... I had been charmed, captured and captivated by the amazing experience that is Les Miserables.
I went home, onto Ebay and ordered the DVD of the West End version of the concert. While I was browsing the items for sale there, I discovered there had been a film out in 1998 starring two of ... Read review
Jean Valjean (Richard Jordan), a handsome young woodcutter, is cruelly sent to prison for ... more
stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving family. Released from prison many years later, he faces freedom with an urge for revenge until the benevolent Bishop Myriel takes him in and gives him shelter. When Valjean is caught stealing the Bishop's silverware the kindly Bishop tells the authorities that the silver was a gift, in return insisting that Valjean must change his ways, become an honest man and perform good deeds for others. However, Javert (Anthony Perkins), the ice-cold Inspector of Prisoners, relentlessly pursues Valjean and is determined to put him back in prison...
Victor Hugo's tale of injustice heroism and love follows the fortunes of Jean Valjean an ... more
escaped convict determined to put his criminal past behind him. But his attempts to become a respected member of the community are constantly put under threat: by his own conscience when owing to a case of mistaken identity another man is arrested in his place; and by the relentless investigations of the dogged policeman Javert. It is not simply for himself that Valjean must stay free however for he has sworn to protect the baby daughter of Fantine driven to prostitution by poverty. A compelling and compassionate view of the victims of early nineteenth-century French society "Les Miserables" is a novel on an epic scale.
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Based on Victor Hugo's classic novel, this two part adaptation is an epic tale of love, ... more
honour and obsession against the dramatic background of the French Revolution.Jean Valjean (Gerard Depardieu) lives a life on the run after a prison sentence for stealing a loaf of bread. Settling in a remote town, Valjean becomes a wealthy and respected businessman. He devotes himself to the care of the poor, including the beautiful, young, and poverty stricken Fantine (Charlotte Gainsbourg). When Fantine dies, she leaves behind a daughter, Cosette (Virginie Ledoyen), who has been left with another family while Fantine works in Valjean's factory. Valjean buys Cosette back from them and raises her like his own daughter. But they are haunted by Javert (John Malkovich), a policeman whose lifelong search for Valjean has become an obsession.A hunt begins that will come to a final confrontation on the revolution torn streets of Paris.
Production Year: 1992 - Music / Performing Arts - Original Language: English - Classification: Exempt - Starring: Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon, David Bowie, Def Leppard, Extreme, Elton John, Bob Geldof
Production Year: 1999 - Music / Performing Arts - Original Language: English - Classification: Exempt - Starring: Donny Osmond, Joan Collins, Richard Attenborough
Advantages: Compelling film, beautifully shot, great characters Disadvantages: Not the musical version you may be familiar with
...the amazing experience that is Les Miserables.
I went home, onto Ebay and ordered the DVD of the West End version of the concert. While I was browsing the items for sale there, I discovered there had been a film out in 1998 starring two of my favourite actors – Liam Neeson and Uma Thurman. Somehow, my itchy fingers clicked on that tempting Buy It Now icon and so, another DVD to add to the collection.
But how could a ... ...As this is the first Les Miserables film I have seen, I found myself comparing it to the concert DVD I have, that of the 10th Anniversary production starring Michael Ball.
Initially, I did miss the music. It is such an integral part of the whole Les Miserables experience, that it felt somehow naked without the haunting notes and perfectly tuned voices. But I was soon captivated by the story and became just as swept away in it all. ... more
INTRODUCTION
A couple of weeks ago, I fell in love. It seemed an ordinary day at first. We went out as a family to watch our eldest daughter in the school production. About ten minutes into the play, I realised I was feeling something special. I love musicals and this was no ordinary musical. I had been charmed, captured and captivated by the amazing experience that is Les Miserables.
I went home, onto Ebay and ordered the DVD of the West End version of the concert. While I was browsing the items for sale there, I discovered there had been a film out in 1998 starring two of my favourite actors – Liam Neeson and Uma Thurman. Somehow, my itchy fingers clicked on that tempting Buy It Now icon and so, another DVD to add to the collection.
But how could a non-musical film compare to what must be one of the best musicals of all time?
THE FILM
According to IMDB, the 1998 version is the 21st film interpretation of Victor Hugo’s famous novel. With around 1200 pages of text to work from, I am sure it is easy for each one to have a slightly different slant or emphasis to the others. As this is the first Les Miserables film I have seen, I found myself comparing it to the concert DVD I have, that of the 10th Anniversary production starring Michael Ball.
Initially, I did miss the music. It is such an integral part of the whole Les Miserables experience, that it felt somehow naked without the haunting notes and perfectly tuned voices. But I was soon captivated by the story and became just as swept away in it all.
THE STORY
This seems a good point to briefly explain the story. Our hero is Jean Valjean. He has been sentenced to nineteen years of hard labour for the crime of stealing bread. Essentially a good man, this experience has hardened him. After he has completed his punishment, he is offered the hospitality of a bishop. Jean Valjean steals from him, assaulting the man as he does so. When he is subsequently caught by the police, the bishop provides an alibi for Jean and he is freed.
Jean is moved by this kindness and the bishop hopes he will change his ways, find love and find God. He becomes a generous man, saving a factory from closing down and becoming the local mayor. But Inspector Javert knows the Jean of old. Being a staunch believer in law and order, he vows to catch Jean and sets his life to the pursuit of this goal.
So Jean Valjean is free – but constantly forced to run and hide to evade capture. He has to reinvent himself and start all over again. He also has a new role now, that of a guardian. When a woman from his factory dies, he promises to find her illegitimate daughter and look after her as his own, which he does.
Jean and his ‘daughter’ Cosette are living in Paris as the ABC student movement are preparing for the revolution. Marius and Cosette fall in love, but surely their love is doomed. Jean is a protective father and does not approve of their relationship. Marius and the revolutionaries are surely fighting a battle they can’t win. Inspector Javert, meanwhile, is still hunting Jean Valjean….
FILM v MUSICAL
The film version of Les Miserables is able to provide the beautiful scenery and settings that a stage backdrop can only aspire to. It is shot in a very effective way, the city often being grey and brown, contrasting with the lush green of the countryside. This seemed to me to echo the film’s themes of freedom and imprisonment.
The issue of time is a factor in the film too. There seems more opportunity to reveal the characters on screen, with close up shots and subtle nuances that are harder to achieve on stage. The story seems easier to follow in the film, although large chunks of the novel are (unsurprisingly, considering its length) omitted. For example, Eponine or Enjolras play a more minor role in the film than in the novel and the musical version.
Of course, both are legitimate interpretations and it is down to individual preference as to which version you will prefer. I love both and would recommend you watch the musical and the film. They complement each other in many ways and I found they both added to my enjoyment and understanding of the story.
THE CAST
The part of Jean Valjean is played by Liam Neeson in this film. He is ideal for the role, with his natural strength of build and his quiet voice and confident manner. He easily conveys the emotion of the part and is equally convincing as violent brute or generous benefactor.
Geoffrey Rush is equally perfect as Inspector Javert. Stoical, vengeful and cunning, he believes in every letter of the law, treating it as if it is his religion. Seeing everything in such black and white terms though allows for no diversion from the path and when he finally understands the innate goodness of his enemy, he finds he has only one option he can now follow.
Rush plays Javert with a quiet menacing cruelty. This makes the character much more realistic, as he is skilfully under-played which makes him much more threatening than if he was played as a typical ‘baddy’. His appearance in a scene instantly changes the tone of it and the only compassion you really have for him is at the very end.
Uma Thurman plays the tragic Fantine, Cosette’s mother. She manages to look convincingly frail throughout and dies beautifully. While being good enough in the role, I found Liam Neeson’s Valjean stole all the scenes they were both in and I preferred Fantine in the musical.
Cosette, however, comes across much better in the film. While she seemed rather weak and pathetic in the musical, the Cosette played by Claire Danes is strong, determined and feisty and therefore, more interesting. Danes is a very convincing Cosette and we follow her as she develops into a woman and falls in love.
The object of her love is Marius Pontmercy, student and political activist. Played by the rather cute Hans Matheson, he displays the charm and tenderness of Marius in love equally well as his youthful enthusiasm as a revolutionary. The love affair between Marius and Cosette is also well portrayed and stays the right side of sweet.
The Thenardiers feature much less in the film version, but there are still a few humorous moments with their characters. This is much more underplayed than in the musical - where the Thenardiers get what is arguably the best musical number – but provides a modicum of light relief in what is a rather dark story.
IMAGERY
In a similar way to The Pianist, I found that watching this film left me with a couple of haunting memories. The firing squad scene is as effective in its brevity and bluntness as the corresponding scene in The Pianist is in its prolonged brutality.
The fate of the cheeky, impish Gavroche is also particularly memorable. A mere child himself, he is streetwise and confident and becomes a ‘papa’ to the younger urchins. The revolution scenes seem particularly shocking when this child-father is involved.
The final scenes along the river are also beautifully done. The fates of Javert and Jean Valjean continue to be inextricably linked, even up to the final act. The chains that once bound one now bind the other. The flight of the birds at the end of the film seem to symbolise the end of imprisonment and the start of freedom.
OVERALL
The musical of Les Miserables is captivating but so is this film. Whether watching it as a complement to the book or musical or simply as a stand alone story, Les Miserables is wonderful. Its plot concentrates on the dual themes of Valjean and Javert, Marius and Cosette but the underlying themes, sub-plots and the background setting of the French Revolution make this a deeply moving experience.
My love affair has only just begun. Having fallen in love with the musical, the concert and now the 1998 film, I just need to read the Hugo novel. Well, apart from the other twenty film versions I can try to find! I’ll be back, but I may be some time…
Advantages: The most amazing musical EVER !! Disadvantages: Should be twice as long !!!!!
...the chance. Les Miserables is widely recognised as the World's most popular musical. 10 years after it's opening night, the 1996 10th Anniversary concert which took place at The Royal Albert Hall, has become almost as legendary as the show itself. This amazing production is one of the most remarkable performances of Les Miserables ever put together, with the full magnificance of the score accompanied by the outstanding Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. ... ...It shows the making of Les Miserables around the world featuring interviews with Cameron Mackintosh the brains behind the musical and Alain Boubill and Claude-Michel Schonberg the creators of the musical. The programme is really interesting and it's fascinating listening to each of the songs in the many languages it's been produced in. It's also interesting to see how each Country perceives each character.
Along with the DVD comes a special commemorative ...
Lynso1977 06.01.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Les Miserables (DVD)
Advantages: Great Cast, Great Musical, The Extra performance of Do You Hear the People Sing and One Day More. Disadvantages: No the full score.
Les Miserables is a near-perfect show. It has great songs and brilliant characters which are often portrayed by brilliant actors. There is no finer display of this casting than the Anniversary DVD. The original Valjean, Colm Wilkinson has not lost any of his wonderful voice and his counter-part Javert, Philip Quast, is equally as 'on-form'. Ruthie Henshall and Lea Salonga are also fine at their parts and the original Marius, Michael Ball is fantastic ... ...for Enjolras. As Les Miserables is a predominantly stationairy show anyway, the lack of movement in the DVD is not a problem. The characters are in costume and do a fair amount of moving making the DVD really seem like Les Mis. The songs are well sung by all and there no weak links in the show. Equally, for the majority of the show, the songs are well directed.
Also the DVD allows viewers to sing-along using an extra 'Show Lyrics' Feature. The final ...
chiggy321 28.05.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Les Miserables (DVD)
Advantages: Great story line, superb casting, good depth to the plot Disadvantages: I wanted to hear the songs from the musical.
I watched this last night for the first time. I am a big fan of the musical and was unsure whether I would be disappointed by the film. Fortunately this is far from the case. This is a great film to watch whether you have seen the musical or not it is a great night in. The story is clear but with a good depth philosophically. If you have seen the musical it adds to the story line. Whilst I wanted to hear the songs from the musical, they were running ... ...still strong.
All the cast, Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman, Claire Danes and co. put in strong performances. Neeson and Rush put in superb performances with a real spark between the two protagonists.
The themes of justice, forgiveness, mercy and salvation and very strongly portrayed through the lives of various characters of the film.
Rarely do I enjoy a "classic literature" or the films based on them. This film is one exception, don't ...
saintfan 23.06.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Les Miserables (DVD)
Advantages: Good Story, A Classic Disadvantages: What happened to the end????
Well, I have bought this on dvd and I was thoroughly impressed with it. Liam Neeson plays Jean Valjean with ease. Geoffrey Rush as Javert - was he type-cast ????? A brilliant Javert.
The film follows the story quite well but I was a bit shocked at the following few things:
Eponine - Where was she? She never appeared in the film at all, but does actually play a big part in the story (love triangle between Cosette, Marius and Eponine).
Javert's ... ...so much more story left - Valjean not wanting Cosette to know about his past, Marius finding out that it was Valjean that saved him and the death of Valjean.
Despite all this, the film is very watchable and I would watch it a few times... This story teaches us lots of different things.... ...
theatretony 29.06.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Les Miserables (DVD)
Advantages: This is a moving show about the french revolution. Disadvantages: You will never be able to look at the french without thinking of this.
Last year at around this time I was having the most tiring yet most enjoyable week of my life. I had spent the whole weekend practicing with a band for our school production of "Les Miserables".
This musical is based on the book "Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo and is a story about some of the poor people in France during the french revolution. It is about hteir struggle against those people who are rich. The play starts in a slavery prison where ... ...day. The main character, Jean Valjean, soon gets set free and goes off to start a new life, and is given money by a priest. The police, being ignorant and ill-informed, immediately assume that jean valjean has stolen the money, and they begin to chase him. Most of this story is the struggle that Jean Valjean has to endure to try to forge a proper life for himself whilst being followed closely by the police, led by Inspector Javert. As the story progresse ...
chasmesque 05.12.2005 (23.06.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Les Miserables (DVD)
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Advantages: Michael Ball, Cast, Songs Disadvantages: No Acting
As in a few days time it is the 21st anniversary of LesMiserables opening in London's west end, I thought what better way to help celebrate then to write a review on the special edition DVD that was filmed in 1995 to mark its 10th anniversary.
Ever since I went to see LesMiserables at Bristol theatre when I was about eight years old I have loved the musical. Although for a child of that age, the story was quite hard to get a grasp of, the music was just out of this world, really superb, and it has to be the first musical I have ever seen where they can involve such hard hitting issues, such as the poor and war, along side with a pinch of comedy.
# History of LesMiserables #
LesMiserables first opened in the Barbican Theatre, London on the 8th of October 1985 and moving to the Palace Theatre on the 4th of December. It later ...
Advantages: Wonderful to watch, on-screen lyrics, great cast Disadvantages: Some minor quibbles
INTRODUCTION
After falling in love with this musical (as I mentioned in my previous review), I bought two DVDs of it ? the film version I wrote about earlier and the concert DVD, which is the one I am reviewing here. This one is listed as ?LesMiserables ? The Musical That Swept The World ? in concert? (That?s a good one for charades!) and stars what is known as ?the Dream Cast?.
This is the 10th Anniversary concert filmed at the Royal Albert Hall and stars several well known actors and singers, including Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, Philip Quast as Inspector Javert, Ruthie Henshall as Fantine, Michael Ball as Marius, Alun Armstrong as Thenardier and Lea Salonga as Eponine.
STORY
A brief précis for those who are not familiar with the story of LesMiserables?
Jean Valjean was arrested for stealing a loaf of bread ...
Advantages: Great movie, good extras. Disadvantages: None
the original movie trailer.
Option 5 Interviews:
This is an excellent mini documentary of the movie. It contains info and excerpts from the movie as well as interviews with all the main players. This is a well put together piece of work and allows us to see other perspectives from many of the stars, the producer and the director.
Option 6 Biographies:
Textual biographies and mini filmographies of some of the stars.
Tim Robbins
Morgan Freeman
Clancy Brown
Bob Gunton
James Whitmore
Option 7 Also Available:
Simply shows the covers and back cover blurb about other movie releases including;
Riverdance - The Show
Heathcliff
LesMiserables
Hellraiser
When you start the DVD on the TV Aspect side you are taken to the main menu similar to the menu on the other side but for some reason the menu contains only three of the seven options ...
Musicals & Music Films - Musicals & Other Music Films, Music / Performing Arts, Drama
Classification
Exempt, Parental Guidance
Production Year
1996, 1978
Country Of Origin
United Kingdom
Plot
Victor Hugo's classic story of triumph of good over evil which is set in France in 1796. Jean Valjean is sent to prison for five years for stealing a loaf of bread. In prison the Inspector Of Guards, Javert, takes an intense dislike to Jean and finds every reason to punish him and increase the term of his sentence. Jean eventually escapes but a few years later he comes face to face with his old enemy.
2 ENTERTAIN VIDEO; SONY DADC, 2 ENTERTAIN VIDEO; DISC DISTRIBUTION LTD., PRISM LEISURE
Release date
30/10/2000, 18/05/1998, 19/07/2004
No of Discs
1
Catalogue No
VCD 0047, VCD 0002, 30370 90333
Barcode
5014138067946, 5014138041434, 5030370903330
Author
Victor Hugo
Languages
Main Language
English
Hearing Impaired Language
English
Technical information
Special Features
Lyrics, Interactive Menus, Chapter Selection, Track Listing, Text Biographies, Moving Photo Library, Interactive Menus, Scene Access
Aspect Ratio
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen, 4:3 Full Frame
Sound
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital Mono
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo English, Dolby Digital Mono English
Professional reviews
Review
"...Applaud the hummable highlights and then lower the curtain at your discretion." -- Rating: B+ (Entertainment Weekly, p.121, 28/06/1996)
DVD Description
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the popular musical based on Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, this gala concert featuring a cast of over 250 was given at the Royal Albert Hall. Performers include Tony Award-winners Colm Wilkinson, Lea Salonga and Michael Maguire, and highlights include the finale, which features an international gathering of 17 Jean Valjeans, each singing in his native tongue.
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