Taglines: The legend comes to life.
Les Misérables movie storyline. Jean Valjean, a man arrested for stealing bread nineteen years earlier, is released on parole. When no one is willing to allow a convict to stay the night, Bishop Myriel kindly welcomes him into his home. Valjean explains to Myriel that sleeping in a real bed will make him a new man.
In the night, Valjean, interrupted by Myriel while stealing his silverware, strikes him and flees. When the police arrest Valjean for stealing and drag him back to Myriel, Myriel tells them that the silverware was a gift and scolds Valjean for forgetting to take his candlesticks as well. Myriel then reminds Valjean that he is to become a new man.
Nine years later, Valjean is now a wealthy industrialist and a mayor. Fantine, a single mother working at one of Valjean’s factories, is fired when her manager learns she has had a daughter out of wedlock. However, Valjean is preoccupied with the arrival of Inspector Javert, who previously served as a guard at the prison in which Valjean was held.
Fantine, in desperate need of money to pay the extortionate demands of Mr. and Mrs. Thénardier for looking after her daughter Cosette, turns to prostitution. Javert starts to suspect that the Mayor and Valjean are the same person. Fantine is attacked by some customers, and when she retaliates, Javert beats and arrests her, planning on sending her to prison. Citing his authority to do so as mayor, Valjean insists on her release and she is let go.
Valjean nurses Fantine back to health, and promises her that she will have her daughter back. However, the Thénardiers continue to extort more money from Valjean and Fantine on the pretence of Fantine’s daughter being ill. Later, Valjean receives word that another man is mistaken as being him and is about to be arrested. Valjean arrives at court where the man is being tried and reveals his identity that he is the real Valjean.
Valjean eventually finds and rescues Cosette from the Thénardiers, the corrupt innkeepers who were supposed to care for her, but are actually forcing her to be their servant. They care little for the girl, seeing her merely as a way to bring in money (going so far as to offer up Cosette as a child prostitute to the as-of-yet unrevealed Valjean). Both Valjean and Cosette finally make it to Paris where they start a new life together as father and daughter, cloistered within a religious convent.
Les Misérables is a 1998 film adaptation of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel of the same name, directed by Bille August. It stars Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman, Claire Danes, Hans Matheson, Reine Brynolfsson, Peter Vaughan, Kathleen Byron, Patsy Byrne and Veronika Bendová.
As in the original novel, the storyline 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). It was filmed at Barrandov Studios in Prague.
The film opened at number four in its opening weekend with $5,011,840 behind He Got Game, City of Angels, and The Big Hit; the film would eventually gross a domestic total of $14,096,321.
The film changes the names of secondary characters and places to make them more readily understood by an English-speaking audience. Many details of the plot are faithfully reproduced, including the trial at Arras and the death of Gavroche, while entire segments of the plot are eliminated. As mayor, Valjean is aided by a junior police official more loyal to him than to Javert.
The Thénardier family appears only when Valjean redeems Cosette. The Petit Gervais episode does not occur. Marius has no family background and leads the student revolt. Cosette is far more independent in the film, suggests leaving the cloister to experience the outside world, and challenges Valjean’s control of her life. Valjean explains his past to her directly rather than through Marius.
Les Misérables (1998)
Directed by: Bille August
Starring: Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman, Claire Danes, Hans Matheson, Reine Brynolfsson, Peter Vaughan, Kathleen Byron, Patsy Byrne, Veronika Bendová
Screenplay by: Rafael Yglesias
Production Design by: Anna Asp
Cinematography by: Jörgen Persson
Film Editing by: Janus Billeskov Jansen
Costume Design by: Gabriella Pescucci
Art Direction by: Peter Grant
Music by: Basil Poledouris
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence, and for some sexual content.
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: May 1, 1998
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