Overview
A poignant journey through war-torn Europe, where friendship transcends class and culture.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- humanist
- sweeping
- somber
- historical drama night
- literary adaptation viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's expansive humanism, energetic storytelling, Jean-Paul Belmondo's commanding performance, and spectacular period presentation, while finding it overlong and occasionally uneven in its treatment of Hugo's themes.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Henri Fortin asks the Ziman family to read Les Misérables aloud, and the major characters increasingly resemble figures and situations from Hugo's novel.
Fortin, the Zimans, and other principal figures encounter distinct but connected forms of danger, displacement, and moral choice during World War II.
Fortin's decision to transport Ziman's family toward Switzerland places solidarity and protection at the center of the wartime narrative.
The illiterate former boxer Fortin and wealthy Jewish lawyer Ziman are brought together by the dangers facing Ziman's family in occupied Europe.
Films like Les Miserables, and why
The Sorrow and the Pity
shared humanist historical drama, wartime moral peril, and ensemble storytelling
The Count of Monte Cristo
shared literary adaptation framework, moral transformation, and sweeping period drama
Au revoir les enfants
shared world war ii setting, persecuted Jewish family, and emotionally expansive historical drama
Doctor Zhivago
shared epic humanism, class injustice, and intersecting lives shaped by social upheaval
Movie Details
- Director
- Claude Lelouch
- Release Date
- 1995-03-22
- Runtime
- 175 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (87)
Cast
- Jean-Paul Belmondo
- Michel Boujenah
- Alessandra Martines
- Salomé Lelouch
- Annie Girardot
- Philippe Léotard
- Philippe Khorsand
- Ticky Holgado
- Rufus
- Nicole Croisille
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- France Channel Amazon Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Les Miserables about?
- A poor former boxer and a wealthy Jewish lawyer find their wartime journey echoing the moral world of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables.
- What is Les Miserables like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Les Miserables as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Les Miserables violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Les Miserables as moderate.
- What did critics think of Les Miserables?
- Critics broadly praised the film's expansive humanism, energetic storytelling, Jean-Paul Belmondo's commanding performance, and spectacular period presentation, while finding it overlong and occasionally uneven in its treatment of Hugo's themes.
- Which films are like Les Miserables?
- Films with a similar feel include The Sorrow and the Pity, The Count of Monte Cristo, Au revoir les enfants, and Doctor Zhivago.
- How long is Les Miserables?
- Les Miserables runs 175 minutes.
- Where can I watch Les Miserables?
- In United States, Les Miserables streams on France Channel Amazon Channel.
