Film Analysis Essay on Les Miserables (1978)

Introduction

The priest is standing while facing the protagonist, who has been caught by the police with stolen property belonging to the bishop's family (Jordan). As the bishop looks down upon him, one notices the key light facing him directly, while the fill light illuminates him from the left side. The backlight stands behind him, reducing the shadow effect that would otherwise characterize such a shot. The lighting focuses on the bishop in the face of a potentially lifesaving decision he has to make. It puts him at the center-stage. By facing him from all the three angles, the key light zones out all other items within the field. It allows him to make the determination that will ultimately decide whether or not to let the police take the protagonist away and charge him.

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The protagonist is running with a child clutched in his arms, apparently being chased by the police (Jordan). The camera tracks him as he runs from them, capturing from the time he pops up in the field and circling him from the back to the front. Tracking stresses the movement of the character in the film while maintaining the focus firmly and makes the scene considerably more dramatic than a still camera would. By tracking the protagonist as he runs from his chasers, the camerawork makes him substantially more vulnerable while increasing the urgency with which he must escape those on his heels.

The protagonist stands with a girl in a backstreet building, apparently attempting to tie her up (Jordan). The color used in the scene is highly saturated with dark hues of purple, accentuated with a black, dark gray shadowy effect. As he begins to tie the girl up, the camera focuses on their faces and allows the colors of the clothes they don to let them stand out. The dark hues contribute positively to the tense situation in which they currently are. The saturated colors, especially the purple, heighten the intensity of the situation. The dark colors contrast with the brighter browns, which further enhances their apparent need to hide from the police.

The protagonist sits at a dinner table facing the bishop as the both of them eat and drink (Jordan). Director Glenn Jordan uses mice-en-scene when he places a fireplace behind them. The director uses the fireplace to calm the situation and make it relatively casual to allow the two of them to have a conversation. The dinner performs a similar purpose. By letting the two men speak at a table as they eat, Jordan allows them to speak freely, which enables the bishop to know about the protagonist's journey and what led him to his house.

Jean Valjean walks around his office having a casual conversation with the police inspector about the possible dismissal of the latter (Jordan). Glenn Jordan makes the inspector walk around substantially more than Valjean does to increase the authority of the latter, who is his boss at the time. The inspector explains his travails in detail while Valjean merely nods in silence or responds briefly. So doing reminds the viewer that the inspector is Valjean's junior. Those in higher positions of authority habitually use fewer words to put their points of view across, while their juniors tend to talk more.

Inspector Javert is attending a carnival where music and dance reign; the same event where he meets the transformed Valjean (Jordan). Director Jordan transitions camera from the characters - the inspector and his men - to the rest of the carnival, and then to Valjean. Jordan's scene directing puts the two men in antagonistic positions. By especially moving from the protagonist to the inspector, Jordan increases the expectations of their encounter and what may transpire when it does happen.

My Criteria for Quality in Film

A quality film should have excellent cinematography. Failing to do so will lower the overall value of the film. "Les Miserables" uses different techniques to enhance the superiority of the film production in regards to directing. The various angles the cinematographer uses to capture the different scenes within the movie are of high quality, which is vital to the overall appearance of both the actors and the settings.

A quality film also incorporates organization and composition concomitant with the cinematography and acting. The gradual plot development from the point where the protagonist spends time in jail through his escape and later his rise to a high position in government is a positive contribution to the film excellence. At various points appear conflicts and their subsequent resolutions, which enhance the plot and character development. For instance, the interactions between Valjean and Inspector Javert are filled with tension, as evidenced from their experience in jail to the point where the former has a government position while the latter works directly below him.

A successful film also has a strong underlying message that either the protagonist or strong character attempts to put across. The bishop in the film preaches a message of love and forgiveness. When the police catch Valjean running away after he steals some of the bishop's silverware, the bishop tells them that he had in fact given them to him (Jordan). In a sense, this moment influences his incredible turnaround almost entirely, making him a man that promotes the well-being of society. He proves this himself when he lets the begging woman into his office, caters to her, and attempts to find her a job at a factory from where she would earn money to raise her son.

Works Cited

Jordan, G. "Les Miserables 1978." 12 Jan. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj-VmrMYtUI.