[TV] Les Miserables

[marlowe]

I did wonder about Javert. How likely would it have been in that day and age for a black man to rise to the position of being a police inspector ?

His promotion was probably helped by the fact that the actor playing him, David Oyelowo, was also one of the producers. Friends in high places and all that.

On the theme of the racial diversity of the cast I was going to point out that Victor Hugo was himself mixed race until I realised it wasn't him who was but that other French novelist of the same era, Alexander Dumas (Three Musketeers) who was the descendant of an Afro Caribbean slave.

 

[Easy 10]

It's also known in theatrical circles as "The Glums" . As it's been such a success they might do a sequel and name it More Miserables? .. I have seen bits and pieces of episodes but ended up turning off last night's thanks to the bloodshed and gore, I'm assuming no one made it out alive?

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

Bloodshed and gore ?

Some people got shot, but it was hardly the Walking Dead.

 

[Easy 10]

His promotion was probably helped by the fact that the actor playing him, David Oyelowo, was also one of the producers. Friends in high places and all that.

On the theme of the racial diversity of the cast I was going to point out that Victor Hugo was himself mixed race until I realised it wasn't him who was but that other French novelist of the same era, Alexander Dumas (Three Musketeers) who was the descendant of an Afro Caribbean slave.

I thought he over-acted a bit at times, but he was a decent enough Javert. At least he didn't have to try and sing, like Russell Crowe had to. I just thought it was a curious choice, as I doubt 19th century France afforded such opportunities to ethnic minorities at that time.

Also, on the general narrative of the story, I never really understood what drove Javert to pursue Jean Valjean over the course of 25-odd years. The bloke did 20 years hard labour for stealing a loaf of bread, and then nicked a franc of some kid when he was poverty-stricken. It hardly warranted the merciless unending life-mission of Javert to bring him to "justice", let alone to top himself over it after Valjean released him at the barricade.

Sorry for the spoiler alert btw (but hey, it is getting on for 200 years old).

 

[MattBackHome]

Not as good as Shipwrecked though is it.

 

[happypig]

I thought he over-acted a bit at times, but he was a decent enough Javert. At least he didn't have to try and sing, like Russell Crowe had to. I just thought it was a curious choice, as I doubt 19th century France afforded such opportunities to ethnic minorities at that time.

Also, on the general narrative of the story, I never really understood what drove Javert to pursue Jean Valjean over the course of 25-odd years. The bloke did 20 years hard labour for stealing a loaf of bread, and then nicked a franc of some kid when he was poverty-stricken. It hardly warranted the merciless unending life-mission of Javert to bring him to "justice", let alone to top himself over it after Valjean released him at the barricade.

Sorry for the spoiler alert btw (but hey, it is getting on for 200 years old).

I thought Javert topped himself because all his life he had thought Jean Valjean inherently "bad" but having seen him saving the lad and acting selflessly he realised he was wrong and that his whole life had been a lie.

Might be bollocks though, I failed English Literature

 

[Easy 10]

I thought Javert topped himself because all his life he had thought Jean Valjean inherently "bad" but having seen him saving the lad and acting selflessly he realised he was wrong and that his whole life had been a lie.

Might be bollocks though, I failed English Literature

Its as good an explanation as any. But it still doesn't really explain why a man would carry this obsessive vendetta against a man who, after all, had served his time for the crime he had committed. Its not like he'd slapped his mum or something.

Javert needed to lighten up.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

His promotion was probably helped by the fact that the actor playing him, David Oyelowo, was also one of the producers. Friends in high places and all that.

On the theme of the racial diversity of the cast I was going to point out that Victor Hugo was himself mixed race until I realised it wasn't him who was but that other French novelist of the same era, Alexander Dumas (Three Musketeers) who was the descendant of an Afro Caribbean slave.

Bloody hell [MENTION=33745]marlowe[/MENTION] what do you know about literature? You'll be telling us that you wrote some of Shakespeare's stuff next...……………..

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

Cosette you pillock!

And you have to say that Lily Collins didn't get her looks from her dad.

 

[Gwylan]

The bloke did 20 years hard labour for stealing a loaf of bread

[pedant alert ... again] He didn't get 20 years (19 actually) for stealing a loaf of bread, he got five. He got an additional 14 years for attempting to escape. This is explained in the book but the TV version glossed over it, although Javert does say something like "It's been this long because of your attempts to escape"

The book doesn't really explain Javert's obsession with Valjean though - some commentators suggest homosexual overtones to it. We certainly can't ask Hugo

 

[Miserable Les]

Can't say it cheered me up at all, but it was very well done.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

[pedant alert ... again] He didn't get 20 years (19 actually) for stealing a loaf of bread, he got five. He got an additional 14 years for attempting to escape. This is explained in the book but the TV version glossed over it, although Javert does say something like "It's been this long because of your attempts to escape"

The book doesn't really explain Javert's obsession with Valjean though - some commentators suggest homosexual overtones to it. We certainly can't ask Hugo

My impression was that Valjean was the one prisoner he couldn't dominate. As soon as he heard he had committed even the smallet offence, he was determined to wreck him. Stealing a sous was about the smallest offence in monetary terms.

 

[Easy 10]

[pedant alert ... again] He didn't get 20 years (19 actually) for stealing a loaf of bread, he got five. He got an additional 14 years for attempting to escape. This is explained in the book but the TV version glossed over it, although Javert does say something like "It's been this long because of your attempts to escape"

The book doesn't really explain Javert's obsession with Valjean though - some commentators suggest homosexual overtones to it. We certainly can't ask Hugo

Ahh ok, thanks Big G, I've not read the book yet although I intend to.

 

[Giraffe]

Yes agreed it was very well done.

However I still prefer the musical. I found myself waiting for the songs to start at certain parts.

I felt the obsession was a bit contrived and whereas the suicide seems right (although I still don't see why in the film version he needs to hit the concrete instead of the water!) when you watch the musical I can see that if you'd just watched the tv series you would have felt it was a bit odd.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Watched some of it last night, can't say it made me very happy......

 

[Gwylan]

Ahh ok, thanks Big G, I've not read the book yet although I intend to.

I started reading it just before the series started and have been reading it in parallel (skipping the boring bits where Hugo goes off on a tangent). It's available for free in both French and English on Project Gutenberg

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/135/135-h/135-h.htm

 

[pearl]

Courgette was a babe tbh

Oui, mange tout

 

[vegster]

Bloodshed and gore ?

Some people got shot, but it was hardly the Walking Dead.

Well I saw Musket and pistol wounds along with bayoneting and major wounds from cannon and the inherent splintering of wooden barricades, too much for Mrs V too.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I thought Javert topped himself because all his life he had thought Jean Valjean inherently "bad" but having seen him saving the lad and acting selflessly he realised he was wrong and that his whole life had been a lie.

Might be bollocks though, I failed English Literature

Having studied French and French Literature to degree standard, I think you are absolutely spot on.
But it wasn't just about Valjean. Javert's view was "once a baddun, always a baddun", and Valjean therefore by letting Javert go and then going to extreme lengths to rescue Marius just blew his complete worldview out of the water and he concluded he had been living a lie.

 

[Weststander]

I read the book twenty odd years ago, and had never seen the musical. The BBC production was excellent although they changed some of the book. There was no mention of Valjean giving Cosette & Marius money to try to escape to England, or the old conman going to America, for instance. It was a condition of him being paid off. I'm fairly sure the old grandfather died, leaving his money to Marius, but I might be mistaken on that one.

Try and get to the London musical one day. I hated musicals (a typical male?), until I was taken to the West End to see Phantom and Les Miserables. Both are incredible.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Agreed, the cast were excellent. Dominic West in particular was absolutely superb, thats got to be a BAFTA sewn up.

I did wonder about Javert. How likely would it have been in that day and age for a black man to rise to the position of being a police inspector ?

My sentiments entirely on all three points. On the Javert being black part, I am not sure, but he played it extraordinarily well. The whole cast without exception was excellent, but Dominic West outstanding.

It was superbly done, and makes me want to go back and re-read the book - in French, of course. An extraordinary story.