Les Misérables (1998 film)
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| Les Miśerables | |
|---|---|
 Les Miśerables DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Bille August |
| Produced by | Sarah Radclyffe |
| Written by | Rafael Yglesias, (novel by Victor Hugo) |
| Starring | Liam Neeson Geoffrey Rush Uma Thurman Hans Matheson Claire Danes |
| Distributed by | Columbia/Tristar |
| Release date(s) | May 1, 1998 |
| Running time | 128 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | . . . |
| IMDb profile | |
| Ratings | |
|---|---|
| United States: | PG-13 |
Les Misérables is a 1998 film version of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel of the same name, directed by Bille August. It stars Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Claire Danes and Uma Thurman.
As in the original novel, the story line follows the adult life of Jean Valjean (Liam Neeson), an ex-convict (paroled following 19 years of hard labor, for stealing bread) pursued by police Inspector Javert (Geoffrey Rush). The movie is relatively true to Hugo's original novel, but shortens and simplifies the story considerably, and leaves out several important characters and scenes from the book, such as anything to do with being relegated to a ship at sea as a convict sailor.
Through the kindness of a bishop that Valjean was robbing, Valjean starts his life anew, becoming a wealthy industrialist, and a mayor, eventually befriending Fantine, a single mother turned prostitute, played by Uma Thurman. At Fantine's death, the Mayor agrees to raise her very young daughter, Cosette, while he goes into hiding from Javert. Many years later, the late teenaged Cosette, played by Claire Danes, falls in love with a revolutionary, Marius (Hans Matheson). By this time, the trail of Valjean is cold, and Javert is an undercover insurrectionist trying to undermine the organization to which Marius belongs. Soon, however, Javert and Valjean face each other again. When the insurrectionists discover the identity of Javert, Valjean uses his influence with Marius to have Javert turned over to him, to execute him, whereupon, Valjean frees Javert. The movie ends with Javert, unable to deal with the goodness shown him by Valjean, frees him, then commits suicide.
The movie greatly reduces the roles of many of the characters in the books, especially the Thénardiers, who are only seen when Valjean buys Cosette off them. Éponine doesn't appear to a great extent either, only in the scene where she and Azelma are playing at the table, in the Thénardier Inn, whilst their servant Cosette makes them stockings, as their mother calls her names.
[edit] See also
Filmed in Barrandov Studios (Prague)
[edit] External links
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