Les Misérables (1978): Cast & Plot

Jean Valjean Richard Jordan is introduced through a harsh, unforgiving start in Toulon Prison, where his strength under pressure—demonstrated when he helps free a man crushed under a boulder—sparks the attention of Javert Anthony Perkins. The escape that follows comes after Valjean saves another convict from danger, and the film keeps a tight, linear pace as it traces the arc of a man shaped by cruelty and survival. A pivotal encounter with a kindly Bishop Myriel Claude Dauphin changes everything: the bishop provides shelter and forgiveness after Valjean steals silver, and his subsequent kindness convinces Valjean to choose a different path. The moment is framed as a moral turning point, with the bishop’s quiet declaration about redemption echoing as a instruction and a vow.