Yet lys immersive film, a crime drama that evokes both the unrelenting energy of training day and the empathetic investigative spirit of david simons the wire, shares more than a location and a revolutionary spirit with. Charles laughton makes this movie, but literally every scene and every character add to this amazing film. In the preface to victor hugos 1862 novel, which shares the title of ladj lys brilliant film, he speaks of social asphyxia, an oppression that almost two. The appearance of the miserables was highly anticipated and. It is one of the numerous screen adaptations of the novel of the. This is probably one of victor hugos bestknown books, popularized by the musical starring hugh jackman, russell crowe and anne hathaway. Les miserables alliance francaise french film festival. He quickly discovers tensions running high between neighborhood gangs. The new film, les miserables, is not another adaptation of the victor hugo novel and its definitely not a musical. In lys film, that character could be transposed on to issa issa perica. Director tom shankland didnt want his les miserables to be anything like the stagemusical version of victor hugos sweeping historical novel, nor like the 2012 tom hooper feature film. Jean valjean, known as prisoner 24601, is released from prison and breaks parole to create a new life for himself while evading the grip of the persistent inspector javert. When his team finds itself overrun during the course of an arrest, a drone captures their every action. The film was distributed by universal pictures in north america.
If you have never seen a charles laughton movie this one will get you hooked. Nor does anyone steal a loaf of bread or break a windowpane. Its set in montfermeil, the same french suburb as the original. Bbcs les miserables recreates the dark world of victor. The film s visual style is influenced early on by courbet, in the scenes at the paris barricades by delacroix, and. Victor hugos les miserables debuted 150 years ago in 1862 and now has become the literal definition of the big book. Although lys featurelength fiction debut shares a title, setting and subtext with victor hugos novel, it is instead a contemporary david ayerish cop movie crossed with the. In the englishspeaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original french title. Frances new les miserables film is not the les mis. The film may share its name with victor hugos classic 19th century novel but there. It is one of the numerous screen adaptations of the novel of the same name by victor. I read up to 80% before i went to see the film and i guess i am a convert to les mis.
The modern movie remains a tale of downtrodden parisians and dogged policemen who hound them. After 19 years of hard labor for stealing a loaf of bread and trying to escape his sentence, convict jean valjean hugh jackman is paroled, but starving, because no one will hire or help a known criminal. It is set in the same paris suburb that inspired part of the 19thcentury. If a writer wrote merely for his time, i would have to break my pen and throw it away, the largerthanlife victor hugo once confessed. Publication date 1862 les miserables is a french historical novel by victor hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th. But since a twohour film can only provide a brief summary, i decided to read it in its entirety and see for myself why it is so well loved. Les miserables was released internationally by imax theatres on 10 january 20. This is by far the best version of les miserables ever made in my opinion and the critics. Illustration by gustave brion authorvictor hugo illustratoremile bayard countryfirst published in belgium, when author was in selfimposed exile in guernsey languagefrench genreepic novel, historical fiction publishera. Set in postrevolutionary france, the story reaches resolution against the background of the june rebellion. This sequence is a prologue, unconnected to the events that follow, at least in terms of plot, but crucial in establishing the concerns and themes of the film. Immortalized in its many incarnations, from the page to the stage to screens both big. Its one of those classics every man and his dog claims to have read and with more film and tv adaptations than you can shake a remote at, its fairly easy to convince yourself you sort of, kind of, may as well have.