Les Misérables is a 1934 film adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel of the same name. It was written and directed by Raymond Bernard and stars Harry Baur as Jean Valjean and Charles Vanel as Javert. The film lasts four and a half hours and is considered by critics to be the greatest adaptation of the novel, due to its in-depth development of the themes and characters in comparison with most shorter adaptations.
It was released as three films that premiered over a period of three weeks.
Part One: Une tempête sous un crâne (Tempest in a Skull)
Part Two: Les Thénardier (The Thenardiers)
Part Three: Liberté, liberté chérie (Freedom, dear Freedom)
Plot
Jean Valjean is an ex-convict struggling to redeem himself, but his attempts are continually ruined by the intrusion of Javert into his life. Javert is a cruel, ruthless police inspector who has dedicated his life to pursuing Valjean, whose only crime was stealing a loaf of bread, for which he gets 5 years in jail. And then he serves an additional 14 years for a handful of escape attempts.
The film, like the novel, features numerous other characters and plots, such as Fantine, a woman forced into prostitution to help pay two cruel innkeepers, the Thénardiers, who are looking after her daughter Cosette, and the story of the revolutionaries, including Marius, a young man who falls in love later on in the film with the now-adult Cosette.
The film has been referred to as "the most complete and well rounded adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic novel"
Honegger nació el 10 de marzo de 1892 y murió el 27 de noviembre de 1955.
