Les Miserables is Spellbinding

By Heather Hardison, PhD.

Victor Hugo’s bleak, grim story has new life thanks to director Tom Hooper, who has already stunned film goers with The King’s Speech and has proved that he has staying power in Hollywood. Les Miserables comes across as a stunning, epic masterpiece – visually and musically. Les Mis has become one of the most beloved Broadway musicals in the past several decades, and a non-musical film adaptation starring Claire Danes, Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush was released 1998; however, this new film adaptation of the musical is chilling and breathtaking as the explosive musical numbers from the Broadway version burst onto the film screen. Not only is it emotionally intense, but it is literally gut wrenching at times. 

The best description for this adaptation is that it takes you on a wonderfully intense emotional journey that captures the very essence of being human and covers all of the emotions felt in the span of a lifetime ranging from despair, grief, heartbreak, sorrow, and pain to joy, contentment, love, and hope. One of the underlying threads in this film that is the most uplifting is the compassion of the human spirit. Jean Valjean displays compassion so artfully throughout all of his interactions with the main characters – Javert, Cosette, Marius, and of course Fantine. 

Although this film focuses so much on the dreariness of life and the pain of poverty and destruction of oppression, it also teaches us all that compassion lies at the core of our essence. No matter how violent and cruel the world can be and no matter how much the world may try to stomp out our spirits, compassion can arise and hope can thrive. 

This is first expressed when the priest shows compassion and forgiveness to Valjean even after he has stolen vast amounts of silver from the priest in the dead of the night after he has taken Valjean in when everyone else turned him away. The priest tells the police that he gave Valjean the silver and commands them to release him. He then tells Valjean that he is saving his soul and requests that he make something of his life now that it is spared. 

This permanently changes Valjean and causes him to reexamine his life and purpose. From that point forward, Valjean models how self-sacrifice and compassion can cleanse the soul of past sins. Love can renew hope within even the most downtrodden and can transform even a criminal into a saint. 

Valjean’s compassion touches so many lives throughout the film and leaves us with renewed hope for the human race. Valjean’s mercy and numerous sacrifices even cause Javert to question his own desire to continue to hunt Valjean for breaking parole. Javert struggles internally with how to exist in a world where Valjean runs free. His self-identity is based on his duty as a law enforcer and he can’t imagine living in a world where he abandons that responsibility or fails in his attempts to bring him to justice. After Valjean makes the choice not to kill him, Javert wrestles with the choice to continue to hunt him or let him go. He starts to question the integrity of Valjean and wonders if he judged him unfairly all those years ago.

Javert ultimately decides that only one can exist, and as Valjean has shown him mercy by releasing him, Javert feels that he has no choice but to take himself out of the world. The foundation on which he based his life has now crumbled and he doesn’t know how to go own when his foundation has been shaken to the core. In a way Javert is sacrificing himself so that Valjean can go on living in peace without being pursued, but Javert is also releasing himself of that duty and the torment of living a life knowing that he has not fulfilled the duty that he swore to uphold. As Javert plummets to his death the long-lived connection between Javert and Valjean is severed and both men are allowed to rest in peace as Valjean passes on not long after Javert.

Valjean’s emotional transformation is uplifting. His renewed hope comes when he chooses to take on the responsibility of young Cosette, the orphaned daughter of Fantine who died as the result of a life on the street as a prostitute to make enough money to pay Cosette’s way at the Inn. Valjean was so moved by the tragic demise of Fantine that he committed on the spot to rescue Cosette and raise her as his own as she would have no real future ahead of her unless he intervened. 

Valjean is immediately entranced by the innocence and beauty of Cosette who possesses the purest voice that will pierce your soul. As she sweetly serenades us with “Castle on a Cloud” it is easy to see how she captures Valjean’s heart instantaneously.

Les Mis is a love story on many levels and the deepest love portrayed is that of Valjean for Cosette and her love for him in return. He was lost in life until he met her and she gave him a renewed purpose, which saved his life. She gave him a way to also redeem his soul through self-sacrifice as a way to atone for his past sins. He sacrifices much of his life for Cosette’s protection and future. He describes her as “a gift of love” and a “love that warms my heart.” Due to Cosette he can “suddenly see what I couldn’t see before.” 

As the story unfolds over many years there is another love story that develops and we see hope blossom with the young, idealistic love of Cosette and Marius. She has a new protector that Valjean deems good enough to care for and love her when Valjean passes. This story ultimately is about the power of love and how it can transform us even in our darkest hours when all hope has been lost.

The scope of this film is epic and grandeur. The cinematography is stunning and unforgettable. It was a feast for the eyes and the ears simultaneously. It boldly kisses all of the senses awake leaving you bursting with joy, sadness and complete fulfillment as it all culminates in majestic form. I felt completely overwhelmed with emotion and was stunned from the majestic journey I had taken from the grand opening scene with Valjean hoisting the ship with fellow prisoners to his last breath surrounded by the love of his life.

This musical film adaptation sets itself apart from other film musicals as director Tom Hopper had a vision to capture the rawness of the performances by shooting scenes live and in one single uncut shot. This may compromise vocals at times but adds an emotional genuineness that would otherwise be lost if actors were attempting to match up their movements and lyrics with a previously recorded track. Some critics may harp on the scenes and vocals that are not perfect; however, the emotional scenes captured in this film are chilling. This directorial choice seems to be fitting given the content of the film. As the story chronicles the lives of those who live on the street in poverty or live on the run, the authenticity of the emotions felt as they express their sorrow and pain through song is utterly vital to the storyline. There is a gritty, raw visceral experience that is evoked with the imperfections in some of the vocals, which would most definitely have been lost had they inserted a polished track from the studio in its place. Anne Hathaway's version of "I Dreamed a Dream" is a perfect example of how this choice paid off for Hooper. It is reported that she delivered that unbelievable performance in only 1 uncut take. It stands out as the most memorable moment of the entire film!

At times Jackman’s voice in particular came across as strained and nasally; however, the emotion that he unleashes in his performance is phenomenal. Jackman turned in his most emotionally gripping film performance which is most likely due to the freedom that he stated he felt as they filmed in the moment. Hooper wanted each of the actors to feel in control of their own acting choices as they sang live and those choices would have been restricted if those scenes were pre-recorded.

The entire cast is impressive. You can imagine how demanding each of these roles would be as actors were asked to sing constantly throughout the film, and many scenes were shot uncut which adds much more pressure. In this way it resembles a Broadway production rather than a film. Actors were expected to sing up to 12 hours a day and maintaining top vocal quality was next to impossible. You could detect strained voices and fatigued actors throughout certain scenes which mirrored the characters they portrayed who would have been distraught, exhausted and exasperated. Hooper stated that he was also hoping to appeal to non-musical lovers by capturing the action in the moment and not through lip synced scenes. "The thing about this form is when you get it right, it offers an emotional power few other forms can," says Hooper. "The full power of melody and music with acting and lyrics — the combination creates a heightened reality.”

 

There were so many incredible performances in this film. Hugh Jackman carried the entire film emotionally, and much like Valjean himself seemed to be a father figure to many. 

It would be shocking if the Oscar was not presented to Anne Hathaway with a bow on top for her jaw dropping, stunning performance! Hathaway delivers such a moving and stirring performance as Fantine that her short 15-20 minute presence haunts you throughout the entire film until her reappearance at Valjean’s death, which was the most emotionally stirring moment. Try holding in the tears at the height of that final moment. Her voice is chilling. I had goosebumps and still do every time I hear her rendition.

One aspect of this production that should be praised above all else was the buildup of intensity throughout the film. It continued to build musically and emotionally scene after scene, and the last hour of the film lifts you higher than you can imagine. It culminates in an emotional tear-jerking scene with the reappearance of Fantine at Valjean’s death. Fantine’s angelic call to Valjean to join her where "the chains will never bind you” is so emotionally stirring that even the toughest “gent” would struggle not to feel choked up. Valjean finally finds peace as Fantine assures him that his grief is at last behind him. She has come to lead him to salvation. This scene leaves us with a main message of this film which is that "To love another person is to see the face of God." 

Then the chanting from the lost souls of “Can you hear the people sing,” leaves you on an uplifting note, which completes the emotional journey from sorrow, grief and pain to joy and love. This film spans every emotion you can conjure and may leave you feeling like an emotional wreak by the end, but what a wonderful feeling it is to experience the complete range of human emotion in under 3 hours time. It is what keeps most theater goers coming back to musical theater over and over again, and now has successfully crossed over into the film experience. The live singing had a powerful impact and did seem to increase the drama which stays with you even after leaving the theater.

There were just a few drawbacks to this film. At times the actor’s voices were strained and even flat, which could be overlooked given the fact that it was live. Singing each line of dialogue becomes silly and unnatural which can grate on the nerves of even a musical theater fan. The talk/singing format does compromise the quality of the vocal performances as it is hard for the actors to reach a lift in their voices when they are constantly starting and stopping due to short lines intertwined with other actors.

My biggest complaint would be that I was left wanting to see more of some of my favorite characters such as Fantine, Cosette and Eponine. Their performances were so dynamic that they deserved more screen time and fans will be very eager to see the uncut 4 hour version if Hooper ever decides to release it. 

Many critics have beat up Crowe as Javert for being vocally outmatched, but I felt his performance was impressive especially when performing “Stars” and “Javert’s Suicide.” He is allowed to show his vocal range and emotional complexity in these individual performances. His vocals seemed to suffer when singing the dialogue parts and when interacting with other actors, but he exceeded my expectations based on what I had heard from early viewers of the film. “Stars” turned out to be one of my favorite songs from the whole film.

Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen turned in stellar comedic portrayals of the Innkeeper and the Innkeeper’s wife. These two make perfect cunning con artists. The humor they provide is a nice break from the heavy sorrow that hovers throughout the rest of the story. Their performances are very reminiscent of Sweeny Todd. 

The biggest surprise for me was Samantha Banks as Eponine. Her performance came out of nowhere for me as I had never heard of her and she left a lasting impression on me. She will be one to watch in the future as her potential is off the charts.

It turns out she had played Eponine in earlier theater versions of Les Miserables and beat out major stars for the role including Taylor Swift and the incomparable Lea Michelle who has already sung “On My Own” on the first episode of GLEE. Although I am a HUGE Lea Michelle fan, Banks turned out to be a great choice as she commanded the scene when she poured out her heart in her  rendition of “On My Own.” Her vocals were as smooth as velvet and full of passion and longing for Marius. Her pain and heartache was so soulful that it was almost tangible.

Jackman hits the spot emotionally and carries this cast by performing in most scenes. His vocal performance wasn’t as strong as I had expected given his Broadway success in Oklahoma and The Boy from Oz. I am a fan of his previous Broadway performances and I expected him to own this film. It seems that his vocal performance may have suffered from straining his voice in his numerous scenes where he pours his heart out as Valjean. “Bring Him Home” was rough in my opinion and was the only song that I hoped would end prematurely. However, he was the perfect choice for Jean Valjean and delivered on so many levels.

Amanda Seyfried has the purest voice especially in her upper register. At times she hits notes that are simply breathtaking and seem ultrasonic. She is classically trained and has turned in previous stellar performances in Mamma Mia, but she takes it to a new level in Les Mis. She had wonderful chemistry with Marius as the young, hopeful lovers. It would have been nice to see Seyfried in more scenes as her voice is hypnotizing.

Newcomer, Daniel Huttlestone dazzled us as Gavroche. At just 12 years of age, Huttlestone makes a lasting impression as the lively, youngster who joins fellow brothers in the revolution only to meet his early demise. It was disappointing to many that his solo did not make it on the soundtrack. It was definitely one of the most light-hearted moments in the film.

Eddie’s version of “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” evoked such gut wrenching grief and sorrow and was eerily haunting. It was another standout moment for me. The heartache that he portrays as the only survivor from the revolution massacre is as he says “a grief that can’t be spoken and the pain goes on and on.”

Jackman and Hathaway not only turned in unforgettable performances but fully committed to their roles by drastically transforming their bodies and overall appearances. Hathaway, who has always appeared very lean on film, shed 25 pounds to play the tragic and woeful prostitute Fantine.

Jackman lost 30 pounds and went 36 hours straight without water to appear even more emaciated and starved at the request of Hopper to appear totally unrecognizable. Jackman remarked that it was the craziest thing he had done in his entire life.

Hathaway also had her actual hair chopped off in the gripping scene where tragic Fantine sells her beautiful locks to provide for Cosette. Fortunately she was able to capture the emotion needed in one take as that was the only option.

Overall, this film is spellbinding. The lyrics and melodies are captivating and the emotions are totally consuming. It will be a film that will be beloved for many decades to come and rightfully so.

5 out of 5 stars – Enchanting, haunting, enthralling and a transforming experience