ladywarrior0505 I had seen the Broadway version of this story and was very thrilled since I really had never heard of this story before going to see it on the stage. When I heard that this film was being played at a local Art Theatre, I eagerly gathered my family to go see it. I was horrified at first, because the entire movie was in French with English subtitles. No where was to be heard the incredible lush musicals I had seen in the play. You see, I knew nothing of the story, other than getting the chance to see it in a live performance. So I had "tricked" my family into going to see what we all thought was going to be a musical.Foreign films with subtitles are the worst kind of torture to my family and the few friends I dragged with us. However, as the story unfolded, I could see not one of my family (scattered around the theatre) got up to leave. At the conclusion, we were all extremely moved, and I realized the incredible nature of this story by Victor Hugo. I have since seen other versions of this timeless story, but I have to say, this one is the most moving and my favorite.It was so incredible to see the cross stories, of the WWII present and the Victor Hugo past. The present day characters could see themselves in the plot in the book. All the characters made me long for their safety and survival and I was moved beyond words to be part of their lives (both the present day characters and the past characters). Sometimes it was frustrating to get caught up in one story line and then switch to the other story line. But soon, you were caught up again in that change in time and place and you didn't want to switch to the other story line. Every one of my teenage children came up to me at the conclusion and thanked me for making them see something they would never have chosen for themselves.

Charles P The received wisdom is that the rate at which film masterpieces are made has slowed to a virtual standstill. But this film, a relatively recent work (1995) by the great French director Claude Lelouch, contradicts that. It is a brilliant reworking of Hugo's classic tale, set against the turmoil of occupied France and manages to be both epic and intimate. It is one of the most moving and powerful films of the past 50 years and yet at the same time it manages to be charming, uplifting and even funny at times. Arguably, it is also a film that only a Frenchman could have made because it is so brutally honest about the conduct of so many 'ordinary' French people under the Vichy government. The performances are heartbreakingly good, Belmondo has never been better and he is surrounded by a remarkable cast. Not least of these is the young Salome Lelouch (Claude's daughter) - effortless in her role as the 11-y-old separated from her parents as Hitler's stormtroopers sweep across France. I commend this film to everyone, it occupies vaguely similar territory to that of Schindler's List but is incomparably better - more real, curiously more human, more engaging, less artful. Breathtaking.

charliebub25 I watched this a few years ago as a prelude to the book. I had to watch it twice as it seemed confusing. The main reason for this is that I hadn't read the book and had no idea of the storyline of Les Miserables.The second time I watched the movie, I understood it very well. It is a complex but fantastic movie made in such a way that it is easy to understand. This version compares the life of Henri Forten with the life of Jean Valjean. This is done in a parallel as the movie plays. It is well done and one of my favorite movies of all time.Alessandra Martines is stunningly beautiful and Salomé Lelouch is fantastic also.Anyone who knows a little of the Les Miserables story should enjoy this movie. It is a great movie with a fantastic soundtrack, cast and acting. I'd give it 12 stars if I could.

Dwight S The "les Miserables" story has been told many times, but never with the emotional impact of this film. Jean-Paul Belmondo plays multiple roles in this movie within a movie, and is outstanding in each. His role as a simple truck driver and former boxing champion who becomes a resistance fighter during WWII is a model of restraint, yet his power and personality shine through. The plot is multi-layered and complex. Alessandra Martines, Annie Girardot and Clementine Celarie are perfectly cast and add beauty and heartbreak to the film. This is one of the best foreign films of the 1990s. Unfortunately, it is also one of the least recognized. The uplifting ending is surely one of the best of all time.