If Victor Hugo were alive today he would be a multi-millionaire considering how many times his most famous novel has been filmed by Hollywood over the years. It took him 17 years to write the novel and it's still in print so he would also have a steady income. Overall I think he would have liked all the film versions of "Les Miserables" going all the way back to the earliest known silent version released by the Fox Film Co in 1919. There have been many film versions since, both English and French productions. I've always liked this 1998 version starring Liam Neeson(Jean Valjean) and Geoffrey Rush(Inspector Javert) ever since I saw it during it's original release in the theatre. I was hoping that it would someday be released on blu ray and got my wish earliar this week. I can only assume it's because of the new musical version that's hitting the theatres with Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe in the leads. I have both the 1935 and 1952 B&W versions that 20th Century-Fox released a number of years ago and have seen the current Broadway musical twice so I'm very familar with the story. I won't go over it but it's the ultimate story of redemption, faith and love which is something that everyone needs in these troubled times. Those themes are certainly brought out in this beautifully restored blu ray film directed by Bille August. Jorgen Persson's cinematography looks stunning on blu ray(aspect ratio: 2.40.1) and the Paris and Czech Republic locations have never looked better. The audio is superb too. The folks at Sony deserve a lot of credit for making this blu ray pop off the screen. The principle actors(Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman and Claire Danes) give some of the best performances of their careers. The scenes between Neeson and Thurman's characters are both touching and heartwrenching. I've always thought that this was Uma Thurman's best performance and seeing it again after all these years only confirms that. Neeson's scenes with the young Clare Danes are equally touching and he more than holds his own whenever he and Rush on screen together. Geoffrey Rush's unsympathetic portrait of Javert will send chills down your spine. This version is 134 mins long and contains the following subtitles: English, English SDH, Arabic, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish. Audio is: English, French(PAR), Japanese 5.1 DTS-HD MA, Portuguese Dolby Surround. There are no special features except the original trailer. This Sony blu ray release gets my highest recommendation.

The very very best version of Les Miserables. This 1998 film made me a fan of Liam Neeson, which I believe established him as the heroic father.
A friend watching with me just could not help but quote the "I have skills" line from "Taken" when Valjean is at the barricades. Uma Thurman as sad Fantine was remarkable. (I kept waiting for her to pull out a Japanese sword.) Refreshing to see great actors in a film at the beginning of their career.

Classy movie. A must have. Uma Thurman, Geoffery Rush, and Liam Neeson are exceptional in how they produce the psychological drama that Hugo's work requires. Though an older film, I see this film as better produced and more thought provoking than the new musical with Jackman, Hathaway, and Crowe. As a French teacher, I try to get the students to think about culture and answer the question of WHY. This film has a psychological aspect that the musical doesn't capture quite correctly. Though the film takes some liberties with Hugo's original writing (don't all Hollywood films produced from novels anyways??!!), it is a wonderful story with GREAT life lessons to discuss and challenge others with. It is one of my favorites to watch over and over again while challenging myself to think about the themes of redemption and reconciliation in life. Due to the phenomenal lessons about life in the film, I also ask my students and my own children to take steps that are honorable to become the model citizen and exceptional person that is honoring to others in society.

Excellent movie, not all the details as in the book but still provides the essentials. Great actors. A good example of the difference between a Republic, a Monarchy, and so-called Democracy. A Constitutional Republic is for the people, the other forms of government too often become corrupt (like our last eight years!!) and do not represent the laboring classes, freedom, law and order. Although one can see in the book/movie a twisted law enforcement officer, Javier.

Liam Neeson's portrayal of Jean Valjean carried this film. Geoffrey Rush as Inspector Javert was the perfect foil for Neeson. Rush always finds the heart of whatever character he is playing and becomes the character. I wasn't impressed with either Claire Danes as Cosette or Uma Thurmon as Fantine. Both worked at acting as the characters but didn't reach outside of their personalities. I saw only Claire and Uma. The actor who played Marius did a creditable job. For me he was Marius because I'd never seen him before or since. Overall the film was well done. If someone had not read the Victor Hugo book (a major undertaking) they would leave the film with a good sense of the storyline. I bought both this Les Mis and the musical because I love to compare movie styles and interpretation. I was 10 years old when I first read a version of Les Miserables. It was published in the Classic Comic Book collection which first introduced me to the great writers. This was a good purchase.