"Les Miserables"

Hello! Summer is quickly coming to an end, and so I figured I should get my blog up and running asap. During the past few months I have been listening to the "Les Mis" soundtrack over and over again. I have to say the music is amazing as well as the movie. Which brings me to my first topic, the movie viewing.

When the cast watched the Les Miserables movie all together, that was not my first time seeing that movie. In grade seven Megan R, T and Maddi M and I went to see it in theatres. Mind you I needed a bit of a refresher.
The great thing about the movie is that, in my opinion, it makes you believe and feel what the characters are going through. That is an important part in any production to connect with your character and the audience and make them believe the story.

What I learned

I learned a good deal from watching that version of the musical. I have only seen two different versions, and I have to say this, the professional movie version was 100 times better than the student version which was the other one I watched. For one I learned that props make a huge difference in the way the story is carried out. The first student cast version I saw had a black empty stage with minimal props, whereas the movie was rich and filled out with intricate sets and props. Granted, the movie definitively had more of a budget, which made it possible for them to have such detail. I believe that having just the bare minimum makes it hard for the audience to be wrapped up in the story when they don't have a setting to place the characters. You don't need to go overboard, but some setting is a nice thing to have.
Another random thing I learned is that Marius is rich! The last time I saw this movie I missed that detail. I find this interesting because he is fighting for the rights of the poor, and yet he does not need to worry about money himself. That suggests that he is either #1 unhappy with his family or #2 cares about the less fortunate. Perhaps both, seen as though his father calls him a disgrace when he is seen helping run the revolution.
I learned a few things about my character, Cosette while watching this version. First thing I learned about her is that she is extremely gentle and kind. She is also curious and wants to show that she is growing up and can handle herself. I really liked the way Amanda Seyfried played this character, and I got a few ideas from her on how to seem gentle and loving, for example the way she uses her eyes. She keeps them open and soft most of the time to seem innocent and gentle but changes them subtly when in surprise or inquiry.
I learned that my character is the eye of the storm as it would seem in the story. She is filled with love and compassion even while everyone is dying. She is protected and alone because Valjean wants her to be safe. The audience needs one character to root for and love and she is a splash of hope and gentleness in a dark cauldron of death and hate. She is also one of the few survivors of the movie, so you want the audience to like her.

Most Memorable Scenes

The scenes that stood out to me the most in the movie were: Eponine's death, Marius' "Empty Chairs in Empty Tables" and Valjean's death. Though there were many scenes that stood out, (the whole musical practically stands out), these scene all have high emotion which sets them apart. Interestingly enough, they all deal with loss, and sadness which not co-incidentally makes them more intense, emotional and memorable.

Eponine's death was one of the most heartbreaking scenes. Many people can relate to her and how she loves someone who does not love her back. Because she is relatable, the audience naturally sympathizes with her and her sadness. This scene is so powerful because of her sacrifice. She loves Marius so much, that she would die for him. She sacrifices herself so that he can live. The wort part is that when she is dying he finally comforts her and holds her. She says "Don't you fret Monsieur Marius, I don't feel any pain". It's heartbreaking! "Just hold me now and let it be" She is in love with him, and that takes away all her pain, like it was worth the sacrifice for only a few minutes with Marius. It's bittersweet because her dream can never be, and she would rather he live that she did. She was so in love, but it could never be, and she knew it. The audience is so torn because they want Eponine to be happy. That is why it is memorable.

Marius' "Empty Chairs in Empty Tables" is a song of loss, pain and despair. I think what really made this scene so memorable was the way the actor played the character so well. He did such an amazing job at capturing all the sadness and anger that Marius felt in this scene. Marius is singing about the loss of his friends, how they used to sing and sit around with dreams. The audience by this point is a bit shocked, because by now most of the characters introduced are dead. This song makes the audience reflect, and creates the sense of loneliness and grief that now is affecting Marius and the audience. This song is really a soliloquy, which connects you to the character and makes you feel what they feel. Marius has to accept that all his friends are gone and dead, and for absolutely nothing. They made no change. Again, a sacrifice, and that is what makes it so powerful and full of loss.

Last but not least, Valjean's death scene. This scene always gets me teary. By this time we are all enraptured in the story. We know that so much has happened to Valjean, and through it all he has been this amazing man, full of forgiveness and love. He gives so much and has to deal with all sorts of garbage, and by the end we are thinking "That can't be it for him!?". Having to live such a hard life, you want to see him finally happy and not having to think about people finding and killing him. But he is dying and alone and it is just heartbreaking, he doesn't deserve this. You just can't stand it any more when Cosette arrives with Marius. This is the part that is so powerful and leaves the lasting impression. It's Cosette and Valjean's connection. Cosette loves him, there is no bond exactly like a cild and a parent. He saved her from a terrible life and showed her love and understanding. He asks for forgiveness, but he need not ask. He thought Cosette would be ashamed but she is not and loves him still. After all he has always been there (and really who cares about a loaf of bread). Cosette does not want to admit that he will die; she loves him so dearly and the audience feels her love and sadness. When he does die, Fantine is there to thank him, which is just the full circle of the story. The last part is also quite memorable; all the people who died, living in heaven and singing.