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[TV] Les Miserables



DavidinSouthampton

DavidinSouthampton

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Jan 3, 2012
16,580
Giraffe said:
Yes agreed it was very well done.

However I still prefer the musical. I found myself waiting for the songs to start at certain parts.

I felt the obsession was a bit contrived and whereas the suicide seems right (although I still don't see why in the film version he needs to hit the concrete instead of the water!) when you watch the musical I can see that if you'd just watched the tv series you would have felt it was a bit odd.
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I am not a "musicals" person, but would go and see Les Mis at any opportunity. Much better than any of the putrid fare that Mr Andrew Lloyd-Webber turns out.

I much preferred the BBC dramatization, but the three - Musical, TV and the original book - are three completely different art-forms and can't really be compared in my view.
 






DavidinSouthampton

DavidinSouthampton

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Jan 3, 2012
16,580
A mex eyecan said:
I’ve never seen it but I always wonder this, why exactly is Les miserable?
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He should be very happy with the royalties he received from writing Victor Hugo!

Edit: Many years ago (30?) I worked for a company which made Aircraft Instrumentation, and we made some equipment for the Airbus A320 in conjunction with Intertechnique in France. I had to speak to their purchasing department one day and found myself in conversation with someone called Victor Hugo. It was his great great grandson or similar. (not sure how many greats).
 
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LowKarate

LowKarate

New member
Jan 6, 2004
2,002
Wombling free
Thunder Bolt said:
I read the book twenty odd years ago, and had never seen the musical. The BBC production was excellent although they changed some of the book. There was no mention of Valjean giving Cosette & Marius money to try to escape to England, or the old conman going to America, for instance. It was a condition of him being paid off. I'm fairly sure the old grandfather died, leaving his money to Marius, but I might be mistaken on that one.
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There was a documentary about Andrew Davies on the BBC a few weeks back during which he explained why he changed parts of the story and made a more linear chronology of events. Worth a look.
 






M

marlowe

Well-known member
Dec 13, 2015
3,935
Easy 10 said:
I did wonder about Javert. How likely would it have been in that day and age for a black man to rise to the position of being a police inspector ?
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Having done a brief bit of googling the French Revolution actually abolished slavery in 1794 and also the aristocratic class system. It declared everyone a French citizen with equal rights so in that context a black man could attain such a position.

Alexander Dumas who I alluded to earlier was of African heritage and was also a General in the army. The First Republic also commisioned four Generals of African heritage, Louis Jaques Beauvais, André Rigaud, Antoine Chalatte and Toussaint Louverture.

However Napoleon re-established slavery in 1802 and he kicked all black officers out of the army or demoted them. Slavery in France wasn't finally abolished again until 1848.

The events in Les Miserables are set between 1815 and 1832 by which time Napoleon was in exile, but slavery was still in place so I don't know how that would have affected the position of someone like Javert (the black version). Of course not all black people were necessarily slaves but Javert's rise through the ranks took place when slavery was in place which might have meant there was more of an accepted prejudice towards black people in general and restricted their opportunities. Having said that Dumas' distinguished military career began in 1816, just a year after the events in Les Miserables began which corresponds with Javert's rise through the ranks.

It doesn't really answer your question does it?
 
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Easy 10

Easy 10

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Jul 5, 2003
61,750
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marlowe said:
Having done a brief bit of googling the French Revolution actually abolished slavery in 1794 and also the aristocratic class system. It declared everyone a French citizen with equal rights so in that context a black man could attain such a position.

Alexander Dumas who I alluded to earlier was of African heritage and was also a General in the army. The First Republic also commisioned four Generals of African heritage, Louis Jaques Beauvais, André Rigaud, Antoine Chalatte and Toussaint Louverture.

However Napoleon re-established slavery in 1802 and he kicked all black officers out of the army or demoted them. Slavery in France wasn't finally abolished again until 1848.

The events in Les Miserables are set between 1815 and 1832 by which time Napoleon was in exile, but slavery was still in place so I don't know how that would have affected the position of someone like Javert (the black version). Of course not all black people were necessarily slaves but Javert's rise through the ranks took place when slavery was in place which might have meant there was more of an accepted prejudice towards black people in general and restricted their opportunities. Having said that Dumas' distinguished military career began in 1816, just a year after the events in Les Miserables began which corresponds with Javert's rise through the ranks.

It doesn't really answer your question does it?
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Mmmnot really, but it was an interesting read !

Overall it struck me as unlikely that a black man could become a senior police officer back in that era, but regardless of that, he played the role very well.
 


G

Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,336
Uffern
Easy 10 said:
Overall it struck me as unlikely that a black man could become a senior police officer back in that era, but regardless of that, he played the role very well.
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I've seen David Oyelowo play Henry VI - I don't think he was black either. He was bloody good though
 




Stato

Stato

Well-known member
Dec 21, 2011
6,581
I think it was just colourblind casting. If it means more performances as good as Oyelowo's, I hope there will be plenty more of it in period dramas. His wordless confusion and despair as his world view collapsed around him was remarkable. The acting from the other lead was also so good that I almost believed that McNulty was a French convict, when I know full well that he's natural police.
 


vegster

vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
27,892
Giraffe said:
Yes agreed it was very well done.

However I still prefer the musical. I found myself waiting for the songs to start at certain parts.
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What were you expecting? " All I want for Christmas is my two Front Teeth "?
 






Albalbion

Albalbion

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Feb 24, 2009
1,242
Kingston
I avoided Les Miserables (The film) for ages because I dont really like musicals and I didnt much fancy what I assumed to be a depressing story told as a musical which usually annoys me. Having said that... I was lying on the sofa ill one day and it came on the telly and i couldnt be bothered to turn it over. Absolutely SUPERB film. Ive watched it a couple of times since and would quite like to see it at the theatre. Haven' managed to catch the tv programme though.
 


Easy 10

Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
61,750
Location Location
Albalbion said:
I avoided Les Miserables (The film) for ages because I dont really like musicals and I didnt much fancy what I assumed to be a depressing story told as a musical which usually annoys me. Having said that... I was lying on the sofa ill one day and it came on the telly and i couldnt be bothered to turn it over. Absolutely SUPERB film. Ive watched it a couple of times since and would quite like to see it at the theatre. Haven' managed to catch the tv programme though.
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The West End production is truly spectacular. The entire stage is like a giant turntable, so the props and scenary kind of "roll round" into view, whilst the actors often walk along but stay in the same spot, gives it a really dynamic twist. Very creative. I'm hoping to go and see it again some time in the summer. If you enjoyed the film, you'll love the show.
 


B

Brovion

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Jul 6, 2003
19,362
I'm not reading this thread as we've only seen the first three episodes and have videoed* the rest, but if the remainder are as good as the first three then I think it is probably the best adaption the BBC have ever done. I suppose I was a bit prejudiced having seen the musical (which is so-so at best) but I really wasn't expecting it to be that powerful.


*Ok, ok, Sky Plus Boxed it or whatever it is you kidz do nowadays. We still call it 'videoing'.
 










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