Les Misérables **** (1995, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Annie Girardot, Philippe Léotard, Jean Marais, Michel Boujenah) – Classic Movie Review 3149

Jean-Paul Belmondo gives the performance of a lifetime as the hounded hero Jean Valjean in a hugely moving, beautifully crafted and enjoyable 1995 French reworking of the Victor Hugo tale of social injustice and despair. Its quality was recognised when it was voted the 1996 Golden Globe winner for Best Foreign Film.

Producer-writer-director Claude Lelouch updates his retelling of the story to the 20th century, making it at once timeless and specific to the Occupation and World War Two, respecting the original but finally finding a fresh reason for a new movie of Hugo’s much-filmed book.

Belmondo plays the three characters at different periods of history, Jean Valjean, Roger Fortin, and the poor and illiterate former boxer Henri Fortin, who is hounded by rich Parisian Jewish lawyer, André Ziman (Michel Boujenah) in World War Two after Fortin agrees to drive Ziman’s family to Switzerland.

Annie Girardot (who won the 1996 César Award as Best Supporting Actress) and Philippe Léotard also star and it is especially good to see Jean Marais once more, as the bishop, Monsignor Myriel.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 3149

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