Les Miserables

[Virgil Reality]

OK, it's 8 years since this was released but from a perusal of the HMO guestbook, it's a movie which is still attracting Hans fans. As far as I remember - it was before my time as a Hans fan, it wasn't even hugely successful at the time and the treatment of the Marius/Cosette relationship didn't exactly win over the critics.

I always have the feeling that Bille August didn't exactly get his way with the studio and I'd love to see a directors cut, or what ended up on the cutting room floor. Still I believe we can vindicate his choice of Hans

After all, it's not just Cosette who is smitten when Marius looks up while giving that speech!

Been a long time though since we had a thread on this movie so...... discuss

[Lara24]

PERFECT role for Hans-shows what he does best-expressing himself and making the audience so captivated.

He TRULY didn't have enough in this film-(at the end of the book, when Cosette's father dies, he's there, plus there should have been a wedding!)

But, since this film was released pretty well in the United States(mainly because of Claire Danes and the guy that plays Valjean) they SHOULD have recognized Han's talent more, but I don't believe they did.

[Lady Jane]

I think it's very difficult to make a, what can it have been? 2h? movie out of Les Miserables, which is a collection of so many different lives, fortunes, relations etc. One has to chose the most important parts, and still, when doing so the result gets quite strange becouse of the lost parts.

The first adaption for the screen of Les Miserables I saw was a french one. A mine series for television, which of course was a much longer version than that of Billie August. It contained so much more, like the Thernadiers, who aren't mentioned at all in Billie Augusts version, but actually plays a major part in the story. The Billie August version was so shorten that if I had not known the story before, I'm not sure I would've understood everything.

Now, the acting was great. And I must say Matheson was much better as Marius than the french one (who wasn't good at all: the only minus with the french series). Though the costumes were a bit lame, and the suroundings were really bad (you didn't have so wide streets at that time, that would have made barricades impossible to build.) I really enjoyed it. (Perhaps becouse I could complain about the costumes?...whatever) I think it's worth seeing!

[Gg]

LORD -- 8 years... we should have a party at ten

I remember wringing my hands walking into that theater thinking there was NO WAY -- and only being there to see his performance and with the thought that if Bille August who had done "Pelle" had done this, it would be fine -- and in retrospect think he did a far better job on "Les Mis" than on "House of Spirits" -- both hugely ambitious adaptations and such beloved stories. (and Shars you may notice thematically almost identical soundtracks!)

BUT I really thought that Marius as written in the screenplay was a lovely amalgem (oh lord I spell like a third grader) of the revolutionaries and kind of saw Hans' "Marius" as the young idealist of the first few of Marius' chapters in the novel and then kind of turned into this multi-charactered distillation. And how much time did we spend talking about the absence of Eponine and how that would have effected us if she had been included. The John Lennon-esque and romantic protrayal and his physical attributes just really played well.

I actually think if you look at it without considering the novel -- you find a very worthwhile, if less complex, experience than a literal adaptation would have made. Same with Zhivago really -- for instance if we had seen Yury go onto marry again later in life, as in the novel, his romanticism would have been compromised. CInematically as stories in their own right, I really think art was served -- like he said -- inspired by Boris, written by Davies, played by Matheson...

[baxley]

But I just LOVE that movie.
My favorite part is when Marius taps on the small window on the door trying to get Cosette's attention. When she opens the window and says hello in such a sweet and tender voice Hans says

"Hello."

I just want to curl up and squeal. He sounds so sexy.
OH!!! Palpatations! (using hands as a fan trying to cool myself down) pant! pant!
God, he's so frigging sexy.

[JenoWhatIMean]

Those moments at the window are incredible, aren't they? When their fingers touch? How about when he's holding the gun on Geoffrey Rush and says "I love you, Cosette" without being able to turn around. That one got me. To this day, I still think their on-screen chemistry was the best of any of his films, except maybe with Charlotte Colman in Bodywork.

[baxley]

OMG! YES!!!!!!!
They touched fingers but it spoke volumes.
And when he was sitting with her on the bench he would look at her with such admiration with those soft blue eyes. It was as though he knew he was with someone who was very precious.

But I haven't seen Bodywork yet.

[JenoWhatIMean]

Ah, a "must-see" Hans staple. And relatively easy to find. One day when Hans is receiving his Euro-pudding Oscar or appearing on Leno someone will bring up the scene where he has a saucepan on his head. Go. Hunt it down, Watch it and report back. ;D Forgive me, I'm very tired, and therefore being silly.

[HeathenMaiden]

My favorite moment in the film is when Cosette tells Marius she has to move to England and he is just so devastated and cries - I bawled like a baby when I saw it for the first time and I still sniffle at that scene. Les Misérables is not only one of my favorite Hans films but also one of my favorite films of all-time. I don't care if it wasn't as true to the original story as it could have been, it's still such an awesome movie nonetheless!

I also have the soundtrack to this film which is absolutely OUTSTANDING! The score is just beyond beautiful.

[baxley]

I also like the scene where Marius is giving the speach. He is concentrating so hard with what he is saying that when he sees Cosette he's taken aback and can't speak. Dear Gawd!!! What a turn on.

[HeathenMaiden]

That's a great scene! I can just watch him speak forever. Had they made his speech an extra hour I wouldn't have any complaints whatsoever. It comes from his heart and soul and it's just mesmerizing to take in

[odybu]

Hehe, ah yes, BodyWork is quite the quirky movie. I actually saw a cover of that somewhere with Hans and Charlotte Coleman on the front. Should have snatched it up when I had the chance! Though in Les Mis, the eyes will always be it for me! He can say more in a look than in volumes of words!! (perhaps a slight exaggeration, but only slight!)

[nilandunewen]

You are absolutely right.
I saw Hans the first time in Mists of Avalon. But when I saw Les Misérables I was completely hooked.
I can just stare all day at a picture from Les Mis and not get bored.

[Silver Collins]

Critics? Bah to them! Marius/Cosette is one of my favorite parrrings. They do make a good couple, and I don't care what Critics think.

[azelma]

I've seen this movie, and I think it ok, but I miss there some charas like Eponine, Montpernasse, Enjolras
I think,that Marius is a mix of Enjolras and Marius, because I knew the Book, the musical and anothermovie