Overview
A tale of redemption and relentless pursuit unfolds against the backdrop of revolutionary France.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- earnest
- melancholic
- passionate
- historical drama night
- literary adaptation viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly viewed Bille August's adaptation as intelligent and handsomely crafted, preserving the emotional impact of Victor Hugo's novel despite condensing its many developments.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jean Valjean's moral transformation is interwoven with student revolutions and social unrest in France.
Valjean's flight from Javert makes the conflict between institutional justice and humane compassion central.
The film adapts Victor Hugo's sprawling novel into a focused feature centered on Valjean, Javert, Fantine, and Cosette.
The plot places Valjean and other principal characters amid student revolutions in nineteenth-century France.
Films like Les Misérables, and why
Germinal
shared nineteenth-century historical drama, moral conflict, social injustice, and sweeping literary adaptation
Doctor Zhivago
shared period romance, class struggle, political upheaval, and emotionally heightened melodrama
The Count of Monte Cristo
shared historical setting, compassionate outsider protagonist, and conflict between law and morality
Movie Details
- Director
- Bille August
- Release Date
- 1998-05-01
- Runtime
- 134 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (714)
Cast
- Liam Neeson
- Geoffrey Rush
- Uma Thurman
- Claire Danes
- Hans Matheson
- Peter Vaughan
- Reine Brynolfsson
- Tim Barlow
- Jon Kenny
- Gillian Hanna
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Les Misérables about?
- A hunted former prisoner seeks a life of compassion while an implacable officer and a country in revolt pull him back toward judgment and violence.
- What is Les Misérables like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Les Misérables as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Les Misérables violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Les Misérables as moderate.
- What did critics think of Les Misérables?
- Critics broadly viewed Bille August's adaptation as intelligent and handsomely crafted, preserving the emotional impact of Victor Hugo's novel despite condensing its many developments.
- Which films are like Les Misérables?
- Films with a similar feel include Germinal, Doctor Zhivago, and The Count of Monte Cristo.
- How long is Les Misérables?
- Les Misérables runs 134 minutes.
- Where can I watch Les Misérables?
- In United States, Les Misérables streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
