Regie:
Raymond BernardCamera:
Jules KrugerActeurs:
Harry Baur, Charles Vanel, Jean Servais, Orane Demazis, Josseline Gaël, Max Dearly, Marguerite Moreno, Jean d'Yd, Pierre Larquey, Anthony Gildès, Florelle (meer)Afleveringen(3)
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Une tempête sous un crâne (E01)
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Les Thénardier (E02)
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Liberté, liberté chérie (E03)
Samenvattingen(1)
The most thorough of all film adaptations of Victor Hugo's immortal novel, "Les misérables" (The Wretched) was a triumph for director Raymond Bernard, one of the more overlooked filmmakers of the early French cinema. Originally released in quick succession as three separate features in 1934, Bernard's film recounts the story of the ex-convict Jean Valjean (Harry Baur) harried by the wicked Inspector Javert (Charles Vanel); of the virtuous Fantine (Florelle, née Odette Rousseau) who sells herself into prostitution for the welfare of her daughter Cosette (Gaby Triquet as the young girl Cosette, and Josseline Gaël as the young woman); and of intersections of these threads and more in an impressive rendering of Hugo's stately tapestry. (Eureka Entertainment)
(meer)Recensie (1)
A gritty retelling of a brutal novel. Europe's first sound adaptation is one of the great films of the 1930s, and on many levels it goes to the core. The runtime is of course generous, but numerous other transcriptions also struggled in one way or another in their attempt to shorten the 2000 pages. The performances match and often exceed the French standard of the time. The highlight is the story of poor Fantine in the very first part (the portrayal of this character is always a challenge, Hugo really gives us a lot of information about her, and here we have the opportunity to get to know Fantine before she meets her fate, which is why the sight of her death is so painful). The loathsome Thénardiers reign supreme in the second episode, their character traits easily overshadowed by the itch and disgust of their characters, settings and dwellings. And, of course, episode three shows the drama on and under the barricade. The time they spent on it was worth it.
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