Today, generally speaking, we're all feeling down.
Les Misérables, a poignant new film written and directed by Ladj Ly, is garnering critical acclaim and earning nominations, including an Oscar nod. The film presents perspectives on social injustice and police brutality in France, striking a chord with contemporary societal issues.
Parallel to monumental films such as Orson Welles' Citizen Kane and François Truffaut's The 400 Blows, Les Misérables showcases bold storytelling and powerful social commentary, highlighting the struggles of marginalized communities in France.
Having premiered at Cannes in 2019, winning the Jury Prize, and resonating deeply with contemporary societal issues, this film has positioned itself as a significant contribution to cinema. Like its predecessors, it offers a raw and thought-provoking portrayal of society, using cinema as a platform to stimulate dialogue and challenge the status quo.
The eye of the drone, guided by a young boy, delivers a chilling gaze over the burning social fabric. Here, the real protagonist isn't the mixed community of the suburbs but a humanized police officer struggling to understand this turbulent world, a world in which he finds himself not so far removed.
With style and skill, Ly, a 40-year-old Frenchman of Malian origin, takes the iconography of the Parisian suburbs inaugurated by Mathieu Kassovitz's La Haine and blurs its outlines to reflect the current socio-political landscape. In fact, the story is openly inspired by Victor Hugo's masterpiece, offering a contemporary interpretation of Les Misérables set against the backdrop of modern France.
In his debut, Ly stays away from didacticism and maintains a strong cinematic aesthetic, far from becoming a sociological treatise. This film is a cinematic ode to the Parisian suburbs, blending the energy of a rap serenade with the grandeur of a western ballad. Ladj Ly's Les Misérables promises to endure the test of time, cementing its place among other unforgettable debut films.
[References:
- https://www.rogerebert.com/sightings/les-miserables-2019-review
- https://www.indiewire.com/2020/02/les-miserables-review-oscar-nominee-ladj-ly-1202177146/
- https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/may/21/les-miserables-review-cannes-2019-ladj-ly
- https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/18/movies/cannes-film-festival-review-les-miserables.html]
Work on Les Misérables, the film directed by Ladj Ly, offers a fresh take on entertainment, blending bold storytelling and powerful social commentary to bring attention to contemporary societal issues, particularly social injustice and police brutality in France. Moreover, just as movies-and-tv like Orson Welles' Citizen Kane and François Truffaut's The 400 Blows have made a significant impact, Les Misérables positions itself as a significant contribution to cinema, using cinema as a platform for stimulating dialogue and challenging the status quo.
