Marie Genelyn V.

del Rosario Date: 03-18-10

II-Fn

I. Title: Les Misérables

II. Genre: Novel
- Les Misérables contains many plots, but the main thread is the story of ex-convict, Jean Valjean (known by his prison
number, 24601), who becomes a force for good in the world, but cannot escape his dark past. The novel is divided into five
volumes, each volume divided into books, and subdivided into chapters (for a total of 365 chapters). Each chapter is
relatively short, usually no longer than a few pages. Nevertheless, the book as a whole is quite lengthy by common
standards, often exceeding 1,200 pages in unabridged editions (1900 pages in French). Within the borders of the novel's
story, Hugo fills many pages with his thoughts on religion, politics, and society, including his three lengthy digressions, one
being a discussion on enclosed religious orders, another being on argot, and most famously, his epic retelling of the Battle of
Waterloo.
III. Element
A. Introduction
- Les Misérables is translated variously from the French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The
Wretched Poor, or The Victims, is an 1862 novel by French author Victor Hugo and is widely considered one of the greatest
novels of the 19th century. 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's final defeat at Waterloo.
1. CHARACTERS

Major:

 Jean Valjean (a.k.a. Monsieur Madeleine, a.k.a. Ultime Fauchelevent, a.k.a. Monsieur Leblanc, a.k.a. Urbain Fabre, a.k.a. 24601 a.k.a.
9430) — Convicted for stealing a loaf of bread, he is paroled from prison nineteen years later. Rejected by society for being a former
convict, Bishop Myriel turns his life around. He assumes a new identity to pursue an honest life, becoming a factory owner and a
mayor. He adopts and raises Fantine's daughter Cosette, saves Marius from the barricade, and dies at an old age.
 Javert — An obsessive police inspector who continuously hunts, tracks down, and loses Valjean. He goes undercover behind the
barricade, but is discovered and unmasked. Valjean has the chance to kill Javert, but lets him go. Later Javert allows Valjean to escape.
For the first time, Javert is in a situation in which he knows that the lawful course is immoral. His inner conflict leads him to take his
own life by jumping into the River Seine.
 Bishop Myriel, the bishop of Digne (full name Charles-François-Bienvenu Myriel, a.k.a. Monseigneur Bienvenu) — A kindly old
priest who is promoted to bishop by a chance encounter with Napoleon. He convinces Valjean to change his ways after Valjean steals
some silver from him and saves Valjean from being arrested.
 Fantine — A Parisian grisette abandoned with a small child with her lover Félix Tholomyès. Fantine leaves her daughter Cosette in the
care of the Thénardiers, innkeepers in a village called Montfermeil. Unfortunately, Mme. Thénardier spoils her own daughters and
abuses Cosette. Fantine finds work at Monsieur Madeleine's factory, but is fired by a female supervisor who discovers that she is an
unwed mother, as Fantine, being illiterate, had other people write her letters to the Thénardiers. To meet repeated demands for money
from the Thénardiers, she sells her hair, then her two front teeth, and finally turns to prostitution. Valjean learns of her plight when
Javert arrests her for attacking a man who called her insulting names and hurled snow at her back. She dies of a disease that may be
tuberculosis before Valjean is able to reunite her with Cosette.
 Cosette (real name Euphrasie, a.k.a. the Lark, a.k.a. Mademoiselle Lanoire, a.k.a Ursula) — The illegitimate daughter of Fantine and
Tholomyès. From approximately the age of three to the age of eight, she is beaten and forced to be a drudge by the Thénardiers. After
Fantine dies, Valjean ransoms her from the Thénardiers and she becomes his adopted daughter. She is educated by nuns in a convent in
Paris. She later grows up to become very beautiful. She falls in love with Marius Pontmercy, and marries him at the end of the novel.
 M. & Mme. Thénardier (a.k.a. the Jondrettes, a.k.a. M. Fabantou, a.k.a. M. Thénard) — A corrupt innkeeper and his wife. They have
five children: two daughters (Éponine and Azelma) and three sons (Gavroche and two unnamed younger sons). They take in Cosette in
her early years, mistreating and abusing her. They also write fabricated letters about Cosette to Fantine in order to extort money from
her. They end up losing the inn due to bankruptcy and moving to Paris, living as the Jondrettes. M. Thénardier is associated with an
infamous criminal gang called the Patron-Minette, but contrary to common belief he is not their head, both sides operate independently.
The Thénardier family also live next door to Marius, who recognizes M. Thénardier as the man who "tended to" his father at Waterloo.
They are arrested by Javert after Marius thwarts their attempts to rob and kill Valjean in their apartment. At the end of the novel, Mme.
Thénardier has long since died in prison while M. Thénardier and Azelma travel to America where he becomes a slave trader.
 Marius Pontmercy — A second-generation baron (not recognized as such under the present regime because his father was ennobled
by Napoleon Bonaparte) who fell out with his royalist grandfather after discovering his father was an officer under Napoleon. He
studies law, joins the revolutionary ABC students and later falls in love with Cosette.
 Enjolras — The leader of the Friends of the ABC in the Paris uprising. A charming and intimidating man with angelic beauty, he is
passionately devoted to democracy, equality and justice. Enjolras is a man of principle that believes in a cause – creating a republic,
liberating the poor – without any doubts. He and Grantaire are executed by the National Guards after the barricade falls.
 Éponine (a.k.a. the Jondrette girl) — The Thénardiers' elder daughter. As a child, she is pampered and spoiled by her parents, but ends
up a street urchin when she reaches adolescence. She participates in her father's crimes and begging schemes to obtain money. She is
blindly in love with Marius. At Marius' request, she finds Valjean and Cosette's house for him and sadly leads him there. She also
prevents her father, Patron-Minette and Brujon from robbing the house during one of Marius’ visits there to see Cosette. After
disguising herself as a boy, she manipulates Marius into going to the barricades, hoping that they will die together. However, she saves
Marius' life by reaching out her hand to stop a soldier's bullet heading for Marius; she is mortally wounded as the bullet goes through
 her hand and back. As she is dying, her final request to Marius is that once she has passed, he will kiss her on the forehead. He fulfills
her request not because of romantic feelings on his part, but out of pity for her hard life.
 Gavroche — The unloved middle child and eldest son of the Thénardiers, younger than his sisters. He lives on his own and is a street
urchin. He briefly takes care of his two younger brothers, unaware they are related to him. He takes part in the barricades and is killed
while collecting bullets from dead National Guardsmen for the ABC students at the barricade.

Minor:

 Mademoiselle Baptistine — Bishop Myriel's sister. She loves and venerates her brother.
 Madame Magloire — Domestic servant for the Bishop and his sister. She is fearful that he leaves the door open to
strangers.
 Petit Gervais — A small boy who drops a coin. There are two perspectives on Jean Valjean's encounter with him.
According to one, Valjean, still a man of criminal mind, places his foot on the coin and refuses to return it to the boy,
despite Gervais' protests. When the boy flees the scene and Valjean comes to his senses, remembering what the bishop
had done for him, he is horribly ashamed of what he has done and searches for the boy in vain. Another interpretation of
this scene is that Jean Valjean was not aware that he was stepping on the coin, and snarls at Petit Gervais, thinking he is
just annoying him, but realizes later that the coin was under his foot and feels horrible. Either way, he was uncaring of
the boy's pleas.
 Félix Tholomyès — Fantine’s lover and Cosette’s biological father. A rich student, he puts his own happiness and well-
being above anything else. He does not think much of his relationship with Fantine, considering it as "a passing affair."
After impregnating Fantine, he abandons her as a joke. Hugo then concludes Tholomyès’ involvement in the story by
saying that "twenty years later, under King Louis Philippe, he was a fat provincial attorney, rich and influential, a wise
elector and rigid juryman; always, however, a man of pleasure."
 Fauchelevent — Valjean saves Fauchelevent’s life when Valjean lifts a carriage underneath which he is caught.
Fauchelevent later will return the favor by providing sanctuary for Valjean and Cosette at a convent, and by providing
his name for Valjean's use.
 Bamatabois — An idler who harasses Fantine and puts snow down her back. He is also one of the jurors at
Champmathieu’s trial.
 Champmathieu — A vagabond who is mistakenly accused of being Valjean.
 Brevet — An ex-convict from Toulon who knew Valjean there. In 1823, he is serving time in the prison in Arras for an
unknown crime. He is the first to claim that Champmathieu is really Valjean. Used to wear knitted, checkered
suspenders.
 Chenildieu — A lifer from Toulon. He and Valjean were chain mates for five years. He once tried to remove the lifer's
brand TFP (travaux forcés à perpetuité, forced labor for life) by putting his shoulder on a chafing dish full of embers. He
is described as a small, wiry but energetic man.
 Cochepaille — Another lifer from Toulon. He used to be a shepherd from the Pyrenees who became a smuggler. He is
described as stupid and has a tattoo on his arm, March 1, 1815.
 Sister Simplice — A nun who cares for Fantine on her sickbed. She lies to Javert to protect Valjean, despite her
reputation for never having told a lie in her life.
 Mother Innocente (a.k.a. Marguerite de Blemeur) — The prioress of the Petit-Picpus convent.
 Toussaint — Valjean and Cosette's servant in Paris. She has a slight stutter.
 Monsieur Gillenormand — Marius' grandfather. A Monarchist, he disagrees sharply with Marius on political issues,
and they have several arguments. He attempts to keep Marius from being influenced by his father, an officer in
Napoleon's army. While in perpetual conflict over ideas, he does illustrate his love for his grandson.
 Mademoiselle Gillenormand — M. Gillenormand's surviving daughter, she lives with her father. Her half-sister (M.
Gillenormand's daughter from another marriage), deceased, was Marius' mother.
 Colonel Georges Pontmercy — Marius' father, and an officer in Napoleon's army. Wounded at Waterloo, Pontmercy
erroneously believes M. Thénardier saved his life. He tells Marius of this great debt. He loves Marius with his very
heart, and even spies on him when M. Gillenormand does not allow him to visit.
 Ma'am Bougon (real name Madame Burgon) — Housekeeper of Gorbeau House.
 Mabeuf — An elderly churchwarden. He was friends with Colonel Pontmercy, and then befriends Marius after Colonel
Pontmercy's death. He helps Marius realize the true identity and intentions of his father. He has a great love for plants
and books, but ends up having to sell his books due to descending into poverty. Feeling that all hope is lost, he joins the
students in the insurrection. He is shot and killed at the top of the barricades when raising their flag.
 Magnon — Former servant of M. Gillenormand and friend of the Thénardiers. She had been receiving child support
payments from M. Gillenormand for her two illegitimate sons, who she claimed were fathered by him. When her sons
died in an epidemic, she had them replaced with the Thénardiers' two youngest sons so that she could protect her
income. The Thénardiers get a portion of the payments. She is soon arrested due to being allegedly involved in the
Gorbeau Robbery.
 Two little brothers — The two unnamed youngest sons of the Thénardiers. The Thénardiers send their sons to Magnon
to replace her own two sons who died of illness. When Magnon is arrested, a cobbler gives the boys a note written by
Magnon with an address to go to. Unfortunately, it is torn away from them due to a strong wind. Unable to find it, they
end up living on the streets. They soon run into their brother Gavroche, who gives them temporary care and support. The
two boys and Gavroche are unaware they are related. Immediately after Gavroche's death at the barricade, the two boys
 are last seen at the Luxembourg Gardens retrieving and eating discarded bread from a fountain. Their fates are left
unknown.
 Azelma — The younger daughter of the Thénardiers. Along with her sister Éponine, she is spoiled as a child, and suffers
the same ragged and impoverished fate with her family when she is older. She also takes part in her father’s crimes.
Unlike her sister, Azelma is dependent and faint-hearted. She also does not show any defiance toward her father (this is
evident when, before Valjean and Cosette’s charitable visit, he orders her to punch out a window pane in their apartment
in order to look poorer. Although hesitant, she does so, resulting in cutting her hand). After the failed robbery of
Valjean, she is not seen again until Marius and Cosette’s wedding day, when she and her father are dressed up as
"masks" for the Mardi Gras. At the end of the novel, Azelma is the only known Thénardier child who does not die and
travels with her father to America.
 Patron-Minette — A quartet of bandits who assist in the Thénardiers' ambush of Valjean at Gorbeau House and the
attempted robbery at the Rue Plumet. The gang consists of Montparnasse, Claquesous, Babet, and Gueulemer.
Claquesous, who escaped from the carriage transporting him to prison after the Gorbeau Robbery, joins the revolution
under the guise of "Le Cabuc" and is executed by Enjolras for firing on civilians.
 Brujon — A robber and criminal. He participates in crimes with M. Thénardier and the Patron-Minette gang (such as
the Gorbeau Robbery and the attempted robbery at the Rue Plumet). The author describes Brujon as being "a sprightly
young fellow, very cunning and very adroit, with a flurried and plaintive appearance."
 Friends of the ABC — A group of revolutionary students. They fight and die in the insurrection of the Paris uprising on
June 5th and 6th, 1832. Their name is described as coming from the following: "They declared themselves the Friends of
the A B C,--the Abaissé,-- the debased,--that is to say, the people. They wished to elevate the people. It was a pun which
we should do wrong to smile at." Led by Enjolras, its other principal members are Courfeyrac, Combeferre, Jean
Prouvaire, Feuilly, Bahorel, Laigle (nicknamed Bossuet, sometimes also written L'Aigle, Lesgle, Lègle or Lesgles), Joly,
and Grantaire.[3]
 Grantaire — Alcoholic student who, unlike the other revolutionaries, does not strongly believe in the cause of the ABC
Society, but associates with them because he admires, loves and venerates Enjolras. In the novel their relationship is
compared to that of Orestes and his pederastic companion Pylades. Grantaire is executed alongside Enjolras.

2. Setting
- France; primarily the cities of Arras, Digne, Montreuil-sur-mer, Montfermeil, Paris, and Toulon
B. Plot
Rising Action-  Valjean’s disclosure of his true identity at Champmathieu’s trial; Valjean’s rescue of
Cosette from the Thénardiers; Marius’s first sight of Cosette in the Luxembourg Gardens.

CLIMAX- Marius, Valjean, and Javert’s dramatic interactions at the barricades

FALLING ACTION- Marius and Cosette’s wedding; Javert’s suicide

Conflict-  Valjean struggles to transform himself from a thief into an honest man; over the years he
struggles to stay a step ahead of the zealous police officer Javert and tries to raise his adopted daughter,
Cosette.

IV. Techincal Effects

1) Cinematic Effects/sounds/etc.
- Smoke effects are used: the air is thick with the gunsmoke of battle, or an all-enveloping mist is
pierced by shafts of light as though through the overhead grating of a damp sewer
- The most engaging aspects of the film are the scenes focusing on the confrontation between the
protaganist Valjean and the antagonist Javert. The opposing characters are played with conviction by
Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush. Especially interesting is to see Rush portraying a vindictive
character that is a complete opposite from his Oscar winning role as the bumbling and loveable
Helfgott in Shine. Otherwise, the rest of the story fails to stir up the emotion and passion that is
evoked in Victor Hugo's novel or the Broadway musical. The daunting task of reducing a 1000 page
novel for the screen will inevitably result in sacrificing the intricacies of characters development and
the political setting. That is the case in this adaptation as much of the supporting characters are
underdeveloped and the political atmosphere is less integral. Furthermore, the ending felt rushed and
anti-climatic. Not the kind of reward I'd expected after sitting for nearly two and a half hours.
- The DVD picture is matted at 2.35:1 and exhibits excellent composition. Besides some minor
shimmering, the picture contains no other artifacts. The color scheme consists of muted palettes from
the surrounding grey structures to the formal black attires. The atmosphere reinforces the gloominess
 with constant overcast skies and drab lighting. Colors are well saturated and look great on the red and
blue uniform of the guards. The interiors are low-lit by candles that reveal appropriate shadow details
and deep blacks.
- My interest in this film grew after listening to Basil Poledouris' dramatic score on the CD soundtrack
a few months back. There are a handful of composers that would automatically garner my interest in
the movie and Poledouris is one of them. In a last minute decision, Poledouris was called in to
compose a new score to replace the one already finished by Gabriel Yared (The English Patient).
That decision worked out commendably as Poledouris' score is powerfully driven and flooded with
emotions in an otherwise straightforward adaptation. On the DVD, the score is the dominant source
of the sounding environment. Yet, I feel that the Dolby Digital recording sounds restrained comparing
to the CD recording which has a richer fidelity. Other sound effects are limited in spatiality with an
occassional discrete effects from the rear channels. Only toward the revolution stage in the end does
the sound mix becomes more aggressive. Dialogue is too focused on the center channel and sounds
ADR-produced.
- Fans of the Broadway musical might find this movie adaptation to be less than inspiring as a lot of the
sentimental subplots in the play are missing. But then again, if you just can't get enough of Les
Misérables or don't necessarily want to read the entire novel, the performances and the script are
engaging enough to merit a night rental.

V. Moral Lesson
- Money is not the medium of life, it is Love and Family.
- In love there’s no such word “Perfect”, it is “Contentment” who gives happiness in the world
of hearts.
- Don’t do unto others what you don’t want them to done to you
- In judging a person, don’t listen to others sayings, to make it fair, you must know him/her
first.
- There is always a second chance; it is unto to you if how will you going to spend it.
VI. Reaction

At first, I thought the film was boring, the cinematography is a bit old same as the setting
and the appearance of all the characters, maybe I can’t appreciate their fashion. Story continues, I
remain watching, trying to understand the movie for the sake of this film review. I knew that,
somehow this movie makes sense, Jean Valjean  is a Illiterate person, convicted from stealing of a
loaf of bread, I thought he was just one of the minor characters, but when the movie reach the
climax, I knew he has a big role in that movie and he’s unbelievable. After all the Tragedy
happened to his life, He have been blessed for meeting a person(Bishop Myriel) who could give
away tons of silver to make himself better, thinking for the sake of a stranger like him even though
that person knew that he is a convict. Years past, he was able to Rule a town and Lead a colony,
gain the Trust from his people but never reach the Heart of everyone. He remain loner, until the
time he met Fatine in the jail, Javert arrested her. I’m almost writing the whole story here so I
would end it by saying two phrases; our world is round, it will surely roll until the situation of
different person turns opposite, different person, different situation, in different time, and the movie
really makes me realize that “a convicted person will not always be convicted” and “Money can’t
rule the world forever”.

Maybe Jean Valjean made a lot of mistakes, but at least he Changed into a better person
afterwards Myriel gave him a chance and spreading the blessings to a lot of people.