Les Miserables

On my 2011 trip to Paris, I paid a visit to the

novelist’s historic residence at No. 6, Place des Vosges (in the Le Marais

district), where a great portion of the epic novel was given birth. I stood bewildered

for a moment in that somber little room inside the mansion, wondering how the

lifeless space, in which he would remain for hours on end hunched over the

writing bureau churning out page after page, could squeeze such unparalleled creativity

out of his head.

When I came out of the cinema with tear-filled eyes,

I thought I had an idea as to why there are so many fans of the original stage

play. Music simply has that special power to add another emotional dimension to

an already tear-jerking tale. Though I’m familiar with the story, I had never

had the pleasure of seeing the stage show. But probably exactly due to that

reason, I was very pleasantly awed by Tom Hooper’s film adaptation of the ever-popular

stage musical. Not being burdened by a preconception and certain expectations

that those original musical fans may carry, I was able to enjoy this film

musical as it presented itself, on its own merits, without feeling compelled to

compare it with the stage version.

Having said that, I can still think of one

particular weakness of a live show as compared with a movie, and that is that spectators

are at such a great distance from the stage actors (unless you’re in the front

rows) that they are naturally unable to see the latter’s subtle facial

expressions. This stage inadequacy is conveniently turned into a plus in a

movie adaptation with close-up shots, thus avoiding the acting being lost on

the audience.

Anne Hathaway’s rendition of the song “I dreamed a

dream” sounds especially stunning as I hear it for the first time. Her acting is

no less impressive. Hugh Jackman’s singing and acting throughout are nothing

short of superb, as are Russell Crowe’s. Other songs I like are “Look Down”

(group singing) and “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” by the character Marius.

In any movie adaptation from a novel, there is

inevitably some tweaking of story details here and there. This film is no

exception. But in general it doesn’t fail to make a powerful statement, aided

by the poignant songs sung by great singers, of human love, grace, youth ideal

and passion, redemption and forgiveness, which statement does not stray the

least bit from the core themes of the novel. For me, this is all that matters.

Some critics take issue with the latter half of the

film turning off the spotlight on the lead character to focus on other

“painfully thin” characters. But I find the comic episode (that of Monsieur and

Madame Thenardier’s buffooneries) and the unrequited love bit (that between

Marius and Eponine) are actually a welcome relief as they give a neutralizing

balance to the maudlin pathos of the first half of the film.

All in all, I enjoyed the film tremendously, just as

I had enjoyed other film adaptations of stage musicals over the years, like

“The Sound of Music”, “My Fair Lady”, “West Side Story”, “Grease”, “Jesus

Christ Superstar”, “Phantom of the Opera”, and “Mamma Mia”, etc. I have nothing

but deep gratitude for the professionals in the film industry for having brought

these more affordable versions of musical entertainment to the mass market.