#not valvert

[javerts-truncheon]

I finally got around to watching the 1958 Les Mis, and oh boy..

It's definitely one of the more accurate adaptions, three hours long and French-written/produced. We start out in the galleys, where Jean 'le Cric' uses his immense strength to rescue a fellow convict from getting crushed-

*squints* 24601 is now 3021

Unfortunately, instead of being rewarded for his valor, Valjean is sentenced to three more years by the prison locksmith (is that even allowed?) who for some reason also decided it was bring-your-kid-to-work day

NOW for the trippy part. It's revealed later on in the movie that the locksmith's son was Javert!!! Not only does this screw with Javert's canonical criminal parentage (which is a fundamental part of his character) it also establishes a super-awkward age gap between him and Valjean, who looked to be in his late middle ages when he first encountered child Javert

AND THEN, when Valjean becomes mayor of Montreal-sir-Mer we're re-introduced to an older Javert, who's played by the same actor who played the locksmith.

Let's just try to forget the improbability of it all and appreciate how adorable baby!vert is ( ꈍᴗꈍ)

[javerts-truncheon]

Ladies and gentlemen, we've been pronouncing Valjean/Javert's ship name wrong the whole time 😤

[valvert-imagine]

Imagine Valjean teaching Cosette how to play the piano when she was young. He would sit with her for hours and teach her at her own pace, and as she became more skilled, he would sing along with her melodies and guide her along by striking notes her little hands couldn't reach. As she grew up, she learned to sing herself as she played along, and they would spend time just playing music and singing to lighten up the mood and get their minds off of their situation.

The first piece that Cosette learned to play in full was the Moonlight Sonata, and even after Valjean passed, she still sits at that same piano that he taught her at years and years before and strikes those melancholy notes when she misses him and needs comfort.