Conspirator Slash
Maybe the darkest and most artistic version. Very sad, very heartbreaking. It is book-faithful as possible, and has a wonderful cinematography. It has a lot of adorable little Brick moments.Lino Ventura's Valjean is the only one who rivals Jean Gabin's. He's a very good choice for this role. A real actor, not a star. And I cried for him. The end is even more sad than in the book. He dies totally alone, in a ghost-house. The last scene evokes the first - but this time Javert says: "You are free now." (Or something like it, my French is limited.) Javert is also great. The only thing I miss is the sideburns, but the actor has his personality. He's cold, always calm, always honest. Not your usual "bad guy" interpretation. No, Javert was not a bad guy. His end proves it. (Besides, it was beautifully directed - you see him write the letter and then you only see his hat, his coat and his nightstick at the parapet...)Thénardier is okay, but he doesn't seem really evil, just misfortunated. Mme Thénardier is book-like, and yay! she dies in jail, and Éponine steals the crucifix from her hand. (Brilliant little scene.) Cosette is so... well... cold. Like she had no feeling. It's not a surprise such a girl forgets Valjean... Marius is quite okay, at least he isn't ugly, but his hair is totally '60s. Enjolras has an EARRING(!) and is black-haired, but pretty. Courfeyrac is win. Combeferre has red beard and glasses, and looks like my ideal Colline (from Puccini's La Bohéme). Grantaire exists, drinks, and dies together with the others. Gavroche is perfect, and sings Little People! in French. Really! Éponine is ugly and miserable, isn't emo, and is pretty book-like. Azelma... exists. Fantine has dark hair, but otherwise she's OK, her transformation is quick, but artfully done. Nuns are OK. Fauchelevent too. (No graveyard scene, however.)Maybe the most beautiful scene is the first attack. It's a long, silent scene in slow-motion, with a sad music. It seems Peter Jackson stole a LOT from this...Hossein is a great director. This is the only Les Mis version that is actually an art movie, not just an adaptation.Absolutely worth watching, but beware, very, very depressing.
Alyn Smith
I have collected about a dozen versions of Les Miserables on film, and this is by far the best. The production is brilliant, the entire atmosphere created is totally faithful to the book, the characters perfect. And then there is the score - overwhelmingly emotional when called for. I wish a copy of Magnes soundtrack was available, I have to rely on the audio I have taken from my DVD which I had created from video. Can't praise this film highly enough. It's leagues above the next best - the Charles Laughton version. I won't even stop to mention some of the terrible American versions that have appeared in recent years. They are in my collection because I can't stop collecting but that is about the only reason! It took me five years to put myself through the Musical version of Les Miserables, but I was pleasantly surprised - it's good. But compared to re-reading the book or watching this film version it is pale........
Jesús Ibarra
The Robert Hossein's version of Les Miserables is undoubtedly the most faithful adaptation to Victor Hugo's novel. Lino Ventura is great as Jean Valjean as well as Michel Bouquet as Javert and Jean Carmet as Thernardier. All the actors are well characterized and the darkness of the film gives the story the right atmosphere of misery and sadness. The whole story is squeezed into the three hours film, so the events happened quickly, but remaining faithful to the original story. If the film had been two hours longer, it would have been perfect. Other adaptations that I consider good are the 1934 starring Harry Baur, the 1958 starring Jean Gabin and the 2000 version starring Gerard Depardieu.I consider regular the British adaptation starring Richard Jordan and Anthony Perkins. I consider as bad adaptations the 1998 version starring Liam Neeson and the 1935, starring Federich March.
André-7
A compelling version of the Victor Hugo novel that should be sought out and viewed by fans of other versions and the novel. This theatrical release is not as complete as the longer television version broadcast in 1985, but nonetheless gets you hooked. Hossein is as faithful to the novel as possible. Film features a wonderful and human portrayal by Ventura as Valjean and does not betray the ending of the novel the way American and British versions have.
