‘LES MISERABLES’

This is a film adaptation of the famous musical play that was based on the novel by Victor Hugo. Its Cultural Context is evident in the setting of early 19th Century France where poverty, injustice and societal rot have taken hold. Jean Valjean leaves prison after serving 19 years for stealing bread and decides to atone for his sins. One of these sins was the fact that he fired Fantine from one of his factories which led to her life of prostitution and despair. He tries to save her daughter Cosette and events lead them to Paris where they are swept up in the 1832 Uprising. Before the end, Valjean sees Cosette marry her love Marius before he dies peacefully. The General vision and Viewpoint of this film is devastatingly bleak as we watch the characters endure crushing degradation and inequality. However, the ending does much to assuage this pessimism as Valjean dies peacefully and sees the spirits of Fantine and his friend the Bishop welcome him to the afterlife. There is also the hope that Cosette and Marius will experience happiness in the future due to their love for one another. The most important aspects of literary genre techniques include the music and song that work as narrators of the story. The musical score and individual songs of this piece are also famous for the emotional response they draw from audiences. It is impossible not to be moved by Fantine’s (Anne Hathaway’s) rendition of ‘I Dreamed a Dream’. Of further note, is the use of period costume and makeup which set it firmly in France of the 1800s and the sumptuous set design and sweeping panoramic shots that showed Paris at its glorious and shabby best.