Think of the mortification and anguish of individuals who have served years in prison, who have served their time and seemingly paid their debt to society, but are never given another chance; they are treated as dangerous people who remain a threat to their communities. This film review will focus on the character of Jean Valjean and his struggles to transform from a thief into an honest man; Over the years, he struggles to stay one step ahead of police officer Javert and tries to raise his adopted daughter, Cosette.

Jean Valjean was a righteous man, but by the force of a desperate situation, he committed the misdemeanor of taking a loaf of bread to support his family and was sent to jail. Valjean came to town after being in prison for nineteen years. Due to his criminal record, he struggles to find employment, housing, and indeed any place in society. Exhausted and demoralized, he discovers comfort and lodging in a bishop’s house. However, in the middle of the night, Valjean repays him by stealing all of his cutlery. He is then caught by the police, but the bishop claims that the cutlery was his gift to Valjean and that the police should let him go, but not before making him promise that he will live a good life from now on. This display of empathy and generosity from the bishop left him confused and bewildered. He now sees to himself that he has to make a decision and that is to start all over again. Valjean then moved to the city of Montreuil-sur-mer and became a wealthy mayor. One day, Valjean meets a prostitute named Fantine and assures them that he will take care of her and her daughter, Cosette. He goes and discovers her fortune and tries to find Cosette. And when he found her, he took Cosette with him to Paris. Not long after staying in Paris, they moved and lived in a convent. When they left, Valjean and Cosette lived a comfortable life. Valjean then acknowledges that his adopted daughter, Cosette, had fallen in love with a boy named Marius. When he discovered how much Cosette’s admirer Marius adores her, Valjean immediately ran into the heart of a street riot to save the child by carrying her unconscious body through the sewers of Paris. When Marius and Cosette get married, Valjean discovers his true past from Marius. His loneliness finally killed him, but not before Marius learns the truth about Jean Valjean saving his life that night. Marius and Cosette stayed by Valjean’s side and told him that they loved him until he passed away.

Symbolism is something that is woven deep into Les Miserables. The first symbol shown is when Jean Valjean is finally released from prison, he is given a “yellow ticket”, it is like a ticket to freedom. Jean Valjean is required to carry him with him at all times to show people that he is an ex-con, or else he will violate his parole and go back to jail. The big problem is that this ticket makes people reject him wherever he wants him to go. And it is that the “yellow ticket” is a symbol of social rejection. As Valjean says to Bishop, “This is my license ticket, yellow, as you can see. That’s why everyone turns me down.” The yellow ticket symbolizes the terrible way society treats its outcasts. It shows us that “freedom” doesn’t mean much if what it means is that you are free to starve. By the end of the film, we may have forgotten about the bishop’s candlesticks, but Jean Valjean certainly hasn’t. He passed away by the light of two candles that are mounted on these chandeliers, which is considered to be another symbol used in the film. These candlesticks showed exactly how modestly the bishop is willing to live to help financially needy people in his community. Also, these are the most prominent symbol of compassion in Les Miserables, and they shed a light that always brings love and hope. When Bishop gave Valjean his silver candlestick, he is literally transmitting this light when he tells Valjean that he must promise to become an honest man. Afterwards, the candlesticks frequently reappear to remind Valjean of his duty. When Valjean dies, the chandeliers shine brightly on his face, a symbolic affirmation that he has achieved his goal of love and compassion. The appearance of the candlesticks here suggests that Jean Valjean has managed to keep his promise to the bishop and has lived a good life.

Les Miserables showed how God’s love prevails over light over darkness. Forgiveness, sacrifices, and persistence are evident throughout the film; convey a clear message to viewers. Unknowingly, Les Miserables was a movie produced in the year of 2012, but it seems like it was produced only this year as it has amazing cinematography and visuals. The events were very unpredictable and actually grab the attention of the audience. Additionally, the performers rendered their individual characters impressively. In terms of visuals, the film used to show moments of rebirth and a positive new beginning, specifically in the characters of Jean Valjean, Fantine and Cosette. As for Jean Valjean, the great turning point of him as a character is shown when the bishop gives Jean Valjean some cutlery. With the grace of the bishop, he turns from darkness to the good of God. These candlesticks and his promise to the bishop served as a guide of light on his path to redemption. Overall the movie was amazing and well worth watching.