Les Miserables (2012) film adaptation of the musical

I've read it many times. It's one of the best books I've ever read.

There are parts where Hugo delves way too deep into things that not everyone will find interesting - there's a very long description of the battle of Waterloo, even though only two characters from the book are present there. And there's a huge description of the sewage system of Paris. And one of the slang of Paris street urchins, and one about the structure of a fictional criminal gang.

But overall, the book is absolutely fantastic. Even with its Loads And Loads Of Characters, you usually feel that the characters are realistic - much more so than the councidences that bash them together time after time. Some bits are a bit outdated - especially the one about how Marius courts Cossette - but some parts, such as the revolution, are forever relevant.

The book is awesome, and I'm happy that details from it that were originally cut from the musical seem to be returning in the film.

The book is wonderful (I love the section on the bishop), but it's also got plenty of things that could be left out without detracting from it at all - the aforementioned Waterloo section (aside from the last couple chapters), Victor Hugo's thoughts on the Paris sewers, Victor Hugo's thoughts on convents, Victor Hugo's thoughts on gutter slang, etc.

There are parts which are excellent which have never found their way into any adaptation, though, like the relationship between Marius and his grandfather. And the interactions between Javert and the Thenardiers. And the writing is exceptional throughout (even though it was obviously originally written in French, I've finally managed to buy a copy of a translation that seems to capture the spirit of it).

Said grandfather is going to be in this movie. Exciting doesn't even begin to cover it.

Well, remember, that Hugo was one of the guys who was essentially helping to define the modern novel. I'm not sure he really had any characters he considered minor...

Saw some more promotional stills and...

The elephant. The freaking elephant's in this version. Yeah, I doubt that they'll include the subplot about it because it kind of goes nowhere, but the fact that it's there at all is a pretty awesome Mythology Gag.

I am a huge fan of the book. It is very near the top of my best books and favourites lists. I love how detailed it is and the huge tangents (except the convent one, not really keen on that). All the leaks of little book details that are being popped back in have really excited me for a while now (though I still don't understand why they switched Fantine and Cosette's hair colour over). The only thing I am really worried about is Russell Crowe's singing, since he didn't impress me when I saw the trailer in front of Skyfall.

x4 I think you might have missed a few adaptations (easy to do when there are about 100), since I distinctly remember at least 3 where Marius' grandfather plays a big part, including the amazing 1933 3-parter. They even have him eyeing up the new maidservant in that one!

The only adaptations I've seen are what I thought was the most well-known film (which is not particularly great, and does not end with Valjean's death) and the musical, which I love. I've definitely never watched a 1933 one.

edited 15th Nov '12 8:42:10 AM by WarriorEowyn

Has anyone else seen the French 4-part miniseries? (Each episode is about 100 minutes long.) I think it was a very faithful adaptation.

Wikipedia.

Really dislike that one. For every really faithful bit they have a incredibly mind-bogglingly awful change. Plus that's the one with the squicky Valjean/Cosette. I'd rather have a happy ending than that one.

As far as the ones I've seen, the 1925 silent, 1933 Harry Baur and 1957 Jean Gabin ones are the most faithful. The 1933 seems to me to best capture the spirit of the books, but bear in mind that I've only seen the truncated 2.5hr version of the 1925 film so the full version of that may be better.

edited 15th Nov '12 8:59:24 AM by Fiwen9430

The 1935 version with Fredric March is hilarious. It's got some good moments, like "You can't let babies starve!" but it's also got Charles Laughton as a terribly-miscast Javert (who looks like he's about to burst into tears at any moment, and I say that as someone who likes Laughton in everything else I've seen him in), John "Dracula" Carradine as a blood-hungry Enjolras, Marjolras, and Valjean humping a signpost. And it's one of those versions that ends at Javert's death, too.

One thing that I did like, that's not actually in the book, is a dynamic between Valjean and Eponine. They don't really interact in the book, but in this version they meet up and psychoanalyze each other for a while, eventually reaching the mutual conclusion that they need to let their loved one go for them to be happy. Valjean then runs off to the barricade with Eponine as his sidekick, which I find really awesome for some reason. A lot of other versions give Valjean some sort of sidekick, usually a completely original character, and I think that if he had to have one they should've remembered this dynamic and used Eponine, or, even better, Gavroche; his scene with Valjean in the book was awesome.

Oh, I've seen that one too. Sadly I haven't seen the 1952 remake version, which I'm told is even less faithful to the book and adds a random friend for Valjean.

The only English language one I like is the 1978 TV movie a.k.a. the really slashy Valjean/Javert one with Anthony Perkins. It suffers a lot from similar problems to the other English ones (happy ending after Javert's death, really truncated second half) but it is one of the only versions to feature The Great Coffin Escape and therefore makes it onto my list of good adaptations.

Oh! I just remembered another thing I liked from the '35 version: Cedric Hardwicke as the Bishop. He was also in the '39 Hunchback, also with Laughton (who's much better there), where he plays Archdeacon Frollo, aka the exact opposite of the Bishop.

edited 15th Nov '12 3:38:57 PM by HamburgerTime

Just finished book 3.

I hate Tholomyes.

Yup, he's a douchebag, and what's more, the scene where he gets his karmic humiliation via Contrived Coincidence was cut (yes, there was something Hugo did not put into Les Mis; go figure).

Clips of five songs (On Parole (24601), At The End of the Day, Who Am I, A Heart Full of Love and On My Own).

While I can imagine it might offend the palates of people used to more classically trained voices, the ragging on Russell's voice is a bit unwarranted, based on that clip, at least.

He reminds me of Gerard Butler in Phantom of the Opera. Not really... good, in any sense of the word, but at least kinda unique and memorable. They could have done a whole lot worse.

Redmayne and Seyfried are both okay, Hugh Jackman's good, Fantine's okay, Samantha Barks is good. Russell isn't good, but he isn't bad.

edited 2nd Dec '12 4:04:29 PM by kalel94

Let's wait and see how he'll handle Stars then...

Oh God...

Jackman definitely impressed me in the trailer, and I liked Crowe more than Butler, though I may be giving him some leeway because Butler's character (Erik) was supposed to be a musical genius and Butler... no.

Going back to silly adaptations for a second, apparently there was a rare radio-play version that was also hilariously-awful. Most notably, it added a random character named "Paul" who was supposed to be Marius's best friend or something ('Those bullies are being mean to Gary Stu!' 'Who's Gary Stu?' 'I don't know, but apparently he's my best friend.'). This is made even weirder by the fact that Courfeyrac, the character you'd expect to have that role, is actually in it... as Marius's crotchety old landlord. Paul's another one of those "sidekick" characters who hangs around Marius (and later, Valjean, including accomanying Valjean in the sewer scene; oh yes they went there) doing nothing in particular except existing, like one of those fanfics that's just the canon word-for-word except every time the main character's name is mentioned "and Gary Stu!" is scrawled in next to it.

edited 2nd Dec '12 7:01:53 PM by HamburgerTime

Maybe this adaptation will include Paul. And give him his own musical number. Fingers crossed.

So, should I watch the 25th anniversary version of the show before watching this?

IMO the 10th anniversary special is superior in just about every possible way to the 25th anniversary version, but both of them are of course very entertaining and give you a good idea of the songs of the show. Unfortunately, though, that's all you'll get: the songs. Well, the dialogue and the songs, but they don't actually properly play the play; it's just people standing on a stage singing. So no action.

The chances of the play coming back to my country are non-existent. I mean, it was here for some time, but back then I had no idea what it was. I want to get a feel for the play before I go in the movie. So... 10th anniversary it is?

The 10th anniversary version has Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean and Lea Salonga as Eponine. That should settle it, if you know either of those actors/singers.

The concert ends with actors who play Jean Valjean in adaptations of the musical from around the world singing "Do You Hear the People Sing" in their native language, all together. (Well, they alternate - obviously you don't want them singing in many languages at the same time.)

edited 3rd Dec '12 5:20:18 PM by BestOf