Jean Valjean is an essentially decent man imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread and transformed into a dehumanised outlaw. His faith in humanity is restored by the kindness of a bishop. Valjean goes to a small village to start life anew, but is pursued throughout his life for breaking parole by relentless police officer Javert. The various stages of Valjean’s life - from convict to businessman to elderly martyr - were bounded by the film’s original three-part structure. The three parts were released separately for a total running time of five hours. During the 1950’s, Raymond Bernard edited his film down to two parts of 90 mins each. This version remains one of the most satisfying, with both an epic dimension and a strong focus on the human elements.
Credits: Director, Raymond Bernard ; writers, Andre Lang, Raymond Bernard ; photography, Jules Kruger ; music, Arthur Honegger, Maurice Jaubert.
Cast: Harry Baur, Florelle, Charles Vanel, Henry Krauss, Charles Dullin, Marguerite Moreno, Orane Demazis, Gaby Triquet, Josselyne Gael, Jean Servais.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
X000533
Languages
English
French
Subject category
Foreign language films
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Black and White
Holdings
16mm film; Limited Access Print (Section 2)