Les Misérables (1935 film)
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| Les Misérables | |
|---|---|
 original film poster |
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| Directed by | Richard Boleslawski |
| Produced by | Darryl F. Zanuck 20th Century Pictures |
| Written by | W. P. Lipscomb |
| Starring | Fredric March Charles Laughton Cedric Hardwicke Rochelle Hudson |
| Music by | Alfred Newman |
| Cinematography | Gregg Toland |
| Distributed by | United Artists (1935 release) 20th Century Fox (re-release) |
| Release date(s) | 20 April 1935 |
| Running time | 108 min. |
| IMDb profile | |
Les Misérables (1935) is a film based upon the famous Victor Hugo novel of the same name. It was adapted by W. P. Lipscomb and directed by Richard Boleslawski.
The film starred Fredric March as Jean Valjean, Charles Laughton as Inspector Javert, Cedric Hardwicke as the bishop, Rochelle Hudson as Cosette, Florence Eldridge as Fantine, John Beal as Marius, Frances Drake as Éponine, and John Carradine as Enjolras.
The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and the Academy Award for Film Editing. The National Board of Review named the film the sixth best of 1935.
The plot of the movie follows Hugo's novel closely, except for the differences noted below.
[edit] Differences from the book
This adaptation made certain changes subsequently kept in most of the later film adaptations:
- Jean Valjean's trial, life as a convict and release are presented chronologically, whereas in the book his previous life is presented in flashback. In addition, the book begins by introducing the bishop, while in the movie he does not appear until Valjean arrives at his door
- In the movie, Javert is shown being assigned to the galleys, and seeing Valjean's display of strength at the beginning. In the book he is not introduced until after Valjean has become mayor
- Javert's first name is given as Emile, while it is never given in the book
- Little Gervais and Félix Tholomyés are omitted from the movie. In addition, we do not learn of Fantine's previous life, as we do in the book
- Valjean rescues Cosette from the Thénardiers before Fantine dies, while in the book he does not fulfil this pledge to Fantine until after she dies
- The Thénardiers drop out of the story after Cosette leaves them, whereas in the book they reappear
- In the movie Valjean and Cosette go to the convent with a letter of introduction from M. Madeleine, whereas in the book they came upon the convent while fleeing from Javert
- We see Valjean rescue a man whose cart had fallen on him, which arouses Javert's suspicion, but the movie does not mention that this man (Fauchelevent) and the gardener at the convent are the same person
- Marius' background is not mentioned, while it is given in the book. Also, he meets Valjean and Cosette while they ride into the park where he is giving a speech, while in the book he is simply walking in the park when he meets them
- Éponine's role is changed from the book. In the movie, she is the secretary of the revolutionary society Marius belongs to. In the book, she is Thénardier's daughter, and is not connected to the revolutionary society. The movie makes no mention of her being Thénardier's daughter
- In the book all Marius' revolutionary friends are introduced in turn, but in the movie the only one we meet is Enjolras
- In the book, Enjolras is the leader of the revolutionaries and Marius not even a very faithful follower (him being a bonapartist with less radical ideas than his friends). In the movie, Marius is made the leader. In addition, the students' goal is not a democracy but to better the conditions in the french galleys. Marius says himself: "We are not revolutionaries."
- In the movie, we see Javert surveying the revolutionaries, whereas in the book we do not learn that he had this assignment until the revolutionaries take him prisoner
- In the movie, Éponine delivers the message from Marius to Cosette, which Valjean intercepts, causing Valjean to come to the barricade to rescue Marius. In the book Gavroche, who does not appear in the movie, does this.
- In the book the revolutionaries, except Marius, are all killed in the attempted revolt, which we do not see in the movie
- In the movie Javert pursues Valjean and Marius into the sewers, which he does not in the book, although he does meet Valjean when he exits the sewers, having pursued Thénardier there
- Valjean brings Marius to Valjean's house and Cosette, while in the book Valjean brings Marius to the house of Marius' grandfather, M. Gillenormand, who does not appear in the movie. Also, while Valjean thinks Javert is waiting for him and he is going away, he gives Marius and Cosette instructions, including to love each other always and leaving the candlesticks to Cosette, which in the book appeared in his deathbed scene
- The movie ends with Javert's suicide, which is not the end in the book. At the end of the novel, Jean Valjean, now a wealthy man dies of old age and this is never shown in the 1935 film (or in the 1952 remake, for that matter).
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