movie analysis
Title: Les Miserables
Genre: Drama
Characters:
Jean Valjean -
Cosette’s
adopted father.His whole life is a quest
for redemption, and he ultimately finds bliss on his deathbed.
Cosette -
Fantine’s
daughter,She finds fulfillment in her love for Marius.
Avert -
A
police inspector which Javert bases his life and forces him to choose between hypocrisy
and honor.
Fantine -
A
working-class girl She represents the destruction that nineteenth-century
French society cruelly wreaks on the less fortunate.
Marius Pontmercy -
The son of Georges Pontmercy, Marius
is nonetheless capable of great things and manages both to fight
on the barricades and successfully court the love of his life, Cosette.
M. Myriel -
The
bishop of Digne.He passes on these same qualities to Valjean and initiates the ex-convict’s
M. Thénardier -
A
cruel, wretched,Thénardier is incapable of loving other human beings and
spends every minute in pursuit of money.
Mme. Thénardier -
M. Thénardier’s wifeshe becomes her husband’s most devoted accomplice Eponine -
The
Thénardiers’ eldest daughter.she ultimately
emerges as one of the novel’s most tragic and heroic figures.
M. Gillenormand -
Marius’s ninety-year-old maternal grandfather.he truly loves his grandson and ultimately does what is
necessary to make Marius happy
Gavroche -
The
Thénardiers’ oldest son. He is also fierce and
brave
Colonel Georges Pontmercy -
An officer in Napoléon’s army and Marius’s father.his politics greatly influence the young Marius.
Enjolras -
The
leader of the Friends of the ABC He is both wild and beautiful.
Fauchelevent -
A
critic of Valjean’sFauchelevent returns the favor by hiding
Valjean and Cosette in a convent.
Petit-Gervais -
A
small boy whom Valjean robs shortly after leaving Digne.
Champmathieu -
A
poor, uneducated man proves
to be too dim-witted to defend himself successfully,
M. Mabeuf -
A
churchwarden in Paris who tells Marius the truth about his father.
Patron-Minette -
Actually
four people, Patron-Minette
controls all the crime in one section of Paris and assists in the
Thénardiers’ ambush of Valjean.
Felix Tholomyès -
Fantine’s lover in ParisTholomyès
is Cosette’s biological father, although the two never meet.
Azelma -
The
Thénardiers’ younger daughter.
Setting: France
Plot: The convict Jean Valjean is released from a French prison after serving nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread and for subsequent attempts to escape from prison. When Valjean arrives at the town of Digne, no one is willing to give him shelter because he is an ex-convict. Desperate, Valjean knocks on the door of M. Myriel, the kindly bishop of Digne. Myriel treats Valjean with kindness, and Valjean repays the bishop by stealing his silverware. When the police arrest Valjean, Myriel covers for him, claiming that the silverware was a gift. The authorities release Valjean and Myriel makes him promise to become an honest man. Eager to fulfill his promise, Valjean masks his identity and enters the town of Montreuil-sur-mer. Under the assumed name of Madeleine, Valjean invents an ingenious manufacturing process that brings the town prosperity. He eventually becomes the town’s mayor.
Theme:
The Importance of Love and Compassion
Social Injustice in Nineteenth-Century France
The Long-Term Effects of the French Revolution on French Society
Symbolism:Myriel’s Silver Candlesticks
Snakes, Insects, and Birds
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1. What does the title mean in relation to the film as a whole?
In English, Les Miserables translates to 'The Miserables'. The play
pretty much is about people who are miserable, some are sad, or dies,
and sometimes even both!
2. Among the characters, to whom can you relate to?
Eponine is one of the most tragic characters in Les Miserables. Growing
up in a reasonably wealthy household, she was spoilt by her mother and
ignored by her father. The character of eponine related to myself just like her being ignored by my father not in literary means ignored it was just i wasn't be able to get close to my father as I grow up.
3. Which part of the presentation struck you the most? Why?
Fantine, a young woman from Montreuil, lives in Paris.
She falls in love with Tholomyès, a wealthy student who gets her
pregnant and then abandons her it struck me most because as a young woman for today it feels like dying to be abondon by the one I love after getting into pregnant .
4. What is the movie's message?
A properly cinematic treatment of the ingenious musical version of one
of the great stories...or perhaps a great telling of THE great story,
that of human redemption.
5. Did I like this in general? Why?
Loved this movie! Yes, the singing was a bit flat in places but the actors showed real emotion while they were singing and I can imagine that (especially Anne Hathaway's I dreamed a dream number) it is very hard to show that deep emotion and sing perfectly. In real life who sings perfectly when they are emotional like that? Russel Crow did a great job and I didnt find him out of place at all. Only critism-you could tell at times that the background scenerary was not real but otherwise the best movie ive seen in a while.
Loved this movie! Yes, the singing was a bit flat in places but the actors showed real emotion while they were singing and I can imagine that (especially Anne Hathaway's I dreamed a dream number) it is very hard to show that deep emotion and sing perfectly. In real life who sings perfectly when they are emotional like that? Russel Crow did a great job and I didnt find him out of place at all. Only critism-you could tell at times that the background scenerary was not real but otherwise the best movie ive seen in a while.
6. Did I agree with the main theme/purpose? Why or why not?
Yes - because the theme/purpose signifies what does the story is all about.
7. What specifically did I like/dislike? Why?
I was riveted throughout the whole film, I found the characters
enthralling. The big exception was Russell Crowe. The character of
Javert should exude confidence and authority but I've never seen him
look so stiff and lost in a film. At no point did he become Javert, he
just looked like Russell Crowe being really uncomfortable.The poor
portrayal of his character really made the story lose balance.
8. Are there any aspects of theme which are left ambiguous at the end? Why?
- All themes are being understood
9. How does this film relate to the things that are happening in your life?
- The story is told from the perspective of an omniscient
narrator who frequently addresses us. The importance of love and compassion; social injustice ;The narrator not only knows
what the characters are thinking at all times but also has a detailed grasp
of contemporary politics and society that was happening to our real lives now.
