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[TV] Les Miserables



M

marlowe

Well-known member
Dec 13, 2015
3,929
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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His promotion was probably helped by the fact that the actor playing him, David Oyelowo, was also one of the producers. Friends in high places and all that.

On the theme of the racial diversity of the cast I was going to point out that Victor Hugo was himself mixed race until I realised it wasn't him who was but that other French novelist of the same era, Alexander Dumas (Three Musketeers) who was the descendant of an Afro Caribbean slave.
 




Easy 10

Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
61,747
Location Location
vegster said:
It's also known in theatrical circles as "The Glums" . As it's been such a success they might do a sequel and name it More Miserables? .. I have seen bits and pieces of episodes but ended up turning off last night's thanks to the bloodshed and gore, I'm assuming no one made it out alive?

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
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Bloodshed and gore ?

Some people got shot, but it was hardly the Walking Dead.
 


Easy 10

Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
61,747
Location Location
marlowe said:
His promotion was probably helped by the fact that the actor playing him, David Oyelowo, was also one of the producers. Friends in high places and all that.

On the theme of the racial diversity of the cast I was going to point out that Victor Hugo was himself mixed race until I realised it wasn't him who was but that other French novelist of the same era, Alexander Dumas (Three Musketeers) who was the descendant of an Afro Caribbean slave.
Click to expand...

I thought he over-acted a bit at times, but he was a decent enough Javert. At least he didn't have to try and sing, like Russell Crowe had to. I just thought it was a curious choice, as I doubt 19th century France afforded such opportunities to ethnic minorities at that time.

Also, on the general narrative of the story, I never really understood what drove Javert to pursue Jean Valjean over the course of 25-odd years. The bloke did 20 years hard labour for stealing a loaf of bread, and then nicked a franc of some kid when he was poverty-stricken. It hardly warranted the merciless unending life-mission of Javert to bring him to "justice", let alone to top himself over it after Valjean released him at the barricade.

Sorry for the spoiler alert btw (but hey, it is getting on for 200 years old).
 




happypig

happypig

Staring at the rude boys
May 23, 2009
7,956
Eastbourne
Easy 10 said:
I thought he over-acted a bit at times, but he was a decent enough Javert. At least he didn't have to try and sing, like Russell Crowe had to. I just thought it was a curious choice, as I doubt 19th century France afforded such opportunities to ethnic minorities at that time.

Also, on the general narrative of the story, I never really understood what drove Javert to pursue Jean Valjean over the course of 25-odd years. The bloke did 20 years hard labour for stealing a loaf of bread, and then nicked a franc of some kid when he was poverty-stricken. It hardly warranted the merciless unending life-mission of Javert to bring him to "justice", let alone to top himself over it after Valjean released him at the barricade.

Sorry for the spoiler alert btw (but hey, it is getting on for 200 years old).
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I thought Javert topped himself because all his life he had thought Jean Valjean inherently "bad" but having seen him saving the lad and acting selflessly he realised he was wrong and that his whole life had been a lie.

Might be bollocks though, I failed English Literature
 




Easy 10

Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
61,747
Location Location
happypig said:
I thought Javert topped himself because all his life he had thought Jean Valjean inherently "bad" but having seen him saving the lad and acting selflessly he realised he was wrong and that his whole life had been a lie.

Might be bollocks though, I failed English Literature
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Its as good an explanation as any. But it still doesn't really explain why a man would carry this obsessive vendetta against a man who, after all, had served his time for the crime he had committed. Its not like he'd slapped his mum or something.

Javert needed to lighten up.
 


G

Garry Nelson's teacher

Well-known member
May 11, 2015
5,257
Bloody Worthing!
marlowe said:
His promotion was probably helped by the fact that the actor playing him, David Oyelowo, was also one of the producers. Friends in high places and all that.

On the theme of the racial diversity of the cast I was going to point out that Victor Hugo was himself mixed race until I realised it wasn't him who was but that other French novelist of the same era, Alexander Dumas (Three Musketeers) who was the descendant of an Afro Caribbean slave.
Click to expand...

Bloody hell [MENTION=33745]marlowe[/MENTION] what do you know about literature? You'll be telling us that you wrote some of Shakespeare's stuff next...……………..:)
 






G

Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,336
Uffern
Easy 10 said:
The bloke did 20 years hard labour for stealing a loaf of bread
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[pedant alert ... again] He didn't get 20 years (19 actually) for stealing a loaf of bread, he got five. He got an additional 14 years for attempting to escape. This is explained in the book but the TV version glossed over it, although Javert does say something like "It's been this long because of your attempts to escape"

The book doesn't really explain Javert's obsession with Valjean though - some commentators suggest homosexual overtones to it. We certainly can't ask Hugo
 




Thunder Bolt

Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
Aug 18, 2009
65,394
Beside the seaside, beside the sea
Gwylan said:
[pedant alert ... again] He didn't get 20 years (19 actually) for stealing a loaf of bread, he got five. He got an additional 14 years for attempting to escape. This is explained in the book but the TV version glossed over it, although Javert does say something like "It's been this long because of your attempts to escape"

The book doesn't really explain Javert's obsession with Valjean though - some commentators suggest homosexual overtones to it. We certainly can't ask Hugo
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My impression was that Valjean was the one prisoner he couldn't dominate. As soon as he heard he had committed even the smallet offence, he was determined to wreck him. Stealing a sous was about the smallest offence in monetary terms.
 




Easy 10

Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
61,747
Location Location
Gwylan said:
[pedant alert ... again] He didn't get 20 years (19 actually) for stealing a loaf of bread, he got five. He got an additional 14 years for attempting to escape. This is explained in the book but the TV version glossed over it, although Javert does say something like "It's been this long because of your attempts to escape"

The book doesn't really explain Javert's obsession with Valjean though - some commentators suggest homosexual overtones to it. We certainly can't ask Hugo
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Ahh ok, thanks Big G, I've not read the book yet although I intend to.
 


Giraffe

Giraffe

VERY part time moderator
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Aug 8, 2005
26,526
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.
 










vegster

vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
27,886
Easy 10 said:
Bloodshed and gore ?

Some people got shot, but it was hardly the Walking Dead.
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Well I saw Musket and pistol wounds along with bayoneting and major wounds from cannon and the inherent splintering of wooden barricades, too much for Mrs V too.
 


DavidinSouthampton

DavidinSouthampton

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jan 3, 2012
16,569
happypig said:
I thought Javert topped himself because all his life he had thought Jean Valjean inherently "bad" but having seen him saving the lad and acting selflessly he realised he was wrong and that his whole life had been a lie.

Might be bollocks though, I failed English Literature
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Having studied French and French Literature to degree standard, I think you are absolutely spot on.
But it wasn't just about Valjean. Javert's view was "once a baddun, always a baddun", and Valjean therefore by letting Javert go and then going to extreme lengths to rescue Marius just blew his complete worldview out of the water and he concluded he had been living a lie.
 




Weststander

Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 25, 2011
63,875
Withdean area
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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Try and get to the London musical one day. I hated musicals (a typical male?), until I was taken to the West End to see Phantom and Les Miserables. Both are incredible.
 


DavidinSouthampton

DavidinSouthampton

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jan 3, 2012
16,569
Easy 10 said:
Agreed, the cast were excellent. Dominic West in particular was absolutely superb, thats got to be a BAFTA sewn up.

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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My sentiments entirely on all three points. On the Javert being black part, I am not sure, but he played it extraordinarily well. The whole cast without exception was excellent, but Dominic West outstanding.

It was superbly done, and makes me want to go back and re-read the book - in French, of course. An extraordinary story.
 


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