Os Miseráveis

In a word...wow! Entertaining, haunting and enchanting film which intertwines the Victor Hugo novel with twentieth century events. The complexities of the human condition (which French filmakers tend to excel in over their American counterparts) are explored. Human emotions and logic struggle for control in every situation, and this beautiful story delves deep. It's an old struggle, true...yet rarely done so well.

The protagonist (Jean Paul Belmondo was born to play this role)Henri Fortin, struggles from his impoverished childhood to his adulthood where the struggle for criminality and nobleness compete heavily. His story and that of Valjean from the novel compliment and collide. The people and the situations he encounters, all involve themselves in a montage of life and experiences.

LES MISERABLES is a unique, beautiful and complex story about a simple man. It unflinchingly exposes the good and evil that can arise from the human soul, in the worst of circumstances. This film that should not be overlooked on your next trip to the video store, or if you're lucky enough, a large screen viewing at a cinema.

Even if you haven't read the novel, or are familiar with it, this film is excellent in every way. Don't go into it wanting to see references to the original novel, because they are few and far between, and will only detract from your enjoyment of it. After watching it on TV, I was compelled to buy it. Les Miserables is a piece of cinema of epic proportions and quality, and I would recommend it to anyone. (It won the Golden Globe for best foreign film when it was released.)

I do not remember the last time I was so moved by a film. This is not an easy film to watch - simply because it is so intelligent and beautifully executed. Belmondo and Lelouch are two masters at the top of their form. I cannot recommend the film any higher. But if you are going to watch, then you have to prepare yourself to be swept away and give yourself completely to the movie as Lelouch clearly did!

I found this to be a beautiful film. I can not describe it to anyone without becoming emotional nearing the ending of the epic when all the smaller sub-plots become one. The movie is a celebration of determination, endurance, the search for justice and eventual joy. My only recommendation to anyone is to just see the film yourself. I did not even notice the length. I kept playing it over and over again. Belmondo is superb. The rest of the cast is magnificent. LeLouch did a fantastic job in his re-telling. I only wish that I could contact them all personally to thank them for the most emotionally happy three hours I have had in a long time. My very small video collection has grown by one!

I am amazed that this film came to the US in 1995 and went virtually unnoticed. It should have been an Academy Award (Oscar) standard!

Remarkable...one of the greatest films of the last 50 years and easily one of the most underrated. Commitment and heart, Victor Hugo and the Normandy Invasion on a budget of under 10 million? Hollywood should learn from this...