Les Miserables, a film of martyrdom: Marxist critical approach

Ten francs for your hair, twenty for a tooth, so that your loved ones survive, are you willing to sacrifice yourself? If you were a peasant living in the French Revolution, would you also steal a loaf of bread to your sister’s liking? Or, what if you were a prison guard or army general working for the government? Would you also abuse your power to the point of being enslaved by the constitution? In the movie Les Miserables written by Victor Hugo, during the French revolution around 1815 to 1832, society was divided into two social classes: the bourgeoisie, which is the upper class, and the proletariat, the lower class. Generally, this review points out that the higher authority has control of the government, leading them to take advantage of their dominance over the lower economic class. As a result, their abuse caused the proletarians to fight back against them, aided by the Friends of the ABC to express their feelings.

“Look down, look down; you’re standing on your grave.” The film begins with the prisoners’ complaints about being wrongly sentenced in prison. Jean Valjean receives his parole from Javert, a prison guard, after his 19-year imprisonment for stealing a loaf of bread and attempting to escape multiple times. The Bishop of Digne gives him a second chance by lying to the authorities that the cutlery Valjean stole was actually a gift from him. Jean Valjean regains hope, starts over, and eventually becomes the mayor of the city, under a new identity. At her factory, Fantine is caught sending money to her daughter Cosette, who was born out of wedlock. She later dies of severe tuberculosis and Jean Valjean takes care of his son by bribing the Thénardiers with money to allow him to take Cosette away. She grows up to be a beautiful lady with whom Marius Pontmercy falls in love at first sight. Eponine, the daughter of the Thénardiers, tells Marius, who is unaware of her feelings for him, of Cosette’s whereabouts. A heartbroken Marius learns of her departure and helps fight the government for his abuse of power. Eponine sacrifices her life by taking a bullet for him. During the war, Valjean volunteers to help the students and frees Javert from them. He then hides the injured Marius in the sewers to save him from the army. Most of the associates of the Friends of the ABC have died through self-sacrifice and martyrdom, including their leader Enjolras and the brave boy Gavroche. Valjean tries to hide his past from Cosette and escapes with the help of Marius, who takes his hand in marriage. Jean Valjean, suffering from loneliness, is reunited with Cosette and now dies peacefully.

Taking into account the critical Marxist approach, Victor Hugo effectively addressed the social differences in the society during the French Revolution in the film. The unfair treatment is first shown in Valjean’s 19-year prison sentence for stealing a loaf of bread, mainly due to his low social status, just like the cases of the other prisoners. In Fantine’s situation, if only she belonged to the upper class, society would have had a different view of her having an illegitimate child. She had no choice but to sell her hair and her teeth to meet Cosette’s needs, just because she was kicked out of her workplace. Furthermore, when she was abused by a man of higher authority, Javert immediately sided with the man, not listening to her feelings. If it wasn’t just for Valjean, she would have already been in jail. Javert abused his power to the point of becoming a slave to the law, leading him to end his own life when he freed Valjean. The abusive social differences were so evident that the lower class started a war against the government. A brave boy, Gavroche even sacrificed his own life, pointing out that little people should not be demeaned because they can also do great things.

Les Miserables is overall an exceptional film. He effectively expressed his sympathy for the socially mistreated and oppressed. The cinematography, the music, the songs, the blocks were a plus for the greatness of the film. The actors gave an effective interpretation of their roles and made the audience feel deeper emotions. The plot sequence also transitioned correctly. The final song “Do You Hear the People Sing” did justice to the goal and message of the film. Like the martyred characters, are you also willing to fight for what is right and fair?