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| Les Misérables | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Raymond Bernard |
| Written by | Raymond Bernard André Lang |
| Based on | Les Misérables 1862 novel byVictor Hugo |
| Produced by | Raymond Borderie Bernard Natan |
| Starring | Harry Baur Charles Vanel Josseline Gaël |
| Cinematography | Jules Kruger |
| Music by | Arthur Honegger |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Pathé-Natan |
Release date |
|
Running time | 289 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
Les Misérables is a1934 Frenchfilm adaptation ofVictor Hugo's 1862novel of the same name. Scripted and directed byRaymond Bernard, it starsHarry Baur asJean Valjean,Charles Vanel asJavert, andJosseline Gaël asCosette. Initially released as three films that premiered over three consecutive weeks,[citation needed]Une tempête sous un crâne (Tempest in a Skull),Les Thénardier (The Thenardiers), andLiberté, liberté chérie (Freedom, dear Freedom), the full, unedited film clocks in at 281 minutes.
It is considered by critics to be the greatest adaptation of the novel, due to its in-depth development of the themes and characters, in comparison with most shorter adaptations.[1][2][3] Although produced byPathé, filming took place on a specially constructed set inBiot, Alpes-Maritimes as well as the nearbyVictorine Studios inNice, as opposed to the company'sJoinville Studios inParis. Sets were designed byLucien Carré and Jean Perrier, with music by eminent Swiss composerArthur Honegger.
The film is produced by the French studioPathé, which is the second oldest production in the world.[4]
Jean Valjean is an ex-convict struggling to redeem himself, but his attempts are continually ruined by the intrusion ofJavert. Javert is a cruel, ruthless police inspector who has dedicated his life to pursuing Valjean, whose only crime was stealing a loaf of bread, for which he received 5 years in jail. He serves an additional 14 years for escape attempts.
The film, like the novel, features numerous other characters and subplots, such asFantine, a woman forced into prostitution to pay two cruel innkeepers, theThénardiers, for looking after her daughterCosette, and the story of the revolutionaries, includingMarius Pontmercy, a young man who falls in love later on in the film with the now-adult Cosette.
The film is, for the most part, faithful to the original novel, however, there are some differences:
The film has been referred to as "the most complete and well rounded adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic novel".[citation needed]
A contemporary review inThe Spectator was exceptionally positive, calling the film "the best French picture seen here for many months." In particular, it praised Harry Baur's "remarkable performance" and lauded the film for managing to distill such a lengthy novel into its key components without coming across as disjointed.[5]
Raymond Bernard's version of Les Misérables, along with various other films about 18th and 19th century France, supported an exhibition of French drawings held in 2010 at theArt Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. The exhibition was entitledDavid to Cézanne: master drawings from the Prat Collection, Paris and ran from 22 September until 5 December 2010.[6][7] The film was screened 30 October,[7] 3 November and 7 November in the Gallery's Domain Theatre.
The Criterion Collection released a restored version ofLes Misérables in itsEclipse DVD line. The three parts appeared alongside Bernard'sWooden Crosses (1932) in theEclipse Series 4: Raymond Bernard collection (2007). This version, totalling 281 minutes (109:52, 85:21 and 86:36), is shorter than the reported 305 minute total runtime of the original release, though it is possible that time may be inaccurate or include brief intermissions no longer present.[8] Criterion's liner notes describe how the film was reissued at varying lengths over the following decades and was only restored to its approximate original length shortly before Bernard's death, minus some scenes that could not be recovered.
In 2013,Pathé carried out a new restoration of the film, totaling 289 minutes (115:39, 85:45 and 87:23), and released it on Blu-ray and DVD. Eureka Entertainment also released this version on Blu-ray and DVD in 2014, as part of itsMasters of Cinema line.[9]
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