Themes: Haunted By the Past, Fathers and Daughters, Escape From Prison
Main Cast: Fredric March, Charles Laughton, Cedric Hardwicke, Rochelle Hudson, John Beal, Marilyn Knowlden, Frances Drake
Release Year: 1935
Country: US
Run Time: 108 minutes
Plot
Richard Boleslawski directed this lavish adaptation of Victor Hugo's oft-filmed epic novel. Fredric March stars as Jean Valjean, who is hauled into prison for stealing a loaf of bread. After ten years at hard labor, he escapes from the merciless prison but the years have taken their toll and Valjean is now a hard and embittered man. Valjean regains his compassion after the kindly Bishop Bienveenu (Cedric Harwicke) refuses to prosecute him for the theft of his candlesticks. Under an assumed name, Valjean becomes a widely liked and respected mayor. He devotes his life to helping others and adopts a young girl as his own. But the town's chief of police, Javert (Charles Laughton) is suspicious about the mayor and one day, after Valjean lifts a wagon off of a man, Javert remembers Valjean from his days on the prison galley. Javert sets out to uncover the mayor's true identity, but Valjean beats him to it -- when a man who claims to be Valjean is put on trial, Valjean appears at the court and reveals his secret. But before he is arrested, he escapes with his adopted daughter Eponine (Frances Drake) to Paris. In Paris, he assumes yet another identity. Eponine falls in love with student radical Marius (John Beal) and Javert, assigned to Paris to keep an eye on the revolutionaries, latches onto Valjean's trail once again. As Paris simmers in revolution, Valjean and Javert reveal themselves to each other for a final confrontation. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Review
Les Misérables is one of literature's most durable stories, and this 1935 Hollywood studio effort is one of the best of the numerous English-language film versions, featuring Fredric March and Charles Laughton at the height of their powers. Their battle of wills gives the film its emotional texture. Perhaps more than any other actor who has played Inspector Javert, Laughton captures the insanity of a person who holds concrete values even as those beliefs become a barrier to the happiness of both himself and others. Laughton's performance might be better remembered today were it not for his role as the similarly flawed Captain Bligh in Mutiny on the Bounty. Overall, Les Miserables received four Oscar nominations, winning none, and lost the Best Picture award to Bounty. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide
This adaptation made quite a lot of changes many of which can also be found in later adaptations:
Jean Valjean's trial, life as a convict and release are presented chronologically, whereas in the book his previous life is presented in flashback. In addition, the book begins by introducing the bishop, while in the movie he does not appear until Valjean arrives at his door.
While the word "galleys" was still used until the late nineteenth century to designate the French Bagnios, the actual penalty of sending someone to the galleys was abolished in mid-eighteenth century. The galleys as portrayed in the film are a huge anachronism.
In the movie, Javert is shown being assigned to the galleys, and seeing Valjean's display of strength at the beginning. In the book he is not introduced until after Valjean has become mayor.
Javert's first name is given as Émile, while in the book it is never given.
Javert is in the book described as a tall man, with a small head, sunken eyes, large sideburns and long hair hanging over his eyes. This can hardly be more different from Charles Laughton's appearance.
Petit Gervais and Félix Tholomyès are omitted from the movie. In addition, we do not learn of Fantine's previous life, as we do in the book.
The Thénardiers are not shown. Valjean brings Cosette to Fantine before she dies, while in the book he does not fulfil this pledge to Fantine until after she dies.
The leaving out of the Thénardiers makes Javert the antagonist of the story. The contrast between the real villain Thénardier and the law-abiding Javert is needed.
In the movie Valjean and Cosette go to the convent with a letter of introduction from M. Madeleine, whereas in the book they came upon the convent purely coincidentally while fleeing from Javert.
We see Valjean rescue a man whose cart had fallen on him, which arouses Javert's suspicion, but the movie does not mention that this man (Fauchelevent) and the gardener at the convent are the same person.
Marius' background is not mentioned, while it is given in the book. Also, he meets Valjean and Cosette while they ride into the park where he is giving a speech, while in the book he is simply walking in the park when he meets them.
Éponine's role is changed from the book. In the movie, she is the secretary of the revolutionary society Marius belongs to. In the book, she is the Thénardiers' daughter, and is not connected to the revolutionary society. The movie makes no mention of her being the Thénardiers' daughter.
In the book all Marius' revolutionary friends are introduced in turn, but in the movie the only one we meet is Enjolras.
In the book, Enjolras is the leader of the revolutionaries and Marius is not even a very faithful follower (him being a bonapartist with different ideas than his friends). In the movie, Marius is made the leader. In addition, the students' goal is not a democracy but to better the conditions in the french galleys. Marius says himself: "We are not revolutionaries."
In the movie, we see Javert surveying the revolutionaries, whereas in the book we do not learn that he had this assignment until the revolutionaries take him prisoner.
In the movie, Éponine delivers the message from Marius to Cosette, which Valjean intercepts, causing Valjean to come to the barricade to rescue Marius. In the book Gavroche, who does not appear in the movie, does this.
In the book the revolutionaries, except Marius, are all killed in the attempted revolt, which we do not see in the movie.
In the movie, Javert pursues Valjean and Marius into the sewers, which he does not in the book, although he does meet Valjean when he exits the sewers, having pursued Thénardier there.
Valjean brings Marius to Valjean's house and Cosette, while in the book Valjean brings Marius to the house of Marius' grandfather M. Gillenormand, who does not appear in the movie. Also, while Valjean thinks Javert is waiting for him and he is going away, he gives Marius and Cosette instructions, including to love each other always and leaving the candlesticks to Cosette, which in the book appeared in his deathbed scene.
The movie ends with Javert's suicide, while at the end of the book Valjean dies of grief after having been separated from Cosette, because Marius severed all ties with him after learning of Valjean's convict past. This is never shown in the 1935 movie (or in the 1952 remake, for that matter).
