Group 6: Les Misérables
By Chloe’ Weiser, Marvin Toussaint and Anastasia Rusanov [oral: A– written: A– JMS]
Les Misérables, originally a novel by Victor Hugo, is one of the most famous and well-known musicals of all time. The musical is 
separated into two acts, both of which focus on ex-convict Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption as he struggles to escape his dark past. It also focuses greatly upon the issue of class struggle in early 1800s France. Notorious for its long and convoluted plot, Les Misérables has many main characters, the stories of whom intertwine and form subplots throughout the musical (Hugo).
Jean Valjean (prisoner 24601) is the protagonist, who has been imprisoned for nineteen years, convicted for stealing a loaf of bread. At the opening of the musical Valjean has just been paroled, yet he is rejected from society because of his former conviction. A kindly Bishop, however, turns his life around, lying to save him from going back to prison after he steals silver from the Bishop’s home, and he assumes a new identity to pursue an honest life. Nine years later, Valjean has become a factory owner and mayor. An obsessive and law-upholding police inspector named Javert – the same who instituted Valjean’s parole – however, continuously hunts him down throughout the musical, hell-bent on recapturing him after he broke parole. After saving a Parisian prostitute, Fantine, from dying on the 
streets, Valjean realizes it was one of his former workers, to whose dismissal (the factory foreman discovered she had, unacceptably, had a child, Cosette, out of wedlock) he blindly agreed. Devastated by this, Valjean promises to rescue Cosette from the Thénardiers – a corrupt married couple of innkeepers – with whom the impoverished Fantine left her, and raise her as his own. Fantine dies soon after his promise. Valjean then admits that he is the escaped prisoner 24601 to liberate an innocent man. True to his word, Valjean buys Cosette from the Thénardiers, trumping Javert – hot on his trail – in the process.
Eight years later, Valjean and Cosette lead a quiet, solitary life until it is interrupted by the two main subplots: Cosette’s budding romance with Marius Pontmercy, a revolutionary, and the revolution itself, named the “Paris Uprising,” led by charming and passionate Enjolras. While the revolutionaries plan their attack to force the government to pay attention to the horrible living conditions of the poor, street urchin Eponine, daughter of the now-poor Thénardiers, helps Marius to attract Cosette’s attention though she, herself, is in love with him. Their secret romance flourishes until Valjean realizes that Javert knows about their whereabouts, and tells Cosette that they must flee. Instead of following Cosette, Marius stays behind to fight at the barricades with his fellow revolutionaries. Act I ends with all of the characters singing “One Day More,” a song that epitomizes skepticism concerning what may be accomplished by the Uprising, as well as fear and hope for the future.
Act II largely covers the happenings at the barricades. The revolutionaries ready themselves to fight, accepting Javert, who is acting as a spy for the government forces, into their ranks. When they discover that Javert has compromised their battle plan, they subdue him, but too late. Eponine comes to the barricades, dressed like a boy, to be with Marius, but dies taking a bullet for 
him. Soon afterwards, Valjean arrives, having discovered Cosette and Marius’ relationship through a letter he intercepted from Eponine. The overwhelmed revolutionaries give Valjean the privilege to do what he wants with Javert. Instead of killing him like Javert expects, Valjean frees him, and then helps the revolutionaries fight. Unfortunately the enemy forces are stronger, and everyone dies save for Valjean and a wounded Marius. Valjean then carries Marius through the sewers on his back to safety; however, exiting the sewer, he runs into Javert. Valjean begs Javert for one hour to get Marius to a doctor, and Javert reluctantly grants him the time. Then Javert reflects, realizing that the mercy shown him by Valjean undermines the fervency with which Javert has been pursuing him, and, unable to deal with this, he commits suicide in the River Seine.
Marius recovers, mourning his friends and wondering who saved him from the barricades. While Cosette comforts him, they reaffirm their love. Valjean then confesses to Marius that he is an escaped convict and that he must go away because his presence endangers Cosette – he does not know that Javert is dead – and makes him promise never to tell her. Marius and Cosette are then married, and information given Marius by the Thénardiers, who crash the wedding party, helps him discover that Valjean was the one who saved his life. Marius and Cosette then leave to find Valjean, who prepares for his death, having nothing left to live for. Just as the ghosts of Fantine and Eponine arrive to take him to heaven, the newlyweds rush in, trying to convince him to hold on. Valjean resists them, submitting to death, but gives his confession to Cosette for her to read once he has died. The musical ends with the entire cast, be their characters dead or alive, onstage, reprising the song “Do You Hear the People Sing?”, serving to reinstill hope and faith for the future of France.
Although most of the characters – with the exception of Cosette, Marius and the cunning Thénardiers – die in the end, including Fantine, the rebels at the barricades, Eponine, Javert and Valjean, the musical ends on a hopeful note. The song reprisal in the last scene before the curtain falls is significant of the peoples’ hopes for a positive future. Both Marius and Cosette have survived, are married and in love. They also got the chance to bid farewell to Valjean, who, at one point or another, saved their lives, and proved the triumph of love, kindness and bravery above melancholy and despair. Though the issue of class struggle has not been resolved, and will continue for a number of years into the future, the musical strives to show that people can band together to fight their seemingly hopeless situations. It also symbolizes the importance of human union, which in turn validates the prevailing qualities of hope, love and faith.
French composer Claude-Michel Schönberg composed the musical in 1980, with Alain Boublil writing the libretto and Herbert Kretzmer, the lyrics (Internet Broadway Database). The musical’s emblem is a picture of young Cosette sweeping the Thénardier’s Inn, usually shown cropped to a head-and-shoulders portrait with the French national flag superimposed. This image is based on Émile Bayard’s illustration for the 1862 novel (Hugo). It is symbolic of many things central to the musical: the flag is significant of France’s integrity as a country, as well as the pride of its people; and Cosette’s image dually represents the hope of the young, as well as the unfortunate situations of many of the French poor.
As was previously stated, Les Misérables is one of the most well-known and performed musicals worldwide. On October 8, 2006, 
the show celebrated its 21st anniversary on London’s West End and became the longest-running West End musical in history following the performance; the production continues to this day at London’s Queen’s Theatre. It is also the third longest-running musical on Broadway, its run spanning 1987 to 2003, and closing after 6,680 performances (Internet Broadway Database). It was subsequently, and ephemerally, revived in 2006. The original musical won eight 1987 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Performance for Featured Actor and Actress in a Musical. The musical was translated into 21 languages, and was performed in 38 countries and 223 cities, including Israel, Austria, South Africa, and Hong Kong (Internet Broadway Database).
There are a number of prevalent themes central to Les Misérables, including the nature of law and grace, moral philosophy, 
justice, religion, and romantic and familial love. The nature of law and grace shows itself most significantly in Javert’s character. Javert values the law above all; he considers it both his moral and legal code, holding everyone else to its harsh standard in addition to himself. When Javert’s ideals are compromised at the end of the musical, trumped by Valjean’s mercy in freeing him when he could have killed him (what Javert was trying to do to him throughout the entire musical), the only way in which he can now act gracefully is through committing suicide. Moral philosophy is not only seen through Javert’s code of conduct, but also through Valjean’s, given him by the Bishop at the beginning of the musical. The Bishop pardons Valjean even after he steals silver from the Bishop’s home, where he was given food and shelter for the night, giving him an opportunity to turn his life around. From that moment on, Valjean idealizes the Bishop’s kindness and relays it to those around him, including Fantine, Marius, and Javert. The theme of justice is most significant when Valjean pardons Javert at the end of the musical; the concept of “justice” that Javert sought, namely Valjean’s recapture and punishment, is counteracted by Valjean’s kindness. Religion is also quite prevalent, as many of the characters are poor and having nothing but their faith left to give them comfort; Valjean and Fantine most often make reference to “God.” Finally, many forms of love are expressed within the musical. Fantine loves her estranged daughter, Cosette; this love is passed on through Valjean, who becomes her adopted father and sole companion until Marius and she fall in love. Eponine is in love with Marius as well, though it is unrequited by him.
Language is also a key facet of the musical. Dialogue serves to separate social classes: while the wealthy are distinguished by their formality of speech, the poor are singled out by their informal vernacular. French words like monsieur, madame, mademoiselle and francs are used. Language also contributes to the development of the main themes, for example, law, justice and religion. In terms of justice, there is a repetition of words like “mercy,” “grace” and “vengeance,” emphasizing the stark contrast between the simultaneous harshness and hidden kindness of the early 19th century time period. Secondly, in the realm of law, the poor are held to high and nearly impossible standards of conduct, and are addressed and treated harshly by the police, especially Javert. Lastly, when having to do with religion, there is a repetition of phrases like “for God’s sake,” “God in Heaven” and “God be my witness,” both in dialogue and singing. There are also intermittent references to “Jesus”/“Christ” as well as to “Lucifer”/“the devil.” This is significant because religion was clearly a very important part of French life in the 1800s.
The musical Les Misérables has a rich history and social context, beginning with the original novel. As was stated, the novel was written by French author Victor Hugo, and was published in 1862. It follows the lives and interactions of several French characters over a twenty-year period in the early 19th century, starting in 1815, the year of Napoleon Bonaparte’s – France’s then military and political leader – final defeat at Waterloo (Morlock). In fact, Valjean’s 19-year imprisonment coincides, almost exactly, with the rise and fall of Napoleon. The novel is considered to be historical fiction because it contains factual, historic events, including the Paris Uprising of 1830, which is often mistaken for the much earlier French Revolution.
The title Les Misérables is translated variously from French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, The Victims, and focuses on the struggles of ex-convict Jean Valjean – also known by prison number 24601 – 
and his experience of redemption. Though Valjean wants to become a force of good for the world, he is often unable to escape his dark past, what with Javert always on his trail. The novel is divided into five volumes, “Fantine,” “Cosette,” “Marius,” “St. Denis,” and finally, “Jean Valjean” (Hugo). Each volume in turn is divided into books, which are subdivided into relatively short chapters, for a total of 365 chapters. The book as a whole is quite lengthy by common standards, often exceeding 1,200 pages in unabridged editions. It is also known for having one of the longest sentences in literature, with 823 words. The novel was translated soon after publication into Italian, Greek and Portuguese, and was popular not only in France, but across Europe.
There have been fourteen movies and a musical chronicling the life of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables. The most recent 1998 film was directed by Bille August and filmed in Prague. It starred Liam as Valjean, Geoffrey Rush as Javert, Uma Thurman as Fantine, and Claire Danes as Cosette and follows the same general storyline as musical, with a few deviations. For one thing, the film greatly reduces the roles of many of the characters in the novel, especially the Thénardiers, Eponine and Azelma (one of the Thénardiers daughters who goes largely unnoticed, except for in the original text). Secondly, Marius’ role is changed from reluctant participant in the Revolution to principal leader, as opposed to Enjolras. In addition, many of the events surrounding the love story between Marius and Cosette have been removed, notably those involving Eponine. Eponine is entirely absent from the movie except for one scene in the beginning, in which she is mentioned when Valjean visits the Thénardiers’ inn. Thirdly, Valjean is characterized as being much more violent in the movie than he would ever be in the novel or musical. In one scene, Valjean slaps Cosette, an act he would never carry out in the novel; he is too kind. In the same scene, Valjean also confesses his convict past to Cosette, while in the novel and musical he reveals this to Marius, begging him not to say a word to Cosette. Finally, Valjean does not die at the end of the film as he does in the novel and musical; the film closes with him walking away smiling from where Javert threw himself into the river, free from the “shadow of the past” that the Inspector represented.
The 1998 adaptation received mixed reviews. The New York Times declared, “However turbulent its narrative, this ‘Les 
Misérables’ unfolds in a comforting style, serious and intelligent in ways that seem much too quaint today. The essence of Hugo’s morality tale remains pure, and so does the value of a vigorous, gripping story, straightforwardly told” (Maslin). The review also states, “Long before Jean Valjean ever sang a Broadway ballad, there was a tradition of serious literary adaptation to which the new film version of ‘Les Misérables’ belongs. With a first-rate cast and a venerable storytelling style, it fluently condenses Victor Hugo’s epic novel and retrieves some of its suspenseful momentum” (Maslin). Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times, however, contends, “This movie is like the Classics Illustrated version…there isn’t real chemistry here” (Ebert).
The 1935 movie adaptation of Les Misérables was directed by Richard Boleslawski, and it starred Fredric March as Jean Valjean and Charles Laughton as Javert. This movie was critically acclaimed, earning four Academy Award nominations. It was also named one of the ten best movies of the year by The New York Times and also made the Times’ list of the 1000 greatest movies of all time. The New York Times asserted, “The trial at Arras…these have been plucked living from Hugo’s pages and turned vividly into the classical literature of the screen. And there are, through it all, settings of undeniable authenticity and performances of rare quality” (Nugent). Time Magazine stated, “Les Misérables starts in the slums, proceeds to a Toulon prison galley and reaches its climax in a Paris sewer. It is the result not of the Legion of Decency but of Victor Hugo’s feelings about man’s inhumanity to man and it is still, as it always has been, the grimiest great story ever told” (Time Magazine).
Finally, we bring our focus to Les Misérables as its translation into the wildly successful musical. In a review of the original musical, the Times proclaimed, “If anyone doubts that the contemporary musical theater can flex its atrophied muscles and yank an audience right out of its seats, he need look no further than the Act I finale of ‘Les Misérables’” (Henry). Time Magazine also sang its accolades: “Handsomely staged, stirringly sung and performed for the most part with consummate craft, Les Misérables nonetheless succeeds not so much for its artistry as for its heart. Far more than an entertainment, it is a thrilling emotional experience. A hit in London and sold out during an eight-week tryout in Washington, Les Misérables opened on Broadway last week with advance ticket sales of more than $11 million – the most in U.S. theater history, nearly double the $6.2 million record set by Cats in 1982” (Time Magazine).
As a whole, we felt that the story of Les Misérables was truly enjoyable, especially the themes of class conflict, redemption and morality versus the letter of the law. Even though it is set nearly 200 years ago, the issues are still relevant today. We also agreed that, following in Victor Hugo’s written tradition, the characters in the musical have an undeniable and essential three-dimensionality, and that the continued success of the musical rides on the audience’s ability to empathize with the personal trials of the characters. Ultimately, the timeless values represented by the musical are deeply and beautifully human.
Works Cited
Ebert, Roger. At the Movies. Web. 15 Dec. 2009. <http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/atm/reviews.html?sec=6&subsec=uma+thurman>.
Henry, William A. III. “Theater: An Epic of the Downtrodden.” Time Magazine 23 Mar. 1987. Web. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,963812,00.html>.
Hugo, Victor, and C.E. Wilbur. Les Misérables. New York, NY: Fine Creative Media, Inc., 2003. Print.
Maslin, Janet. “Les Miserables (1998) May 1, 1998 Film Review; A Cat-and-Mouse Game Amid Epic Turbulence.” The New York Times 1 May 1998. Web. <http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?_r=1&res=9B0DE0DA153EF932A35756C0A96E958260>.
Morlock, Frank J. “Les Misérables.” Literature on the Age of Napoleon. 2006. P.A. Teter, Web. 8 Dec 2009. <http://napoleonic-literature.com/AgeOfNapoleon/E-Texts/Miserables.html>.
Nugent, Frank S. “Two From France: ‘Les Miserables,’ at the Cinema de Paris, and ‘The Mysteries of Notre Dame.'” The New York Times 28 Oct. 1936. Web. <http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?_r=2&res=9907E5DE1E39EE3BBC4051DFB667838D629EDE>.
Rich, Frank. “STAGE: ‘MISERABLES,’ MUSICAL VERSION OPENS ON BROADWAY.” The New York Times 13 Mar. 1987. Web. <http://www.nytimes.com/1987/03/13/theater/stage-miserables-musical-version-opens-on-broadway.html?scp=1&sq=les%20miserables%20musical&st=cse>.
“Cinema: The New Pictures: Apr. 29, 1935.” Time Magazine 29 Apr. 1935. Print.
“Les Misérables.” Internet Broadway Database. 2009. The Broadway League, Web. 8 Dec 2009. <http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=4443>.
“Movies…Les Misérables.” Time Magazine 27 Oct. 1995. Print.
