Now that the long awaited version of the long running musical has finally made it to the big screen, it’s a worthwhile exercise to go back and look at two celebrated American versions of Victor Hugo’s original source material. There are two French versions (1934, 1957) that run almost 4 hours and there is the 1998 Liam Neeson version which is widescreen and in color and will probably appeal more to today’s younger audiences. However if you want to get the gist of the story than this DVD is really all you need. If you don’t know the book or the musical, check it out on Wikipedia first. It will aid in your enjoyment as well as show you all the changes that were made.
Both of these versions were done by Twentieth Century-Fox 17 years apart and they reflect the social currents of what was happening politically in the U.S. at the time. The 1935 version with Frederic March and Charles Laughton reflects the grim realities of the Great Depression and the social unrest that came about as a result of it. The performances by both men are extraordinary and the cinematography and editing heighten the dramatic aspects of the story. In order to fit it into 108 minutes, most of the book’s subplots and colorful characters have been removed but then that’s the Hollywood way. Once seen though the 1935 version is hard to forget.
The same cannot be said of the 1952 version although it is completely engaging while you are watching it. Michael Rennie, fresh from THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, captures Valjean’s humanity and is surprisingly effective in the opening scenes as a galley slave. Robert Newton makes for a commanding presence as Javert and reminds us that there was more to him than Long John Silver. Director Lewis Milestone (ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT) directs with a sure and steady hand although the film lacks his signature visual flourishes. The social unrest of the 1935 version has been scaled back although the persecution of Valjean reflects the McCarthy atmosphere of the early 1950s.
Even though the 1935 version is the better film overall, I found myself more drawn to the 1952 version with its solid supporting cast that includes Debra Paget and Cameron Mitchell as the lovers. So watch the 1952 film to get a straightforward CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED version of the story and then the 1935 version which goes into greater character development and has the signature 1930s visual style which enhances the material. While neither is the greatest version, they do compliment each other and will go well either before or after you’ve seen LES MIZ. With two movies here for the price of one, you can’t go wrong although it should be pointed out that this is not a two disc set.
The Capsule Critic 