#les mis adaptations

[robin-stars]

My little french son :3

[lesmisadaptationranking]

Jean Valjean: C-tier

I'll be honest, this movie was an emotional rollercoaster and it took me a long time to figure out how to rank it. There are things I absolutely adored but others that were completely unforgivable.

Little tangent, it took 135 days post original release for this movie to come out in Austria. I've been waiting for this since November. And this is the first Les Mis movie to come out since the 2012 Tom Hooper movie. 13 years. This is the largest gap between any two LM movie adaptations. The second biggest gap is 7 years. That's insane. As much as I love the 2012 movie, it did irreparable damage. Also, it's called "Les Misérables: The Story of Jean Valjean" in German. It's a small change, but I think they did this because LM is way more recognizable to people here than the name Jean Valjean. I mean, I genuinely doubt that people are going to cinema to watch this if they don't already know LM, no matter what it's called. I feel justified in this assumption because we were 7 people in the theatre.

Ok so, onto the movie.

It's an adaptation of the first few pages of LM, up until Valjean takes Petit-Gevrais's money. And the quality of how it adapts this.... varies.

Ok, good things first. I actually really liked this movie up until around a 3rd into it and considered putting it into S-tier. I love the set and the atmosphere. And the ending was also really good. The acting, costuming and everything was actually fantastic. And this one has Baptistine as a narrator, an unexpected but not unwelcome change. Also we get to see JVJ's sister and her children, we get to see Myriel's backstory, we get a little inside into Baptistine.

But there was stuff I didn't like and, oh boy, was it bad. We got JVJ being physically rough with Magloire, we got JVJ threatening Baptistine by saying "The housemaid is right. You should lock your door tonight.", and, as much as I didn't want to belive it when I first read about it, he pretty much threatens to rape Magloire "I haven't slept with/by a woman in 19 years. Do you really think a flimsy lock can stop me? It's not a question of if he'll come. It's a question of when."

And then there is the violence. Oh, the violence. I'm not really squeemish about violent media, but it just really didn't fit into this movie in this amount. There is a scene where an inmate stabs the prison director to death and then gets the shit beaten out of him by the other guards. There's a scene where JVJ beats a group of guards up (which honestly felt more like watching Witcher 1 or Assassin's Creed 2 gameplay). Also there's a scene of, get this, JEAN VALJEAN MURDERING THE BISHOP. He beats him to death with the candle sticks. Then he stabs Magloire. Then Baptistine. I mean, it turned out to be a dream but HOLY FUCKING SHIT! And the very next scene being Myriel gifting him the candlesticks was just so jarring. It was... wow. Just. Wow.

There's also a scene of a guy spitting his food up back into the bowl (I nearly threw up) and a scene of a guy spitting in JVJ's food. Also a scene where they piss against a wall. These are nitpicks but they really didn't need to do this.

Honestly, I really wanted to love this movie but then they did all this. They wouldn't even really have needed to tone down the violence, just remove the murder scenes and the threats against Baptistine and Magloire. Yeesh.

It had S-tier potential but it sabotaged itself and it genuinely hurts my heart.

[pipatetka-be-cranking]

A few interesting details i managed to find about the soviet Les Miserables play, that debuted in june of 1983:

Over the course of 15 years (the play was first suspended in 1998) it was performed over 132 times. Woah

The performance itself was stretched into two nights. First night was focused on Monsieur Madeleine and the second one on the Barricade.

The play is mostly famous for being an honest and brutal retelling of the book. From the words of A. Borodin (main creator): "When staging a play, we don't target either children or adults, but rather believe that children should experience the art of theater as it is. Artists didn't write for children, and Hugo didn't write for children. But children are capable of entering his space and experiencing it."

For the sake of properly delivering Hugo's views, messages and historical backgrounds, expressed in the book, was created a new character- the Commentator. He was presented as a limping drummer of Napoleon's army. He walked across the still empty stage, the back wall of which was exposed for the first time, remarkably reminiscent of the interior of a temple.

Throughout the play this empty stage gets more decorated depending on which character plot line was currently: Thenardier's line- a beggar's section with dirty rags and sackcloth, Javert's line- a police section imitating prison cells with bars, Gillenormard's line- an aristocratic section with expensive curtains and drapes. Those different motives eventually clashed together, the drummers "audience" eventually grows bigger and bigger and all of this culminates and turns into the barricade.

Unfortunately the ending was changed a bit. Cosette and Marius DON'T visit Jean Valjean on his deathbed or ask him for forgiveness. You know who does visit Jean? Freaking Gillenormard.

At the end, when bell rings, bishop Muriel comes out to meet JVJ and with him, all those who have passed away during the performance, including baby Cosette. Why? Because "after all, the girl he saved has left this life, and the grown-up Cosette is already a completely different person".

Unfortunately i was unable to find any more information regarding Eponine, Les Amis and Fantine besides only the fact that they were mentioned in the only one existing news article. Oh well.

But they did my poor girl Cosette so dirty wtf

[cliozaur]

Oh, there’ll be a production of Les Misérables in Paris starting in February. It sounds a bit bizarre, but intriguing. The most interesting part is that the same actress plays both Cosette and Enjolras! More information here:

L'Express "le résultat est puissant et bouleversant"

And a video:

[checcotheperson]

I finally managed to get a physical copy of the Manga Classics adaptation of Les Misérables, after previously having to read it in full online in a pretty shitty site.

Below are my thoughts!

Like Takashiro Arai's manga, this manga is one very true to the book. It was written by Crystal S. Chan and illustrated (wonderfully, may I add) by SunNeko Lee.

While a very faithful adaptation, unlike Arai's manga, this one was not serialized and had to reach a full-volume length, which means the story is simplified (not in a way i'd call 'abridged' though) in presentation and dialogue, but very true to the spirit!

Apperantely, this was intended for younger audiences, but it never really tries to soften anything. We get very explicit portrayals of Fantine's poverty and struggle, the abuse the Thénardier parents inflict on Cosette, the brutality of the Barricades, ecc. ecc.

I think that this manga is a very good and accessible version to get through, even if it's not perfect. After the end, Crystal S. Chan talks about the manga's development and laments how the edits she had to do to reach the expected length means somethings had to be cut, such as Gavroche, who is in the manga, but his arc is not adapted in full. But hey, we get a nod to the Nomes!

Mabeuf, who does appear (albeit unnamed) for the flashback showing Marius' backstory with him learning about his father and subsequently having a fallout with his grandfather, which was first mentioned during Marius' first appearance.

Fantine's backstory with getting engaged to and abandoned by Cosette's biological father Felix Tholomyès (although it's mentioned right at the start of the manga, as it opens with her leaving Cosette at the Thénardiers' inn).

And, as almost always sadly, the backstory of Bishop Myriel.

Les Amis aren't really developed characters in this manga (which doesn't affect me on a personal level, given that i'm not their biggest fan, but it leaves a notable gaping hole in the barricades plotline), and the only ones who are named are Enjolras and Combeferre, though i do think this guy is meant to be Courfeyrac.

We also get this awesome piece of dialogue from Enjolras, which Combeferre has to then "translate" to poor dear Marius. XD

Overall, this adaptation is primarily focused on Jean Valjean, Cosette, Marius and the Thénardier family, so I guess this was inevitable.

However, the handling of les Amis i feel really impacts the Permets-tu scene, because Grantaire receives no establishment prior to that scene and is unnamed, so really those unfamiliar with the story will be heavily confused as to why it is important that Enjolras dies with this random drunk. Grantaire also doesn't look bad, but he also doesn't look like how i'd imagine Grantaire, which is extra funny when i consider one of the members of the Patron-Minette looks more like it.

Shootout to the funniest depiction of Claquesous as well, rivaling the depiction from Les Mis 1972 which makes him look like Montparnasse.

Some glaring scene emission i'd say, is the removal of Attack On Rue Plumet. For an adaptation that tries to do its best to insert every little detail despite the length it has to meet, removing such an important scene for Èponine's character is a huge miss out.

I'd honestly be more fine with removing Valjean stumbling upon a priest after robbing Gervais, Simplice pointing out his hair turned white or heck even the escape from the Orion if it means that scene could have made it in.

Also, I know, i mentioned the wonderful art style, but as much as i adore it, i do think it does make pretty much everyone very cutesy. Even the Thénardiers honestly look good, and i've nothing against that, but for Monsieur Thénardier specifically it is a huge contrast compared to, say, his depiction from, again, Takashiro Arai's manga.

Speaking of Thénardier, in the (brief) flashback scene to him saving Colonel Pontmercy's life when asked about his name he responds with "I am M. Thénardier", which I guess means here, Monsieur is his actual first name XD.

Honestly, idrk what this manga's general reputation in the fandom is, if it has anyone at all, but honestly, i guess it should get recognition! It may not the best, most greatest adaptation, but I still appreciate the effort that was put into it and i'd say that for what it is, it mostly turned out a good result!

The little comics at the end are also very cute and funny <)!

[piierogis]

Les Misérables: Owarinaki Tabiji | レ・ミゼラブル 終わりなき旅路

(Les Misérables adaptation set in modern Japan)

[could-they-be-a-pro-wrestler]

How successful would Inspector Javert…

…be if they decided to become a pro-wrestler?

Yes on the microphone skills / Yes on the wrestling skills

Yes on the microphone skills / No on the wrestling skills

No on the microphone skills / Yes on the wrestling skills

No on the microphone skills / No on the wrestling skills

Voting ended onDec 9, 2024

Propaganda for the mic skills:

Generally has zero charisma, but occasionally has the best one liners. Example from the book: the Gorbeau House raid scene. Example from the musical: Javert’s Intervention.

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Propaganda for the wrestling skills:

I mean, I don’t know if he could actually win a match, but that would definitely be part of the fun. To understand this, just watch any performance of The Confrontation after 2015.

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Would you like to submit a character? Click this link if you do!

[courfeyracs-umbrella]

My Thoughts & Feelings on the Les Misérables Stage Play (2026) at the Théâtre Hébertot

(Dir. Manon Montel, Company Chouchenko)

Disclaimer: this is just my opinion! I’m not a theatre critic, just some guy who likes Les Mis. Also, apologies if I missed things; I had to get the cheap seats & was getting very intimate with a pillar at points

It was a packed theatre, and pretty diverse audience in terms of ages, including younger people & kids with families. I just think that’s nice to see, because theatre often feels like it gets a reputation for being inaccessible (i.e. expensive). Also I think this would be a great adaptation if you'd no experience w/ LM before

The show was performed by a small cast (10 ppl), and acting was good all round! It probably wasn't the largest budget, I'd say I noticed that with the costumes, but that might have just been because I was sat quite close; from a distance they probably came together well. And some outfits were great, e.g. Marius' (also Javert’s swishy coat <3).

Generally, it followed the novel very closely. The runtime was under 2 hours, so it's a real feat that they managed to fit so much of the plot & material in without it feeling disjointed or rushed. Obviously, there were some changes and cuts. The biggest two for me were probably that Fauchelevent & the Gorbeau House plotline (incl. Eponine) were gone.

Narration & Digressions:

The play was done with lots of narration & monologues – often using Hugo’s words/the source text. Personally, I like this approach – it’s a good way to get a lot of the material in there. We even had some (parts of) digressions!! (Prouvaire did Cambronne at Waterloo, Gavroche a bit of Argot (so less condemnatory than Hugo), a tiny ‘insurrections VS émeutes’ from Courfeyrac-Combeferre (see below), Madame Thénardier the convent). I’ve been in the LM fandom a long time, I have come to appreciate the digressions as a part of the whole and where the themes & ideas often come through. Maybe it won’t work for some, but this was something I really liked, in how they adapted the material; a good way to go with LM particularly. There is still the action but so much of the source material is imbedded in the discussions about ideas, etc. And while obviously they could not include it all (some of the digressions could be a play on their own!) it keeps the spirit of Hugo’s work.

Overall, there were quite a lot of jokes/humour, including some from Hugo’s original. Even though some of them didn’t land for me, I don't mind that tone being included bc it is present in the source text they're pulling from!

Madame T.: More explicit child abuse/cruelty than how it is in the musical (they bring out a cat o’ nine at one point! *). As someone (Checco) in the discord mentions about the trailer, Mme T. is the (main) narrator. It's an interesting choice. She mocks other’s experiences, sometimes using ironic points of Hugo’s text. I didn't feel she was supposed to come across as a positive character, but perhaps to be sympathised with to an extent – she makes the point that some people are just cruel (in reference to M. Thénardier), but who's to say she wouldn't have ended up different (better) given the chance that was given Valjean. It’s hard, I think this is something people will have strong feelings about, i.e. whether or not she can/should be made sympathetic in that way given how explicitly cruel the couple are in the original text, even if she is also a misérable – I could maybe write more on this and future need to think about it more. But re: her as narrator, I think it’s cool to have such an original with the material.

*Note: there are no child actors in the show

She explains her own death which is compared to Fantine’s entrance/life

Fantine: No Mme Victurnien, why Fantine is fired isn’t specified. I really liked staging of the Fall, poverty felt emphasised (as it sometimes doesn’t in other versions): it had Mme T. narrating her letters/requests for money from above as Fantine went through the different stages of selling parts of herself. Scene of her waiting for Cosette narrated by a doctor and Mme T. The relationship between her and Cosette was present throughout

There was a factory interpretive dance scene? Trying to understand it, I felt we were going to get some comment on the nature of labour or something, but this never came back? (There was something similar with the convicts, but unless I missed it, it didn’t have a throughline for the rest of the show)

Valjean: My main takeaway was that Valjean talks a lot. It sort of feels out of place with his character, JVJ is not an outwardly emotional man in that way, but how else do you to portray his internal struggles? I couldn’t always place whether his monologues were supposed to be internal or not, so I wasn’t sure it always fitted his character. But we did get his anger demonstrated (not in the bad BBC way), and a lot of focus on his grief of losing Cosette as she grows up (love that! – he brings out a doll and wants to reminisce over her childhood when she’s an adult 🥺) They are definitely the emotional core of the story

Javert: Probably my least favourite tbh (because of the directorial/character choices not the acting!). He felt very one-track JVJ focused, à la musical. But we did get the 'punish me, Monsieur le Maire' scene and a clear demonstration of his fixation with obeying his code even for himself. At one point, he comments he doesn't care about politics. And he protests at the idea of arrest of young student, because he’s young, i.e. that will ruin his life, which doesn’t feel Javert-like?

The police/National Guard were portrayed as comically foolish, which I can understand as a choice, but I’m not sure it works in the current moment. But the play also clearly demonstrated they were in the pockets of the political elite.

Cosette: She and Valjean were 100% the emotional core of the show. And Cosette actually got a personality! She gets angry at how both Valjean and Marius treat her at points and has political opinions. I don't mind this addition (& it’s better than nerfing her like so many do!). We got the bit with how she persuades Valjean to have his fire lit, which is a part I love in the original and how it shows her personality.

She briefly protests against Mother Superior saying her life's goal is to marry & have children…again I don't have an issue with this as an idea, but I think it could have been explored further (esp as she ends up on this path), even if how her relationship to Marius is somewhat less passive here (I hope I’m making sense here, I don’t know how to fully explain my feeling)…I don’t think this version had most in depth feminist critique, but I think they were trying to add something and I can appreciate that – especially as it came along with elevating Cosette’s character

Cosette had three songs and these just didn't work for me. I think because you inevitably end up comparing it to the musical. But I liked having the actors playing instruments live on stage, sometimes diegetic music, sometimes atmospheric (including a Prouvaire accordion solo). But, yeah, not sure about Cosette’s songs, and I mention her specifically because she had multiple throughout at random points, not like Thénardier’s pub music or the Amis’ political song

Marius: Marius sucked👍- as a Marius hater, I appreciated this. We didn't change his final treatment of Valjean, even if some of his stalkerish-ness was toned down. (Being serious, he wasn't a completely unsympathetic character, I thought he was very good and I liked that they included some of those aspects often sanded off by adaptations). At the end he's sat Gillenormand’s fancy chair with a footman delivering his letters for him.

That said, why is he leading the barricade??

After meeting, Marius and Cosette are discussing Hernani. When Cosette is about to arrange a date, Javert swoops in from nowhere and demands to see Marius’ identity papers. Cockblocked by Javert as JVJ watches. Iconic, 10/10 scene, no notes

(Also, I need someone else to watch this because did it imply they (Marius & Cosette that is) fucked at one point?? Or maybe I’ve just got that new terrible Wuthering Heights film on the brain)

Les Amis: Our Amis were Enjolras, Courfeyrac, Feuilly, Prouvaire, and Gavroche. Very blink and you miss him Enjolras (I think this was a practicality thing bc the actress was doubling as Cosette). He was given ‘Etre Libre’

Courfeyrac introduced via Blondeau speech – I knew it wasn’t going to be my beloved boy Lesgle before he got to his name, but I’m letting it go bc it’s a fun scene to include. As well as being quasi-Lesgle, Courfeyrac was also took on some of Combeferre’s traits.

Not a politics heavy adaptation, and I wasn’t getting any real comparison to modern political issues/sentiments. It did seem embedded in the time though, perhaps because they expect the audience to have a general level of familiarity with the post-French Revolution period. The actual barricades scenes were very short, but Les Amis had a decent amount of spoken dialogue beforehand. (I couldn't fully see, but I think we got Liberty Leading the People as a background – tbf Châtelet did this too for the Olympics’ opening – it’s just symbolically recognisable)

Even though I enjoy a politics-heavy LM, I’m not going to hold that over this adaptation because there were obviously time constraints and I think it was balanced as well as it could be

Other stuff...

Play opens with JVJ & Jeanne talking – thought that was nice, having that part acted out, haven't seen it portrayed before

Myriel is given the Sister Simplice’s ‘never told a lie’ bit

Having just rewatched the trailer, some of the staging was a bit different (filmed somewhere else maybe?)

Compared to the musical, it’s very dismissive with regards to religion apart from Myriel’s character (which of course does have a basis in the original novel, but I do wonder if that is in some way related to France’s general view of religion nowadays – or maybe I’m overthinking it, but it’s interesting to compare to how emphasised Christianity is in the musical).

A mention of Georges Sand! Idk, I thought that was a fun little addition

Victor Hugo name drops (jump scare)

Mme T. & Gillenormand are cynical as narrators, but I didn’t feel the as the audience are supposed to adopt that – like I found the Cosette & Valjean stuff quite emotional

Because the Gorbeau house plot is cut, Thénardier’s relation to Col. Pontmercy is mentioned once, then not really again until the end when he meets Marius, who acknowledges it's the only reason he lets him go. Was kind of surprised they explicitly mentioned the slavery part afterwards!

Courfeyrac came back at end alongside Fantine like how we get Eponine in the musical

Anyway, if you happen to be in Paris, I’d recommend you give it a go (it is French language only!): https://www.theatrehebertot.com/spectacle/les-miserables Also please, I would love to hear other’s impressions of it!