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breadvidence · 7 months

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Finally sat through all of Les Misérables 1935, which is of the quality I'd been led to expect (bad). Thoughts, in no particular order:

This version of Cosette is the most savvy to Jean Valjean's history as I've seen in an adaptation--down to knowing who Javert is and the threat he presents--without there being a dramatic confession scene. I think this serves the same function as the confession scenes: Brick!Valjean's dishonesty with her is off-putting, and while I'm not sure Hugo knew that, a lot of adaptations do (and adjust to make him more likable).

This movie, as others, struggles to make Javert the primary villain while not having the material from the original to make it happen. When '35 Valjean declares "This man has persecuted me for twenty years", there's really not the on-screen justification for that, unless he means psychologically. (This is still not as unjustified as musical!Javert's "I've hunted you across the years".) I'm resigned that I might be waiting forever for the adaptation which depicts their dynamic as one of mutual annoyance and surprise.

Whew, did not ward off the implication of incest. Not as bad as '52, but--really--that bar is below ground. As much as Brick!Valjean's hatred of Marius is essential and its absence fucks up the story, watching visual media struggle to communicate it without coming across incestuous really helps defend the musical's decision to dump it. In any case, there's a scene in which Éponine and Valjean are directly equated in their "loss" of Marius and Cosette respectively and it was u n c o m f o r t a b l e.

They took a story held together by coincidence (or fate, if you want to be kind) and added more coincidence (I am not calling this fate) by putting a ramble in Marius' mouth about convicts and unfair prison sentences. Incredible choice.

I'd be curious to see numbers on how many adaptations actually let Jean Valjean die vs. not. This one does not.

I found it genuinely funny when Javert, halfway through a sewer pursuit, stops with a "you know what, fuck this" expression & simply goes back to Valjean's house to wait for him.

Javert's big-ass baton? floats?? gonna be baffled forever, isn't that fucker supposed to be lead-weighted? whatever.

There is a scene in which Jean Valjean is haggling with a man to buy a dog, and I am so used to the intensive use of canine imagery in the Brick that I spent the next twenty minutes of film puzzling over the possible symbolism before realizing that there wasn't any. RIP, my wasted brain cells.

Valjean makes a big deal to Cosette about his going to England as a cover when he expects to be re-arrested (this is a stupid lie on multiple levels, but ok, '35 Valjean, you've had a long twenty-four hours, and the need to be dishonest which is the root of a Valjean welled up). Of course Javert yeets himself into the Seine, and the carriage Valjean said was waiting for him isn't there, so--what? he has to slink back into the house with a big ol' "never mind" having made a massive show of the thing? I feel robbed that this scene was not included.

Charles Laughton ranks above David Oyelowo but beneath Russell Crowe on the personal Javert scale. In 2012 I would have said nobody could rank below Russell Crowe. Life keeps on teaching.

Next up--Shoujo Cosette? Quite possibly Shoujo Cosette.

#les mis #Les Misérables 1935

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javertautismtruther · 11 months

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JAVERT'S SOLILOQUY/SUICIDE

Pain. But alright /j

For those who don't want an extensive rating, this is my ranking, which I made into a ranked Spotify Playlist as well. Feel free to reblog with your own rankings! I'm curious what you all think!

2011 Madrid

2020 Live

French Concept

10th Anniversary

2008 Dutch

1989 Vienna

1991 Paris

Symphonic Recording

French Concert

2012 Movie

1985 London

2010 Live

Now for the ratings, in no particular order. I live-reviewed them as I listened :)

2011 Madrid: This man is DEFINITELY having a breakdown. I understand nothing but I feel his pain. Amazing performance. I LOVE his voice and THE ENDING ???????? WHAT THE FUCK /pos 10/10

1991 Paris: Not a fan of the part before the song, sorry (I know a lot of version add this part, I JUST WANT THE SONG). I can't really feel the mental breakdown with this one and also don't really like this voice. Though I love the instrumentals building up near the end. Don't like this "there's no way to go on" either. Mid version, sorry. 5/10

French Concept: This one definitely has a better breakdown than the '91 French one, though it doesn't beat the Spanish one. I think this voice fits Javert well, though not perfect. While I think the "updated" ending is better, this one isn't bad. 7/10

2020 Live: Again with the pre-song, but okay. It took me a while to get used to Michael Ball as Javert, but I've grown to love him. I think his voice fits the character very well. I can definitely feel the breakdown in this one. 8.5/10

2008 Dutch: My theatre bestie (number 1 Wim fan) will murder me for this but I don't really know how to feel about this Javert's voice fitting. It's not a bad fit, but not perfect either. Acting is a bit mid, though not terrible. Not my favourite version, but definitely okay to listen to. 6.5/10

2010 Live: Pre-song again. I do not like this. I don't like this voice, I don't like this acting. I know this is a fave of some of my friends but I genuinely don't understand how. Maybe he's better in other performances/boots, I don't know. 2/10

Symphonic Recording: Usually the pre-song is at least decent but what is this??? Philip will forever be one of my favourite Javerts though. The acting isn't really "this man is having a genuine breakdown as we speak" but I can definitely feel the emotion. Don't like how it's relatively slow though. 5/10

10th anniversary: Yes we have another Philip xxx This pre-song is definitely better than the Symphonic, so I'll forgive them. It's also faster, which I think fits better with the vibe, and the acting is a tad better. The superior Philip version tbh. The way he screams JAVERT and the scream at the end always get to me. 7/10

2012 movie: I am SO conflicted over this version because the backing instrumentals are SO good but... Russell Crowe. Idk man. Javertcore. 3/10

1985 London: Proof OG isn't always the best, what the fuck is this Javert. I'm sorry but I really don't like his voice and the acting is mid. Bonus points for "Lawrr" though, I like that. 3/10

1989 Vienna: I'll be honest if we'd had a better actor for this song this would have SLAPPED, German somehow really fits this song. It's definitely not terrible though and the acting is very decent. 6.5/10

French Concert: This man is HOLDING BACK TEARS fr, but I kinda dislike how he holds the notes, it takes away from the vibe a little? Still, it's an okay version if you skip the ending 5/10

#les mis #les miserables #les mis musical #Javert #Les Mis Rankings

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the-phantom-of-miserables · 1 year

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I consider myself a hardcore fan of select shows. But in the “I watch the show once and it owns my soul” kind of way. I also like to them get familiar white the actors of the shows I’ve seen but it’s more of a “I absolutely love them and would be happy to see them fall in their face on stage and voice crack because they’re doing their best and that’s enough for me” I just really appreciate all the hard work and love they put into their performances.

Might be the reason I have nothing bad to say about Russel Crowe as Javert.

#les mis #poto broadway #phantom of the opera #russel crowe

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peremadeleine · 4 years

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It was evident that anyone who had known this conscientious, straightfoward, clear, sincere, upright, austere, fierce man, that Javert had suffered from some great inner commotion. [H]e waited...in genuine humility and tranquil resignation, until it should please Monsieur the Mayor to turn towards him, calm, serious, hat in hand, and eyes cast down with an expression between that of a soldier before his officer and a prisoner before his judge. Nothing was left upon this face, simple and impenetrable as granite, except a gloomy sadness. His whole person expressed abasement and firmness, an indescribably courageous dejection.

Les Misérables 1998 | 2012

#javert #jean valjean #lesmisedit #filmedit #Les Misérables #demanding to be fired because he's done something wrong...but he isn't even wrong #but of course you're also glad he thinks he is b/c you're cheering for JVJ #like Javert and JVJ I am v conflicted and i love them both to pieces #I want to protect Javert from himself and his self-loathing #also fight me russell crowe's acting is impeccable here #at least 95% brick-accurate and what more could you ask for #also god bless the screenwriters for adding this sequence to the musical for the movie adaptation #without it Javert looks like the conniving bad guy wanting JVJ to oust himself but he just genuinely thinks he was wrong #ANYWAY just did this on a whim after watching this bit in the 1998 movie #won't say that I think rush is *perfectly* cast bc I do think he's a little too...menacing? wily? something like that? for Javert #but he is really good

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melancholyarchivist · 2 years

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Hello! If you feel like rambling about Javert to another Javert fan, I'd like to know who's your favorite and least favorite (s) Javert from any adaptations!

Aahh yes!! God, ramble icoming then. I'd love to hear yours, too.

Brick Javert is forever my light but to be honest I have very few standards for Javert, he’s such a fun archetype and great character that he tends to shine through even with poor writing. He’s also already a pretty horrible person so he’s easier to get right even when they make him worse. That being said I hate the “not all cops” route most les mis adaptations go where hes literally the only problem in the whole system and its all because he’s uniquely evil or sadisti, or breaks the law. Smarter minds have probably said stuff about it but his problem is not being a bad cop, his problem is that he is a “good cop” but cops are bad, so, he’s bad. (pet peeve but also hate post seine stuff where hes still a cop please my man died for acab let him keep that single W in life</3) Another aside is that all of these are whitewashed but as no lm adaptation has ever casted this role right. So we have to keep making noise about it til someone with half a rain picks up the reigns. But yeah.

Okay. Loveislove for all Javerts, but I’m personally less drawn to those that emphasize his poise+power and make him seem cool and am interested in the ones where he’s absolutely neurotic. I think he should be an insane guy trying to keep it together. Okay, so my faves:

1964′s TINO CARRANO *is* Javert. absolute unmatched king. I love how much of a intensely weird but still capable guy he is. You really get the sense he has his own life outaide of the plot, he keeps to himself just cause he feels like it but he can speak with people fine-- just hates ‘em.I like how much he laughs and makes impressions when he talks. absolute 1-1 brickvert, no doubt in my mimd your honor. There’s a clip of him talking about champmathieu(no subs im sorry, just, his energy, Gah.) that’s just the best. Here:

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Shared fave spot is Anthony Perkins’s unbeated old nerotic queen energy. Absolutely fantastic inspired performance and wow, his insane line reads! My God. Him aging through the years and becoming more pathetic and behind the times as he follows Valjean ending up alone in the chase is not particularly unique, but damn is it done best here. Peak gayvert. I do like when a Javert isn’t necessarily obsessed with Valjean but finds him incredibly annoying á la brick BUT who am I to disagree with a good psychosexual chase. Love it.

1925′s Jean Toulout is another super fave. I love this guy! He rocks. His energy and physicality is so fun and he just has the perfect Javert posture and mannerisms on lock. He made me laugh out loud many times at how funny and brick-esque he acts. Plus lipstick! Absolute queen.

Other faves are shojo Cosette Javert, gah. One of the best adaptations out there real ones know! I love his design, his voice, aura, all of it. Plus fix it end for our guy<3 1948′s Hans Hinrich’s Javert is also real fun. Suffers from bad adaptation, but he’s so smug and fun look at him making fun of Madeleine!

Ulhas in 1955′s Kundan is also particularly great. Amazing Javert physicality and energy, and his face is super close to how imagine Javert. He nails that sweet spot between fanatic devotee, authoratative monster and confused really sad guy.

I will say I also like Oyelowo, Rush and Malkovich, but they all suffer greatly from their adaptations being especially awful too. Particularly Rush and Oyelowo bring the heat with their performances! I love Rush’s wet greasy sad envy and Oyelowo’s righteous arch angel radiance coupled with how petty he is.

As for my sadgirl Javerts. Gah, crazy about them! Not how I see the character in the brick, but as I said, I just love all Javerts so much. This version rocks too.

Russel Crowe can’t sing these notes, yeah, but God it does not matter to me in the slightest in fact it enhances it. Genius performance. He revolutionized the meta. His javert balancing on the roof during stars being like “teehee oh, I’m gonna jump<33 ahh I’ll do it one day watch me<3″ was absolutely lethally good. Him having a crush on Madeleine may be less fun than the Brick’s 2 year spying campaign but god, the drama. This girl is a Mess.

1935′s Charles Laughton has to be seen to be believed, just a sobbing mess from his first scene where he explains about his parents to his superiors. Is it very Javert, who is repressed to hell and back? No, but see, it kind of owns. Where else will you get a Javert patting down Madeleine and complimenting his physique? Where will you get him gritting out “The law. It is the law that wants you, not I.” Greatness. (Terrible Hayes code wash of a film though, not worth it. Cameron Mitchell’s Chadius Pontmercy is hilarious however.) -> (said first scene)

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My favorite musical Javert is Terrence Mann!!! I’m also a drunk stars truther. Javert is psychotic #girl representation and he GETS it. He brings the cats energy that Brick Javert has and more. My next musical fave is Norm Lewis, I love that he has this just under the surfance bubbling emotions that are almost constantly overflowing, but he keeps them in check with a stiff dignity closer and closer to cracking under pressure that I associate w Javert. Flawless.

I also adore Earl Carpenter, I have a real soft spot for Hayden Tee.Tam Mutu is ugh next level too👌👌👌Kunio Murai makes me see red he’s so good as well... I like Bradley Jaden too though I’m not 100 on him cause he sounds so tiny, but I really like the fanatic vibe he brings out. You really do get the feeling he’s a brainwashed insane person.

I don’t think i have any Javert I hate.... maybe dallasvert. I’m not a fan of LMDallas in general apart from having one of the best Marius and Cosettes of all time(not cause of the modern concept it’s just... not good I don’t think) but Wattsvert in particular produces an emotion in me i can only compare to being repeatedly stabbed in the stomach and then contracting anthrax from the wound. I think a lot has to do with his visual presentation(his glasses make me so sick), but his entire presence is just too much wayyy too bad. I mean that’s part of the point but damn take him away from me I don’t wanna see him!

Far, far from hate but I’m not crazy about Quast, perhaps from over-exposure. I think he’s an amazing singer and performer but he just doesn’t embody the part to me as he does for a lot of people. Usually I tend to find him too monotone, and kind of an authorative mask without any of the tasty emotion underneath except for rage. Like all I get from him is poise and anger. I know Javert in the books is a stone wall who doesnt show when he’s upset— but I think the medium of musical exists to externalise that huge emotion inside! It’s silly and cheesy and big! And he doesnt bring that energy for me, just anger and pettiness. Carpenter and Lewis both serve that brand too, but with more nuance added to it…. in my opinion they perfected his formula, so Quast to me is going back to just cake without frosting. That being said, man is that basic cake the groundwork for the rest, and it is great.

I actually made a fancam of sorts for some of my fave javerts haha (mostly musical-- I made this about my favorites from way back, so it’s not very updated either. Anyway:)

ALL OF THIS TO SAY AHH I’d love to hear your takes as well:) Javert fans unite.

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#me.txt #ask #j

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froggiespit · 4 years

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Now listen please please don’t flame me I am so sensitive....but I really don’t think Russel Crowe was that bad in the 2012 Les Mis movie. Listen, he might not be on the same vocal level as the other actors and actresses, but there’s just something about his Javert that feels good to me and I will die on this hill.

#kathy speaks #les miserables #les mis #russell crowe

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uppastthejelliclemoon · 2 years

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Les Misérables, I) A popular opinion that you don’t agree with?

the main one that i STRONGLY disagree with is that the general opinion that the movie was a bad adaptation! listen, i have so many bones to pick with Tom Hooper, but i really love the Les Mis movie!

Anne Hathaway didn't win the Oscar for Fantine just because she's a famous actress! She was such a heartbreaking Fantine, and I don't think a performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" has made me cry more than hers, it was absolutely beautiful!

Also, the song they added for Hugh Jackman when he's leaving with little Cosette is absolutely beautiful! He's honestly one of my favorite Valjean actors!

literally my only casting qualms with the movie is that Russell Crowe is the most lackluster Javert I've ever seen, and I personally don't like Eddie Redmayne's Marius... compared with Aaron Tveit's incredible Enjolras, he just falls a bit flat to me.

Oh, and Samantha Barks is one of the best Éponine actresses!

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the-crowe-and-the-magpie · 3 years

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Another Opinion No One Asked For About Les Mis

Hi! Don’t mind me this is just word vomit.

TL;DR: Michael Ball is an INCREDIBLE Javert and Russel Crowe wasn’t as bad as everyone says

I LIKE Russell Crowe’s portrayal of Javert. Does he have a great singing voice? No, it’s just marginally better than Pierce Brosnan in Mama Mia.

I LOVE Michael Ball’s portrayal of Javert. First time I heard about him playing the part opposite Alfie (loml and resident tiny badass opera man), I was really unsure about it. I own all of Boe-Ball’s albums together and I have always joked that in some of them, you can’t tell they’re duets because Alfie is so damn loud and Michael (AT LEAST IN THESE SONGS) is more of a crooner.

I love the staunch, rigid Javerts: Norm Lewis, Phillip Quast, Roger Allam, Earl Carpenter.

BASICALLY, I love the character of Javert. But hear me out. There is a wild difference between playing him as a living breathing version of the lithograph presented in the novel, and playing him as a very human, very misguided, eventually very, VERY broken victim of the system.

That’s what I liked firstly about Russell’s version. I mean he’s got a naturally sad looking face, first of all, and he played the humble servant of the law in front of Madeleine especially well. Obviously, because he’s Russell Crowe, he also did the intense lashings-out of anger and violence very well. Even up against Hugh Jackman he seems like the kind of dude that could make you bleed if you crossed him the wrong way. Was his the elegant, “Bang. A pistol shot”, commanding figure that the confident, unbroken Javert is? No, there’s nothing particularly elegant about him. But I like him, and I think his chemistry with Hugh is the sort needed for a meaningful examination of that relationship.

NOW. Michael Freaking Ball. Lil baby afroed Marius. The cartoon golden retriever to Alfie Boe’s little-dog-with-a-big-bite. He seems wonderful, I love his dimples, he’s adorable-- very Marius, but Javert?? I was doubtful. I didn’t KNOW that this motherfucker could bust out a big voice when he wanted to. I’d never heard that from him. But again, he and Alfie are so wonderful together and they REALLY play off one another’s tension (i.e. Alfie as JVJ at Toulon, yikes). So I listened to some of the cast recording from their 2019 staged concert before even considering watching it. I didn’t even take it easy and listen to Stars first, oh no. I went right for the Soliloquy.

BITCH I CRIED. I sat on the end of my bed with tears in my eyes, full goosebumps on my arms, breathless. I love this character, I’ve always hated the suicide scene, but this one GOT TO ME. His voice breaks, he runs out of breath, there are tears in the back of his throat which don’t make the notes pretty but it WORKS. THAT is a man on the literal precipice, realizing everything he’s done with his life, not only the obsession with this one man, but the pillars of his certainty that Valjean was as hellbent on revenge as he was, that JVJ HAD to be evil, had to be as mad and driven and bloodthirsty as he was; this all was a lie. He was forgiven, in a soft, kind voice, where he expected a knife. He was so certain of the narrow, black and white world he lived in, and it was all cut out from under him. The truth BROKE him, completely.

Other Javerts have shown this happening really well. Earl Carpenter is one of my favorites, because even through his biting proper English accent you can hear his desperation. But it is a whole other level to completely break down, to somehow sing-scream those last few lines, to reach out into the void he’s singing about and try and grasp it; Michael fuckin’ DID IT. Finally watching the concert fully cemented this for me. He aged himself. He choked himself. He looked like he was in immense physical pain, and goddamn it, it was good. I’m dramatic as fuck but I’m not afraid to tell you I was physically shaking by the end of it.

Am I partial to the broad-shouldered, barn-door Javerts? Absolutely. Does the new staged concert make me contemplate never watching the movie again? Possibly (sorry Hugh). And I don’t have a particular point to make with this long-ass post except to say, everyone is entitled to their opinions and their favorites (just dear god, just disagree and don’t shit on ANY of the casts), and uh, yeah, this is mine. Well done Michael Ball, you sneaky bastard.

#I don't know what this is I just had something to say #and I was gonna SAY it goddamn it #do NOT be an asshole #shut up sarah #les miserables #les mis #alfie boe #michael ball #earl carpenter #roger allam #phillip quast #norm lewis #russell crowe #hugh jackman #les mis 2019 #les mis 2012 #long post

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musicalgifs · 4 years

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Unpopular: Russell Crowe wasn’t that bad as Javert, and the movie wasn’t bad either. I will die on this hill, I cannot be convinced otherwise.

i agree tbh!! i don’t think he was the best javert ever or anything but his voice was okay and his acting was great. and i do have beef with the movie (the existence of suddenly, cutting grantaire’s drink with me verse, SANTA???) but overall i do really love it and i wouldn’t have gotten into musicals if not for it

#unpopular opinion #criticcorner1

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enthusiasticmusicalquotes · 4 years

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QUESTION OF THE DAY #6: Send me your most unpopular theatre opinion. Something that might make someone want to fight you. Please don’t be offensive (racist, misogynistic, etc.), but other than that…go as hard as you want. Spill all the tea.

MY ANSWERS: 1) The Pretty Woman score fucking slaps idek, 2) Come From Away (or even Bandstand...) should’ve won the 2017 Best Musical Tony, 3) I prefer the West End Heathers cast album to Off Broadway, 4) Shows shouldn’t sweep the Tonys just because they’re Best Musical worthy...shows that aren’t too critically acclaimed but have really impressive elements should get recognition too.

SUMMARY: Out of 37 responses: 5 were about Dear Evan Hansen, 3 were about Hamilton specifically, 2 were about: Rent, ALW, Wicked, In The Heights, Be More Chill, etc. etc....if your favorite musical is one of these and you get easily offended i wouldn’t read these.

NOTE: I agree with some of these, I highly disagree with others. I do not endorse any of the things that were said, I am simply sharing them with you all. These were what was sent to me. I’m going to number them so if you want to complain about or agree with one you can send me an ask with the number you’re referring to.

1. howmuchchildrens said: unpopular opinion: i really liked the 2012 version of les mis. i liked russel crowe as javert.

2. Anonymous said: Unpopular opinion: Bootlegs harm to local theatre communities, though I do not believe anyone intends for that to be the case. While it's possible to bootleg responsibly (and I might even say it's beneficial to do so), those who may not know the intricacies of theatrical copyright law or who haven't heard the horror stories from a theatre that's been hit with legal action DUE to a bootleg may record or watch a show irresponsibly, which can greatly harm other routes of theatre accessibility.

3. Anonymous said: Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals are mostly terrible. He only got and stayed popular because a lot of other musical creators and taste makers died in the AIDS epidemic

4. Anonymous said: Almost all musicals using the songs of one artist are cash grabs with no plot or point.

5. Anonymous said: If your musical only has 1 woman OR the women only get sad/romantic songs you need to do something else with your life.

6. nerdshrimp said: Unpopular opinion: Next To Normal does a better job of portraying the effects of mental illness than Dear Evan Hansen does. N2N also doesn't romanticise mental illness & excuse shitty behavior like DEH tries to

7. Anonymous said: Hadestown is a lesser show on Broadway. I fell in love with the live album, and I was so excited for it to come to Broadway. I was so disappointed to see the changes they made. Orpheus and Eurydice's relationship is less interesting and more generic. The changed lyrics are often sloppy and not as good as the original. They fucking wrecked Epic III. Also, no hate to R/ee/ve, but he's just not a good enough singer to convince me that he could soften the heart of Hades. His high notes are awful.

8. Anonymous said: opinion: we are the tigers deserves a broadway run or at least a proshot

9. bimystique said: e/c is NOT A GOOD FUCKING SHIP. the ENTIRE PLOT OF PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is christine trying to escape erik's abuse. WHAT FUCKING PART OF THAT IS ROMANTIC TO YOU PEOPLE.

10. Anonymous said: unpopular theatre opinion(s): Dear Evan Hansen is Very Bad for its handling of mental illness, Hamilton is overrated and praised too much, and high school/college musical theatre programs can be just as good as Broadway. (also, musical movies would be better if they hired broadway actors, but that's not an unpopular opinion)

11. Anonymous said: I don’t like Lin Manuel Miranda and Hamilton is overrated

12. Anonymous said: I don’t like dear Evan Hansen..... at all. I think it’s kind of boring and really overhyped.

13. Anonymous said: unpopular opinion: in the heights is far better than Hamilton. both are good but ith hits different yknow

14. Anonymous said: The bring it on and legally blonde musicals are BAD! The movies are 100 times better

15. Anonymous said: unpopular opinion? wicked is the epitome of white feminism. it's preached as super great for representation but we literally got the first black glinda in 2019?!?!?!? and before that woc could only play elphaba who's villainized and deemed evil by the whole city

16. Anonymous said: Not so much an opinion as a reaction, but of all Lin's works (ITH, Bring it On, 21 Chump Street, Hamilton), 21 Chump Street gets the biggest emotional reaction of all the cast recordings. The second Justin is like "I don't want your money" (And then later on with the "...what the heck did you.... dooooo", I am a complete goner. Worse than Abuela Claudia and Philip Hamilton's deaths combined

17. Anonymous said: Whenever Je.ssie Mu.eller hits certain notes, she sounds like Tommy Pickles from Rugrats.

18. Anonymous said: aotd6: not everyone knows what im talking about, but the cats 2016 broadway revival choreography was WAYYYY better than the original. the original had a lot of creepy uncomfortable moments and the new one looks way cleaner and up to date

19. Anonymous said: raoul is better than the phantom in every conceivable way

20. Anonymous said: I hate Anastasia so much. it's such a boring show and the music is uninteresting. I wanted to like it so bad but GOD is it boring.

21. Anonymous said: In the Heights.... Overrated.

22. Anonymous said: I do not know if this is an unpopular opinion or not, but here is my opinion: Musicals that are entirely or nearly entirely songs (Hamilton, Hadestown, In The Heights, etc) are the most valid bc I can understand the plot without using wikipedia (I'm looking at you, Jagged Little Pill, I love you but what is your plot????)

23. Anonymous said: I'd rather have a bad film adaptation than no film adaptation

24. Anonymous said: Rent sucks and while it was a stepping stone for more ""controversial"" topics to appear on Broadway it's actually biphobic and features several generally terrible people doing generally terrible things and doesn't actually address the real crisis at all; it's all performative wokeness. The only real good it did was cast a bunch of "nobodies" for the time and make theater somewhat more accessible.

25. stardust-and-seas said: Dear Evan Hansen doesn't properly address mental health despite being about mental health and resolves nobodies character arcs satisfactorily. It's another show that reaches its hands around the throats of marginalized teenagers saying "look I'm relatable!!" The songs taken out of context are significantly more powerful than when placed in the context of the show, which gives us exactly zero evidence of Evan's work to improve and also never resolves Evan's u healthy goals in the first place.

26. stardust-and-seas said: Be More Chill is a raging dumpster fire and the only decent song from it, Michael in the Bathroom, reads as a whiny rich white boy whose potential social anxiety and depression is left ambiguous, which is exactly what it is. When taken out of context it better exemplifies the othering that happens to marginalized groups but lets be real here: bullying/cliques don't happen to "just anyone"; it's the marginalized groups that are othered and abandoned for not being "normal"

27. stardust-and-seas said: There's a difference between shows that don't take themselves seriously because they're meant to be fun and light and shows that pretend not to take themselves too seriously but want to be taken seriously by the audience and the latter always ends up mediocre at best

28. redueka said: i think that dear evan hansen handles every issue it presents badly. i also think that beetlejuice was badly directed

29. Anonymous said: Well I don’t EVER condone cheating, I’m team Jamie in the last five years. He tried so hard to make their relationship and life good, and Cathy gave him nothing in return

30. youcanlolyoucansayohwell said: The answer of the day- I don't get the BMC hype. I'm out of the age bracket it's meant for that might it be. I enjoy it but I don't think it's the greatest thing in the world like some theatre fans do.

31. Anonymous said: i like the rent 2005 recording better than the obcr

32. Anonymous said: unpopular opinion ? : the music of wicked just like isn’t that good. like it’s good but it’s not like, Good, yknow. it’s pretty standard it doesn’t stand out to me. kinda boring

33. Anonymous said: mari.ah r.ose fa.ith is not a good regina george. everything she says sounds monotonous and while i understand she's trying to play off the ""whatever"" teenager (she does this a lot with her teenage characters), 90% of the time she sounds and looks like she doesn't want to be there; her voice is great but most songs feel unnatural and forced and she changes them too much. she's just not selling regina to me as a believable character (this is all from a technical point of view)

34. Anonymous said: Unpopular Opinion: as much as i like musicals based on movies (like waitress), i think not every movie needs to be a musical.

35. Anonymous said: Unpopular opinion (?) the emojiland musical Kinda Slaps

36. Anonymous said: as one of my high school tech theatre teachers once said: "Andrew Lloyd Webber is overrated"

37. Anonymous said: sorry to whoever likes it but Seussical is an absolutely nonsense crackpot plot disguised with okay-to-good music, like I don't even know where to start. I was in the show and didn't even know there was an entire secondary plot line featuring sending children to war until we were halfway through rehearsals

#qotd #not a quote #in some places i put dots in the name so it didn't show up in the tag by accident

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coolrobotsupremacist · 3 years

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Liam Neeson was a really good Valjean in theory. I think it would be cool if he starred in another adaptation, one more faithful to the character. Likewise, I feel like Russell Crowe could have been a good Javert in a non-singing role that was also more faithful to his character.

It's been a while since I've seen 98' les mis but I remember feeling that Liam Neelson was pretty believable as Valjean, if perhaps a little too traditionally heroically handsome, at least until Javert's suicide....

(As a side note, Liam Neeson joyously strolling through hordes of doves away from Javert's suicide is one of the funniest scenes in any adaptation of Les Mis 10/10)

And whatever else he brought to the role I think Russel Crowe had the right spirit at least, especially as he was technically in an adaption of an adaption which further obfuscated the role, musical!Javert being a different beast altogether from brick!Javert.

But anyway; the spirit of the thing.

I think that's probably the most important thing in any adaption: translating the spirit of the work. Religious adherence to the text is less important than conveying its meaning. This is why shoujo cosette, which understood both the spirit of the characters as well as the themes of les mis overall, is so beloved even though it's not always 100% brick canon accurate, whereas something like BBC Les Mis is so universally loathed even while claiming to be a "book accurate" adaption.

(BBC Les Mis butchered almost all the characters but even then it could have had some merit of they had just understood that the book isn't an edgy story about bad things happening because the world is harsh, but a call to action saying yes things are bad but it's out responsibility and within our power to make things better. And it wasn't even that accurate to the book, y'know that one insufferable selling point that BBC Les Mis wouldn't shut up about?)

So, yeah, I kind of agree; maybe both their performances could have been uplifted by a "better" adaption. However instead of wishing for what might never be, I think it's important to appreciate individual slices of goodness within the plethora of bad/weird/confusing adaptation choices that even some of the most praiseworthy Les Miserables adaptations have made. Nothing is perfect but we can love the good and try to understand the bad.

Additionally what makes an adaption good is so subjective that it's near meaningless I might want to salt the very earth that your ideal adaption grows upon; likewise upon glimpsing my ideal adaption you might douse it in gasoline and reach for the matches.

#les mis #And yes even BBC les mis has some things I can be nice about #but I have to dig deep

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roadtohell · 4 years

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ok here are my final bbc les mis thoughts... i know i’m v late to the party but if anyone also has thoughts i’d like to hear them!

it’s probably not gonna sound like it, but i DID actually quite enjoy it as general entertainment. most of my complaints come from my interpretation of the source material as well as the 2012 film (which is impossible not to compare to)- if it was an original story i wouldn’t have nearly as many reservations.

things i really liked include:

absurdly cute baby marius, who i would die for

happy fantine :) for a bit

the handling of gillenormand and his relationship with marius, which i felt was v book-accurately sad and screwed up but also sweet when the time came

the thenardiers- the fact that they still retain a bit of the comedic edge only adds to the repulsiveness of their deeds imo.

things i really disliked include:

most of valjean’s character- he was generally angry and unlikeable. i think davies intended to highlight his struggle to do good, which isn’t an inherently bad goal, as book valjean totally has questionable moments followed by rackings of guilt (see: his attitude towards marius). the problem with the series portrayal is that what should be mostly internal conflict instead manifests itself in actively poor treatment of others throughout the whole story. sure, bbc valjean gives out money like it grows on trees. he also angrily fires fantine for lying while he himself lives a lie, stiffs gavroche on delivery money and tells him to buzz off, and makes cosette watch a chain gang to prove a point. it’s... an interesting angle, no doubt, but it misses the whole point of valjean’s story- the transformative power of kindness- by a mile.

a lot of adult cosette’s portrayal and especially her relationship with valjean. i get it, people often consider her tricky to write, boring, more of a symbol etc. etc. and feel the need to jazz her appearances up a bit. davies does not do a good job of this. her curiosity and idealism is framed as being frustratingly naive, as if to justify valjean’s overt possessiveness and control over her. he ends up physically restraining her over their “i want to see the world-” “well, the world sucks and i’m just protecting you” fight they spend most of their time having, which isn’t even resolved one way or another. the last episode does treat her better, thank god, but the cosette=love thing is less impactful when she’s literally pulled out the “i hate you” line. 😬

javert’s absurd level of valjean obsession- he honestly becomes a bit of a joke, eventually assuming valjean is the leader of the rebellion for no reason other than it involves crime. besides diminishing his competency, it’s actually easy to forget that he’s guided by his rigid sense of justice, not just his VPS (valjean positioning system). one day an adaptation will really take the time to explore how javert’s worldview applies beyond valjean, including to himself (i’ve always loved the brick scene where he asks mr madeleine to fire him), but it’s definitely not this one.

the sexualisation, jfc. frankly i think davies should be guillotined just for his interview statements on this topic. of all people, he decided to sexualise eponine and cosette. no i will not elaborate. there are also countless unnecessary implications, including between valjean and fantine, valjean and MARIUS, and a random convent girl onscreen for 0.2 seconds just to say she was looking forward to sex. but at least there was no santa sex scene, i guess?

thenardier straight up says he’s going into the slave trade and marius still gives him money... tf

the two boys gavroche looked after, starving in the street, is the final shot. because we all needed another dose of misery.

while i adore the musical, i can imagine why davies doesn’t enjoy it- it has no subtlety whatsoever with its messages about god, love, the LAW, revolution, death and everything else. add that to tom hooper’s dutch angles and extreme closeups and you have something that could easily be considered way over the top. davies presumably wanted to create a story that, as well as containing more plot than the musical, felt less preachy~ and more grounded in reality. in this, i think he succeeds- events are fairly book accurate, and a lot of the changes he does make, regardless of whether i like them, would certainly check out in the real world.

but hugo was one opinionated writer, and so treating les mis like a historical event comes at a cost. davies might despise the musical’s “doggerel lyrics”, but they are true to the novel’s message of compassion and love. in this series, the hope that shines through now and again is always quashed with little reflection; discussion on social justice, so clearly outlined in hugo’s introduction as the book’s purpose, is kept at arm’s length. therefore davies’ more cynical storytelling and characterisation, which also minimises hugo’s religious and political ideas, ultimately loses touch with the heart of les mis.

nobody who benefits this much from the musical’s success has the right to be such a dick about it, especially when the end product isn’t even better. to be clear, i think it’s a good series, and as an adaptation it could be a lot worse. but it’s hard to ignore questionable characterisation, sexualisation, and general steering away from the central ideas of its source material. i’d prefer to sit through russell crowe’s stars any day.

#such is life #24601 #bbc les mis #this got long #i was trying to be balanced #and not be too [knife emoji]#pretty much everything i don't mention #i thought was ok #anyway watch les mis 2012

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queendomcosplay · 5 years

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I’m gonna be controversial and say that Russell Crowe’s Javert was the best Javert. Now, I know a lot of people shit on his performance, saying it’s very bland and there’s no passion in it, and I can admit when I first saw the movie in theaters, I was of the same opinion. But having watched the movie multiple times over the last year, I have found myself absolutely captives by his portrayal of Javert. Every single action Russell Crowe does as Javert is incredibly meticulous and controlled, and which gives every single shot of him weight and nuisance that a lot of people seem to miss. He’s controlled, apathetic, and narrow minded, with his only bursts of emotion really being toward Valjean and the Amis. Javert doesn’t care about people’s motives or their wellbeing, his only goal is to maintain the law to the letter, and when he is confronted with the fact that things are not as simple and orderly as he originally thought, he finds himself unable to cope with this reality, thus leading to his suicide. This display of his core beliefs is actually best shown in Russell Crowe’s vocal performances, which most people seem to write off as a terrible, bad performance when in reality they’re actually incredibly brilliant. Javert is never wavering in his belief that he is in the right, and Stars perfectly showcases that. Russell Crowe’s proformance is like a metronome; it is perfectly tightly controlled and never once strays from the music that is written on the paper. There is no virbrato, no outpouring of emotions. It entire performance tells you exactly what you need to know about Javert and his convictions, and the scene itself does a beautiful job of foreshadowing Javert’s eventual break down and suicide. In fact, the only time Javert loses that metronomic quality is his suicide, when we get a glimpse of that emotion as he stares into the void, preparing to let himself fall. We do see brief glimpses of emotions, most notably actually being the Fine Collection scene, where Javert is speaking to the Thénardiers, and you can tell exactly what he is feeling because his eyes betray it all. Every single action and emotion is so calculated and meticulously done, and Russell Crowe deserves all the love for it because he became Inspector Javert.

#les mis #les miserables #les mis movie #javert #inspector javert #the brick #victor hugo

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mulletcal · 4 years

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bro whAt who the hell dragged russell crowe when he was amazing as javert i love him

His ACTING especially as Javert was *chefs kiss* you really saw the struggle Javert faces between good and bad. Les mis is my SHIT I’m in a discord RP group if I’m being honest bc I love it SO MUCH.

Have you ever read the novel? It’s totally not a requirement obv but I love it bc you get such a true sense that Javert was never really the villain of the story.

#i met so many amazing people bc of les mis especially

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obsessivelollipoplalala · 4 years

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charlottemadison42 replied to your photo: @charlottemadison42 For some reason, your replies...

yaaaas to all of this. Also certain people’s replies to me are showing up in weird spots, like not in my dashboard? Or else without a reply button? Not sure why that is, new to this hellsite. I will read the hell out a Russell Crowe Javert-trashing post any day. How were the choices for that film adaptation sometimes SO good and sometimes SO bad? [remembers going to CATS] [twice] Oh riiiight

Ayyy this reply works lol. Maybe tumblr is glitching out with replies on and off. But GOD okay, let’s talk about Javert; he can fucking STEAL the show. My favorite version is also from the 10th anniversary concert, played by Philip Quast:

youtube

This man. GETS IT. Javert is supposed to embody the cold, harsh, unforgiving law. He’s supposed to be intimidating and have a commanding presence when he enters a room. Russell Crowe was so underwhelming! What a terrible character to have such an underwhelming performance of! Javert is one of my favorite musical antagonists, and then Crowe just......sucked. It wasn’t just the vocals, because Anne Hathaway didn’t sing great, but she acted her heart out, and I think that matters more in a film adaptation; Crowe just acted so bland and disinterested as Javert. It sucks, because a great Javert could have easily gotten an Academy Award nom for Best Supporting Actor, because the role is that strong.

ALSO. There’s the scene towards the end (spoilers for my other followers lol) where Gavroche is dead on the street among the other dead revolutionaries, and then Crowe’s Javert takes off his medal and puts it on his body. What?! That’s so out of character! It’s Valjean sparing Javert, and that act alone, which makes him go through an existential crisis so severe that he jumps off a bridge. The lines go:

Who is this man? What sort of devil is he To have me caught in a trap And choose to let me go free? It was his hour at last To put a seal on my fate Wipe out the past And wash me clean off the slate! All it would take Was a flick of his knife. Vengeance was his And he gave me back my life!

Like....he wouldn’t give a shit about Gavroche being dead lmao. I suspect that was the director’s choice, but man, yeah, the movie got some things sooo right (and overall I do really enjoy it), but some things so wrong. On my iPod, I have the movie soundtrack, and then I have Javert’s songs and “Master of the House” replaced with the 10th anniversary concert versions lol

and we’re not gonna touch Cats lmao

#replies #les miz #Les Miserables

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