Do You Hear the People Sing

Eddie Redmayne as Marius and Samantha Barks as Éponine. In this scene, Éponine has come from outside the barricades where she was shot. The song performed is ‘Little Fall of Rain’. This is a very moving moment in the film.

With every passing moment, every passing mile, I could hardly contain my excitement. I was off to see the movie Les Misérables 2012.

Like many people I had heard of the book by Victor Hugo but also like many people, I had not read it for it is a very lengthy and involved book. It is not the type of book where you can breeze through chapter after chapter in the hope of understanding what is going on or to experience the book properly. Victor Hugo took the time to explain all the intricacies of the setting, and characters so to create a perfect image in the reader’s mind of what life was like in France during this time period. This beautifully woven tapestry once complete reminds us of who we are as human beings and what our role is when it comes to relating to other human beings.

Case and point, here is what is written in the preface:

As long as there shall exist, as a consequence of laws and customs, a social damnation artificially creating hells in the midst of civilization, and complicating the destiny which is divine with a fatality which is human; as long as the three problems of the age – the degradation of man by the proletariat, the ruin of woman by hunger, the atrophy of the child by the night – are not solved; as long as in certain regions social asphyxia shall be possible; in other terms, and from a still more extended point of view, as long as there shall be on earth ignorance and wretchedness, books of the nature of this one cannot be useless.
VICTOR HUGO

I am currently working my way through the book and it is a delightful journey I have so happily embarked. As with any journey taken properly, mine is slow going as I tend to create notes on any point I find that really moves me or causes me to take pause and think for a moment (of which there are plenty). I will create another blog entry to share these with you in the hopefully not too distant future. I only share some of my thoughts on the book now so to give you an idea of how deep my love is for this story in general and how the musical provides a brilliant catalyst for all the senses to become immersed in one of the greatest stories of all time.

The beautiful details of the Queen’s Theatre ceiling.

I feel blessed that I was able to see the staged performance of Les Misérables several times when living in London for a number of years. Before moving, I had already heard of the musical thanks to a friend. As such, one of the first priorities when arriving in London was to see the live performance. I had money set aside specifically for this purpose and thanks to some help from some concierge friends, I was able to get third row tickets. Seeing a musical in London is nothing short of magical. I had never seen theatres like those in London’s West End. The Queen’s theatre where Les Mis plays took my breath away. It is so beautiful inside and the details are what impressed me the most. Have a look at this image of the ceiling for example.

When the lights lowered and the stage became lit I was captivated immediately as the familiar beginning music of the Prologue rang out. From that moment on, I was in love with everything to do with Les Misérables – the story, the music, the passion and the absolute perfection of a story that pulls together every human emotion in the effort to remind us of the unfairness in the world and that we should make every effort to be kinder to our fellow man.

Now, today, I am stirred again with the release of the musical motion picture. I admit when I watched some of the trailers and teasers, I thought this would not be very good. I then had to stop for a moment and understand that this was not going to be like the musical and approach it with a fresh set of eyes and an open mind. It turned out that I could take the afternoon of the 27th off and I seized the opportunity to go see the film. With every passing moment, every passing mile, I could hardly contain my excitement. The movie started at 11:45 but I aimed to be there at 11:00. I wanted to ensure I got a good seat and had everything I needed well in advance. I chose the very back in the direct middle.

Outcast, rejected, demoralized and stripped of all dignity, Fantine played by Anne Hatheway reflects on dreams gone by.

It was remarkable, when the trailers had finished and the movie started, I was transported back to the first time I saw the staged production. Those first few notes of the prologue and the agony of the workers captivated me once again. I loved every part of the film and I congratulate the cast and crew who made such an engaging, beautiful film. Each part was played perfectly and Anne Hathaway’s performance brought me (and everyone else I believe) to tears. She captured the pain and anguish of Fantine perfectly. One of the best parts for me was to see the cameo of Colm Wilkinson playing the role of the bishop. For those that do not know, Colm played Valjean in the original London performance.

Already, I am looking forward to seeing the movie again. In the interim, I wanted to share my experience with you in the hopes that you may go see it and perhaps want to dive a bit deeper and read the book. Though I have only really just started the book, it has proven to be so humbling. I am encouraged by seeing the book displayed prominently at department stores. My hope is that the younger viewers of the movie will see the book and devote some time to read it. In an age where there are so many distractions, knowing that there are people of all ages buying the book as a result of the film is indeed a blessing.

Thank you all for reading this post and I pray that you all had a peaceful and blessed holiday season. I wish you nothing but the best for the New Year.

Would you like a chance to win a copy of the double CD set of Les Misérables, The Original London Cast? If you have a love for the story of Les Misérables, please share your story by commenting on this post. The best entry will receive a sealed copy of the original London Cast performance.

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