What’s beautiful about this scene it shows the integrity of both characters Javert who believes in honor so high that he holds himself to the standards that even when he thought he did wrong he was willing to give up his whole career and Val Jean who easily could have gotten rid of the only man who would hunt him but instead did the honorable thing and rejected the notion really well written character
valjean: you only did your duty, return to your post javert: [does not compute] (9 years later) valjean: you only did your duty, get out of here javert: [system crashes, initializes self destruct]
Some, including myself when first reading this part, believe that Javert still suspects the Mayor to be Valjean, and deliberately tells him this to force an reaction. The modern day me wholly disagrees. Javert's world view is based around the notion that cons only look after themselves, will never become better people, and are more than happy to sacrifice others to save themselves. If he really believes that, then he would've seen no point in telling Valjean that someone else is Valjean, because his imagined Valjean would've just let that other joe carry his blame. Thus, Javert in this scene is absolutely telling the truth and genuinely wants the Mayor to punish him for his false charges. This instantly makes me like Javert more.
this is not true. Javert is experienced in the justice but he does not believe in any other person and has a progression in the begining of the story, this is in fact a trap he laid for valjean and makes you realise that javert is actually believing in valjean sincerity but can't accept that his opinion and social role would be deffective so he has to maintain the law, that's why when he realises this at the end he commits suicide.
In most movie productions it is at least suggested that Javert is setting him up, deliberately. He thinks of Valjean as being weird for a criminal but still a criminal, so is setting him up to expose himself. This is the only version that presents Javert as wholeheartedly believing he screwed up. Demonstrating that Javets code applies just as much to himself as to any of the criminals he arrests.
I watched an interview with Russell Crowe about his role as Javert, apparently he originally meant to reject the role, but researched the information behind the book. His discovered Javert and Valjean were actually based on the same person, a man who was a prisoner, but turned his life around and became one of France’s top policemen. He really respected the character, and accepted the role based on what he had read about “Javert”
Valjean and Javert are opposite sides of the same coin. they come from the same background but Javert when presented with the choice to fight society or to guard it, Javert chose to guard, where Valjean obviously chose to fight. It's from the directors commentary on the film. And even now as Mayor everything Valjean is or does flies in the face of what was considered 'sensible' or righteous at the time. the older movies present Javert's "We are the guardians of society" much more clearly.
@@lisamurphy7028 yes as i remember from the interview there early aspects of Valjean and Javerts tendency towards only seeing black and white, good or bad, lawful and unlawful was the attitude that the person had in his younger days, but all the positive aspects of both were things he felt the person had learned and become from life and experience. I must admit knowing that little discovery that Russel Crowe had discovered during his research of the character and story really gave the confrontation song after Fantine died and Javerts final song even more gravitas to me. I must admit I wasn’t a fan of the movie version, I didn’t like songs being reduced (although I liked some extra songs especially the one after Valjean rescued Cosette from the Thenardiers) While I usually love Hugh Jackman I’ve seen him as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, although he was a relative unknown then, I remembered him being fantastic and it was only many years later when I saw in an interview he had done the role in the west end in London that I checked my programme (as I have kept programmes of every musical I’ve ever seen) and realised he was the Gaston I thought was so good. I’ve seen him in concert after the greatest showman (which I loved) I did feel he was miscast for Valjean, I also felt Marius was miscast. However I didn’t find Russel Crowe as bad as everyone else seemed to think. I think because I’ve always felt Philip Quast was the quintessential Javert, who of course has an amazing baritone voice, but he always said he never really had to sing most of Javerts role, because it was more effective doing a sort of speaking/singing which Crowe employed in his performance as well. I think I’ve seen Les Mis on stage about 12 times now (yes it’s my favourite musical lol) I’ve seen Javerts that sing and those that speak/sing, and I have to admit those that speak/sing the character definitely give the superior performance. My daughter is studying to perform in musical theatre and actually had this discussion with her drama coach several months ago. He had actually done workshops under Phillip Quast so was able to explain to my daughter why that approach worked so well. Crowe definitely didn’t have the vocal strength for a good rendition of stars and it’s reprise before dying, but I’ve seen a couple of worse Javerts in professional productions (I wish I could say they were amateur productions) who while they sang those songs vocally better, their overall performance was decidedly inferior.
Javert was born in a jail, surrounded by terrible possibly even violent people. It leads him to a rigid belief of judgment, that people are either good or bad based on their actions. He makes what he thinks is a mistake and so thinks this makes evil. The look on his face when Valjean forgives him immediately, such kindness is completely foreign to him. Genuinely quite a tragic character.
Yes, he is sworn to justice but can only act through duty. Whereas val Jean enacts what feels like justice in a moral sense (or a godly sense). And Marius, who aches for social justice.
Eh, too much credit. He has integrity, but it's limited by the moral code it's based on as well as his own personal failings. Treating every crime with an equally unyielding attitude means you don't allow for consideration of things like extenuating circumstances or capacity for change. This is inherently unjust and, in the context of the musical, serves a corrupt social system. Javert also allows classism and personal aversions to interfere with his judgement. For instance, take the scene where he arrests Fantine. He immediately accepts the accuser's account of what happened and makes his decision before she has said a word. In fact he rushes into the scene with pre-conceived judgement, as his question is "who laid hands on this good man here?" rather than "what happened here?" This is not a completely impartial, incorruptible guy who acts in strict adherence to justice: he just thinks he is. Or take the way he addresses Valjean as 24601 immediately after his release (before Valjean broke parole). This is not Javert adhering to the law: it's just an act of unnecessary cruelty. Or take even this scene. Javert is willing to face severe consequences, yes. But he immediately accepts Valjean's mercy when it is directed toward himself. Going back to Fantine's arrest, there he protests when Valjean shows mercy to her. So, while Javert is fairly harsh on himself, he is still less harsh on himself than he is willing to be on others.
Personally, I think this scene is part of why Javert reacts so strongly when he finds out the Mayor really IS Val Jean. He freaks out because Val Jean easily could’ve taken him out here. Destroyed his career, his life. Instead Val Jean comes clean to save an innocent man, which Javert can’t accept as being real. I think this moment was the actual start of Javert’s worldview collapsing in on him, being shown such mercy by a man he’d hunted. And it’s bookended when Val Jean spares him AGAIN at the barricade.
I honestly don't think Russell Crowe did an awful job in this film. Sure he's got his moments of "Ehh, that wasn't great", but so does Hugh, and honestly as this was a first singing role for either of them I think they both did fairly well.
Hugh had done a lot of musical theatre up until this point, including playing Curly on Broadway. He wasn't always amazing in Les Mis, some weird singing moments, but still gave a good performance. Crow on the other hand delivered pretty robotic acting and singing.
Crowe was definitely over matched in this film. He does not seem to have a natural sense of rhythm or tempo, and he was struggling to get the singing part down which got in the way of any acting he would have done. The special thing about this production is that they used actors who could sing, instead of singers who could act. And they recorded the singing in real time, as opposed to something like Phantom or Evita where they recorded the music first and then shot the movie and sang to it. So instead of perfect singing (like a Broadway performer might do), you get more of dramatic performance (Fantine singing I Dreamed a Dream... OMG). Unfortunately, Crowe had trouble even getting the singing down, so he couldn't apply any acting to it at all.
How many of us would have done what Jean Valjean did here… he easily could have sent Javert on his way and gotten ride of the one man who knew of his past and could have taken everything from him…
Well, at this point it's irrelevant anyway, since Valjean is going to have to get fake-Valjean off the charges regardless; sending Javert away wouldn't accomplish anything. Of course, Valjean didn't know that in this scene, but he also had no reason to think Javert would be a further problem if someone actually was convicted of being Valjean.
Javert is a man of high integrity and puts the law which he hold so high above everything else. Hed probably write himself a J walking ticket if they existed back then.
In most productions, especially the 1990's version it is at least suggested that Javert is setting him up, deliberately. He thinks of Valjean as being weird for a criminal but still a criminal, and is trying to trap him. This is the only version that presents Javert as wholeheartedly believing he screwed up. That he was wrong to defame Valjean as he did. Demonstrating that Javet's code applies just as much to himself as to any of the criminals he arrests. And that he is at his core an honorable man. Which I'm all for.
Misguided or not, it's almost unfathomable to imagine a world where an officer of any sort would speak to a civilian (mayor or not) with such deference and respect; acknowledgement of their wrongdoing and, implicitly, that they command power only insofar as their duties are carried out with dignity and honor, in service of the people and law. I can't remember the last time any real person truly admitted to anything without overt insincerity.
Russel's acting wasn't bad in this scene. It was good for the character. My only issue is his singing voice. It's so unfitting for his character. It's too gentle and high. It should be deep and baritone
Aún no veo ésta película, ya conozco todas las demás versiones con distintos actores franceses, norteamericanos, incluso hasta mexicanos de la época de oro y contemporáneos en series de tv. Pero estoy deseoso por ver ésta versión.
What’s beautiful about this scene it shows the integrity of both characters Javert who believes in honor so high that he holds himself to the standards that even when he thought he did wrong he was willing to give up his whole career and Val Jean who easily could have gotten rid of the only man who would hunt him but instead did the honorable thing and rejected the notion really well written character
Exactly why it's so difficult to classify him into a character type (aka good guy or bad guy)
@@leftoverspagehhti I think he's a good guy but he doesn't understand that Janvaljon isn't a bad man
well in the real story it's kind of a trap from javert he says that so valjean reveals himself to save the fake culprit
Javert is unfailing, he is uncompromising, he is devout.
Javert is God's Justice devoid of God's Mercy.
He will even denounce himself, when only himself knows the truth.
Honorable, to a fault.
valjean: you only did your duty, return to your post
javert: [does not compute]
(9 years later)
valjean: you only did your duty, get out of here
javert: [system crashes, initializes self destruct]
When you think about it, Javert literally dies to "does not compute."
@@庫倫亞利克 Whenever my wife and I watch this scene we always say, "Javert.exe has stopped working" lol.
He didn't know it was Jean Valjean
I love how baffled Javert looks. He got so worked up about this, and Valjean’s just like, “it’s fine dude, go back to work :)”
For real lol “I’m forgiven??…um…thank you sir”
I really like this scene, it shows Javert’s true integrity
WOWWWOOwoow
I like how he always try’s to do what he believes is right.
@@clasherman6982 which is the main reason he is so dangerous, power and fighting for a "higher cause" = zealous
I agree
it really doesn't
I like the brief, confused look in Javert's eyes when he's shown mercy
“Dafuq?”
"Wait. I could have been doing this to people?"
@@DivingDog0lmfao
Some, including myself when first reading this part, believe that Javert still suspects the Mayor to be Valjean, and deliberately tells him this to force an reaction.
The modern day me wholly disagrees.
Javert's world view is based around the notion that cons only look after themselves, will never become better people, and are more than happy to sacrifice others to save themselves. If he really believes that, then he would've seen no point in telling Valjean that someone else is Valjean, because his imagined Valjean would've just let that other joe carry his blame. Thus, Javert in this scene is absolutely telling the truth and genuinely wants the Mayor to punish him for his false charges. This instantly makes me like Javert more.
this is not true. Javert is experienced in the justice but he does not believe in any other person and has a progression in the begining of the story, this is in fact a trap he laid for valjean and makes you realise that javert is actually believing in valjean sincerity but can't accept that his opinion and social role would be deffective so he has to maintain the law, that's why when he realises this at the end he commits suicide.
@@aairosatherys3636 At this point this isn't a trap and, and it's exactly as the other person said.
What you are talking abouth comes much later.
In most movie productions it is at least suggested that Javert is setting him up, deliberately. He thinks of Valjean as being weird for a criminal but still a criminal, so is setting him up to expose himself. This is the only version that presents Javert as wholeheartedly believing he screwed up. Demonstrating that Javets code applies just as much to himself as to any of the criminals he arrests.
I watched an interview with Russell Crowe about his role as Javert, apparently he originally meant to reject the role, but researched the information behind the book. His discovered Javert and Valjean were actually based on the same person, a man who was a prisoner, but turned his life around and became one of France’s top policemen. He really respected the character, and accepted the role based on what he had read about “Javert”
Valjean and Javert are opposite sides of the same coin. they come from the same background but Javert when presented with the choice to fight society or to guard it, Javert chose to guard, where Valjean obviously chose to fight. It's from the directors commentary on the film. And even now as Mayor everything Valjean is or does flies in the face of what was considered 'sensible' or righteous at the time. the older movies present Javert's "We are the guardians of society" much more clearly.
@@lisamurphy7028 yes as i remember from the interview there early aspects of Valjean and Javerts tendency towards only seeing black and white, good or bad, lawful and unlawful was the attitude that the person had in his younger days, but all the positive aspects of both were things he felt the person had learned and become from life and experience. I must admit knowing that little discovery that Russel Crowe had discovered during his research of the character and story really gave the confrontation song after Fantine died and Javerts final song even more gravitas to me. I must admit I wasn’t a fan of the movie version, I didn’t like songs being reduced (although I liked some extra songs especially the one after Valjean rescued Cosette from the Thenardiers) While I usually love Hugh Jackman I’ve seen him as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, although he was a relative unknown then, I remembered him being fantastic and it was only many years later when I saw in an interview he had done the role in the west end in London that I checked my programme (as I have kept programmes of every musical I’ve ever seen) and realised he was the Gaston I thought was so good. I’ve seen him in concert after the greatest showman (which I loved) I did feel he was miscast for Valjean, I also felt Marius was miscast. However I didn’t find Russel Crowe as bad as everyone else seemed to think. I think because I’ve always felt Philip Quast was the quintessential Javert, who of course has an amazing baritone voice, but he always said he never really had to sing most of Javerts role, because it was more effective doing a sort of speaking/singing which Crowe employed in his performance as well. I think I’ve seen Les Mis on stage about 12 times now (yes it’s my favourite musical lol) I’ve seen Javerts that sing and those that speak/sing, and I have to admit those that speak/sing the character definitely give the superior performance. My daughter is studying to perform in musical theatre and actually had this discussion with her drama coach several months ago. He had actually done workshops under Phillip Quast so was able to explain to my daughter why that approach worked so well. Crowe definitely didn’t have the vocal strength for a good rendition of stars and it’s reprise before dying, but I’ve seen a couple of worse Javerts in professional productions (I wish I could say they were amateur productions) who while they sang those songs vocally better, their overall performance was decidedly inferior.
Javert was born in a jail, surrounded by terrible possibly even violent people. It leads him to a rigid belief of judgment, that people are either good or bad based on their actions. He makes what he thinks is a mistake and so thinks this makes evil. The look on his face when Valjean forgives him immediately, such kindness is completely foreign to him. Genuinely quite a tragic character.
0:23 that "Oh shit" face.
It just goes to show that Javert is the representation of integrity in the form of a man.
Yes, he is sworn to justice but can only act through duty. Whereas val Jean enacts what feels like justice in a moral sense (or a godly sense). And Marius, who aches for social justice.
@@MichaelClarkeWhittet Marius doesn’t care for social justice, it’s Enjolras who does that
Eh, too much credit. He has integrity, but it's limited by the moral code it's based on as well as his own personal failings.
Treating every crime with an equally unyielding attitude means you don't allow for consideration of things like extenuating circumstances or capacity for change. This is inherently unjust and, in the context of the musical, serves a corrupt social system.
Javert also allows classism and personal aversions to interfere with his judgement. For instance, take the scene where he arrests Fantine. He immediately accepts the accuser's account of what happened and makes his decision before she has said a word. In fact he rushes into the scene with pre-conceived judgement, as his question is "who laid hands on this good man here?" rather than "what happened here?" This is not a completely impartial, incorruptible guy who acts in strict adherence to justice: he just thinks he is.
Or take the way he addresses Valjean as 24601 immediately after his release (before Valjean broke parole). This is not Javert adhering to the law: it's just an act of unnecessary cruelty.
Or take even this scene. Javert is willing to face severe consequences, yes. But he immediately accepts Valjean's mercy when it is directed toward himself. Going back to Fantine's arrest, there he protests when Valjean shows mercy to her. So, while Javert is fairly harsh on himself, he is still less harsh on himself than he is willing to be on others.
Personally, I think this scene is part of why Javert reacts so strongly when he finds out the Mayor really IS Val Jean. He freaks out because Val Jean easily could’ve taken him out here. Destroyed his career, his life. Instead Val Jean comes clean to save an innocent man, which Javert can’t accept as being real.
I think this moment was the actual start of Javert’s worldview collapsing in on him, being shown such mercy by a man he’d hunted. And it’s bookended when Val Jean spares him AGAIN at the barricade.
I love the theme that plays every time they interact. It’s so fitting
I honestly don't think Russell Crowe did an awful job in this film. Sure he's got his moments of "Ehh, that wasn't great", but so does Hugh, and honestly as this was a first singing role for either of them I think they both did fairly well.
Hugh had done a lot of musical theatre up until this point, including playing Curly on Broadway. He wasn't always amazing in Les Mis, some weird singing moments, but still gave a good performance. Crow on the other hand delivered pretty robotic acting and singing.
Crowe was definitely over matched in this film. He does not seem to have a natural sense of rhythm or tempo, and he was struggling to get the singing part down which got in the way of any acting he would have done. The special thing about this production is that they used actors who could sing, instead of singers who could act. And they recorded the singing in real time, as opposed to something like Phantom or Evita where they recorded the music first and then shot the movie and sang to it. So instead of perfect singing (like a Broadway performer might do), you get more of dramatic performance (Fantine singing I Dreamed a Dream... OMG). Unfortunately, Crowe had trouble even getting the singing down, so he couldn't apply any acting to it at all.
Actually Russel was in a band, was a proper singer back in the day
What? Do people even say that.. 😲😲😳 they are incredible all the time !!!
It's because of Hooper's insistance that they recorded on set instead of in a studio like a normal fuckin' person.
How many of us would have done what Jean Valjean did here… he easily could have sent Javert on his way and gotten ride of the one man who knew of his past and could have taken everything from him…
This is why the characters are great.
Both of them are noble in their own way, but circumstance forces them to fight.
Well, at this point it's irrelevant anyway, since Valjean is going to have to get fake-Valjean off the charges regardless; sending Javert away wouldn't accomplish anything. Of course, Valjean didn't know that in this scene, but he also had no reason to think Javert would be a further problem if someone actually was convicted of being Valjean.
Javert is a man of high integrity and puts the law which he hold so high above everything else. Hed probably write himself a J walking ticket if they existed back then.
In most productions, especially the 1990's version it is at least suggested that Javert is setting him up, deliberately. He thinks of Valjean as being weird for a criminal but still a criminal, and is trying to trap him. This is the only version that presents Javert as wholeheartedly believing he screwed up. That he was wrong to defame Valjean as he did. Demonstrating that Javet's code applies just as much to himself as to any of the criminals he arrests. And that he is at his core an honorable man. Which I'm all for.
javert: *deep breath* guys.... i never wanted to make this video......
that’s what I though it was T-T
@@IvamyQueenJean replied back on twitter “it’s ok dude everyone makes mistakes ok? Now I’ll see you Tomorrow at work :)”
2 great singers
I love this scene so much javert admitting he’s wrong and should be punished and Jean simply goes “hey it’s no biggie man”
Valjean’s reaction when he found out that someone was identified as him says it all.
Misguided or not, it's almost unfathomable to imagine a world where an officer of any sort would speak to a civilian (mayor or not) with such deference and respect; acknowledgement of their wrongdoing and, implicitly, that they command power only insofar as their duties are carried out with dignity and honor, in service of the people and law. I can't remember the last time any real person truly admitted to anything without overt insincerity.
This short bit from the movie is different from the stage opera (see "runaway cart").
Russel's acting wasn't bad in this scene. It was good for the character. My only issue is his singing voice. It's so unfitting for his character. It's too gentle and high. It should be deep and baritone
Nuh uh >:^
Aún no veo ésta película, ya conozco todas las demás versiones con distintos actores franceses, norteamericanos, incluso hasta mexicanos de la época de oro y contemporáneos en series de tv. Pero estoy deseoso por ver ésta versión.
It's on Netflix if you have that
I actually was Javert in a rendition that we did in school what's even funnier is my best friend was Jean valjean
what would happen if jean kept quiet and let the prisoner take his place? would he exposed by another way?
Nope
Javert wanted charges pressed against himself. What does that say about his character?
Val Jean a better man than me. I would have lied up and down. Furthermore, i would have let an innocent man die to keep my lie.
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