Movie Review on Les Miserables (from a history perspective)

Movie Review

Les Misérables Movie Review

Les Misérables is a movie about the events that took place after the French Revolution. The French Revolution began during 1789 and lasted approximately ten years (Pollard). The events occurring in the movie Les Misérables took place in 1832, during a cholera outbreak and economic crisis of Paris, France. While this movie does not take place directly during the French Revolution, it shows the hardships of the lower class in Paris, France several years after. The movie also exemplifies the cholera outbreak, economic hardships of the gap between the rich and poor, and the government corruption of Paris, France.

Les Miserables follows several different characters through the 1830's in Paris, France that held a romantic perspective (Hooper). These characters portray different important people during this time which include; parole officers, slaves, men, women, mothers, daughters, and sons. The movie focuses on telling a story through the insights of several of these characters. In doing so, the makers of this film focus on a freed prisoner, and his parole officer. While these two characters are viewed by the audience the most, other characters impact the story line significantly.

Valjean is focused on in this movie due to his strong romantic perception. Romanticism beliefs focus on individualism and free expression of personal feelings (Schwartz). Throughout the film, Valjean is seen to be valuing other characters' uniqueness in situations as well as valuing how they feel in certain circumstances. This idea was not a trend in this era to the bourgeois society. The Bourgeois society brought certain laws and regulations with them when they rose to power (Schwartz). This created a separation between the bourgeois society and the romantics (Pollard). The romantics also felt as if it was not right to be guided by strict laws and firm regulations, and instead wanted to be led by welcoming emotions and warm gestures (Schwartz). This movie expresses the separation between the two beliefs through Valjean and Javert (the main antagonist of Les Misérables). It is also very apparent in this movie that people are going against social norms and resorting to socialism, democracy, libertarianism and anarchism based on their own specific issue reality (Schwartz). Valjean for example, was encouraging libertarianism through how he treated the people in his community that he often saw suffering due to laws and regulations. He helped people have more freedom in their lives and helped them find uniqueness in a society where it was difficult to express that- especially for romantics and libertarians.

Like Valjean, there is an important person during this era that helped peasants the way that he did. To understand more about that person, we must first understand the events that led to his importance. Through 1789-1799, France experienced the French Revolution which was influenced by the American Revolution (Khan). Liberty in Paris, France was sought out by many romantics of that time. Victor Hugo (the author of the original book) was young during this time and experienced many of the events such as; the religious forthcomings sought out by peasants (Schwartz). This happened due to peasants being forced to pay more taxes than the nobles and clergy. Peasants (mostly romantics) yearned to depose king Louis XVI. Also, while health was improving during this time, peasants were still occasionally deprived of resources. Due to the tax issues, health resource depletion, and fiscal issues, the French Revolution was born (Pollard).

While this movie does not take place directly during the French Revolution, it explains the aftermath of an once suffering country still eager and desperate for change. In 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte becomes the leader, and then in 1804 ends the republic of France by declaring himself emperor (Khan). In 1815, Bonaparte was defeated and put into exile at St. Helena. Les Misérables starts during this time period. After this happens, restoration of the monarchy takes place, and Louis XVI's younger brother Louis XVII takes the reign. In 1824, Louis XVII dies and then his younger brother Charles X takes the reign (Khan). About six years later during Charles X's reign, a second French Revolution takes place in Paris, France. Instead of installing a republic at this time, the revolution helped weaken the powers of the monarchist government. After this revolution, Charles X's cousin held reign (Khan).

Louis Phillip I held the reign after the second French Revolution (Khan). It was during this time that the rebellious acts of stacking chairs and rioting in the streets in Les Misérables takes place. This aspect of the movie made it very entertaining and interesting. It can be inferred that the thesis of this movie had to do with the moral compass of France during this attempted third French Revolution that happened shortly after the June Revolution in France. While many things were perceived as "right and wrong," the agenda of the events in this musical were to change the way people thought of certain things being "right" or "wrong." For example; peasants had to pay taxes in order to vote- it could be inferred that the peasants of this time were trying to change the perspective of what was required to vote (Pollard). This thesis is comparable to other history movie thesis's given that the reason for a revolution is typically to create change in perception. Almost every revolution in France (ex: French Revolution 1789-1799 and the second French Revolution in 1830) that happened before this time period had that goal (Khan).

The reason for the stacking of chairs, riots, and rebellious behavior was due to economic discontent, and the death of Jean Maximillian Lemarque (Khan). This part of the movie made it clear of how much control the government and bourgeois society had. Lemarque was an influential person in the hierarchy of France's government that listened to the peasants, common men, and workers throughout this era (Khan). Lemarque resembles an attitude like Valjean's in Les Misérables due to his spirit of pursuing the lower classes needs and opinions. When Lemarque died in June 1832, the peasants and common men lost hope of having a voice in governmental decisions. Lemarque seemed to be their only messenger or voice. The funeral for Lemarque was used as a gateway for revolts to occur in attempt to bring awareness to the bourgeois society (Schwartz). This attempted third revolution was unsuccessful. Many men died during this endeavored third French Revolution. Many of the revolts and perish are seen in Les Misérables. While justice was not served during this time, history was made, and Paris, France pushed on.

Works Cited

August, Bille. "Les Misérables." Performances by Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman, and Claire Danes, Mandalay Entertainment, 1998, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. DVD.

Hooper, Tom, director. "Les Miserables." Performances by: Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Russel Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, 2012. DVD. Universal, 2012.

KhanAcademy. "Les Miserables and Frances many Revolutions | Enlightenment and Revolution | Khan Academy" YouTube, 07 Jan. 2013,

Pollard, Elizabeth, et al. Worlds Together, Worlds Apart. W.W. Norton and Company, 2018.

Schwartz, Robert. "The France of Victor Hugo | The Romantic Era." History 255, 10 May. 1999. https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist255/jkr/romanticism.html