Revolution (which is almost an arbitrary B-plot thrown in at the end).
The Revolution, of course, drives the plot of the book but it seems at times to be too big to wrap my head around.
I'm more invested in the smaller human drama of March's portrayal. It's played more as melodrama but I don't care.
The 1934 French version is a superior telling in almost every way (it's my 2nd favorite and it's amazing), but somehow March and Laughton keep me returning to their version year after year.
They are just fantastic and so much fun to watch (AND heartbreaking too!).
(The DVD edition I have is the one that includes the Michael Rennie version on the flipside.
It has its good points and it's nice to have as an alternative.)
And, my God, does it get any better than Cedric Hardwicke as Bishop Myriel?
His scenes are absolute gold.
... Well, now you've done it. I'm popping it in tonight! 
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