Les Miserables
The Classic Story Of One Man's Search For Freedom And Another's Quest For Revenge.
His crime: stealing a loaf of bread. His sentence: five years in a brutal prison. But resourceful Jean Valjean escapes. And grim Inspector Javert sets out to see that Valjean is recaptured...and that the state's cruel justice is served. Victor Hugo's classic work comes to powerful screen life in an acclaimed film set against the backdrop of barricaded streets and violent political upheaval in the post-Napoleonic era. RICHARD JORDAN (The Secret of My Success) plays Valjean, whose heartrending odyssey from fugitive to hero forms the center of Hugo's much-loved tale. ANTHONY PERKINS (Psycho) is Javert: obsessed, hard and unforgiving. JOAN GIELGUD, IAN HOLM, CLAUDE DAUPHIN, CYRIL CUSACK and FLORA ROBSON are among the other sterling talents in this memorable production.
Member Reviews
Very good adaptation - Superdave
Perhaps more watchable than the better known recent version with Liam Neeson, this made for TV adaptation of Hugo's classic novel makes for interesting viewing. Those familiar with the musical will note that many episodes not used for set pieces in that adaptation are here, with the effect that this plays like a slightly different story. The emphasis here is on forward story momentum rather than moments of high drama, and the cat-and-mouse story of Javert's pursuit of Valjean moves along at a fair clip. The period look is less lush than in the more recent version, but convincing and appropriate on its own, and the performances of Richard Jordan as the harried Valjean who wants only to do good, and of Anthony Perkins as the relentless and uncompromising Javert are spot on. Les Miz is a great story that can be effectively adapted any number of ways and the choices made here were good ones.
Member Reviews
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Very good adaptation - Superdave
Perhaps more watchable than the better known recent version with Liam Neeson, this made for TV adaptation of Hugo's classic novel makes for interesting viewing. Those familiar with the musical will note that many episodes not used for set pieces in that adaptation ...