The movie, Les Miserables is based on the novel of Victor Hugo, though the book is 100 of times better than the movie and there is a different final, they only talk about the same thing.
Les Miserables is all about an illiterate boy who stole bread and convicted for 19 years. When he was discharged on his parole, he again committed same offense for the last time; stealing. In the movie, as he was been refused by other people to let him give food and shelter, he came to Monsigneur Myriel. There the bishop gave him food and let him sleep in a real bed.But desperately speaking, Valjean steal the bishop’s silver spoons, but in the book version, it was silver plates.
When he was caught, the bishop gave him another two silver candlesticks, and let him go. The bishop believed him that he will become a good man, as he was said last night and Valjean promised that. So, after the incident, Valjean tried his best to become one. In the book version, he did his last temptation to do wrong; to steal two francs from a boy, but immediately he felt guilty. In the book, there is an instance where he rescued two children of the police captain in the burning town hall.
Where I think was not shown in the movie. Although both in the movie and book, he was just a factory worker, after the bankruptcy of the factory, he bought it for only 500 francs, he became prosperous and become mayor of the town. Another to contrast, Inspector Javert showed up in the movie scene by introducing himself to Valjean but in the book, he only appeared when Fantine caught and forcing to be in jail. Fantine works at the mayor’s factory, she is working for her young girl Cossette. The Thenardiers took care of him and lied to Fantine about Cossette’s health condition.
So Fantine tried her best to earn money to give to the Thenardiers and pay for Cossette’s medicine, without knowing she has been fooled by them. In the movie, Fantine sold her beautiful long blonde hair and she becomes whore, in the book version she not only sold her hair but also her two front teeth to a traveling dentist. Fantine as a whore bragged by the men who only wants to pay her sous, she was also annoyed, and the man put snow inside her clothes as from the book version. Because of shameful event, both in the movie and book version Fantine was arrested by Inspector Javert but the Mayor freed her.However there is a confrontation scene, where the Mayor discharges Inspector Javert.
On both versions, Valjean helped Fantine, he took care of everything and he promised her to look for her child, Cossette. So, Valjean planned getting ready his way. But Inspector Javert suspecting he was the convicted man he knew before. After investigating the case, the truth prevailed, and Inpector Javert knew it from the strart that he was Jean Valjean he’s looking for. Before Valjean captured, he found Cossette and took her from the Thenardiers.
Where in the book he paid them one thousand five hundred francs and took Cossette to Paris.But in the movie, Valjean is about to pay, since the Thenardiers made the worth higher, he changed his mind and show the permission letter to them, they where astonished and can do nothing but to give Cossette to Valjean. In the book, it says after nine months, Valjean saved the life of a sailor, where it was not shown in the movie. On both versions, Valjean went to Paris together with Cossette, but Inspector Javert was on his track. He has no choice but to climb up the walls to Paris to escape the policemen.
He found himself in the garden of the convent where he sent Lafitte for a new job as a gardener.He asks Lafitte if he can help them. So, Lafitte told the nuns that he was his brother, and let Cossette enter the convent school. And so, Cossette grew up and Valjean being happy as his father. As it was stated in the book version, Cossette met Marius as he was speaking in public. Marius is a republican who is against the king’s law.
As a part of growing up, Cossette as a teenager she can’t help falling in love with him. But in the other hand, it was also stated that Marius was a son of a man whom Thenardiers had robbed where is not seen in the movie version.Also stated on both versions, as the case of Valjean bunged by his escape, still Inspector Javert is looking for him in all corners of Paris. Luckily he found him at the uprising revolt, but Inspector Javert was in a detention by the rebels, Valjean who has the power to control it, save his life instead of taking revenge on him.
In the movie, as the revolution is going on, Marius almost killed by a bombing. Valjean with a good heart help him to run away by going through an under passageway. Unfortunately, at the end they where still caught by Inspector Javert.Valjean without any choice, he gave up and face up Inspector Javert, and at the last time made him a favor before sending him to detention.
In the movie, they cut out Marius and Cosette's wedding and Jean Valjean's death. In the book, its 5 years stealing a loaf of bread and an additional 14 years added after 4 different escape attempts. And another is, in the movie version actually removes Enjolras and Eponine. Why it was entitles Les Miserables? Les Miserables means the miserable ones; the novel focuses on the struggles of ex-convict Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption.It examines the nature of law and grace, and expounds upon the history of France, architecture of Paris, politics, moral philosophy, antimonarchism, justice, religion, and the types and nature of romantic and familial love. The story is historical fiction because it contains factual and historic events.
Les Miserables teaches us many things such as we can’t escape our conscience. Even if we have successfully hidden our secrets in the form of misdeeds in the past, it will continue to haunt us until we face it and divulge it in public. Such was the case of Jean.This movie also opens our eyes about the reality in our society we belong where there are lots of injustices, discriminations and the like.
It also tells us not to judge the book by its cover in the case of Marius. We should not let pass any judgment over anybody because that person might have a golden heart hidden within him. We should also put in mind that if there is life, there is hope. No matter how messy our past had come, we could still make amends to it and make our lives better.
Jean is a great example of such thing; he succeeded to become a mayor in a town despite his dark past.Life is difficult but it is in difficulty that we can appreciate its meaning. The miserable character of Jean in the novel teaches us the reality in life. Nevertheless, the bottom line is, it does not matter how many heartaches, sufferings and pains we encountered in life as long as we have loved and we have been loved. When a man is miserable, he should not be miserable all through his life. He should make a way to overcome it, lesser his being miserable by making good things like Valjean did.
Even though he has committed wrong, he sacrificed 19 years in jail. There is still hope, to start a new beginning, a new life.
