From rags to riches

 

1815, Toulon/Digne: After 19 years on the chain gang (“Look Down”), Jean Valjean (Jackman) - prisoner 24601 - is released by Javert (Crowe), the officer in charge of the convict workforce. As Valjean struggles to make his way from Toulon to Digne (“Freedom Is Mine”) in search of food, lodging and work, he discovers he is an outcast, shunned by everyone. Only Bishop Myriel of Digne (Colm Wilkinson, who originated the role of Valjean in London and on Broadway) treats him kindly, but Valjean, embittered by years of hardship, repays him by stealing the church’s silver candlesticks. Valjean is soon caught and returned, but is astonished when the bishop denies the theft to the police to save him. Henceforth, Valjean decides to start his life anew (“What Have I Done?”).

1823, Montreuil-sur-Mer: Eight years have passed, and Valjean, having broken his parole and vanished, has used the money made from selling the bishop’s silver to reinvent himself as Monsieur Madeleine—a respected town mayor and factory owner. One of his workers, Fantine (Hathaway), has a secret illegitimate child named Cosette to whose guardians she must send every franc she earns. The other women have discovered this, and when they think Fantine is behaving above her station by refuffing the factory foreman because of his advances, they demand her dismissal (“At the End of the Day”). She is thrown out without mercy. Fantine pleads with Valjean to help her, but his attention is elsewhere.

Javert, now the inspector of police, has appeared at the factory to see Madeleine. Although Javert thinks they may have met before, Valjean quickly informs him he is mistaken. They are interrupted by a crash from outside, and they hurry out. There, Javert watches in amazement as Valjean lifts a cart, which has toppled onto a driver named Fauchelevent (Stephen Tate, a London stage Thénardier for several years). The extraordinary show of strength reminds Javert of the convict Valjean, but he is not confident enough to say so.

Desperate for money to pay for her daughter’s medicine, Fantine goes to the red-light district (“Lovely Ladies”), where she sells her beloved locket, her hair and her teeth, then joins the whores in selling herself (“I Dreamed a Dream”). Utterly degraded, she gets into a fight with a violent customer and is about to be arrested by Javert when the mayor arrives and demands she be taken to the hospital instead. Fantine tells Valjean that she was thrown out by his foreman, that Valjean did nothing to help her, and that her daughter is close to dying. Stunned, he promises to go to the inn in Montfermeil, where her daughter is living, and reunite her with her mother.

The story unfolds…

 

Classification PG

 

Film released by KRS