- Bishop: Now don't forget, don't ever forget, you've promised to become a new man.
- Jean Valjean: Promise? Wha, why are you doing this?
- Bishop: Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to evil. With this silver, I have bought your soul. I've ransomed you from fear and hatred, and now I give you back to God.
- Jean Valjean: Brevet, Lombard, Bertin. Look at me. You recognize me? I recognize you, Brevet. You were an informer in Toulon, I see you're still a snitch.
- Brevet: Valjean?
- Jean Valjean: Hello, Brevet.
- [turns to Lombard]
- Jean Valjean: And you, Lombard, don't look at my fancy clothes, don't look at my scraped chin. Look at my eyes. You called yourself Godless, right? You've got a scar on your left shoulder. I gave it to you the night you tried to kill me, remember? When I pinned you over the stove.
- Lombard: It is you...
- Jean Valjean: Show the court your scar.
- [Lombard bares his shoulder revealing the scar]
- Jean Valjean: Bertin, the hollow of your left arm, there's a date tatooed, 1789, the year of the revolution. Show them!
- [Bertin rolls up his sleave to reveal the tattoo]
- Jean Valjean: I know these men, Monsieur le President, and they know me. I am the man you want. I am Jean Valjean.
- Jean Valjean: [Valjean is being taken away] This is right, my dear. I stole something, I did. I stole happiness with you. I don't mind paying.
- Jean Valjean: When you're better, I'll find work for you.
- Fantine: But you don't understand, I'm a whore... and Cosette has no father.
- Jean Valjean: She has the Lord. He is her father. And you're his creation. In his eyes, you have never been anyting but an innocent and... beautiful woman.
- Marius: If we can't win today, then none of us have a future.
- Jean Valjean: You have love. That's the only future God gives us.
- Judge: Monsieur le maire, I know you to be a kind man, but this...
- Jean Valjean: A kind? A kind man? When I was in prison I was as ignorant and mean and devious as these men here, but not kind. And I wish I could keep my mouth shut and let this poor wretch suffer for me, but... continue with your investigation, monsieur, you will find further proof that I am Valjean.
- Thénardier: I adore that child.
- Jean Valjean: You adore her?
- Thénardier: Yes, it's true. I'm not rich. I've had to pay over 400 Francs for her medicine. But I'm a stupid man, I have no sense... just a heart.
- [glances at Valjean's wallet]
- Thénardier: A big heart.
- Jean Valjean: You paid over 400 Francs?
- Thénardier: 500...
- Mme. Gilot: [sharing their meal with homeless convict] What crime did you commit?
- Jean Valjean: Maybe I killed someone... How do you know I'm not going to murder *you*?
- Bishop: How do you know *I'm* not going to murder *you*?
- Jean Valjean: What's that, a joke?
- Bishop: I suppose we'll have to trust each other.
- Javert: Reform is a discredited fantasy. Modern science tells us that people are by nature, law breakers or law abiders. A wolf could wear sheep's clothing but he's still a wolf.
- Cosette: Please tell me what this is all about, papa. Please, please tell me what this is. Please, what is it?
- Jean Valjean: [stammering] I... I am a convict. When I was young... just your age I was very poor, I was starving. One day, I stood in front of the window. A window full of bread, there was just glass between me... and not being hungry anymore, it was so easy. So I broke it... and took what I wanted. Then they caught me... and put me in chains for almost 19 years. They did things to me... I can't tell you about it, and I did things, there in jail. Terrible things. I became an animal. They took my dignity, they took everything from me.
- Carnot: I'm a man who... what's the word for it? I'm one of those people who doesn't eat every day. I'm... I'm hungry, that's the word.
- Captain Beauvais: [pointing a pistol at Valjean with a trembling hand] Are you a convict? Is that true?
- Jean Valjean: Yes.
- Captain Beauvais: Where's the inspector in there?
- Jean Valjean: Inside
- Captain Beauvais: Did you kill him?
- [Valjean shakes his head]
- Captain Beauvais: [lowers his pistol] That's a pity.
- Captain Beauvais: [hands over his pistol to Valjean] You'd better hit me hard enough... to make a lump.
- Javert: Monsieur, a serious... a grave violation of the public trust has been committed. An inferior has shown a complete lack of respect for the law. He must be exposed and punished.
- Jean Valjean: Who is the offender?
- Javert: I am. I slandered you Monsieur le maire, I'm here to ask that you demand my dismissal.
- Javert: [about Valjean] He lies so well, doesn't he? He's had a lot of practice. A lifetime of lies.
- Enjolras: [referring to Javert] You kill him in the alley. We don't want his blood in here with ours.
- Jean Valjean: You might be making a mistake.
- Javert: Mistake? What kind of mistake is that?
- Jean Valjean: Sometimes, people move into town to start a new slate, you might be doing more harm than good by prying into their private lives.
- Old Woman: [first lines - dark street] You can't sleep here.
- Jean Valjean: Get away from me.
- Old Woman: Why don't you go to an inn?
- Jean Valjean: Why do you think?
- Old Woman: Can't you knock on doors and ask people?
- Jean Valjean: I asked. I ask everywhere. Leave me alone?
- Old Woman: You didn't ask there? Knock on that door.
- [pointing to Bishop's residence]