“On my own, pretending to be by my side. There has been no one like him anywhere. When I lose my way, I close my eyes and he has found me.” Les Miserables is one of the longest musical works and novels where the revolution and some musings about the nature of mercy and justice that people want to achieve. This novel shows the history of France and its culture. In France, the city of love now, all women are prostitutes and will do anything for money. This review will focus on a girl who is willing to be better for the boy she loves. Are you willing to be redeemed so that they accept and love who you are?
Thenardier’s daughter Eponine, who is 16 but has the hoarse, unhealthy voice of an old woman. Since she was a child, her parents spoiled her a lot because her parents are so blind with money. His mother is a prostitute so she can earn money. As she grew up, they became poor because Valjean adopted Cosette for a money exchange. They spent all the money and were penniless, so they had to move into a small apartment. He met Marius, a law student who lives next to them and who left his wealthy father. When he meets Marius for the first time, he breaks straight into his room and asks for money. They become close and Eponine falls in love with Marius, her prince charming. She is willing to be good for him to notice her, but her prince saw Cosette and asked if she knew her whereabouts. Although it is very painful for her, she is willing to help him. She takes Marius to Valjean’s house where Cosette lives. He waited for the other to say to witness how Marius and Cosette share their feelings for each other. She saw that her father and his thugs wanted to rob Valjean’s house, but she yelled for someone to hear her. She shows bravery when her father threatens her. He saw the letter that Cosette left for Marius, took it to give it to him. She is willing to save Cosette even though she has good reason to hate her rival, but she is willing to save her because it would make Marius happy. He walks, then the rain falls as if the sky knows what he feels and then he sings his feelings. Martyr? Maybe. Before he could deliver the letter, he took a bullet for it. She uses her last breath and her last words to tell him how she always felt for him saying, “You know, Monsieur Marius? I think I was a bit in love with you.” What is so different about Eponine that makes her retain a little goodness, when her parents are literally the scum of the earth?
Eponine symbolizes redemption, great patriotism, and rain. She changed because she is willing to be better for Marius to notice her. He will give everything for his loved ones although he will not receive anything in return. She is like the rain, even the sky falls and she can feel hopeless and sad, there is always a rainbow after the storm, there is another day and another hope. She is one of the most tragic and heroic figures in the novel.
The film Les Miserables deserves applause. It’s very inspiring, but some parts are tragic. It also shows many traits that people can reflect. It conveys the message that anyone can change for the better as long as they are willing and love conquers all. The novel that was brought to Broadway is indeed a good choice. It would go on to win multiple awards because the artist justified the characters. It spans decades in which Jean Valjean breaks the lyrics, takes a young woman named Cosette under his wing, and stays on the run from Javert all the time; everything like the French revolution will happen. The production, designs, costumes and the film itself are brilliantly handled. The audience felt like they traveled back to France, but they still feel like they are watching a musical on stage. The actors own their scenes like when Eponine sang “On my account”. Overall the movie is an outstanding movie and they got the message across to the audience. We all feel the emotions of the movie and every scene is worth watching. However, they should give Eponine a little more scene because her story is super youth, appearances and marriage. They also include symbolisms like the yellow ticket when Valjean finally gets out of jail, they gave him a yellow ticket which is a ticket to freedom but it is more like a ticket to a life of misery because the ticket symbolizes social rejection. The silver candlesticks symbolize goodness and how Bishop Myriel is willing to help the poor. Cosette’s doll symbolizes a transformation or a change that is about to occur in her life, when Valjean first visited her, he gave her an expensive doll. It was a great movie and a novel congratulations to the artist, writer, director and all the people who made Los Mirerables.