Conspirator Slash
Maybe the darkest and most artistic version. Very sad, very heartbreaking. It is book-faithful as possible, and has a wonderful cinematography. It has a lot of adorable little Brick moments.Lino Ventura's Valjean is the only one who rivals Jean Gabin's. He's a very good choice for this role. A real actor, not a star. And I cried for him. The end is even more sad than in the book. He dies totally alone, in a ghost-house. The last scene evokes the first - but this time Javert says: "You are free now." (Or something like it, my French is limited.) Javert is also great. The only thing I miss is the sideburns, but the actor has his personality. He's cold, always calm, always honest. Not your usual "bad guy" interpretation. No, Javert was not a bad guy. His end proves it. (Besides, it was beautifully directed - you see him write the letter and then you only see his hat, his coat and his nightstick at the parapet...)Thénardier is okay, but he doesn't seem really evil, just misfortunated. Mme Thénardier is book-like, and yay! she dies in jail, and Éponine steals the crucifix from her hand. (Brilliant little scene.) Cosette is so... well... cold. Like she had no feeling. It's not a surprise such a girl forgets Valjean... Marius is quite okay, at least he isn't ugly, but his hair is totally '60s. Enjolras has an EARRING(!) and is black-haired, but pretty. Courfeyrac is win. Combeferre has red beard and glasses, and looks like my ideal Colline (from Puccini's La Bohéme). Grantaire exists, drinks, and dies together with the others. Gavroche is perfect, and sings Little People! in French. Really! Éponine is ugly and miserable, isn't emo, and is pretty book-like. Azelma... exists. Fantine has dark hair, but otherwise she's OK, her transformation is quick, but artfully done. Nuns are OK. Fauchelevent too. (No graveyard scene, however.)Maybe the most beautiful scene is the first attack. It's a long, silent scene in slow-motion, with a sad music. It seems Peter Jackson stole a LOT from this...Hossein is a great director. This is the only Les Mis version that is actually an art movie, not just an adaptation.Absolutely worth watching, but beware, very, very depressing.
camaretsurmer
I've seen quite a few versions of Les Misérables but this one is for sure one of the best. Maybe the 1958(Jean-Paul Le Chanois) version with Jean Gabin as Jean Valjean gets close to it but Lino is literally awesome! The 1985 TV adaption is about 218 min long - 30 min longer than the 1982 cinema release and split in four parts. So take your time, it's worth it! 9/10
dawnrain
Robert Hossein offered the public a great version of Victor Hugo's novel. I read the book many times and I only regret that the movie (and even the TV version more complete) has to cut some of the action, or the film would have to be at least 6 hours long.The actors are all well chosen. from the always perfect Michel Bouquet to Jean Carmet and Candice Patou, very moving, and Christine Jean, very beautiful. But most of all there is Lino Ventura. He is Jean Valjean, he doesn't only play the part. I guess in his real life, he was a kind of Valjean himself, having a difficult life in his youth. This movie has been made 20 years ago and it's now a classic. No one could tell it's already such an old movie, the message is still the same since Victor Hugo's time. The story is out of time and this movie version is too.
André-7
A compelling version of the Victor Hugo novel that should be sought out and viewed by fans of other versions and the novel. This theatrical release is not as complete as the longer television version broadcast in 1985, but nonetheless gets you hooked. Hossein is as faithful to the novel as possible. Film features a wonderful and human portrayal by Ventura as Valjean and does not betray the ending of the novel the way American and British versions have.
