''Les Misérables'' is a 1982 French

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. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Robert Hossein Robert Hossein (30 December 1927 – 31 December 2020) was a French film actor, director, and writer. He directed Les Misérables (1982 film), the 1982 adaptation of ''Les Misérables'' and appeared in ''Vice and Virtue'', ''Le Casse'', ''Les U ...

. It is one of the numerous screen adaptations of the 1862 novel of the same name by

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...

. It was entered into the

13th Moscow International Film Festival The 13th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 7 to 21 July 1983. The Golden Prizes were awarded to the Moroccan-Guinea-Senegalese film ''Amok (1983 film), Amok'' directed by Souheil Ben-Barka, the Nicaraguan-Cuban-Mexican-Costa Rican ...

where it won a Special Prize.

Plot summary

Cast

Lino Ventura Angiolino Giuseppe Pasquale Ventura (14 July 1919 – 22 October 1987), known as Lino Ventura, was an Italian-born actor and philanthropist, who lived and worked for most of his life in France. He was considered one of the greatest leading men ...

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 ...

Michel Bouquet Michel François Pierre Bouquet (6 November 1925 – 13 April 2022) was a French stage and film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films from 1947 to 2020. He won the Best Actor European Film Award for '' Toto the Hero'' in 1991 and two Best ...

as Inspecteur Javert * Évelyne Bouix as

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

* Christiane Jean as

Cosette Cosette () is a fictional character in the 1862 novel ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hugo and in the many adaptations of the story for stage, film, and television. Her birth name, Euphrasie, is only mentioned briefly. As the orphaned child of an ...

** Valentine Bordelet as Cosette (child) *

Jean Carmet Jean Carmet (; 25 April 1920 – 20 April 1994) was a French actor. Life and career Jean Carmet began working on stage and then in film in the early 1940s becoming a very popular comedic actor in his native country. He is best known internat ...

as Thénardier * Françoise Seigner as La Thénardier * Frank David as Marius * Candice Patou as

Éponine Éponine Thénardier (; ), also referred to as "Ponine", the "Jondrette girl" and the "young working-man", is a fictional character in the 1862 novel ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hugo. The character is introduced as a spoiled and pampered child, ...

** Agathe Ladner as Éponine (child) *

Emmanuel Curtil Emmanuel Curtil (born 7 February 1971) is a French actor known primarily for his voice work, having dubbed the voice of Matthew Perry ( Chandler) for the first eight seasons of the American sitcom ''Friends''. Curtil is also the official dub ac ...

Gavroche Gavroche () is a fictional character in the 1862 novel ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hugo. He is a boy who lives on the streets of Paris. His name has become a synonym for an urchin or Street children, street child. Gavroche plays a short yet si ...

* Hervé Furic as

Enjolras Enjolras () is a fictional character who acts as the charismatic leader of the Friends of the ABC in the 1862 novel ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hugo. In both the novel and the musical that it inspired, Enjolras is a revolutionary who fights f ...

(as Hervé Fulric) *

Louis Seigner Louis Seigner (23 June 1903 – 20 January 1991) was a French actor.He was born in Saint-Chef, Isère, France, the son of Louise (Monin) and Joseph Seigner, and died in Paris. He was the father of actress Françoise Seigner, with Marie Cazeaux, a ...

as Monseigneur Myriel *

Fernand Ledoux Fernand Ledoux (born Jacques Joseph Félix Fernand Ledoux, 24 January 1897, Tirlemont – 21 September 1993, Villerville) was a French film and theatre actor of Belgian origin. He studied with Raphaël Duflos at the CNSAD, and began hi ...

as Gillenormand *

Paul Préboist Paul Préboist (21 February 1927 – 4 March 1997) was a French actor. He appeared in more than hundred films, mostly in supporting roles, and is best known as a comic actor. Filmography Theater References External links *Paul Préboista ...

as Fauchelevent * Corinne Dacla as Azelma ** Catherine Di Rigo as Azelma (child) (as Kathleen Di Rigo) *

Robin Renucci Robin Renucci (born 11 July 1956, in Le Creusot, Saône-et-Loire) is a French people, French film and television actor and film director. Acting filmography * ''Eaux profondes'' (1981) : ''Ralph'' * ''Les Misérables (1982 film), Les Misérabl ...

as Courfeyrac * Christian Benedetti as Combeferre (as Christian Bénédetti) * Tony Joudrier as Bossuet * Christophe Odent as Bahorel * Alexandre Tamar as Grantaire *

Roger Hanin Roger Hanin (born Roger Levy, 20 October 1925 – 11 February 2015) was a French actor and film director, best known for playing the title role in the TV police drama, '' Navarro''. Career Roger Hanin was born in 1925 in Algiers, Algeria as Rog ...

as L'aubergiste * Nathalie Nerval as La fille Gillenormand * Martine Pascal as La mère supérieure * Aline Bertrand as Mme Magloire * Madeleine Bouchez as Mlle Baptistine * Viviane Elbaz as Soeur Simplice *

Dominique Davray Dominique Davray (born Marie-Louise Gournay; 27 January 1919 in Paris – 16 August 1998 in Paris) was a French actress. She performed in more than 90 films from 1942 to 1983. Filmography External links

* 20th-century French actres ...

as La Magnon * Claude Lancelot as Bamatabois * Denis Lavant as

Montparnasse Montparnasse () is an area in the south of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail. It is split betwee ...

* Jean-René Gossart as Claquesous (as Jean-René Gossard) * Jacques Blal as Petit Gervais *

Dominique Zardi Dominique Zardi (born Emile Jean Cohen-Zardi; 2 March 1930 – 13 December 2009) was a French actor from Paris. He acted in more than 200 feature films, including ''Fantômas'' with Louis De Funès and Jean Marais. He died of cancer at the age ...

as Chenildieu

Differences from the novel

* The film starts with Valjean's release from prison, which is followed by the opening credits and then jumps to the presentation of the bishop, which is at beginning of the novel. * Javert is shown (though not named) in the opening scene; the book introduces him in Montreuil. * Fantine is introduced in Montreuil; her former life in Paris is left out. *Fantine dies of her illness before Javert arrives to arrest Valjean. In the book, it is the shock of realizing that Cosette did not arrive, and Javert telling her Valjean's real identity, that kills her. * Valjean is not sent back to the galleys; he manages to escape Javert after Fantine's death. * Valjean's escape from the convent in a coffin is cut out. * Valjean dies alone, making his death even more tragic. * The last scene is a flashback to Valjean's release from prison, with a minor change in dialogue. The first time, Javert says, "You are free," and the second time, the line is, "Now, you are free."

Minor sub-plots

* Valjean's arrival in Digne is lengthily depicted; we even see him going into the town hall to have his passport signed. * Petit-Gervais is included. * We see Valjean lifting the cart off Fauchelevent, and we also learn that he sent him to the convent in Paris afterwards. * One of the few adaptions that does not change the names of the three convicts who recognize Valjean (Brevet, Chenildieu and Cochepaille), and in which Valjean proves his identity in the same way as he does in the book. * Valjean leaves the convent for the same reason as he does in the book. * The attack in the House Gorbeau is included, and takes place in nearly exactly the same way as it does in the book. * The romance between Marius and Cosette takes place in nearly the same way as in the book. * Javert's letter to the Prefect is read aloud by Javert as we see him taking the coach towards the bridge. * Valjean confesses his true identity to Marius after the wedding and dies of grief at the end. * Most dialogue is taken word for word from the book. * While some scenes are anachronistic (e.g. the prison), the overall impression is a very dark and sinister one, fitting the book very well.

Notes

also directed the original 1980 Paris production of the musical: this film and the musical are the only adaptations where Fantine dies before Javert's arrival; the falling of the barricade is depicted in very slow motion as it is in the musical and Gavroche's song "C'est la faute à..." is sung to the same melody in this film as it is in the musical. * The actor who plays Chenildieu in this adaption plays Cochepaille in the 2000 miniseries.