User Reviews

An interpretation of the opening incident in Hugo's masterpiece, Les Miserables. It is the well-known scene where Jean Valjean is taken in by the bishop and rewards his benefactor by stealing his silver, and the bishop gives him the candlesticks and tells him that now he must do good and not evil since he has bought his soul for God. Here is another striking drama which clearly indicates the improvement in the serious portion of the motion picture field. To successfully interpret such a scene as this without the aid of the spoken word is an achievement of importance and is an earnest of the future of the motion picture as an entertainer and a teacher. And only the highest praise can be accorded this effort. The scene is reproduced with fidelity to the original narrative and the characters successfully interpret their various parts. The two principal characters, Jean Valjean, the released convict, and the bishop, are true to the story and correctly interpret their parts. It would be difficult to conceive of anything that could improve the work of these two. And at the climax, when the bishop hands the thief the two candlesticks and tells him he evidently forgot to take them with him, the expression upon the face of Valjean is fascinating in its depiction of amazement. And the bishop is quite as lovable in the picture as he is in the story. Indeed, he couldn't well be improved and every move he makes indicates plainly his characteristic goodness. The staging of this picture is in accord with the description of the bishop's home as given in the story, consequently requires no criticism. Tt has been done with fidelity to the original and that is all the director could do. And the action is quite in keeping with the characters and what they are described as having done. It could not be better. It correctly interprets the spirit of the story as told by Hugo. One could not ask more. The photography has been well done, only here and there does a cloud appear on the film. And the printer has made his positive as good as the photographer made his negative. No more could be asked. The Edison Company is to be congratulated upon this contribution to the best among motion pictures. – The Moving Picture World, August 28, 1909