Sarah Smith
Intro to Fine Arts
2 March 2015
Critique 1
Theatre: Les Miserables
When watching the recent motion picture adaptation of Les Miserables, released in 2012, I succumbed to the incredible story, moving music, and powerful songs illustrated by the actors in the film. The story is a timeless classic; a tale of those who undergo the harshest realities and end up on top, and those who begin on top and end up in poverty. The situations and events that take place in this epic play either dynamically change a characters status and mental state, or leave them dead. This harsh reality of life emphasized by the play is why it is a classic that has lasted through decades of onlookers and critics. Each aspect of the play brings its own vibrant emphasis to the story and meaning behind the writing. Such aspects include the costume changes throughout the film, the scenery that emphasizes the meaning of the songs that take place there, and the music that fully envelopes each scene.
Taking place in 19th century France, costumes in this movie needed to be authentic and represent what each character was going through at the time they were wearing it, without drawing attention to the costume itself and thereby taking away focus from the plot or the characters. Two examples of incredible costume choices include the characters of Eponine and Cosette. When first introduced, both of the characters were little girls of approximately the same age. However, their attire truly distinguished these girls as being in completely different castes. Eponine donned a blue knit bonnet with a tan jacket, which was much better garb than that of poor, shoeless Cosette who was wearing nothing but muddy rags meant to be a dress. Needless to say, Eponine was in a much higher class. But, as the play developed and these girls grow older, things changed and their roles were reversed. Eponine donned now a tattered dress and boots of a muddy green, resembling that of earlier Cosette. Cosette now donned a very beautiful, white, full length dress, representative of her purity, richness, and now higher status than Eponine. This costume reversal emphasizes the role reversal that these women faced, how they, through their humble beginnings, or devious beginnings, get what they truly deserve; the opposite of how they grew up.
One particular scene that moves me as far as scenery, song, and meaning are concerned is that where Eponine expresses her love for Marius, who undoubtedly has fallen in love with another woman. This scene is truly moving in the song that Eponine sings, which expresses her despair and turmoil over lost love and the fact that she is still not over him. This song is made even more touching when placed where it was in the movie, a dark, dismal street in France. This poor cobble stone street, surrounded by tall, daunting buildings and covered in the downpour of a rain shower (indicative of pain, despair, and sorrow), is where Eponine chooses to sing one of the most powerful songs ever written. Placing this scene in this dark lighting and abandoned street reflects how Eponine feels about her love, darkened and abandoned. The downpour only can cry with her as she feels the misery of being alone when all she wants is to be loved. Cobbled, crude, and rocky like the path of love, this road symbolizes what Eponine is going through and is also dampened by the sky’s tears. Without this powerful scenery, this song could not have been as moving as it was, as it had left me teary eyed and one with the pain that Eponine was feeling.
But, this scene was nothing without the powerful song that was performed in it. Les Miserables is truly the coup de gras of musical theater in that the music written for it still connects with audiences after centuries of being sung again and again, and still
