Les Miserables, the movie, was released on Christmas Day in the United States and similarly soon after in the UK. However, it was only released in France on February 13. Since I was fortunate enough to be home for the holidays, I went to see it with some friends and thoroughly enjoyed it for what it was, a movie adaption of the beloved, iconic Broadway musical.
However, since it was released here in France, I decided to see it again with an American friend and her French boyfriend. She spent her holidays in Ireland and returned to Paris before it was released in the UK and Ireland so missed her chance on seeing it.
However seeing it in France, in Paris, it became glaringly obvious not made for modern French audiences the movie/musical adaption of the original novel is. Some observations:
1) So very religious: I don't understand how I never truly realized how often God, the Lord, Grace, mercy, etc. are mentioned, invoked, prayed to, otherwise involved, etc. in the script. Not that I personally have a problem with this. But France has had a difficult and complicated relationship with religion, especially the Catholic Church, since the time of Hugo, and it's very rare to hear the word God or Jesus in conversation. Unlike in English, where we say "oh my god," and say Jesus as an expression of frustration, surprise, etc. Metropolitan French does not. Quebecois French, which was until 40 years ago was still highly influenced by the Church is well known for its use religious terms as a way of swearing (tabernac, ostie, calisse, etc.). So to be in a French audience listening to every other lyrics having a heavy religious connotation really struck me.
2) So very bourgeois: In the musical we are supposed to want Cosette and Marius to get together and live happily forever after, or at least be happy for them at the end. But if you think about the circumstances of the story line it's essentially a moralistic tale for the bourgeoisie. Here, a rich, bourgeois (possibly aristocratic) student who plays at starting a revolution with his student friends almost gets killed in said rebellion and then instead of continuing the cause apparently settles down with a pretty wife and the largess provided by his rich grandfather. Morale of the story, don't rebel against the status quo, you might just get killed and instead be happy and stay bourgeois.
3) So very un-French: Les Mis is essentially a pastiche of what Brits and Americans like to think of when they think of France, or at least of Paris. There are nuggets of truth but then when you watch (or re-watch, in my case) Sasha Baron Cohen's portrayal of Thenardier, and it's almost offensive. Not that I was offended, clearly. But I did feel a bit awkward that some people in the audience probably were.
Not that this takes away from my enjoyment of the show or the movie, but it did make me think more about how important where you are actually is. My relationship with Paris continues to evolve.
oh la vache!
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