Oscars 2013: Why audiences still relate to 'Les Miserables'

By Aaron Edwards, Digital First Media

Posted: 02/19/2013 02:35:06 PM PST

Updated: 02/20/2013 08:00:41 AM PST

This film image released by Universal Pictures shows Anne Hathaway as Fantine in a scene from "Les Miserables." (AP Photo/Universal Pictures)

View the story "Oscars 2013: Why audiences still relate to 'Les Miserables'" on StorifyOscars 2013: Why audiences still relate to 'Les Miserables'Do you hear the people sing? The lyrics in the popular musical "Les Miserables" have stood the test of time in part because parallels can be drawn between 1800s France and now. Will that relatability help its chances at tugging hearts and snagging an Oscar?Storified by Digital First Media· Wed, Feb 20 2013 07:59:18What is it about the song "On My Own" from the musical "Les Miserables" that moves people to tears? And why, after so many years does "At the End of the Day" still capture the plight of the working class? Yes, in part it's because they are just plain sad, though the circumstances surrounding those and other songs from the musical capture raw emotions and themes that mean just as much in 2013 as they did in the 1800s.As the 85th annual Academy Awards inch closer, it's worth taking a look at how Victor Hugo's original themes prove just as identifiable in Tom Hooper's 2012 popcorn version of the musical.(All photos via Laurie Sparham and Universal
Advertisement
Pictures)

"Look Down," "At the End of the Day" and the 99 percent

VcstarThe Lyrics
Look down and show some mercy if you can
Look down, look down, upon your fellow man!

At the end of the day you're another day colder
And the shirt on your back doesn't keep out the chill
And the righteous hurry past, they don't hear the little ones crying
And the winter is coming on fast, ready to kill
One day nearer to dying!

What they're singing about: As French prisoners heave and toil under the watchful eye of the tyrannical police chief Javert and his henchmen, they sing about their descent to the lowest of the low -- the world's most despicable criminals. In the stage musical, they are joined by the beggars, pimps, prostitutes and lower-class denizens who yearn and plead for equality and their fair share from the elite.What it means today: Comparisons between "Les Mis" and the Occupy Wall Street movement, which brought together people decrying corporate greed and economic disparity, have been made to the nines, but could there really be a more perfect representation of it than from a large-scale musical?

"I Dreamed a Dream," and why we can't have nice things

WordpressThe LyricsI dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high, and life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgivingWhat she's singing about: Think your life is hard? Instagram won't load on your iPhone? Had to walk an extra flight of stairs to catch the train? Your toil probably isn't as bad as that of Fantine, one of the shortest-lived but most-loved characters in the history of musical theater.Her daughter's father abandoned her, some lame ladies at her job got real catty and pretty much got her fired over a letter, she sells her hair, teeth and clothing, turns to prostitution, presumably contracts several diseases, then dies. (Your Starbucks mocha frap is ready, by the way. It's a little hot.)What it means today: The thing about Fantine's character is though the worst of the world comes down on her shoulders, she rarely complains. Her internal monologue in "I Dreamed a Dream" is essentially a list of her life's struggles and some uncontested truths: "But there are dreams that cannot be / And there are storms we cannot weather." The takeaway in 2013? Life is no walk in the park, and so-called "first world problems" are never really as bad as we make them out to be.

The "Master of the House" and ... John Boehner?

ColliderThe LyricsMaster of the house, keeper of the zoo
Ready to relieve 'em of a sou or two
Watering the wine, making up the weight
Pickin' up their knick-knacks when they can't see straightWhat he's singing about: Monsieur Thenardier and his wife provide some much-needed comic relief in "Les Mis" as owners of a hole-in-the-wall inn who are known for swindling, tricking and over-charging those who saunter through their doors. In "Master of the House," as the oblivious patrons of the inn sing his praises, Thenardier whispers to the audience about how he tricks them out of money and possessions: "Charge 'em for the lice, extra for the mice / Two percent for looking in the mirror twice!"What it means today: There's the obvious connection between the "Master of the House" and the Speaker of the House John Boehner (namely their monikers), but could there be a deeper lesson in the song for our country's politicians? What is promised versus what is delivered is always a main point of contention between constituents and the people they elect to office. Though Thenardier is something of a man among the people, and Boehner's successes and failures as Speaker can sometimes be left to personal interpretation, one thing is for sure: corruption isn't in short supply in government.

"Do You Hear the People Sing?", "One Day More" and the Middle East

TumblrThe LyricsDo you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men?
It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again!

When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!

Tomorrow we'll discover what our God in Heaven has in store
One more dawn, one more day ... one day more!

What they're singing about: After the death of General Lamarque, a popular defender of the poor and working class (the rebel leader Enjolras calls him "the people's man"), the young rebels decide it is time to rally the people and mount a revolution in Paris. The film and musical situation is based off a real-life rebellion known as the June Rebellion, which took place over the course of two days and was ultimately unsuccessful.What it means today: About two years ago, cities in the Middle East erupted into chants, protests and uprisings against the grips of tyrannical governments. What became known as the Arab Spring turned the world's eye to Egypt and other countries in the Middle East -- places like Syria became dinner-table conversation yet again. The strong cooperation among angry citizens culminated into a bedlam of governmental ousters and restructuring of power. Though the uprising that sets the stage for much of "Les Mis" was unsuccessful, it underlines a motif people have been more accustomed to seeing in newspapers and on the evening news: people standing up for change.

"On My Own" and how we're all basically in the "friend zone"

FilmofiliaThe LyricsOn my own, pretending he's beside me
All alone, I walk with him 'til morning

Without him, I feel his arms around me
And when I lose my way, I close my eyes
And he has found me

What she's singing about: Eponine, the once-favorite child of the Thenardiers and best friend to Marius, the dapper young revolutionary, is stuck in a place so many of us have been: the dreaded "friend zone." Marius loves Cosette, adopted daughter of protagonist Jean Valjean, and is almost completely oblivious to Eponine's feelings for him. In the rain, she laments her situation (and still manages to look fabulous while doing so).What it means today: It would seem that today's youth have been inundated with the message that their pursuit of love and happiness will forever be clouded by the inescapable noise of the Internet and the unnavigable hedge maze that is 21st-century courtship. In a New York Times article that so dutifully kicked off 2013, one source goes so far as to say that "dating culture has evolved to a cycle of text messages, each one requiring the code-breaking skills of a cold war spy to interpret." Though Eponine's conundrum is one of unrequited love and not a confusing mess of smiley faces and "lols," her pain is one felt by all. We almost never know where we stand nowadays, do we?

Font Resize

Return to Top

• FAQ: Article commenting how-tos and tips

(From the last 12 hours)

Oscars 2013: Why audiences still relate to 'Les Miserables'

Top Classifieds