Les Miserables (2012)

Film Review for Les Misérables

This movie was directed by Tom Hooper, based on the 1862 French novel of the same name by Victor Hugo. I finished it during the summer time, around late August, and I am quite amazed by the cinematic techniques the crew used to tell the story. I would say that I have not done much of reviewing, thus my work is going to be dull. Therefore I strongly recommend everyone to enjoy this film - unless you find theatrical performance is rather boring - these hours will not be a waste.

The movie starts from an underwater scene which camera looks up towards a damaged French flag sunk in the water, the efforts cuts deeper when the subtitles said that it is 26 years after the French revolution, this shot established the foundation of the movie. Then the camera rises up to a wide shot overlooking the dock, at the same time, a very arousing type of music kicks in out of a sudden, right at that moment when the shot goes up from under. The earlier bit of the movie hints the audience about what is going on for the story. Suppressed, prosecuted, or perhaps enslaved masses is going to rise up. The contrast between the few seconds of silence under the water and that rather indignant music when the camera looking downwards to the burlaks could suggests that they might live an ordinary life, prosecuted and under pressure, but something is about to change.

The following shots are pretty straight away. Camera looking downwards when portray the prisoners suggest that they are weak and vulnerable, combined with the lyrics they sings along, “Look down, look down, you will always be a slave”, emphasis their terror, and more about the will to resist. Every shot that used to portray the wardens are all upward from the bottom, it may suggests their dominance, they are standing on the top of the dock and they are in control.

Right after the prisoner 24601 received his parole, few wide shots was given to him. These shots are mostly to connect between the environment and the protagonist as they takes places around different landscapes and could mean that he is travelling from place to place. The character seems isolated and stranded in these shots, may represent his loneliness, does not blend in well. One of the shots was taken far away from the character while he is walking uphill, the dawn is up there on the mountain top, it creates a great sense of contrast between the brightness up high and vast unknown down below, as he is walking towards a better future.

One of the cinematic techniques called dutch angle was used on one of these early moments, when he is cast out and attack by locals while wandering across France and seeks shelter in the night. This shot was framed through a small narrow valley, the light spreads at one side but not the other, it enhances the feeling of desperation and uneasiness. Followed by few shots framed between tombs while he walked past the graveyard behind the church, like he is comes to his end and meets his maker.

There is an impressive 1 minute 40 seconds of long take where the character sings and cries. It extends the countinuency of the scene, both spatial and emotional. This is the moment when the character decides to start anew, the long take helps to withhold his emotional connection between. These details sinks in very well that the audiences would normally accepts it without realizing the transaction.

I must say that the “contrast” is one of the most important elements in this film. The director manipulated different parts and formed the final work. The bright and the dark, the rich and the poor, the posh upper class and tattered lower class, the clean and dirty, all to be presented wisely enough to let us notice the different but not feel disarrayed. It is generally harder because it is a musical movie, most of the dialogue is presented via singing. The coordination between camera movement and music rhythm must be achieved, and thankfully, it did.

And again, it is one of my favourite movies at all time, just shy a slightly bit from The Shawshank Redemption. Nevertheless, it is awesome.