Les Misérables (2012)

Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables (2012) is a bold, emotional, and visually rich adaptation of the iconic stage musical—based on Victor Hugo’s classic 1862 novel. This film weaves a tale of justice, redemption, love, and revolution against the turbulent backdrop of post-revolutionary France.

Detailed Summary

The Harsh Life of Jean Valjean

The movie opens in 1815, with Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), a prisoner who is released after 19 years of hard labor for stealing a loaf of bread. Though he’s technically free, he carries a yellow passport marking him as a convict, which makes reintegration into society impossible. After being shown mercy by a kind bishop (Colm Wilkinson), Valjean breaks parole, determined to reinvent himself and live a righteous life. This encounter triggers the film’s primary theme: redemption.

Valjean’s New Identity and Javert’s Pursuit

Years later, Valjean has become a prosperous factory owner and mayor under a new identity. However, he is relentlessly pursued by Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe), who believes the law is absolute and unchangeable. When one of Valjean’s factory workers, Fantine (Anne Hathaway), is unfairly dismissed and descends into poverty and illness, Valjean takes her dying wish to heart: to care for her young daughter, Cosette.

Cosette’s Rescue and Escape

Valjean finds Cosette (Isabelle Allen as a child, Amanda Seyfried as an adult) being abused by the Thénardiers (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter), innkeepers and con artists. He pays them off and raises Cosette as his own daughter. Meanwhile, Javert continues to hunt Valjean for breaking parole, forcing Valjean and Cosette into constant hiding.

Revolution Brews in Paris

As the years pass, Paris is a powder keg of social unrest. A group of idealistic students led by Enjolras (Aaron Tveit) prepares for an uprising. Among them is Marius (Eddie Redmayne), who falls in love with Cosette at first sight. This sparks a love triangle with Éponine (Samantha Barks), the Thénardiers’ daughter, who harbors unrequited love for Marius.

The Barricade and the Tragedy of Youth

The revolutionaries build barricades in the streets. Marius joins them despite Valjean’s pleas. Valjean follows Marius and ultimately saves his life, dragging his unconscious body through the sewers after the barricade falls and nearly everyone is killed. Éponine dies in Marius’s arms, finally expressing her love.

Javert’s Crisis and Suicide

Valjean has the chance to kill Javert at the barricade but sets him free. This act of mercy breaks Javert’s rigid worldview—he cannot reconcile Valjean’s goodness with his criminal past. Unable to live with this contradiction, Javert throws himself into the Seine.

Movie Ending

After saving Marius, Valjean brings him back to safety but chooses to disappear from Cosette’s life so she can live free of his past. Marius marries Cosette, unaware of who saved him.

At their wedding, the Thénardiers attempt to blackmail Marius by revealing they saw Valjean carrying a corpse in the sewers. Marius realizes that Valjean saved his life and rushes to find him. He and Cosette arrive at a convent where Valjean is dying.

In a deeply emotional final scene, Valjean confesses his past to Cosette and gives her letters explaining everything. As he dies, he is comforted by the vision of Fantine and the Bishop, symbolizing his redemption. The final number, “Do You Hear the People Sing?” is reprised, this time with the spirits of the fallen revolutionaries singing of hope and freedom on the barricade in the afterlife. It’s a breathtaking finale that blends sorrow and transcendence.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, Les Misérables does not have a post-credits scene. Once the emotionally charged finale concludes, the credits roll with no additional content or teases.

Type of Movie

Les Misérables is a musical historical drama, blending romantic tragedy, social commentary, and epic narrative. It is also an adaptation of a Broadway-style stage musical, so nearly every line is sung.

Cast

• Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean
• Russell Crowe as Javert
• Anne Hathaway as Fantine
• Amanda Seyfried as Cosette
• Eddie Redmayne as Marius
• Samantha Barks as Éponine
• Sacha Baron Cohen as Thénardier
• Helena Bonham Carter as Madame Thénardier
• Aaron Tveit as Enjolras
• Colm Wilkinson as the Bishop of Digne

Film Music and Composer

• Music by: Claude-Michel Schönberg
• Lyrics by: Herbert Kretzmer
• The film features beloved songs like “I Dreamed a Dream,” “One Day More,” “Do You Hear the People Sing?” and “On My Own.”
• The score uses live singing on set, a rare and challenging technique that gives performances raw emotion and immediacy.

Filming Locations

• Pinewood Studios in England for most interior scenes
• Portsmouth Historic Dockyard for early prison scenes
• Gourdon, France for some outdoor sequences
  These authentic and varied settings reflect the gritty realism of 19th-century France while also supporting the grandeur of the musical numbers.

Awards and Nominations

• Won 3 Academy Awards:
  • Best Supporting Actress (Anne Hathaway)
  • Best Makeup and Hairstyling
  • Best Sound Mixing
• Nominated for 8 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Jackman), and Best Costume Design.
• Golden Globes:
  • Won Best Picture – Musical or Comedy
  • Best Actor – Hugh Jackman
  • Best Supporting Actress – Anne Hathaway

Behind the Scenes Insights

• Hugh Jackman reportedly went without water for over 30 hours to achieve the gaunt, desperate look during Valjean’s early scenes.
• Anne Hathaway lost nearly 25 pounds and chopped her hair on camera in one take for her performance as Fantine.
• Samantha Barks was cast directly from the stage production after impressing Besson with her live performances.
• All actors sang live on set instead of lip-syncing to pre-recorded tracks—an uncommon and daring choice in film musicals.
• Director Tom Hooper encouraged emotional spontaneity, sometimes shooting multiple takes of songs in one go.

Inspirations and References

• Based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel, a cornerstone of French literature.
• Themes of social injustice, Christian redemption, and the French political struggle echo Hugo’s real-life experiences and his own exiled life.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

No alternate endings were officially released. However, deleted scenes include extended musical numbers, including:

• A longer version of “Who Am I?”
• Additional footage of the students preparing for battle.
  Most were cut for pacing and runtime but are available in home releases.

Book Adaptations and Differences

• The film compresses and simplifies some subplots (e.g., Cosette and Marius’s romance is more developed in the book).
• Fantine’s backstory is much more detailed in the novel.
• The film focuses more on Valjean’s moral transformation than on Hugo’s broader philosophical and political commentary.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

• Fantine’s performance of “I Dreamed a Dream”—raw, devastating, and filmed in a single close-up shot.
• The barricade battle, with its slow build and tragic deaths.
• Javert placing his medal on Gavroche’s corpse—symbolizing his internal conflict.
• The sewer escape, with Valjean carrying Marius’s limp body through filth and darkness.

Iconic Quotes

• “To love another person is to see the face of God.”
• “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”
• “He gave me hope when hope was gone. He gave me strength to journey on.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

• Colm Wilkinson, the original Jean Valjean in the London stage version, plays the Bishop—a symbolic passing of the torch.
• The film subtly includes a silver candlestick motif, from the bishop’s gift, in Valjean’s home throughout the movie.
• The barricade was designed based on historical layouts from the 1832 Paris uprising, not the 1789 Revolution (a common misconception).

Trivia

• Anne Hathaway’s performance of “I Dreamed a Dream” was recorded in one take and earned her the Oscar.
• The movie was shot in chronological order, rare for a production of this scale.
• Hugh Jackman lost 30 pounds for the prison scenes and gained 30 more for the later timeline.
• Crowe received criticism for his singing, though he trained extensively for the role.

Why Watch?

If you’re in the mood for a grand, emotional story that mixes intimate human drama with sweeping political change, Les Misérables delivers. The music is powerful, the performances are raw and moving, and it tackles themes like redemption, justice, and sacrifice in a way that feels both timeless and timely.

Director’s Other Movies

• The King’s Speech (2010)
• The Danish Girl (2015)
• Cats (2019)
• Red Dust (2004)

Recommended Films for Fans

• The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
• Into the Woods (2014)
• Evita (1996)
• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
• The King’s Speech (2010)
• Moulin Rouge! (2001)