Les Misérables,The Movie: Love It or Leave It?

One of the reasons I chose to read Les Misérables this past December was because I wanted to read it before I saw the movie.  To be fair, I generally end up liking a book more than I do the movie version, mainly because a book can give you detail that a movie just cannot.  That is not to say that there aren’t some movie adaptations that I have very much enjoyed (Pride & Prejudice, The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Lord of the Rings).  However, when it comes to Les Misérables, I can honestly say that this was one of the worst adaptations I have seen in several different ways.  This probably comes as a shock because, if my Facebook news feed is any indicator, most people who saw this movie absolutely loved it.  But, before you stop reading and write me off as a literary snob who only likes the original book, hear me out.

First, there were a lot of things I liked about the movie.  I thought the movie did an excellent job of illustrating the grace/justice theme of the book.  Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe portrayed Jean Valjean and Javert, respectively, as they are in the book (despite what you may think of Russell Crowe’s singing).  Also, many of the supporting characters like Fantine, Eponine, Gavroche, Marius, and Cosette, were also true to the essence of what Hugo intended. 

The part where the movie first lost me was its treatment of sin.  When Fantine is shown selling her hair, her teeth, and eventually her body to provide for her daughter, the movie gets very strange and carnival-like.  The whole scene I felt like I was watching a half-comical Tim Burton scene.  The songs were lilty and the costumes and makeup exaggerated.  It is not until we see Fantine giving up her body to prostitution and she begins, “I Dreamed a Dream” does it all start to seem really miserable. 

Even more disappointing was the depiction of the Thénardiers.  In the book, these are wicked, evil people.  When Hugo introduces Monsieur Thénardier in the book, he is literally stealing valuables off the dead at the battle of Waterloo.  They sell two of their children because they are unwanted, and treat Cosette as if she is a dog – giving her scraps and forcing her to sleep under a table.  At the end of the book, they travel to America to become slave traders.  These are evil, evil, people.  Yet, in the movie, they are portrayed as low-level scam artists who run a brothel where most people have a pretty decent time.  Their whole musical number is upbeat and jovial.  Sure, what is going on there is unsavory and they seem to be “not very good people”, but, again, not nearly as evil as they actually are in the book.

You may be wondering what the big deal is.  You may say, “Well, they still portray the downfall of sin.”  The big deal is that they really don’t portray the downfalls of sin and who is ultimately responsible.  Yes, Jean Valjean was sentenced to prison for too long.  Yes, Fantine was pushed into prostitution because the Thénardiers were essentially blackmailing her.  However, who stole the loaf of bread?  Who had a child out of wedlock?  What the movie misses is that we  are ultimately responsible for the consequences of our own sins.  Granted, Hugo makes it clear that society’s lack of grace pushed them into further destitution, but the movie sends the message, “If you are wronged by society, you are one of The Miserables”.  This can clearly be seen in the end, when Valjean dies and is led away by Fantine to a barricade of all who have been wronged (Eponine, Gavroche, Marius’ friends, the common man, etc.) where they all sing the battle cry of a free and independent France with fists raised high. 

What?  This was the most confusing and bizarre ending to the story they could have possibly thought up.  I understand why they ended Les Misérables this way (it is adapted from the play and this musical number is a rousing way to bring back all your dead characters and keep the story from becoming too depressing), but the book ends with the only the bishop leading Jean Valjean into glory.  Why is this significant?  It is significant because they were the only two in the book that recognized the grace of God in their lives and ran the race well. 

Throughout the story, Valjean is constantly forced to choose between what is beneficial to him and what is right, and he consistently chooses the right option because he cannot help be convicted by the grace shown to him so long ago.  For the ending of the movie to be a statement about how everyone who suffers eventually overcoming and going to heaven, is, frankly, silly.   You may think I am being overly critical, but remember that Hollywood is sending you a message – “Society has wronged you.  It doesn’t matter if you sinned.  You have suffered enough in this life, so, one day, we’ll all be free in heaven, raging against ‘the man’ together and suffering no more.”

At this point you may be thinking, “Ok, I get it.  Liberal Hollywood ruined the moral of another perfectly good book.  I should still go see it because of the great music and acting, right?”  Here’s where I’m really going to ruffle some feathers. 

Believe it or not, my biggest objection to this movie was the sexuality.  A lot of you reading out there are going to think of me as a prude.  Let me start by saying that I am now speaking about my own conscience in regards to this subject.  I understand everyone doesn’t share the same opinion on this particular part of the movie, but I wanted to give you something to seriously consider.

There were some graphic depictions of sexuality in this movie.  For those of you who have not seen the movie, I will not go into detail.  Was there nudity?  No.  Was it as bad as some other movies out there?  No.  However, there was enough explicit depiction of sexual acts that, to me, should cause us to reconsider recommending this movie to others.  A common argument as to why a little bit is okay, as long as it is not the majority is this: “It is okay because it is crucial to the story”.   In this case, it is definitely not.  This is another lovely Hollywood addition.  I can hear you say, “Wait – doesn’t Fantine become a prostitute to support Cosette?”  Yes, she does, but here is how it is presented in the book:

“The poor creature became a woman of the night.” (p. 119)

Not so salacious, huh?  Why?  Because the sex is not the point.  Our world loves to make sex the point.  As for the Thénardiers – they never ran a brothel.  An inn, yes. A brothel, no.  They were swindlers and thieves, but not brothel managers. 

You may also argue that these scenes shouldn’t be enough to ruin the entire movie.  In this case, I think that they do.  We need stop and seriously think about recommending things to others that really are not edifying.  The overall message might be wonderful, but what do you have to sit through to get to that message?  Is it really worth seeing something that is dishonoring to the Lord, and, in this case, treated in such a lighthearted and silly manner?  I understand this is a fine line – we live in sinful world and there are few movies out there today that aren’t ruined by sex, violence, language, etc., but why do we try so hard to justify putting things before our eyes that dishonor the Lord and then recommend that other people do the same?  I will be the first to admit that I am growing constantly in this area.  I shouldn’t have gone to see this movie in the first place because I never checked out its content.  Had I used more discernment, I would have never seen what I saw. 

Let me be clear – am I judging everyone who saw this movie with a “holier than thou” attitude?  Absolutely not.  That would make me a hypocrite because I saw it too!  My goal is to make those of you reading think twice before recommending Les Misérables, the movie, to someone else.  You have friends and family who struggle with feeling entitled to “what they are due” because they feel that society has grossly wronged them.  There are other people you know who struggle with sexuality and pornography, and this movie may cause them to stumble.  My point is, think very carefully before you give your unbridled seal of approval to any movie, book, or article, and send someone on their way.  If they ask you, “Should I see this movie?” give them an honest and biblical response because, we should be watching and reading through a biblical lens in the first place.

Bottom line – In my opinion, I would skip Les Misérables, the movie.  For all the good in this movie, there is too much added junk that ruins it.  Read the book!  I know it seems cliché, but this time, it really is so much better!