*Title: Les Miserables
*Author: Victor Hugo
*DOB: 2.26.1802
*DOD: 5.22.1885
*Lived: France
*Original Publication Date: 1862
*Setting: 1815-1834. France. City.
*Theme: Don't let revenge get the better of you; with God, all things are possible.
*Brief Plot Synopsis: Jean Valjean, a frenchman imprisoned for stealing bread, finally gets parol after 19 years of torment. However, Javert, an inspector, is quite hesitant to let Valjean's past be forgotten. Valjean spends the majority of his life fleeing from Javert, who wants "justice."
*Characters:
*Jean Valjean: (Protagonist) Main character. Stole bread and spend the rest of his life as a convict, paying for his crime. Turned into a new man, becoming kind, caring, generous, etc.
*Fantine: Had a child (Cosette) out of wedlock, which cost her her job. To help pay for her daughter's expenses, she sold her hair and later resorted to prostitution. After being attacked by men in the street (they put snow down her dress), she hit them and was arrested by Inspector Javert. However, Valjean took her in to care for her. She later died of TB.
*Cosette: Fantine's daughter. After Fantine dies, Jean takes care of her as if she were his actual daughter. Falls in love with Marius.
*Marius: Cosette's love interest, speaker for the ABC student thing, and yells "Long live the republic" a lot.
*The Thenardiers: (Antagonists) They "take care" of Cosette since Fantine cannot. However, they rip people off and abuse Cosette as a child before Valjean takes her away from them.
*Gavroche: A street child who takes part in the fight. Finds children on the street who are about his age and calls them his "babies." Sadly, he gets shot while looking for spare bullets.
*Carnot: Is wrongly accused because people believe he is Jean Valjean. He's slow in the head and laughed at.
*Javert: (ANTAGONIST!) The inspector who wastes his life worrying about Valjean's past. He tries to catch the convict throughout the whole story. He's an annoying little pest who is obsessed (heh, that rhymed), can't control his revenge, and feels too powerful.
*Symbols: Hmm...faith and love can defeat vengeance?
*Distinguishing characteristics: It's a uniquely twisted tale of revenge and love.
This was a long movie- that's for certain. I think I liked it, though. Geoffrey Rush looked so cool! Haha, anyway...it seemed like the plot just kept unfolding and branching out more and more throughout the movie. Pretty soon, I was like, ok, NOW what's going to happen?? I didn't think it would ever end.
I understood the main subjects were Valjean and Javert- Javert wanted nothing more than to capture Valjean and make his past public. However, Valjean was a different man. He wanted to be left alone- I mean he paid his time, and all he did was steal some bread! BREAD! I don't know about you, but I though 19 years was more than enough torture for Valjean. And after that, he became so kind, loving, generous, and caring...it was an amazing change in character. But no. Javert couldn't handle that. He didn't believe that people could change. But I think that the past is the past; you can't do a thing to change what is set in stone. Jean Valjean paid for his crime, and deserved to be left alone afterwards.
Javert annoyed me SO MUCH. He kept popping up places and ruining things when they were smooth sailing. And I thought that the romance between Cosette and Marius was very cute. Plus, they both have really neat names!
The whole revolutionary fighting at the end was lame. I've never read the book, but I could tell those scenes were completely rushed. I bet a lot was left out. But, it was long enough.
The actual ending, which I won't spoil, was great. I was in suspence, wondering what would happen. And when Javert made his choice, I thought to myself, I half expected that, I half didn't. I liked how it ended so simply and quietly, with Valjean walking away with a smile on his face. Perfect. I think, to the common watcher, the ended wouldn't be very exciting. After all, what happens with Cosette and Marius is never explained. However, I thought it was quiet perfect and peaceful, and ended in just the right place. Remember what the main point of the story is. Once that's over, what more can be told? It's like the ending to Sweeney Todd! MWAHAHAH!
*P.S: Great acting.
*P.P.S: Great music as well!