Eclipse Series 4: Raymond Bernard (Wooden Crosses / Les Miserables) (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]

This is a review for the LES MISERABLES movie by Raymond Bernard. To cut to the chase, if you are a fan of LES MIS then you simply must see this version - as I said in the title of this review, it is a MASTERPIECE for its time (1934) or any other. To me it is the definitive version of the book because of all the movies I have seen it is the closest - by that I mean the following... 1) this movie holds true to the spirit of the book and doesn't change V Hugo's intentions (for example later films have Valjean and Fantine as love interest (wrong), or that Valjean was in love with Cosette other than as a father figure (wrong), or they omit the Thenardiers (wrong), etc, etc). This film holds true to the story 2) this movie includes so much of the book that is missing in other versions. In here you'll find tons of little scenes which are well done, such as... a) an extended scene with Valjean, the bishop, his sister, and M Magliore....Valjean's theft of the little savoryard b) The downfall and sickness of Fantine (even her missing front teeth are included which is oft overlooked) c) The Thenardiers haggling over Cosette, their acting as the poor Jondrettes and their plot with the gang of ruffians, even something as small as their picture of Waterloo in included. (Although I do lament that Thenardier in the sewer was mysteriously absent and we didn't see them again after their arrest in the Jondrette affair) d) You'll see Cosette and Marius in the garden and at the Luxemborg - 2 things you usually don't get. e) Gavroche is included as is his due and even if death is depicted accurately with his singing taunts of the army as he searches the dead for ammo. In addition, EPONINE is spot on -- her assistance to Marius, her love for Marius, her part in Jondrette affair, etc are all there. AND her death scene is tragic enough to bring a tear to your eye (if only Marius's actor could have stepped up in that scene too!) f) M Gillenormand (Marius' Grandfather) is absolutely awesome! He steals every scene he is in and he's in more in this movie than any other I've seen. Just fabulous! g) You see the students plotting in a hidden room of the ABC Cafe...General Lamarq's funeral march and the resulting riot are also included....the governments plans for dealing with the riots (of which Enjolras and Marius's is only 1 of many) h) The scenes at the barricade are amazing. Nearly everything you want is included - the old man's bravery in planting the flag atop the barricade, building the barricades, 3 rounds of fighting, front and rear barricades, gavroche going for more ammo, Javert's capture, etc, etc Of course Eponine's heroism in saving Marius and also Valjean's feats - including letting go of Javert and saving Marius i) A great job in the sewers - I kept thinking surely they will tone it down but believe me they did not - Valjean and Marius were IN the sewers up to their faces and it was about as lifelike as you can get - yuck! (Again my only complaint was Thenardier's absence) j) Cosette and Marius's wedding is well done k) Valjean's confession to Marius and Cosette although slightly different than in the book was still well done and his death scene was another heartfelt moment. x) Other tidbits that come to mind: Valjean saving Fauchelevent under the cart, Valjean's race to the court at Arras to save Champmatheiu, the whole court scene was fantastic and so true to the book, and so much more z) WHAT's MISSING: obviously no movie is going to include everything, here's what I found missing: not much about Valjean in prison, no backstory of Bishop, very little of Fantine's quartet and her romance with Tholomys, Fantine's meeting with Thenardier's to give them Cosette, nothing of Valjean and Cosette in Convent, and probably more but all in all this movie had more little tidbits than any other I've seen so far. It should be noted that in this edition there is a nice insert that tells the story of this version and all that the director had to go through to get it released - remember this came out BEFORE WWII and that had a big part in it being lost to history for while. The story goes that even this version at 5 hours is not the complete version because some of the film has been lost forever - that said, what's here is great. 3) The acting was right on for me. I understand that nowadays some may think there was a bit of overacting (mainly among the actress who played Fantine) but it didn't bother me. I must say that Harry Baur played a simply perfect Valjean (exactly as I pictured him from the book) -- AND he even played Champmatheiu at court to a tee. I say again you will not find a better Valjean than Baur - period. As for Javert, he was right on from beginning to end -- Duty was his driver (as it should be, not love of power or brutality as in later versions). The Thenardier's also played a good part and as I said above M Gillenormand was absolutely brilliant. I also appreciated the students and their desire for revolution - it was really well done 4) What else do you need to know? it is in Black and White. The dialogue is in FRENCH with english subtitles. There are 2 discs and 3 movies that make up the story - 281 minutes. It's long but honestly it flies by. I don't know that you can find this 'new' simply because it's so old - mine was used but it was in perfect condition. It is a film I will treasure - I hope you can find it too. Here's the bottom line - as I said in the beginning, if you are a fan of Les Mis - especially if you have read the book and are aching to see the book on film in a version that does honor by respecting the book and including so much of it then do yourself a favor and BUY THIS ASAP.

2 French films from he 1930s by the wonderfully talented Raymond Bernard. 1932's "Wooden Crosses" is the less celebrated of the two, but I found it the more powerful. It's a terrific dark anti-war WWI film, light years ahead of it's time stylistically, with battle scenes that rival (and clearly inspired) Kubrick's great 'Paths of Glory'. More cynical, cutting, and real than 'All Quiet on the Western Front'. The film focuses on the various members of a battalion who are basically canon fodder. There's no real lead, just an observation of these slowly hardening men, as a group, and no real plot, just a series of episodes. Not every episode is as strong as the other, but enough are so powerful they make this a special and important film, amazingly directed for its time. The 1934 epic adaptation of "Les Miserables" is the better known film, but, for me the more mixed bag. The first part of this three part, four hour and 21 minute adaptation is superb and moving. For its time the characters are surprisingly nuanced in both writing and acting, and there are a number a great scenes and terrific twists. Sadly, and frustratingly the 2nd and 3rd parts (presented by Criterion as 3 separate films on 2 discs) feel much more hackneyed and clichéd, with much more uneven acting, thinner characters, and overly melodramatic moments. Lead actor Harry Baur is great throughout, which helps keep the 2nd and 3rd parts still quite watchable, and throughout there is some terrific camerawork, including modern-feeling touches like hand-held fights, and Dutch angled scenes. Certainly this is a brave work on a film-making level. But as the story focuses less and less on Jean Valjean and his various incarnations, and more and more on the world around him, that thrilling feeling of watching a masterpiece faded into just watching a very interesting and impressive piece of film history. That said, so many film writers I respect treat the whole thing as a masterwork, so I'll re-visit it some day. The Criterion restorations are quite nice, given the age of the films and the elements available, and this package is very worth while (and reasonably priced) for anyone with interest in cutting edge film-making in the 1930s.

nice

Délai d'acheminement:4 jours pour un colis venant des USA,bravo. Qualité de l'image impeccable. Sans parler de la qualité artistique de ces 2 films et en particulier les Misérables qui est absolument parfait.Le plus proche du roman de Victor Hugo. Cordialement. Robert Molinaro

A good copy of the old thirties Les Miserables trilogy. The casting is good it is a true epic. The other film the wooden cross shows its age. Apparently a big hit when originally released, it has aged badly. The battle scenes and the conditions shown certainly give the feeling of how it must have been for the generation who fought the first world war. The sentiments at the end seem a bit over the top. A good worth while collection.

Attention, ce chef d'œuvre ne peut pas être lu en europe. Un système de reconnaissance de zone est inclus en empêchant la lecture en zone 2.

They are great for those who are learning French. The actors spoke very clearly. I use these to improve my oral comprehension.