Die Elenden

I saw this version of the story many many years ago and loved it. I still have never seen the musical nor the new film. I watched this version again recently for the first time in many years and while it suffered slightly from the usual low budget aspects of a lot of TV movies, the acting was excellent and Tony Perkins was absolutely amazing as Javert. My 15 year old son had never seen any version of the story and watched it with me and he was mezmerized by the film and loved every minute of it (this from a kid who can't sit still for 5 minutes unless there are explosions and robots and blood and guts everywhere).

BTW, the bright-eyed young Marius who resembles an older Elijah Wood was played by Christopher Guard, who was Frodo in Bakshi's "Lord of the Rings".

This is a great story and for me this is the best screen adaptation of it. Although Geoffrey Rush puts in a decent performance in the newer film release (1998), Anthony Perkins' Javert simply cannot be bettered with his steely, cold personality and determination. Jordon also does well with the Valjean character, emitting a personality of pride and restraint in the face of adversity. The story moves on at a decent pace and provides good characterisation without too much lagging.

Overall this is a fine production and I personally find it vastly superior to the latest film incarnation with Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush where I didn't particularly like either of the portrayals of the leading characters, even though they were well-acted. This version may have the obligatory TV Movie feel to it, but it still manages to rise above its Big-screen counterpart.

In the Eighteenth Century in France, the unemployed woodman Jean Valjean (Richard Jordan) is arrested for stealing a bread to feed his family and sentenced to five years in prison in Toulon. He tries to escape from prison due to the mistreatment of cruel Javert (Anthony Perkins), increasing his sentence. Nineteen years later he succeeds to escape and is helped by the kind Bishop Myriel (Claude Dauphin) that feeds and shelters him. However he steals his silverware in the dawn but he is arrested by two policemen and brought back to the bishop. The bishop tells that the silver objects were a gift and gives two additional candlesticks to Valjean. When the policemen leave the place, the bishop tells that he has bought his soul and now he should live an honest life.

Jean Valjean becomes a well-succeeded businessman with the alias Madeleine bringing prosperity to a small town producing black beads that he had learnt in the prison and then the becomes the major. His life changes when Javert is assigned the chief of police of his town. Javert arrests the beggar Fantine (Angela Pleasence) accused of prostitution but Madeleine asks him to release her and brings her home. He learns that she sends money to a couple to raise her daughter Cosette. Meanwhile Javert travels to Paris to denounce Madeleine, but he learns that Jean Valjean is arrested. But Madeleine confesses the truth to the court and releases the man. Now Javert will take him back to Toulon. What will Jean Valjean do?

"Les Miserables" is one of the saddest stories of injustice and obsession ever. The Victor Hugo's novel is a touching extensive novel and should be mandatory its reading for teenagers. This excellent film omits many details but it is very faithful to the novel as a whole. Maybe it is the best version ever made. Anthony Perkins is fantastic in the role of Javert and Richard Jordan has a great performance in the lead role of Jean Valjean. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Os Miseráveis" "The Miserables")

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.

I have the new version (with Liam Neeson as Valjean) and it was pathetic, and almost blasphemous to Hugo's great book, if compared to this one. This one of John Gay is THE best adaptation. Richard Jordan also did perfectly to give life to Valjean, you can feel the misery and redemption of Hugo's Jean Valjean. Perkins was also perfect for the tough-principled sinister and cold Javert. If you have seen the new version and not this one, you've been cheated.