"Remember to love each other, always. There's scarcely anything else in life but that."
— Jean Valjean
Les Misérables is the 1935 American film adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel of the same name, under the direction of Richard Boleslawski.
The film stars Fredric March as Hugo's everyman Jean Valjean, a former prisoner who is forgiven for his sins by the kindly bishop Myriel (Cedric Hardwicke). In his attempts to reform he becomes the successful businessman/mayor Madeleine, before adopting Cosette (Rochelle Hudson) from his dying employee Fantine (Florence Elridge). The obsessive Inspector Javert (Charles Laughton), who believes in the law above all, is suspicious of "Madeleine", and pursues him over the years.
Tropes:
- Adaptational Alternate Ending: The film ends with Javert's suicide, omitting the months of further plot development from the novel that end with Valjean's death.
- Adapted Out: Gavroche and Gillenormand don't appear in this adaptation.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: Fantine dies in both book and film, but unlike in the book, she gets to keep her hair, teeth, and good skin at the time of her death.
- Adaptational Villainy: Javert in the novel may be Valjean's misguided antagonist for most of the time, but here he's not only outright evil but also brutal.
- Composite Character: The 1935 version combines Marius with the leader of his revolutionary group Enjolras, making Marius the leader of some students protesting the poor treatment of galleys prisoners.
- But Now I Must Go: After Cosette and Marius reunite in the 1935 version, Valjean tells the two of them that he will retreat to England.
- Lawful Stupid: Javert flat out refuses to take any responsibility for his actions, blaming each and every decision on the law.
- Meaningful Echo: When the Bishop gives Valjean the candlesticks, he tells him, "Life is to give, not to take." Later, Valjean passes on the candlesticks to Cosette and Marius, and tells them, "Remember, as was once told me: life is to give, not to take."
- Named by the Adaptation: Javert gets a first name,Émile, in this film.
- Slave Galley: The novel frequently refers to Valjean as a galley slave. This is due to the words "galley" and "galley slaves" continuing to be used in French for a kind of penitentiary (bagne in French) and their inmates, long after they were not actual slave galleys anymore. This film, however, takes the term literally — Marius' group, rather than aiming to overthrow the monarchy, now wants the prisoners to not be treated like slaves.
- A Taste of the Lash: Valjean is shown being flogged in prison.
- Unrelated in the Adaptation: The Thénardiers disappear after the first act, and no mention is made of Eponine (here a "respectable" woman and the Amis' secretary) being their daughter. Their son Gavroche is cut.
