''Les Miserables'' ( it, I miserabili) is a 1948 Italian

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...

directed by Riccardo Freda. It is based on the

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

's 1862 novel ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...

'' and stars

Gino Cervi Luigi Cervi (3 May 1901 – 3 January 1974), better known as Gino Cervi (), was an Italian actor. He was best known for portraying Peppone in a series of comedies based on the character ''Don Camillo'' (1952-1965), and police detective Jules ...

Jean Valjean Jean Valjean () is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. The story depicts the character's struggle to lead a normal life and redeem himself after serving a 19-year-long prison sentence for stealing bread to feed his ...

Valentina Cortese Valentina Cortese (1 January 1923 – 10 July 2019) was an Italian actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in François Truffaut's ''Day for Night'' (1973). Personal life Cortese was born ...

Fantine Fantine (French pronunciation: ) is a fictional character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. She is a young '' grisette'' in Paris who becomes pregnant by a rich student. After he abandons her, she is forced to look after their chi ...

and Cosette, and

Hans Hinrich Hans Hinrich (27 November 1903 – 20 October 1974) was a German film director and actor. He initially worked in Germany but later also worked in Italy where he was usually credited as ''Giovanni Hinrich''. Hinrich was a noted theatre director ...

as Javert. After the financial success of Freda's previous film ''

The Black Eagle ''The Black Eagle'' ( it, Aquila nera) is a 1946 Italian historical adventure drama film directed by Riccardo Freda and starring Rossano Brazzi, Irasema Dilián and Gino Cervi. It was released as ''Return of the Black Eagle'' in the United State ...

'', Freda worked a deal with Lux Film and began developing an adaptation of ''Les Misérables'' with

Mario Monicelli Mario Alberto Ettore Monicelli (; 16 May 1915 – 29 November 2010) was an Italian film director and screenwriter and one of the masters of the '' Commedia all'Italiana'' (Comedy Italian style). He was nominated six times for an Oscar, and was a ...

Vittorio Nino Novarese Vittorio Nino Novarese (May 15, 1907 in Rome, Italy – October 17, 1983 in Los Angeles, United States) was an Italian costume designer who found great success in Hollywood after decamping there in 1949. In his first year there he scored an Oscar n ...

and Stefano Vanzina. The film was shot entirely in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. Freda's version of the film ran for over three hours in length and was released as two separate films in Italy one week from another in January 1948. The film became the highest-grossing Italian film production of the year.

Plot

Caccia all'uomo

In France, Jean Valjean tries to steal a loaf of bread to feed his grandchildren, but is immediately taken by the police and sentenced to five years in prison, which becomes 18 due to his numerous attempts at escape. After his sentence is served, he is turned away by everyone, with the only positive gesture being given to the bishop of Digne, from whom he had stolen two candelabras, who convinces him to change his life. He then builds a new identity as Mr. Madeleine, and becomes a successful industrialist. During these years, however, Inspector Javert has never stopped looking for Valjean and constantly searches for him. Valjean reacts by attempting to flee, but first fulfills a promise he has made to Fantina, a young woman driven out of the factory after it is discovered she has given birth at a young age and has to take care of her daughter Cosetta. She is temporarily entrusted to Mrs. Thenardier who, despite the money received from Valjean, treats Cosetta as a slave.

Tempesta su Parigi

Fourteen years later, all the characters meet in Paris. Valjean has built a new identity like Leblanc and protects Cosetta, keeping her away from the world and unaware of their past. The Thenardier family runs an inn where Mario, the young revolutionary, is staying, and with whom their daughter is secretly in love. Mario flees from the police and hides in the Leblanc house, where he falls in love with Cosetta. Valjean is discovered by Thenardier, who intends to take revenge but is stopped by Javert. During the revolutionary uprisings of 1832, the fate of the various characters is fulfilled. Mario is injured and brought by Valjean to his father's home, police minister also thanks to Javert, who finally understands his mistake and leaves him free, but kills himself by leaping into the Seine. Mario reconciles with his father, and he and Cosetta can fulfill their dream of a relationship. They plan to marry, which is halted when Thenardier reappears and dies after shooting Valjean.

Cast

and Cosette (as an adult) *

as Javert *

Aldo Nicodemi Aldo Nicodemi (1919–1963) was an Italian film actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radi ...

as Marius * Luigi Pavese as Thenardier *

Jone Romano Jone Romano (born Jone Borgheri; February 7, 1898 – August 1, 1979) was an Italian actress who appeared on stage and screen. Biography She appeared in the 1948 film adaptation of ''Les Misérables''. Her career as an actress was relatively shor ...

as Mrs. Thenardier * Gabriele Ferzetti as Tholomyes (uncredited)

Production

Due to the success of Riccardo Freda's film ''

'', which was the second-highest-grossing film in Italy in 1946, Freda was able to adapt one of his favourite novels, ''

'' by

. The film began thanks to Riccardo Gualino, the head of Italy's production company Lux Film. An Italian critic and film historian described Lux Film as "Italy's biggest and most ambitious production company" as of 1947, and that it had a "strongly focused policy that recalled those adapted by the Hollywood Majors." Freda described his relationship with Gualino positively, stating that their relationship went beyond a commercial deal, stating that the two "never talked about films, and discussed of art and literature instead. He was a very cultured person." He also said, "With Gualino, I used to sign a deal in five minutes. That is to say, he simply asked me 'Freda, what film do you want to make?' and that was that." Freda originally conceived of adapting the novel when on a taxi ride with fellow directors Mario Soldati, Renato Castellani and Guido Gatti. The four were brainstorming to find stories to adapt to film, with Freda suggesting ''Les Misérables'', which the others were astonished at, feeling it would be impossible to turn into a film. The newspaper '' Corriere d'informazione'' spitefully commented on Freda's decision to adapt the story, stating that there was a lack of adventurousness in film makers and producers who were often adopting plays and books, with Arturo Lanocita stating, "The Bottom has been reached with director Riccardo Freda, who after thinking about it for a long time, decided to shoot the 39th version of ''Les Misérable'', a novel which perhaps you've heard of." For the second time in a row, Freda worked on the film's script with Steno and

, and for the first time

, who was an art director who had just started his work as a screenwriter. The trio's script makes specific changes to the story: Marius becomes the son of the Ministry of Police and in the end

is killed by Tenardier. Freda commented that he wanted Valjean to "be a hero, and not a character afflicted by his past. ..I wanted a righter of wrongs, like the Black Eagle or later

Casanova Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (, ; 2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798) was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, (''Story of My Life''), is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of information about the c ...

Maciste Maciste () is one of the oldest recurring characters of cinema, created by Gabriele d'Annunzio and Giovanni Pastrone. He is featured throughout the history of the cinema of Italy from the 1910s to the mid-1960s. He is usually depicted as a Herc ...

." Freda recalled that "Adapting a novel I admired so much brought up insane problems, even more because the film was made in Italy", stating that among his films he "put the most of myself n ''Les Miserables''. The film was shot entirely in Rome, and involved reconstructing early 18th-century Paris entirely in the studio. Among the cast was

playing Jean Valjean, which was the third time he would work with Freda. Freda stated that Cervi would wear "a bourgeois dress with golden buttons. I explained to him that he should look ''miserable'', since he had to steal bread to feed his nephew. But he wouldn't understand. He only thought of the female audience: he had appeared in rags, his career would have ended." Freda solved the problem by throwing talcum over Cervi's frock during takes to make it look old and ragged.

reflected on her role in the film, stating that "Freda was a temperamental filmmaker: one day we were shooting a scene depicting the revolutionary uprisings, tomato sauce everywhere, shoots, extra running en masse, and Freda gave me a shove so as to push me into the frame under a restive horse. My God, what a scare!" Also among the cast was

Marcello Mastroianni Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni (28 September 1924 – 19 December 1996) was an Italian film actor, regarded as one of his country's most iconic male performers of the 20th century. He played leading roles for many of Italy's top di ...

in his film debut as one of Marius' revolutionist friends.

Release

Freda's film had a running time of over three hours. It was submitted to the board of censors in December 1947 as two separate films, which were released in Italy within the space of one week. The first was titled ''Caccia all'uomo'' (), which opened on 21 January 1948, and the second was titled ''Tempesta su Parigi'' (), which opened on 28 January. The film grossed a total of 375 million lire, making it the highest-grossing Italian film of 1948. The film was also distributed abroad, including in France where it was titled ''L'évadé du bagne'' and cut to 110 minutes without consultation with Freda. The film was also released in the United States as ''Les Miserables'' in March 1952.

Reception

In the United States, Joe Phodna of the ''

New York Herald Tribune The ''New York Herald Tribune'' was a newspaper published between 1924 and 1966. It was created in 1924 when Ogden Mills Reid of the ''New-York Tribune'' acquired the '' New York Herald''. It was regarded as a "writer's newspaper" and competed ...

'' reviewed an English-language dubbed version with a running time of about two hours, stating that it had "emphasis on movement rather than social significance" and that Gino Cervi's performance was solid but uninspired. A review in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' found that Valjean and Javert became two-dimensional figures whose characters "rarely, if ever, come to life" The review also commented on Freda, stating that "the director has managed to extract some of the excitement and movement inherent in the book".

References

Bibliography

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Miserables, Les (1948 film) 1948 films 1948 drama films 1940s historical drama films Italian historical drama films 1940s Italian-language films Italian black-and-white films Films directed by Riccardo Freda Films based on Les Misérables Films set in France Films shot in Rome Films produced by Carlo Ponti Lux Film films 1940s Italian films