A variation on Victor Hugo's classic novel by means of the story of a man whose life is affected by and somewhat duplicated by the Hugo story of the beleaguered Jean Valjean.
There have been many, many film incarnations of "Les Miserables". Many before this film, and many since. Some are musicals, some are narratives, and most (including this one) tend to run on the longer side. But this film may be more unlike any of the others than any of them are with each other.
The idea of adapting the story to the 20th century is clever, and is even more clever by referencing a film within a film, so it is not just a straight update. But further still, the time period seems to be around 1950, maybe earlier... so it wasn't set in the 1990s. It is still a period piece. It is, to my recollection, the only period piece to use a film-within-a-film structure.
There have been many, many film incarnations of "Les Miserables". Many before this film, and many since. Some are musicals, some are narratives, and most (including this one) tend to run on the longer side. But this film may be more unlike any of the others than any of them are with each other.
The idea of adapting the story to the 20th century is clever, and is even more clever by referencing a film within a film, so it is not just a straight update. But further still, the time period seems to be around 1950, maybe earlier... so it wasn't set in the 1990s. It is still a period piece. It is, to my recollection, the only period piece to use a film-within-a-film structure.