This rendition of Victor Hugo's breathtaking epic Les Misérables is perhaps the most faithful ever committed to film. While, tonally, the series occasionally feels more bogged down than the novel in the misery and wretchedness, the performances and the overall quality of the production make for a truly remarkable adaptation of one of the greatest novels ever written. Despite a few minor structural alterations and several slight changes to the dynamics between characters, this new version of the classic story taps harmoniously into the novel's central themes of love, hope, faith and redemption, delivering an emotionally satisfying and resoundingly powerful television series.
The casting for this adaptation is inspired. The magnetic chemistry between Dominic West's Valjean and David Oyelowo's Inspector Javert is pitch-perfect and absolutely electric, and both give jaw-dropping performances in their respective roles whether or not they're sharing the screen. West's Valjean is more visceral than any other and a little more brooding, rendering the occasional aggression he exhibits and his struggle to overcome his brutal past entirely believable and palatable, and his dire need for protectiveness establishes some of his lighter moments as positively joyous by comparison. Other performance highlights include Derek Jacobi's beautiful Bishop Myriel, David Bradley as Monsieur Gillenormand, Adeel Akhtar and Olivia Colman as Monsieur and Madame Thénardier, and Lily Collins, who relinquishes easily the most devastating realisation of Fantine's tragic story in all of film history.
My only real grievance is with the score, which - while certainly not bad music - often feels entirely unfitting and makes the whole thing almost too miserable; it may have been more poignant had the music been used to juxtapose the often harrowing imagery as opposed to leaning into it. In terms of tone, I find that the score is wholly responsible for setting the story in a world even bleaker than what I believe Hugo ever intended, and though there are some beautiful musical moments scattered throughout the series - particularly in the quieter, more climactic scenes - overall the score isn't the lush, orchestral beauty that it could be, frequently coming off as cold, bland and distant. Particularly in comparison with Martin Phipp's rich and beautiful score for the BBC's 2016 War & Peace miniseries, John Murphy's work on Les Misérables falls drastically short.
Overall, this series is an incredible achievement, a coming together of such immense and powerful creative forces that one watches on in awe as the story unfolds. Les Misérables feels like it should, masterfully asserting itself in that delicate balance between delight and despair which stands at the heart of Hugo's beloved story.
The casting for this adaptation is inspired. The magnetic chemistry between Dominic West's Valjean and David Oyelowo's Inspector Javert is pitch-perfect and absolutely electric, and both give jaw-dropping performances in their respective roles whether or not they're sharing the screen. West's Valjean is more visceral than any other and a little more brooding, rendering the occasional aggression he exhibits and his struggle to overcome his brutal past entirely believable and palatable, and his dire need for protectiveness establishes some of his lighter moments as positively joyous by comparison. Other performance highlights include Derek Jacobi's beautiful Bishop Myriel, David Bradley as Monsieur Gillenormand, Adeel Akhtar and Olivia Colman as Monsieur and Madame Thénardier, and Lily Collins, who relinquishes easily the most devastating realisation of Fantine's tragic story in all of film history.
My only real grievance is with the score, which - while certainly not bad music - often feels entirely unfitting and makes the whole thing almost too miserable; it may have been more poignant had the music been used to juxtapose the often harrowing imagery as opposed to leaning into it. In terms of tone, I find that the score is wholly responsible for setting the story in a world even bleaker than what I believe Hugo ever intended, and though there are some beautiful musical moments scattered throughout the series - particularly in the quieter, more climactic scenes - overall the score isn't the lush, orchestral beauty that it could be, frequently coming off as cold, bland and distant. Particularly in comparison with Martin Phipp's rich and beautiful score for the BBC's 2016 War & Peace miniseries, John Murphy's work on Les Misérables falls drastically short.
Overall, this series is an incredible achievement, a coming together of such immense and powerful creative forces that one watches on in awe as the story unfolds. Les Misérables feels like it should, masterfully asserting itself in that delicate balance between delight and despair which stands at the heart of Hugo's beloved story.
Tell Your Friends