Les misérables

R

1995

2h 57m

Drama

List

81%

Tomatometer

21 Reviews

83%

Audience Score

500+ Ratings

In this inventive interpretation of Victor Hugo's oft-adapted tale, Henri Fortin (Jean-Paul Belmondo) is a man caught up in the turmoil of World War II. Charged with caring for a young Jewish girl named Elisa Ziman (Alessandra Martines), Henri later joins the French Resistance. As the story progresses, his life seems to parallel that of Hugo's hero, Jean Valjean, particularly when a police officer and former Nazi collaborator (Philippe Khorsand) sets his sights on Henri.

Read More

Read Less

Critics Consensus

Claude Lelouch's Les Misérables takes some surprising liberties with the source material, proving a classic story often holds up regardless of how it's told.

Read Critics Reviews

Fernando Gonzalez

Miami Herald

At the end it is [Lelouch's] underlying belief in simple decency -- and a smart dignified performance by Jean Paul Belmondo -- that redeems him It is only fitting.

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 18, 2021

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

The family reads the Hugo novel aloud to him while they travel together, and apparently they all come to realize how much their lives are like great literature.

Jan 15, 2008

Full Review

Trevor Johnston

Time Out

It's part of the magic Lelouch has worked that his story-of-all-stories theme matches the catch-all inclusiveness of his old-fashioned celluloid showmanship.

Jun 24, 2006

Full Review

Tim Brayton

Antagony & Ecstasy

Belmondogives not just the best performance of this film but one of the best of his long and admirable career.

Rated: 7/10

Jul 3, 2013

Full Review

TV Guide

This is old-fashioned, tasteful European filmmaking.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 15, 2008

Full Review

Film4 Staff

Film4

A surprisingly effective updating of Victor Hugo's novel.

Jan 15, 2008

Full Review

Read all reviews

Aender S

A story which has similarities to Victor Hugo's novel while also telling parts of the latter. Excellent film.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/12/24

Full Review

Audience Member

A middle aged French man helping a Jewish family flee from the Nazis, during the trip is told the story of Jean Valjean, whose stories in Hugo's Les Misérables resembles theirs. A unique adaptation with a great cinematography and a standout performance by Belmondo, who plays different characters in the different stories told. However, the original approach does not hide the many imperfections of the screenplay, which also occasionally tangles and makes the story a little to hard to keep up with.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Interesting but overly draggy for me. One of those rare films that I actually fell asleep watching...

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Du Lelouch à son meilleur !

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Although I don't really feel excited about this adaptation, it was still sorta creative claiming [Les Miserables] keeps repeating by merging it with the backdrop of WWII, not that significant nor relevant, though. Sometimes confusing in narrative too.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

My hubby made me watch this one and i thank him for that. The movie is engrossing and a must-watch. Was a little too long and it came to a point when i thought Ziman would never see daylight again but the end made up for all the sufferings portrayed. Jean-Paul Belmondo is one oscar worthy actor. I love happy -endings so this one was a delight to watch. Definitely one of my fave movies about the Holocaust with a rare happy ending.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Claude Lelouch

Director

Jean-Paul Belmondo

Henri Fortin

Michel Boujenah

André Ziman

Alessandra Martines

Elise Ziman

Annie Girardot

Thénardière 1942

Philippe Léotard

Thénardier 1942

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

View more photos

Synopsis

In this inventive interpretation of Victor Hugo's oft-adapted tale, Henri Fortin (Jean-Paul Belmondo) is a man caught up in the turmoil of World War II. Charged with caring for a young Jewish girl named Elisa Ziman (Alessandra Martines), Henri later joins the French Resistance. As the story progresses, his life seems to parallel that of Hugo's hero, Jean Valjean, particularly when a police officer and former Nazi collaborator (Philippe Khorsand) sets his sights on Henri.

Director: Claude Lelouch
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 9, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $365.2K
Runtime: 2h 57m