Suddenly by Warren Bull

Suddenly by Warren Bull

Public domain image

Les Misérables a novel by Victor Hugo was published in 1862. A French sung-through concept album by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg premiered at the Palais des Sports in Paris in 1980. The English-language West End theatre production opened at the Barbican Arts Centre on 8 October 1985. The subsequent Broadway production opened at the Broadway Theatre on 12 March 1987 and closed at the Imperial Theatre on 18 May 2003 after an amazing 6,680 performances.

Although there was interest in making a movie because of the tremendous success of the musical, plans for a film were passed through several studios with various directors and actors considered. Finally, in 2011 Eric Feller bought the film rights. The film was directed by Tom Hooper and scripted by William Nicholson, Alain Boublil, who wrote the original French lyrics, Claude-Michel Schönberg, who wrote the music, and Herbert Kretzmer, who wrote the English lyrics.

The film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Hugh Jackman, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for

Ann Hathaway. It also won four British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA), including for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Hathaway. Additionally, it received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture (the first musical nominated since 2002's winner Chicago) and Best Actor for Jackman, and won three, for Best Sound Mixing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Supporting Actress for Hathaway.

Novel to concept album to musical in French. Followed by translation to English and musical to Broadway musical. Successful in every medium. It would have been simple and logical to go from stage show to film with as little alteration as possible but…

When the director read the book in preparation for the film, he realized that one piece of the complex plot was missing in the musical version of Les Misérables. To simplify, the novel begins when the convict Jean Valjean is released from a French prison after serving nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s starving child. No one is willing to give him shelter or a job because he is an ex-convict. Desperate, Valjean knocks on the door of M. Myriel, a kindly bishop. Myriel treats Valjean with consideration, and Valjean repays the bishop by stealing the silver from the church. When the police arrest Valjean, Myriel covers for him, claiming that the silver was a gift. Valjean promises to becomes an honest man. He becomes a factory owner under an assumed name.

Fantine, abandoned by her wealthy lover when she becomes pregnant, leaves her daughter, Cosette, in the care of a family who agree to look after Cosette as long as Fantine sends them a monthly allowance. Fantine finds work in Valjean’s factory but her coworkers find out about Cosette. Fantine resorts to prostitution to make ends meet. When the police chief, arrests Fantine but Valjean intervenes, promising to send for Cosette. Javert tricks Valjean who, as an honest man, confesses his true identity. Fantine dies. Valjean is imprisoned again but he escapes and buys Cosette from the Thénardiers.

It is the in keeping of this promise that love to Valjean, as well as his accepting of fatherhood. From merely an honest man, Valjean becomes a loved and a loving man. He rescues Cosette. She rescues him from a life without love.  

On stage there was dialog:

VALJEAN

Come, Cosette, come, my dear
From now on I will always be here
Where I go, you will be.

COSETTE
Will there be children
And castles to see?

VALJEAN
Yes, Cosette,
Yes, it’s true
There’s a castle just waiting for you…

In the movie a song was added: Suddenly (for complete lyrics us the link below

https://www.google.com/search?q=suddenly+les+miserables+lyrics&oq=suddenly+les+mis&aqs=chrome.4.69i59j0l7.13203j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=

The lyrics include:

Never more alone never more apart

You have warmed my heart like the sun

You have brought the gift of life and love

So long denied me. Suddenly I see

What I could not see. Something suddenly has begun.

The entire story is enriched and made more touching because of the willingness to take a chance and add an element that success might have hidden from people less dedicated to telling a compelling story.