The Wretched (1935)

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Movie
German title The wretched
Original title Les Misérables
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1935
length 108 minutes
Rod
Director Richard Boleslawski
script WP Lipscomb
production Darryl F. Zanuck
William Goetz
Raymond Griffith
for 20th Century Pictures
music Alfred Newman
camera Gregg Toland
cut Barbara McLean
occupation

Die Elenden is an American period film by Richard Boleslawski from 1935 based on the novel Die Elenden by Victor Hugo , which he completed in 1862. This film version received a total of four Oscar nominations, including for the best film , but could not achieve the coveted award in any category.

action

In early 19th century France , Jean Valjean, of good character and great strength, was sentenced to ten years galley for stealing a loaf of bread. When he is released after ten years, he is treated like a criminal everywhere. Only a clergyman picks him up and shows him the right way.

He succeeds in building an existence under a different identity and becomes a respected citizen. There he meets Inspector Javert, who represents the letter of the law. Valjean had suffered from this man on the galley. Inspector Javert does not recognize him straight away, but becomes suspicious and lets investigate whether it is not really a former convict who has not complied with his reporting obligation and must therefore be punished.

Without his knowledge, one of his employees fired an employee, Ms. Fantine, based on rumors. She then has to place her daughter Cosette with strangers as a domestic help, where the girl is exploited and mistreated. Valjean gets the girl, Cosette, out of there.

When someone else is mistaken for Valjean and about to be sentenced to punishment in the galley, Inspector Javert believes he was wrong and asks for his release because the law requires it. Valjean, now mayor, refuses.

Instead, he gives up his false identity and thus saves the stranger from conviction. Now that his true identity is known, he has to flee the law. The sick Fantine dies of excitement and Valjean flees together with her daughter, whom he adopts as a child. In a monastery they find refuge from Javert's persecution.

When Cosette grew up and it was time to leave the convent, they went to Paris. There Cosette falls in love with the leader of a student movement. And again Valjean is being followed by Inspector Javert, who has been transferred to Paris. When Valjean has the opportunity to kill Inspector Javert, he lets him live.

background

The film is one of a series of around fifty literary adaptations of Hugo's novel. Many differences to Hugo's novel can be seen in the film. Valjean's imprisonment was reduced from 19 years between 1796 and 1815 to a total of ten years between 1800 and 1810. In addition, Cosette learns from Valjean's true identity at the beginning of the film. The novel was also changed many times for the Hays Code , so Eponine's past on the street becomes a past as a secretary and Fantine's suffering is barely shown. The students are not aiming to overthrow the government, but are demanding school reform. In addition, the character of the boy Gavroche, one of the most popular characters in the novel, is missing. Despite these many changes, this film adaptation is still very recognized and respected.

Leading actor Fredric March was married in real life to Florence Eldridge, who plays Fantine. They were married from 1927 until March's death in 1975. Die Elenden joins a long list of classic literary films that were made in Hollywood during this time. In particular, producer Darryl F. Zanuck wanted to outdo the many MGM film adaptations such as Four Sisters or David Copperfield , which were mostly produced there by David O. Selznick . That's why Zanuck equipped his film with a high-class cast and many lavish costumes and locations.

In one scene of the film , Valjean's clothes break down while he is at the White Sergeant, while they were clean before and after.

Awards

At the Academy Awards in 1936 , the film was nominated four times for an Oscar , but received none. The nominations were in the categories of best film , best assistant director for Eric Stacey , best camera for Gregg Toland and best editing for Barbara McLean.

criticism

The lexicon of international films wrote that the film "thanks to the skilful formal design [...] as an image of the times and revolution [gains] a lot of credibility." All nine reviews of the US Rotten Tomatoes were positive, critics praised the acting performances von March and Laughton and the powerful implementation of the novel. Leonard Maltin gave the film three and a half stars out of four and rated it as a "careful adaptation" of Hugo's classic story.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Klaus Brüne (Ed.): Lexicon of International Films . Volume 2. Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1990, p. 845.
  2. ↑ Rotten Tomatoes
  3. ↑ Leonard Maltin's criticism of TCM