564 - Les Miserables, Part 2, France, 1934. Dir. Raymond Bernard.
So long as poverty and misery still exist on earth, works such as this may not be in vain. - Victor Hugo.
THE THENARDIERS
Harry-Baur - Jean Valjean / M. Madeleine / Champmathieu / M. Fauchelevent
Charles Vanel - Javert
Montfermeil is having a fair.
It is Christmas.
The town square. People are out. A man shows a bear on a leash for entertainment. A man eats fire.
Cosettte plays Cinderella to Mde. Thenardier and her two daughters.
Cosette carries an empty water bucket, looking as if she came straight from the drawing. The one made famous by the musical. The girl with the round cap, with her hair blowing in the breeze, with a ragged shirt, a long skirt, bare feet, and a giant broom. The cropped bust was used in 1980. The etching from the drawing was made in 1862 for the novel, drawn 118 years before the musical.
Cosette stops to look at a doll in a store window. It is fancy. It is pretty. It costs 30 francs. She smiles. It has lace. The dress is velvet. The skirt is silk.
Mme. Thenardier approaches, with her own daughters, and yells at Cosette. Hurry up. Do not lose the 20 sous I gave you. She sends Cosette out into the dark of night to fetch the water.
Then she buys her own daughters each a doll.
Cosette walks in the dark woods. Rocks look like skulls. She jumps with fright. She finds the spring. Lowers the bucket. The bucket is almost as tall as she is. When she raises it, with force, the coin falls from her pocket. She does not see it.
The water is heavy. The bucket is full. She stops. She can go no farther. She prays.
A man appears. Is it? Yes. It is Jean Valjean. In the guise of M. Madeleine. He is on his way to the Thenardiers' inn to find Cosette and to take her and care for her for Fantine.
They walk back to town together. He carries the bucket for her. When they get to town she asks to carry it. She says Mde. Thenardier will beat her if she sees him carrying the bucket for her.
At the inn, M. Madeleine watches as the Thenardiers girls play with their dolls.
Cosette watches them as she crochets. Looking with longing. The girls abandon the dolls for the cat, dressing up the cat like a doll, taking the dolls for granted.
M. Madeleine leaves and returns with the big doll from the window. He gives it to Cosette. The Thenardiers are stunned.
He states his business. He is here to collect Cosette. They deny him. Thenardier wants 1,500 francs. Madeleine promptly agrees. Thenardier wishes he had asked for more. He withdraws his offer. Madeleine shows him the letter Fantine wrote and signed before her death, requesting they relinquish Cosette to the bearer of the letter. Thenardier demands a thousand crowns. M. Madeleine takes Cosette and leaves immediately.
Years later, Jean Valjean celebrates Cosette's sixteenth birthday. He is no longer mayor of Montreuil but lives in in Paris. He no longer goes by M. Madeleine but by M. Ursule Fauchelevent. He is in the National Guard.
Meanwhile, a young man name Marius, a revolutionary, has fallen in love with Cosette. He intends to marry her. He asks his own father for permission. He is denied. He intends to marry her anyway.
Marius knows the Thenardiers as neighbors but does not know they have a history with Jean Valjean and Cosette. They are now the Jondrettes and live in the Gorbeau House, where Valjean and Cosette stayed for a time. In addition to their daughters Eponine and Azelma, they now have a son Gavroche.
Valjean, as Fauchelevent, and Cosette pay a visit to the Jondrettes as philanthropists. They enter the house where they once stayed. Valjean does not recognize Jondrette as Thenardier, but Thenardier recognizes Fauchelevent as Valjean. He whispers to his family that they are to play it up to get as much money out of him as possible. Then they will plot their revenge.
Marius hears them through a crack in the wall.
With good intentions, Marius goes to Inspector Javert to tell him of the plot in order to save M. Fauchelevent's life. But in the process he gives him away.
Javert comes to call on M. Fauchelevent. He informs him he believes he is Jean Valjean. Fauchelevent denies it. He shows him his papers. While Javert is looking at them, he flips the table cloth, with candle, over Javert's head and makes his escape.
In the novel Valjean has two houses in Paris. In the movie they simply mention that he is now safe, having gone to the other house.
Marius goes to tell Cosette her father is safe. They meet in a garden. She has heard. She informs him they are escaping to England, maybe tomorrow. She will give him the address. He can join them. Marius states that he cannot afford to come. He is in debt to everyone. He has burned his bridges with his grandfather.
Her father arrives. Sees her with a boy. Tells him to leave his daughter alone. Cosette says if you only knew what Marius has done to protect you. Marius says I respect you; you are her father; but your daughter and I love each other, and you cannot change that.
Marius leaves.
Cosette weeps on Valjean's shoulder.
He asks about Marius' parents. She says he has just one grandfather, M. Gillenormand. She knows the address. He will go speak with them. They will no longer leave for England. Valjean will stay for his daughter. Put his life and freedom at risk again. Because he loves his daughter.
Cosette hugs him. She loves him. He basks in her love.
As they begin to leave the garden they see a group of wagons going by on the road below. A convoy of convicts. The men in the wagons writhe like souls tormented in hell. The men walking beside the wagons, the guards, whip them. They are taking them to the penal colonies.
Cosette stairs at them with compassion in her eyes.
"Poor things," she exclaims.
Jean Valjean looks at them with deep sadness of familiarity. He has been there. He remembers.
Cosette asks about them.
Are they human?
He responds.
Sometimes.
* * * *
Still here, you little guttersnipe?
A clear conscious has nothing to fear.
Sir, can I have my bucket back?
Why?
If she sees you carrying it for me, she'll beat me.
Thenardiers Aubergiste. Innkeeper.
So there you are, you little scamp.
Suppose someone were to take her off your hands.
I'm an honest man. The child's a sacred trust.
I promised her mother to love her like my own.
We can't tear our hearts out for 1,500 francs.
"Mr. Thenardier, please entrust Cosette to the bearer of this letter. He will pay you all expenses due. Respectfully yours, Fantine."
Not even a goodbye kiss, the ungrateful wench!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Where are you, Father? What are you thinking about?
You, Cosette, when you were a little girl.
I'm still your little girl.
Has the air of Paris changed me?
Cosette. Such a coquette.
Even when I marry I'll never leave you. Ever.
If Caesar were to offer me glory and war
And I had to leave the mother I adore
I would tell mighty Caesar
Take back your scepter and chariot
My dear mother means more
My mother is the republic!
Police spies or not, nothing can stop us now.
They crushed the Revolution of 1830.
That of 1832 shall triumph.
Tomorrow is General Lamark's funeral.
Forgive these gentlemen. They don't know who they're dealing with.
Well, I'm an orphan again.
Some folks prefer drivin'
They got no time to lose
But I prefer arrivin'
By wearin' out my shoes.
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