Brief Summary
This video analyzes the 2012 film adaptation of "Les Misérables," focusing on the vocal performances of the main cast and how they impact the musical's structure and emotional delivery. The video argues that the film's insistence on live on-set singing, combined with questionable directorial choices and the actors' preparation methods, resulted in performances that often devalued the music and misrepresented the original show. Despite some redeeming performances from the younger cast, the video concludes that the film ultimately fails to capture the essence of "Les Misérables" due to its flawed approach to musical theater.
- Russell Crowe's vocal performance as Javert is criticized for technical issues and a lack of musicality.
- Anne Hathaway's acting-focused performance as Fantine, while emotionally powerful, sacrifices vocal quality and musicality.
- Hugh Jackman's extreme method acting, including dehydration, is deemed dangerous and detrimental to his vocal performance as Jean Valjean.
- The performances of Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, and Samantha Barks are highlighted as exceptions, demonstrating the potential of live singing when executed by experienced musical theater performers.
Intro
The video introduces "Les Misérables" as a straightforward musical with easily identifiable themes and motifs, using the bishop's song to Valjean and Marius's grief song as examples of recurring music with different lyrics. The author initially intended to create a simple video about the musical's symmetrical structure but was derailed by the poor quality of the 2012 film adaptation. The author expresses disbelief at how badly the film misrepresented the music, stating that the performances are not just bad but "literally wrong."
Russell Crowe's Performance as Javert
The video critiques Russell Crowe's performance as Javert, acknowledging that while many find it subpar, there are underlying reasons for its failure. Despite Crowe's extensive singing experience since 1980, his performance in the film suffers due to a lack of musical theater experience and potentially conflicting advice from multiple vocal coaches. The author explains the complexities of vocal technique and pedagogy, highlighting the misuse of vocal terms and the challenges of navigating the vocal world. Crowe's performance is compared to someone wearing water wings in the Olympics, questioning why Cameron Macintosh allowed it to happen.
Cameron Macintosh and Tom Hooper's Vision
The video discusses Cameron Macintosh's control over the film rights to "Les Misérables" and his desire for a film adaptation that would involve the original show's team. Tom Hooper's vision of recording the show live on set is what ultimately won Macintosh over. The author criticizes Hooper's decision to have the cast sing live on set, calling it a "stupid amount of time and effort" due to the noisy environment of movie sets and the technical challenges of capturing a studio-quality sound. The author points out the difficulty of syncing orchestra hits with the actors' performances, using the scene of Valjean tearing up his parole as an example.
Technical Issues and Musical Structure
The video continues to critique Crowe's performance, citing his struggles to hit the notes at the end of "Stars" as an example of his vocal shortcomings. The author argues that Crowe's performance not only sounds bad but also messes with the structure of the music. The confrontation scene between Javert and Valjean is analyzed, highlighting how the film's flubbed lines make it difficult for first-time listeners to understand the narrative. The author emphasizes the importance of the musical structure in conveying the conflict between the two characters and how the film's poor performances devalue the music.
Anne Hathaway's Performance as Fantine
The video shifts its focus to Anne Hathaway's performance as Fantine, acknowledging that she won an Oscar for it but questioning its vocal quality. The author discusses the importance of avoiding crying while singing, as it can negatively impact vocal performance. While Hathaway's performance is praised as a theatrical and acting achievement, it is criticized as a vocal performance. The author suggests that Hathaway's focus on acting overshadowed her vocal performance, resulting in a rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" that is not suitable for a Spotify playlist.
Musical Theater Language and Hathaway's Choices
The video explains the language of musical theater, where emotions build from talking to singing to dancing. "Les Misérables" is unique in that it is almost entirely sung, making it more like an opera. However, the film deviates from this structure by prioritizing acting over singing, resulting in less emotionally intense performances. The author argues that this approach undermines the power of the music. Hathaway's choice to sing "Come to Me" in a way that sounds like the ravings of a dying woman is criticized for obscuring the song's musical connection to other parts of the show.
Hugh Jackman's Performance as Jean Valjean
The video then focuses on Hugh Jackman's performance as Jean Valjean, which the author argues is also flawed. Jackman's decision to deprive himself of water for 36 hours to lose weight is revealed, a practice the author deems dangerous and detrimental to his vocal performance. The author contrasts this with the extreme measures vocalists take to protect their voices, such as vocal rest, dietary restrictions, and careful monitoring of their bodies. The author expresses disbelief that Jackman would risk permanent damage to his voice for a physical transformation.
Dangerous Practices and Exhaustion
The video continues to criticize the film's production practices, highlighting the dangers of having performers sing at full blast for 10 hours straight. The author expresses concern that the entire cast was at risk of damaging their vocal folds. The author suggests that these practices are a major reason why the performances in the film are subpar. Jackman's singing is described as sounding like "rubbing two pieces of sandpaper together." The author also criticizes the treatment of the orchestra, who were also subjected to long hours of playing.
Questionable Choices and Musical Structure
The video points out questionable choices made in the film, such as Jackman's decision to belt "Bring Him Home" as loud as he can, which goes against the song's intended demonstration of vocal control. The author also criticizes Jackman's half-spoken delivery of a line from "One Day More" during his opening soliloquy, arguing that it undermines the musical structure of the work. The author emphasizes that this line is Valjean's call to destiny and that its poor delivery diminishes its significance.
The Saving Grace: The Younger Cast
The video shifts to a more positive note, highlighting the performances of Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, and Samantha Barks as older Cosette, Marius, and Éponine, respectively. These three are credited with "stealing the show" and proving that the live recording concept could work. Redmayne's performance of "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" is praised for its dynamic range, and Barks's experience playing Éponine on stage is evident in her performance. The author contrasts these performances with those of Jackman and Crowe, highlighting the importance of musical theater experience.
Perfection Amidst Imperfection
The video emphasizes the contrast between the performances of the younger cast and the older cast, describing the trio of Seyfried, Redmayne, and Barks as "perfection." The author questions why the film insisted on 12 consecutive hours of takes when these performers only needed one or two takes to deliver excellent performances. The video also mentions Tom Hooper's attempt to replicate the live recording concept in the 2019 film "Cats," which was a critical failure. The author concludes by noting that the actors themselves are aware that they are capable of better performances than what is seen in the film.
Conclusion
The video concludes by reiterating that "Les Misérables" is a good musical and that the performers are talented, but the film's unreasonable circumstances and flawed approach resulted in a subpar adaptation. The author expresses disappointment that the film failed to capture the essence of the musical, despite its simplicity and straightforwardness.
