Speaking of miracles (subtle segue, right?) I wanted to share a powerful experience with whoever wanted to read it.
I just watched the movie of Les Miserables with Hugh Jackman and Russel Crowe. I have seen several productions, both professional and amateur. I have listened to the music. And every time (may the theater Gods strike me down if they need to) I can only focus on the fact that the whole thing is FREAKING LONG!!! It kills me! Why couldn't they just break the play somewhere else, resolve it quicker, Why on earth do they need that hour in the last 2/3rds? There are a couple of songs I like, but the Thenardier's are my absolute favorites! They are hilarious.
Now, before I saw it, I had read all the reviews: about how Anne Hathaway deserved all the credit, she was the only one who could sing, some reviews thought Hugh Jackman was awesome, some thought Russel Crowe was. I didn't see any that thought they both were in the same review. I was prepared to watch and suffer through the 158 minutes just because it was said to be "one of the most important films of our generation" .
However, for some reason, this version spoke deeply to me. I cried through the whole last hour. I did look at my watch a couple of times, not gonna lie, but it was amazing. I wasn't thinking about anything other than how I was emotionally enthralled. When the young boy crossed the barricade and went out to meet the French soldiers, I swear I heard my heart break.
Sometimes, we experience things that are important to us because of the time we experience them. I am coming up on my daughter's 17th birthday. She passed away that same year, so it will also be the 17th anniversary of her death. Add to that the Easter season which is always emotional for me for spiritual reasons, the thought of that young boy with all that courage, knowing he was going to die - I just couldn't see anything else. To see the suffering and joy (two sides of the same coin) on Jean Valjean's face when Cosette grows up and becomes a woman was especially poignant to me as my older children are leaving the nest and becoming their own family units. As I am researching my family history and find that my ancestor's were slave owners I am filled with such shame but also empathy for the civilian population that were fighting against an uncaring regime. As I face the difficulties that my country is heading into I am curious about the aspects of entitlements that are similar to the French aristocracy of the time. It was a time for that movie/plot/story (whatever) to impact me. Never mind that I thought I would never love or like it. Never mind that I had seen it before. Now . . . is a new time.
2 comments:
I remember reading Les Misérables when I was young and I loved it! But I agree sometimes you "meet" a story when you're just not ready. It happened to me with "Madame Bovary" which I found very boring when I read it first. I was just too young and I hadn't lived anything yet that could help me relate with the character. Your post was very interesting.
Hey Jen! It was fun to catch up on your blog, but now spring is over and I want another post :) Hope you are doing well. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we will make our way back to Cache Vally very soon.
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