Les Miserables

I saw this when it was originally telecast in the late 70s on TV as an Hallmark special presentation, and I never forgot it. What a relief to find it's available on video. However, I'm disappointed that the available VHS version has been cut down to 2 hours – the original telecast on TV divided it into 2 showings (2 consecutive evenings), about 3 hours apiece, if I remember right. Not including commercials, I would estimate the original (uncut) version was about 4-5 hours. So, in the VHS version, the story moves VERY fast to squeeze it into 2 hours. Still great to watch, but again, it's very trimmed down and every scene moves very quickly. It would be great in the future if it would become available in the original uncut version on DVD or a 2 or 3-set VHS version.

After reading all the comments about the newer Liam Neeson version, I'm not interested in seeing that one at all. Who cares about "action & special effects," when all you need is great writing and great actors to carry the movie? If action & special effects is what you're after, watch Die Hard or Terminator 2, not this.

I saw this version of Les Miserables when it first aired. I was eleven or twelve at the time and I think my parents made me watch it with them. I expected to be utterly bored and ended up being utterly transfixed, even at that young age, by the powerful story. Even though it's been years since I've seen "Les Miserables" there are scenes from this movie that still stand out in my mind. Highly recommended.

In the Eighteenth Century in France, the unemployed woodman Jean Valjean (Richard Jordan) is arrested for stealing a bread to feed his family and sentenced to five years in prison in Toulon. He tries to escape from prison due to the mistreatment of cruel Javert (Anthony Perkins), increasing his sentence. Nineteen years later he succeeds to escape and is helped by the kind Bishop Myriel (Claude Dauphin) that feeds and shelters him. However he steals his silverware in the dawn but he is arrested by two policemen and brought back to the bishop. The bishop tells that the silver objects were a gift and gives two additional candlesticks to Valjean. When the policemen leave the place, the bishop tells that he has bought his soul and now he should live an honest life.

Jean Valjean becomes a well-succeeded businessman with the alias Madeleine bringing prosperity to a small town producing black beads that he had learnt in the prison and then the becomes the major. His life changes when Javert is assigned the chief of police of his town. Javert arrests the beggar Fantine (Angela Pleasence) accused of prostitution but Madeleine asks him to release her and brings her home. He learns that she sends money to a couple to raise her daughter Cosette. Meanwhile Javert travels to Paris to denounce Madeleine, but he learns that Jean Valjean is arrested. But Madeleine confesses the truth to the court and releases the man. Now Javert will take him back to Toulon. What will Jean Valjean do?

"Les Miserables" is one of the saddest stories of injustice and obsession ever. The Victor Hugo's novel is a touching extensive novel and should be mandatory its reading for teenagers. This excellent film omits many details but it is very faithful to the novel as a whole. Maybe it is the best version ever made. Anthony Perkins is fantastic in the role of Javert and Richard Jordan has a great performance in the lead role of Jean Valjean. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Os Miseráveis" "The Miserables")

This is the best version of this classic by far. Richard Jordan gives one of his best performances as Jean Valjean. His scenes in the prison are heartrending. And he certainly knows how to draw you in and make you feel a part of it all, you can feel his suffering, his pain and the scene with the priest as he turns himself around is heartfelt and dramatic, he is definitely by far one of the best character actors that ever was. Anthony Perkins is great as Javert, cold, grim and unforgiving and the two of them together, they are great. Angela Pleasence gives a great performance as Fantine and of course John Gielgud, what can you say about someone that is a living legend, because you know whatever he does you know it will be outstanding. So I would highly recommend this one to anyone that loves the classics and not the version that just came out last year, to think they would try to do this classic again where there was already an outstanding version of this story once before was outrageous.

I saw this version of the story many many years ago and loved it. I still have never seen the musical nor the new film. I watched this version again recently for the first time in many years and while it suffered slightly from the usual low budget aspects of a lot of TV movies, the acting was excellent and Tony Perkins was absolutely amazing as Javert. My 15 year old son had never seen any version of the story and watched it with me and he was mezmerized by the film and loved every minute of it (this from a kid who can't sit still for 5 minutes unless there are explosions and robots and blood and guts everywhere).

BTW, the bright-eyed young Marius who resembles an older Elijah Wood was played by Christopher Guard, who was Frodo in Bakshi's "Lord of the Rings".