Choosing to be Miserable for a whole evening

So what is it about 'Les Miserables' that is so compelling? (beware there may be spoilers!)

Nearly three hours in a packed auditorium exploring something of the brutality and depravity of 19th century France, surrounded by people sobbing, where nearly every significant character dies and in this screen version Russell Crowe's 'singing'. It has got to be said this is still a solid '8/10' for me but,if I am honest, I hoped for so much more.

I love Les Miserables, I have watched the 10th and 25th anniversary editions several times and been to London twice to see the stage show. The narrative of redemption, forgiveness, the 'battle' between law and grace - the metaphor of the barricade as a liminal point between life and death and justice and mercy and freedom and bondage, Old and New Testament; the songs and score all combine to make this a spine-chilling and life changing musical but how well would it translate to the big screen.

First to the positives - Anne Hathaway. An utterly convincing and heart rending performance - 'I dreamed a dream' has never been sung so desperately - it is worth paying the entrance fee for this song alone. I also enjoyed Eddie Redmayne's 'Empty chairs and empty tables' - a really engaging take on this song without the bombastic fireworks of some of the earlier iterations. Next the set, I thought that this really helped move and support the narrative, this was aided  by some additions to the score - helpful if you are watching for the first time.

Next to Jean Valjean and Jackman. I thought he did well, the direction of the film is typified by one of the earlier scenes when Jackman leaves the priest's house and sings his 'soliloquy' with the camera in his face almost throughout. You start to understand why Hooper wanted actors rather than singers. The intimate, often claustrophobic, camera work plays to the strengths of the big screen and Jackman rises to this. There is another motif here though, a breathy 'talky' delivery that others pick up on too; this may be down to the singers' limitations but it also seems to be a perspective chosen by the director. This has its strengths but a downside too. Jackman, apart from a few 'empty' high head notes and a hurried delivery on 'God on high' was excellent, worthy of the role.

The characters I was most looking forward to were the Thenardiers - Baron Cohen and Bonham Carter were inspired choices but it was a bit 'meh'; for some reason the deliveries seemed understated when I think the comedic, villainous roles needed to be the very opposite - strange and disappointing.

Now to the very bad - I'm am afraid that whenever Russell Crowe sang I remembered I was in a cinema watching a film and was taken out of the action. Okay, he sang in tune and with passion but he just doesn't have a good voice, 'Stars' was surprisingly acceptable but his delivery was often weak and I was sorry for that. Everyone else did a good job and I was surprised and delighted to see Colm Wilkinson, the original Valjean, appearing as the priest, almost as a bookend.

So the screen version worked, many sobbed around me and at the end there were ripples of applause. Hooper's approach, using actors instead of singers, brought a gritty dimension as did the intimacy of the close up, long held camera shots on faces as tears tumbled at just the right time. But this meant that some of the scale was lost from the original production, it didn't seem as sweeping or as grand a story. I also missed brilliant songs sung brilliantly.

So I enjoyed being Miserable for an evening and would happily go again, if only for Hathaway's (mesmerising) performance; I would recommend the film (and the stage production if you can get there) to anyone. Despite the strengths and weaknesses of performance and style there remains, at its heart, a story of life and death, of hope and loss that is able to lift the viewer to a new perspective. I, despite the great sadness throughout, actually find the story uplifting and life affirming. This affirmation comes from my Christian perspective that death is not the final word, that living by grace is so much better than living by law; that the face of God is seen in acts of love and in this we find  forgiveness, redemption and hope.

Of course things are gained by moving the story to the big screen but some things are lost too. We must remember that much was also lost when the book was 'translated' for the stage. Maybe the last few words should be left to Victor Hugo, the writer of the book, from which the musical and film were adapted.





 “Those who do not weep, do not see.”
 

“Love has no middle term; either it destroys, or it saves. All human destiny is this dilemma. This dilemma, destruction or salvation, no fate proposes more inexorably than love. Love is life, if it is not death. Cradle; coffin, too. The same sentiment says yes and no in the human heart. Of all the things God has made, the human heart is the one that sheds most light, and alas! most night.”


“Let us sacrifice one day to gain perhaps a whole life.”



“There is nothing like a dream to create the future.”

Be prepared and 'Go for it!'

Yesterday (18th January) I resumed running, only three miles and rather slowly (so what is new there), but actually it felt as though my body slotted back into it rather well, it felt comfortable and I enjoyed it.

I knew I had to start back sometime, I am not sure whether I will ever run another marathon but the idea of running for a couple of hours every now and then is something I can't resist.

Yesterday it was the snow that I couldn't resist, it came down hard and although didn't settle (pitch/stick?) there was an hour or so, just after sunrise when going out in it was irresistible, and I couldn't resist. I wrapped up warm, three layers, long trousers, gloves Sharon bought me, a warm hat and a peaked cap, and sunglasses to keep the snow from driving into my eyes. This worked but I needed to wipe them every few hundred yards so that I could see the path ahead. It was SOOOO cold, the first muddy puddle kicked into my shoes and icy water numbed my feet, literally. The wind on my face was almost excruciating but the taste of the snow was delightful - little pockets of amazing iciness.

And today (19th January) is my welcome service at Cranbrook, all prepared, all ready to go, with several hundred home made cakes made by some amazing local people and at least a couple of hundred people coming (though some of my Bristol family are snow bound). I have already started working and living in Cranbrook but this is a landmark moment to celebrate what God has done and join in with what he is going to do in this new community in the future.

Many people have said how difficult it will be to get the church and community going at Cranbrook in a post -church, post-modern world. I see what they are saying but at this moment I am more excited than worried. As I ran yesterday it felt as if the two things - running in the snow and starting out at Cranbrook, were similar. 'Be prepared and go for it'.  It is amazing how preparation and determination to 'have a go' (and when the going gets tough 'keep on having a go') is often enough to give you just the start you need to enable you to do something you may have first thought impossible.

So that is what I am determined to do - Be prepared and 'Go for it!'