They Do Justice to Classic French Tale

Rare is the story that can be repeated again and again, yet seem new each time.

Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables” is one such tale. Since its emergence in 1862, it has been published in numerous editions and adapted into at least two dozen films, as well as a blockbuster stage musical that is still drawing crowds after 15 years.

Yet another rendition arrives Sunday, as Fox Family Channel airs a four-hour movie that stars Gerard Depardieu as Jean Valjean, the convict who turns his life around, and John Malkovich as Inspector Javert, the policeman who pursues him, convinced that certain people are irredeemable.

These two actors are perfectly suited to their roles and, although the storytelling is marred by a number of lapses, the film is otherwise riveting.

A joint French-American venture, this “Les Miserables” was shot twice: once, in French, for an eight-hour version to be shown in Hugo’s homeland; and once, in English, for America. Seeing this much of it makes one wish that Fox Family Channel had had the courage to order all eight hours.

Spending the early part of the film with a shaved head and dirt-streaked face, the hulking Depardieu looks almost like Frankenstein’s monster--fearsome yet innately noble.

Malkovich--with his hissing voice and stealthy, feline presence--makes Javert seem like a big cat, tirelessly tracking his prey.

French actress Virginie Ledoyen (“The Beach”) is radiant as Cosette, the daughter whom Valjean adopts in his new life. The father-daughter scenes tenderly illustrate the bonds that sustain them through tough times. Yet, courageously, Depardieu--in league with screenwriter Didier Decoin and director Josee Dayan--leaves a lot of rough edges on Valjean’s character. He’s downright unlikable at times, which has the backhanded effect of making him even more achingly human.

The scheming Thenardiers--who cause Valjean more than a few headaches through the years--are strikingly portrayed by Christian Clavier and Veronica Ferres. Shorter than Ferres, Clavier is the spitting image of Napoleon, with his slicked-down hair and military uniform. Ferres, meanwhile, is wonderfully cast against type. Blond and strikingly beautiful, she looks as though she should be a heroine of the story. But beware the kindness in her face; it’s but a mask.

The France of corrupt Napoleon III is meticulously re-created. One’s eyes jump from detail to detail at a provincial marketplace, where the attractions include a performing bear. And Willy Stassen’s moody cinematography seems to capture the very stench of the murky Paris sewers.

The voice-over narration serves as mere patchwork for events left out of the movie, and about three-quarters of the way through, the story suddenly starts skipping past important, character-developing details. Still, Hugo’s central message comes through loud and clear. We watch as an act of grace ripples through the years, generating multiple new blessings--and we can’t help but be moved.

* “Les Miserables” airs Sunday at 7 p.m. on Fox Family Channel. Part 1 airs again Wednesday at 8 p.m. and Part 2 Thursday at 8 p.m. The network has rated it TV-PG (may be unsuitable for young children).