To See the Face of God: Part One

Hannah and I took her siblings to see the movie Les Miserables on opening night.  It is one of my favorite plays, so I was excited to see how the movie would turn out.

 

Overall, I thought that the movie was both interesting and fairly unique.  The music was, as usual, fantastic, with the exception of a few poor casting choices that had some difficulty (the most egregious in my opinion was Russell Crowe, who just didn't have a strong enough voice to play Javer, even though he remains one of my favorite actors, and has probably never made a truly bad movie, but that's a discussion for another time).  I was very impressed with Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, who both pulled of Broadway-worthy performances.  Their acting ability came through during the big songs, and the director chose to zoom in on the actors faces during solo performances, which I thought was an interesting contrast to the usual distance between the actor and the audience during a stage performance.  I thought that, while it did make some parts a little uncomfortable, it also added some meaning and closeness to the characters that you might not get as much from the play. 

The cinematography and music was very real, and very personal, and while I may not agree with all the directing decisions in the film, I love this story, and the way the music gives such power and feeling to the play's message.  I believe that, no matter the way in which it is presented, the message of Les Miserables is one that all people need to experience, because it is the most universal and essential message that the world has to offer. That message is that repentance, sacrifice, mercy, and love can truly allow a person to change their very being.  Men and women are not defined by their past mistakes and actions, or even by the state of their character in past years.  Rather they are defined by who they choose to be, and on whom they will rely to do so.  

In Les Miserables, Javer knows Jean Valjean only as a thief, and he cannot believe that, once a thief, a man could be anything else.  We are shown throughout the story, however, that Jean Valjean, by giving his life to God, was able to change his character and to become a great man.  It took some repentance and sacrifice on his part, some mercy on the part of a kind priest, and the love of God to do so, but Jean Valjean became a different man.  An important part of his transformation had to do with his willingness to love others, to see the best in them, and to put their needs before his own.  I believe that in any effort to change for the better, this willingness and sacrifice for others must become a priority, for, as the play so beautifully states, "to love another person is to see the face of God."  This resonates with me on many levels, because the scriptures teach us that "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."(see Matthew 25).  When we give of ourselves in service to our fellow men, we come to know God in a very real way.

Another scripture that further highlights the importance of coming to know God through service and sacrifice is found in John, chapter 17, which states "this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."  I think this speaks for itself, in a way that both inspires and motivates me to do what I can to truly know God, and His Son.  The point of all this is simply to express my appreciation for the experience that I had watching Les Miserables, because it reminded me of these eternal truths, and motivated me to live them more fully.  The beauty of the music and the power of the message makes this play/movie well worth the viewing.