The storyline

Jean Valjean was an honest man who, through force of desperate circumstance committed the relatively minor crime of stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family, and paid a price out of all proportion with the severity of his crime.

Captured and sentenced to a term of five years' imprisonment, Valjean spends nineteen years doing hard labour as a result of four failed escape attempts. He emerges from prison on parole, a hardened and bitter man, having encountered little kindness in the course of these nineteen years, and having adapted to the company he was forced to keep.

Because of his criminal record he encounters problems in finding employment, lodgings, and indeed any place in society. Exhausted and demoralised, he finds comfort and accommodation at the home of the Bishop of Digne who shows Valjean kindness and compassion. However, during the night Valjean surrenders to his experience and degradation of the previous nineteen years which, combined with a sense of hopelessness and worthlessness he has felt since his release, lead him to behave as he has been condemned to do - he steals the Bishop's silverware.

He is captured and returned to the Bishop who, contrary to Valjean's expectations, not only tells the police that he gave Valjean the silverware, but insists that Valjean should take two silver candlesticks as well.

This is the first act of kindness and generosity Valjean has encountered in all those nineteen years. Accustomed to having to fight for his very survival, this act of compassion and understanding (whose existence he has long since abandoned and then forgotten) causes him confusion and bewilderment.

While still dazed by his meeting with the Bishop, Valjean reacts once again in an animal-like fashion, doing what he feels he has to do in order to survive, when he steals a coin from a passing young chimney sweep.

This act, contrasting violently with the kindness he has just been shown, brings home to him just what he has become and how far he has fallen.

With a clarity missing for some nineteen years, he sees he has a choice to make - continue on the path of petty crime and self destruction upon which he is set, or start afresh and follow the example set by the Bishop. He can view people as a means to an end, as potential victims in his quest for survival, or he can live by compassion and understanding, offering help to others, just as he received help from the Bishop.

He determines to start a new life, adopting a new identity and a new mentality in the process.

While Valjean is clearly the principal character and our tale is largely concerned with his efforts to lead a worthwhile life, his destiny is inextricably linked with a whole gamut of characters whose lives become intertwined. This is equally the story of, among many others, Javert (the policeman who pursues Valjean in order to protect society from someone he regards as a dangerous criminal), Fantine (the tragic factory girl who sacrifices herself for the upkeep of her daughter), Cosette (the daughter of Fantine used and abused by the innkeepers into whose care her mother entrusted her), the Thenardiers (the self-centred innkeepers and petty criminals), Eponine (the daughter of the Thenardiers and victim of unrequited love), Marius (an idealistic student who falls in love with the adult Cosette), and the revolutionary students (who seek to incite rebellion against a heartless and uncaring government).

Hugo invites his readers to reflect upon the spirit, morality, justice in society, the very structure of that society and its values, love, faith, tolerance, youth, age, parenthood, conscience, duty, change in the light of experience, and many other facets of life.

Love

In the Bishop of Digne we see pure, spiritual love. The Bishop is entirely devoted to God and his works. He is determined to see only the potential good in man, believing this to reflect God's wishes and intentions for mankind. The Bishop follows the spirit of the Bible, not the letter of the written word. Nor does he follow the example of other eminent ecclesiastics - he has renounced wealth to the point of renouncing almost all comfort. He has within him a love for God, but also an innate love for man, according him a respect not always shared by others. He is an optimist and sees himself merely as an instrument of God's will.

Fantine represents maternal love and the lengths to which a mother may be prepared to go to in order to protect and save her child. Although she abandoned her child Cosette, this was done with the best of intentions and was the result of pressure applied by society in the form of prejudice and hypocrisy. She is, in her way, devoted to her child and is willing to sacrifice her own wealth, health and dignity in order to protect and save Cosette. Her efforts to raise money to pay for the upkeep of her child indicate a selflessness few could contemplate, suffering as she does any number of physical and psychological indignities before losing her life to illness (brought on as the result of poor living conditions).

In Marius and the adult Cosette we see youthful passion and undiluted love. Two young people who have found their first, their only, their all-consuming loves. They are totally devoted to one another to the point of being able to think of little else. Their youthful exuberance causes problems in other areas of their lives - Marius appears, until the last minute, more concerned with Cosette than with helping his friends on the barricades, and Cosette begins to question her father's authority. Distraction and challenging of parental authority are of course natural consequences of falling in love and will be familiar to the majority of readers, inspiring a degree of compassion and even complicity Hugo might not otherwise have achieved, especially when placed against a background of heroic struggle against repression, adding even more to the pathos and apparent impossibility of their situation. Cosette, like Esmeralda in "Notre Dame de Paris", serves as the catalyst for events and emotions. Also like Esmeralda, her character is perhaps less important than the emotions she provokes in others and the events for which they, in turn, are responsible. Neither Cosette nor Esmeralda actually contribute a great deal to the advancement of the narrative, but serve instead as the inspiration for others.

Perhaps the most interesting and complex character when viewed from the point of view of love is Javert. While the others are driven principally by love, Javert is driven mostly by duty. Love, and by extension respect for others, is an alien concept to Javert. Indeed he appears to be striving to gain or maintain some degree of self respect throughout the book. He endeavours to achieve this through applying the letter of the law - the law which was flouted by his own mother and father. He was born in prison and appears to spend his entire life trying to make up for the deeds of his parents. In many ways he resembles Valjean - he is faced with similar problems of trying to live with his past and he is driven by a sense of duty. What is missing is any feeling of love - for himself or for anyone else. When faced with the same situation as Valjean -facing his past mistakes, and given the opportunity of seeking redemption, he lacks the strength of character and respect for others to be able to achieve "salvation". He cannot see a way forward for he cannot grasp that a code of conduct may be based on mutual respect and love. An openness to respect and love would have allowed him to see man's potential for good, but his upbringing and consequent attitudes have denied him that possibility and he chooses to commit suicide rather than face the errors of his past and attempt to change.

Death

By having the vast majority of his characters die in a variety of ways, Hugo is emphasising not only the inevitability of our demise, but also the importance of life and what you do with it.

Death is the ultimate demonstration of our lack of control over our destiny - whether it is by God's will or through force of circumstance, most of the characters meet their end unexpectedly or with regret. They die in the pursuit of their principles or in the name of love - except Javert who seeks his own death as a result of the overturning of his principles.

Their death can be seen almost as a reflection of a positive aspect of their character, though ultimately their death may have no obvious positive effect, calling into question the meaning and value of life in the broader sense.

What matters is what each person has made of his or her life and the worth they have given it through their actions.

Most of Hugo's characters, including Fantine, the students, Eponine and Gavroche, die as a result of selfless love, and their actions and motivations are to be admired.

In the end Valjean dies of a broken heart, the result of his selfless devotion and heroic actions to promote Cosette's happiness. This is in stark contrast to Javert's death which, while tragic in its own way, is ultimately a selfish act and reflects a life lacking love and genuine respect for others.

Our time on Earth is limited and we can choose, to a large extent, how we are going to lead our lives. Valjean and the others set an example based on altruism and love. Death is inevitable and when the time comes to be judged, or perhaps more importantly to judge ourselves, and there is no point in hiding from the truth, Hugo asks us to consider whether our lives will have been worthwhile.

Coincidence

Let us look at just a few of these coincidences before considering the effect.

On the surface it certainly appears true that the book contains an excess of coincidences, but is Hugo not using these events to accentuate points about the existential nature of our lives? These characters' lives are inextricably linked to one another. Each has played, and continues to play a vital, indeed formative, role in the others' lives, in keeping with the theory of Existentialism mentioned earlier. He may be overstating his case, but Hugo is emphasising the fact that our lives are not just linked, but are dependent on one another.

Given what they stand for, it is inevitable that they will clash, and this is the other reason why coincidence is not overly damaging to the whole - the main characters can be seen as metaphors standing for conflicting principles and so the clash is less between the characters themselves than between their points of view. Let us not forget that Hugo was a poet, using metaphor and symbolism to make his point.

Indeed that the book is accused of an excess of coincidence is a tribute to the strength of the writing since the characters are so individual, well drawn and "realistic" that we find probability stretched beyond what we find acceptable. However, the point is that we all influence one another and we all share a common bond by virtue of the fact we share our society and indeed our lives.

Film versions

The quality of the cinema versions has varied considerably, naturally enough, with writers and directors focusing on certain elements often at the expense of various others. In general the fuller the adaptation the more successful it is. However, to my great surprise I have found the musical by Boublil and Schonberg (produced by Sir Cameron Mackintosh) to be the most successful adaptation I have seen.

Below, you will find brief reflections on just a handful of the film versions and thoughts on why the musical has been so successful.

I got my first glimpse of the 1934 version while watching the 1995 adaptation with Jean-Paul Belmondo. The clips to which we are treated there intrigued me and after considerable rooting around the internet I managed to obtain a copy on video (to the best of my knowledge it has never been released in Britain).

I was not disappointed. This is quite the fullest and most satisfying cinematic version of Hugo's extraordinary tale yet produced.

Some may find the running time of around four and a half hours quite daunting, but I found that I hardly noticed the time pass.

The reasons for its success are manifold. Firstly the detail and therefore the strength of the original are largely retained. Characters are properly fleshed out, and just as in the original we feel we share the characters' lives and get to know and care about them. The depth and number of characters are not sacrificed to considerations of time and commerce.

Although some of the photography appears dated by modern standards, Raymond Bernard's literate script and direction are stimulating and advance the narrative at a steady pace (despite the impression created by the running time). He is masterful in the creation of atmosphere in both intimate and crowd scenes. For example the film is quite spectacular in its depiction of the 1832 uprising, yet it is deeply moving in the scenes involving Valjean and the Bishop.

The music (by Arthur Honegger) has great dignity and is entirely apt to the tenor of the film and the themes it embraces.

However, if the real strength of the piece is in the depth and conviction of its characters, their cinematic success is due in no short measure to the quality of the acting. Fantine (Josseline Gael) is perhaps a little melodramatic for modern tastes, and Javert (Charles Vanel) lacks a truly tragic quality, but all told the performances are faithful to the original and convincing, and none more so than Harry Baur as Valjean. His immense physical presence and slow, controlled delivery, combined with his ability to express his inner feelings with little more than a look or a moment's hesitation command our respect and sympathy, making him the perfect incarnation of the tormented but determined Valjean.

It wreaks sincerity and a genuine desire to transfer not just the story, but the spirit of the original onto the big screen.

Probably the best known of the cinematic adaptations, with Fredric March as Valjean and Charles Laughton as Javert, this is nonetheless a somewhat sanitised and flawed version.

Short on detail and lacking in grit, this is a fairly blinkered if well-intentioned version, concentrating on legal injustice and the plight of released convicts. Even Marius delivers a speech criticising the State for its treatment of ex-cons rather than broadening the canvas to discuss other social issues.

Fantine's lamentable situation is sanitised to avoid all mention of prostitution, and while we still feel considerable sympathy for her, the "cleaning up" of her plight also has the effect of lessening the depth of our feelings for her.

The poetry and tragedy of the original are not well served as the storyline itself is cut short and characters disappear completely or are significantly altered to suit the "new" framework.

Fredric March is sincere, but perhaps lacking in gravitas. Laughton (an actor I have greatly admired in other productions) is just not right as Javert. Whether this is due to the script or his playing is open to debate, but to have Javert display emotion (the trembling of the lip!), and to have him attempt to place blame on the law rather than accept responsibility for his actions is to miss the point.

A more adolescent version than the altogether more rounded, complete, and adult French version which immediately preceded it.

This version is the first widescreen and full colour adaptation of the novel (adapted and directed by Michel Audiard). It is also the result of a Franco - Italian collaboration undoubtedly intended to broaden the appeal of the film throughout Europe, but which may in the end have done it no great favours. The actors appear to deliver their lines in their native tongue and are later dubbed into French, causing a certain lack of spontaneity in both the delivery of the lines and in the interaction between the players.

Fairly theatrical in its conception, the film is rather heavy and has a somewhat "staged" feel to it, with little camera mobility, and a general feeling that the subject matter is being treated with a little too much reverence or even awe.

Bernard Blier as Javert is convincing as a man devoted to his work and who believes utterly in the principles he defends, but lacks any element of sympathy or tragedy when Valjean releases him from the barricades and when he discovers Valjean has saved Marius by dragging him through the sewers. This turning point, marking Javert's doubts about the direction of his entire life, is dealt with somewhat summarily in the film, and must be considered something of a weakness.

There is much to savour and enjoy, but I find it a little staid and too self-aware for my taste.

Les Miserables 1978

Although much admired by some, I'm afraid I find this a rather workman-like production.

Produced as a television film by Sir Lew Grade in 1978, it shares the weaknesses of many of his other excursions into the cinema in the late seventies and early eighties - a lack of sparkle and decent script. The whole production gives the impression of going through the motions rather woodenly, rendering a well-intentioned and undoubtedly sincere version which, sadly, is quite lacking in spirit. Perhaps this version also suffered from an excess of admiration, bordering on awe, for the original, but for me the actors never really "become" their roles, but "play" them.

Richard Jordan is earnest and sincere, but is too young for the part and appears limited to just one register as Valjean ages, while Anthony Perkins plays Javert as heartless and unbending, and lacks the spark of ultimate understanding and humanity necessary to suggest tragedy rather than jubilation on his death..

Many of the other roles are played by well-known actors whose presence would appear to be of more significance than the parts they play.

For all that, it is an honest and genuine attempt at putting the story on the screen, and deserves credit as such.

Claude Lelouch's 1995 film is more an adaptation of Hugo's tale, rather than a filmed version of it. He explores the universal themes of the book and the pertinence of Hugo's "message" to our history, here applying them to the French experience of Nazi Occupation during the Second World War.

This is the story of Henri Fortin (an excellent Jean-Paul Belmondo - what a Valjean he would have made!), who sees parallels between his own life and the stories of Valjean et al. It is also a tale of intolerance and love as told through the experiences of a Jewish family forced to flee Nazi persecution, and how they are helped by Henri Fortin whose evolution into a caring humanitarian forms the core of the film.

Told on a grand scale, Lelouch captures the essential humanity of his characters and has produced a gripping and moving film which is a fitting tribute to the original, a tale which gives us the story of an era through the lives of a myriad of characters, touching on themes of love, faith, revolution and tolerance, among others. He takes these universal themes and creates parallels between his own characters and those of Victor Hugo while giving us the story of a different era, but one which shares similar problems, thus emphasising the continued relevance and validity of Hugo's original.

Some parallels are more successful and complete than others - here, the Javert character blindly follows orders, and may have doubts, but he is cruel and selfish, and it is difficult to have any sympathy for him. World War 2 replaces the 1832 attempted revolution, and the experiences of the original characters are mirrored in the experiences of the 1995 characters, though not always by their direct equivalents. M. Lelouch succeeds in tapping our emotions better than most of the more recent "straight" adaptations, and we have the fun of trying to "spot the parallel".

That Hugo's themes/points should be equally applicable to an era 100 years after that of the original is testimony to Hugo's insight and the strength of his narrative. However, it can also be regarded as a sad reflection on 20^th century European history.

The music by Francis Lai (among others) brilliantly captures and enhances the film's themes and emotions.

Les Miserables 1998

The film ends with Javert's death, and there is little sadness or regret as Valjean witnesses the event. It is probably wrong to have Valjean witness the event at all - Javert's suicide is the result of inner turmoil which is weakened by having him explain himself to Valjean. It should also be recalled that Valjean had spared/saved his life at the barricades, and so he is unlikely to accept Javert's death without argument or some attempt to dissuade him from committing suicide.

Having said all that, I found the film enjoyable in its own right, but I don't regard it as a very true or complete version of Hugo's tale.

One of my favourite versions, second only to the 1934 adaptation.

Six hours in length, Depardieu as Valjean, Malkovich as Javert, rich in detail and emotionally engaging - what more can one ask?

As with the 1934 version, this treatment is very full, rich in detail, and therefore retains the strength of the original. It contains a number of alterations to the narrative, but remains faithful to the essence of the characters, though I found Valjean's obsessive behaviour toward Cosette a little exaggerated, and too little emphasis laid on his sense of duty, responsibility, and lack of self-esteem, as his motivation. The direction is crisp, the script intelligent and engaging, and the acting convincing and moving.

Depardieu is an excellent Valjean, articulate and ultimately tragic, while Malkovich is entirely convincing and unusually "human" as Javert. Christian Clavier is splendidly scheming, selfish and low, while Virginie Ledoyen is suitably appealing as Cosette.

This is a confident and intelligent production which is not afraid of its origins.

The musical

First and foremost this is musical theatre and not a "show" as such. Music is used by the authors to tell Hugo's tale, and it is the story that remains the most important element in the musical version. This is no star or even character vehicle. It has integrity and is so well structured that each scene advances the plot or deepens our knowledge of the various characters involved. Many musicals have a few good scenes and songs, but seem to contain "padding" elsewhere. "Les Mis" appears carefully crafted throughout so that each scene remains memorable and of interest and importance.

In some shows the players/singers remain fairly static, but in "Les Mis" there is considerable movement - movement which is linked to the developing storyline. In other shows you may have quite spectacular and entertaining dance routines frequently built around relatively flimsy storylines. "Les Mis" appears to have struck the perfect balance between storyline and theatrical movement.

Above all, Hugo was a poet who wrote a book about society's ills, injustice, and the ways in which we (humanity) treat one another. He deals with a huge variety of themes, but to achieve his goal he tries to engage emotion, invite reflection and perhaps more than anything else, incite compassion and serve as inspiration.

Of all the film versions, really only the 1934 version with Harry Baur comes close to achieving Hugo's aims.

This is, I think, why "Les Mis" has been so successful. The music and storyline complement one another perfectly to provide an adult and reflective entertainment which touches the hearts of its audience and which inspires them to think about their own lives.

The musical creates atmosphere, informs the audience of the personalities, motivations and feelings of various characters, and can even remind the audience of past events through the repetition of various themes - all through a few bars of (very carefully crafted) music. Many find Hugo's rather verbose style difficult or unappealing, yet here they are immediately seduced by his storyline which has simply been adapted to a different (and perhaps more immediate and compelling) medium.

The musical is, indeed, a masterfully structured piece weaving artful songs and melodies with superbly crafted staging. But of course there would be no show without Hugo's original material, material which was so strong it inspired Boublil and Schonberg to produce their version.

This musical has touched many people's lives. It has inspired many, and continues to affect those who have seen it, and for considerably longer than the duration of the show itself. It is an achievement of which Boublil, Schonberg, Sir Cameron Mackintosh and all those involved in its production and performance can be rightly proud. It is also a rendering of which I imagine Victor Hugo would heartily approve.

Further reference:

"Victor Hugo" biography by Graham Robb (Picador)

Films

There have been over twenty filmed versions. The most notable adaptations include:

The musical version by Boublil and Schonberg captures the essence of the book better than any of the filmed versions so far produced.

It is available on CD in a variety of languages and on video/DVD in a concert version.