After watching this first adaptation of Les Misérables, I'm afraid the bar is set high. Raymond Bernard achieved what I thought was impossible: he took this gigantic and epic masterpiece of a book and turned it into a great film that works incredibly well within the medium.
This long-lost masterpiece was shot during difficult times, forgotten too fast, re-cut, re-released, cut again, and finally let aside to sleep on a shelf at Pathé. The admirable initiative of Criterion, Eclipse, finally restored it and brought it to the public in a form that is believed to be close to the original. Raymond Bernard, after his WWI success Les croix de bois, was allowed a big budget to make this three-parts film. With a running time of almost five hours, it gives itself the time to capture the essence of the story. The very few changes that were made to the plot make perfect sense. They are mostly around the ending, which they shortened more than I thought they would, given its emotional power. Still, the book is pretty intact.
As I said before, this is a great film, whether you've read the book or not. Some people disliked the extreme angles the director used through the film, especially during intense scenes. I thought they gave a creative and atmospheric touch to the film and worked really well within the context. Don't let them fool you, though: this isn't a purely visual experience, it's got a heart. Harry Baur is perfect as Jean Valjean, everything that I thought he would be. His performance makes you respond emotionally and involves you with his character, one of the greatest and most interesting of literature. Harry Baur once had the potential to become the equivalent of Jean Gabin is France, but he was arrested by the Nazis and tortured for information in 1943 because his wife was Jewish and suspected of taking part in the anti-Nazis activities in France, and died shortly afterward. He was a great actor that deserves more recognition, and he's at the top of his game here.
The rest of the cast fit their roles perfectly. Jean Servais as Marius and Josseline Gaël as Cosette are as innocently annoying as they should be, playing the two young lovers and the least interesting characters. Charles Vanel is pure evil as Javert. The child-actors who play Gavroche and Cosette are pitch-perfect. The young girl looked like the "gravure" (I don't know the English word) used to promote the Broadway musical. Orane Demazis, though, is miscast as Eponine. She was 40 and playing a teenager, in a not so memorable performance. Eponine was one of my favorite characters and so I was a little disappointed. She is the only thing I would change about this otherwise fantastic cast.
The memorable scenes of the book preserve their power. The insurrection made an impressive action scene. The sewer bit is as stressful and oppressing as it could be (The Third Man, anyone?). The convoy of convicts almost made me cry, as did the death of Gavroche and many other moments.
All in all, this is not only a great adaptation, but a great film in itself, and is definitely amongst my favorites. Any thoughts for this epic film that my boss once said "puts Les enfants du paradis to shame"?
This long-lost masterpiece was shot during difficult times, forgotten too fast, re-cut, re-released, cut again, and finally let aside to sleep on a shelf at Pathé. The admirable initiative of Criterion, Eclipse, finally restored it and brought it to the public in a form that is believed to be close to the original. Raymond Bernard, after his WWI success Les croix de bois, was allowed a big budget to make this three-parts film. With a running time of almost five hours, it gives itself the time to capture the essence of the story. The very few changes that were made to the plot make perfect sense. They are mostly around the ending, which they shortened more than I thought they would, given its emotional power. Still, the book is pretty intact.
As I said before, this is a great film, whether you've read the book or not. Some people disliked the extreme angles the director used through the film, especially during intense scenes. I thought they gave a creative and atmospheric touch to the film and worked really well within the context. Don't let them fool you, though: this isn't a purely visual experience, it's got a heart. Harry Baur is perfect as Jean Valjean, everything that I thought he would be. His performance makes you respond emotionally and involves you with his character, one of the greatest and most interesting of literature. Harry Baur once had the potential to become the equivalent of Jean Gabin is France, but he was arrested by the Nazis and tortured for information in 1943 because his wife was Jewish and suspected of taking part in the anti-Nazis activities in France, and died shortly afterward. He was a great actor that deserves more recognition, and he's at the top of his game here.
The rest of the cast fit their roles perfectly. Jean Servais as Marius and Josseline Gaël as Cosette are as innocently annoying as they should be, playing the two young lovers and the least interesting characters. Charles Vanel is pure evil as Javert. The child-actors who play Gavroche and Cosette are pitch-perfect. The young girl looked like the "gravure" (I don't know the English word) used to promote the Broadway musical. Orane Demazis, though, is miscast as Eponine. She was 40 and playing a teenager, in a not so memorable performance. Eponine was one of my favorite characters and so I was a little disappointed. She is the only thing I would change about this otherwise fantastic cast.
The memorable scenes of the book preserve their power. The insurrection made an impressive action scene. The sewer bit is as stressful and oppressing as it could be (The Third Man, anyone?). The convoy of convicts almost made me cry, as did the death of Gavroche and many other moments.
All in all, this is not only a great adaptation, but a great film in itself, and is definitely amongst my favorites. Any thoughts for this epic film that my boss once said "puts Les enfants du paradis to shame"?