Les Miserables: Opening Sequence

As stated in the title card, this film is set in 1815, in France.

The more powerful people are wearing smart looking police outfits, of a light blue colour. The prisoners are all wearing dirty, tattered brown uniforms, they are treated badly, and look in physical and psychological pain.  Most of the prisoners heads are shaven but most have long scraggly beards that are clearly not cared for or looked after. The police are wearing hats with neat hair. The actors of the prisoners are wearing make up to make them look tired and angered and the police are made to look strict and powerful.

The prisoners look exhausted and angry, as they are kept in such terrible conditions and that they are there in the first place. There body language shows they are trying to be strong by pulling the boat in but deep down feel drained. The police look smug and are placed higher then the prisoners, so they are looking down on them; they have power over them.

The main police officer is placed in the middle of the part of the boat he is standing on, he is important and powerful. There are many close ups of the prisoners faces, they are all placed to the side of the frame; they are unimportant.

It is dark and misty, this reflects the moods of the prisoners. There is only sunlight when it is behind Javert, he is the 'chosen' guard for them and has the power to be nice or nasty.

There is silence at the start, so that the audience can concentrate on reading the facts that appear in text. A big boom of music, the ship is extremely important, as this is the thing that distinguishes the weak and strong. The prisoners are all singing but with harsh sounds, through gritted teeth; they are angry and bitter. Javert patronises Val Jean; he is in charge and is more than happy to flaunt his success. There is an uplifting tone in the music when Val Jean retrieves the flag; nobody expected him to be strong enough to do it. This shows he is a strong character and may prove himself as strong willed as well as physically strong.

There is an extreme wide shot of the police man standing on top of the boat in the middle. As he is higher up then everyone else, and is looking down, he is powerful and thinks that all the prisoners deserve to be there.

There is also a close up of one of the prisoners. He looks angry and resentful of the man above him; he holds a grudge and wishes to perhaps get his revenge or justice.


There is another extreme wide shot, this time of all of the prisoners working together. They are united against the police force, even though they do not know each other, the one thing they have in common is hatred for the system, and those in power.