Film Study: Les MisrablesHanneke Kassies Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Redemption is the act of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil.

The first scene of redemption shown in Les Miserables would be when the Bishop of Digne let Jean Valjean into his home. Only after everyone else refused to help him because of his paroled status. During the night Jean steals from the Bishop and flees, this brings us to the next scene of redemption. He was later caught and brought back to the Bishop who freed him from the soldiers and claimed he gave Valjean the stolen items. The Bishop made Valjean promise that he would become a better man, which he vowed to do.

In the next part of the movie it shows Jean Valjean as a changed and very successful man. Jean became mayor; a position that convicts or ex-convicts are not allowed to hold. Valjean’s papers had all been burned so he created a new identity, an unknown identity thus letting him become so successful.

Valjean ran the whole town and its businesses, plus a small factory where a woman named Fatine worked. Fatine worked hard to pay the people who took care of her daughter. However, women with children were not allowed to work, the head woman of the factory found out and fired her. Shortly after she was arrested for an altercation she did not cause. Jean released her from Javert and his soldiers. Fatine was severely beaten and Jean nursed her back to health even though she was labeled as a prostitute. Valjean nursed Fatine as long as he could; before Fatine passed away Jean vowed to take care of her daughter Cosette.

Right before Jean Valjean was set to find and take care of Cosette inspector Javert shows up with news. Javert confesses to Jean that he has made an untrue statement about him and falsely accused him of being a wanted convict, Jean asks him to forgive himself and return to work.

Valjean learns that an innocent man is standing trial for his crimes; he convinces the jury and confesses that he is the true Jean Valjean. He tells them to look further into the case to discover that he in fact is the true Jean Valjean.

Jean then leaves to look for Cosette and stays in hiding once he finds her. He stayed in a convent for many years safe while Cosette was growing up. Cosette didn’t want to stay in the convent. So Jean decides to go outside the convent walls also because Valjean recognizes he must allow Cosette her own life, he cannot protect her forever. Soon after leaving the convent Cosette falls in love with a young man named Marius.

Moving out of the convent may not have been the best decision for Jean because Javert was still head of police and he noticed Jean. Knowing Javert he wanted to get Valjean now that he knew his true identity. Jean had the chance to kill Javert, even though everything they had been through Jean decides to spare his life and let him go. The last scene of redemption is shown in the very last scene of Les Miserables; after a lifetime of following the law strictly and never showing any amount of grace, Javert finally lets his prisoner, Valjean, free and condemns himself to death.

In the movie Les Miserables, the author, Victor Hugo shows us that love, compassion and forgiveness are the most important gifts one person can give another and always displaying these qualities should be the most important goal in life.