Les Miserables (1935) | Fredric March, Charles Laughton | the death of The Law; the triumph of Grace

Les Miserables (1935) | Fredric March, Charles Laughton | Hugo's Classic Brought To Life

vhs video:

Les Miserables (1935)

	Les Miserables (1935) Fredric March, Charles Laughton 20th Century Fox, 1999 average customer review:based on 11 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

the death of The Law; the triumph of Grace

I think the reviewer Bassett (bottom of the review list) got it right. This movie captures the ESSENCE of the book, which is about all one can expect of 104 minutes of cinema vs. an good-sized book. Although you might not know it from the typical stage adaption of this story these days, the story is about Legalism vs. Love - one of the classic themes of the Bible and Christianity. And in the end, at least in this fine film version, we see the death of The Law and the triumph of Grace. Ignore the technical shortcomings inherent in a 1935 film, and SAVOR this version for what it achieves - capturing the central theme of Hugo's novel. This is my most prized VHS in my collection, and I wish they would release a CD copy of it.

for more information click here

Hugo's Classic Brought To Life

Fredric March stars as Jean Valjean, a poor man sent to the galleys for stealing some bread for his sister and her child. After the hardships of his imprisonment, he is naturally a changed man, but he reforms himself and becomes a productive, highly respected citizen. In doing so, he violates the terms of his parole, and for that he has Charles Laughton, a police inspector, on his trail. Although the pursuit anchors the film, there is more going on here, as the dignity and rights of all men, rich or poor, convicts or not, is also a strong theme of Victor Hugo's novel and the film. March is excellent in his role, undergoing a number of physical transformations, while always conveying the honesty of the character underneath it all. Laughton is forceful as ever, this time as the inspector that is blinded by the law and cannot see the humanity behind the actions of others. The film has a number of chase sequences accompanied by music that will certainly remind viewers of a silent film. I don't know anything about the director, but I suspect he may have come from that era. The script weaves together the various elements of the story well, and viewers will come away from the film quite satisfied.

for more information click here

Casting carries this one

Although not 100% true to the book, this version of Victor Hugo's tale becomes a classic due to the casting of Frederic March and Charles Laughton. Watching this version, I literally can not imagine a better choice for Valjean and certainly for Javert. March makes a brilliant transition from a viscious ex-convict to the compassionate mayor, and Laughton just gives me chills. Because this film was made in the early 30's, the acting is EXTREMELY overdramatic and dialogue poorly delivered by the supporting cast. Also, the lack of technology prevented music and dialogue from existing simultaneously in the film (with the exception of one chase scene). This was a very expensive process back then. Overall, I believe this film will be cherished more by fans of the actors rather than by fans of the story. There have been more elaborate versions of Les Miserables since then. The best version I have seen is the one with Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush. I have not seen Depardieu's version.

(**P.S. For you nostalgia buffs out there: When Valjean leaves the Bishop's house, if that "Ave Maria" sounds familiar, you may remember that being used in Robert Donat's Count of Monte Christo made approximately the same time.)

for more information click here

The Best One Out There!

Of all the Les Miserables movies(even the one with Liam Neeson) this is my favorite it has in my opinon the best Jean Valjean. I guess you can say what makes this movie is Jean and his performance he is so much better than Liam is and you can truly feel his love for young Cosette. You'll fall in love with Jean! The little girl that played young Cosette also does a good job and you can see the bond that she has with Jean on screen. Marius is also performed well.
The only reason this isn't getting 5 stars from me is Javert delievers a lack-luster performance- I found him more annoying than dangerous...
It strays from the book a little but, is good none- the- less. This is a must for any Les Mis fan and a must for any old movie buff. All in all this is one you need to see.

for more information click here

A bit stodgy and stagey, but worth seeing...

This 1935 version of LES MISRABLES has interesting cinematography (the sewer scenes have Valjean and Marius traversing a near-mythological underworld) and fairly solid performances by March and Laughton (who leaves no scenery unchewed, but is still effective). Still it seems dated and very stagey--with that early-talkie sense of there being a little too much dead air. One senses the limitations of the cinema of the era, although we're only four years away from such (technicolor) splendors as "Gone With the Wind" and "The Wizard of OZ." The art of movie-making must have been growing by leaps and bounds in these years. Well worth seeing as a slice of cinematic history. Admirers of Hugo's novel can, with some justification, complain about its treatment of the classic tale, but compared to more recent cinematic attempts at realizing the author's vision, it holds up rather well.

for more information click here

reviews: page 1, 2, 3

products you might be interested in

recommendations

MEAN & NASTY: 17 Great Silver Screen Villains!
Definitive Les Miserables Resources
1935's Classic Films (Part 1)
8 Great Fredric March Films
Libertarian Films