Chip Kaufmann’s Pick:

Les Miserables (1998)

Now that the blockbuster musical version of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel LesMiserables has hit the big screen (reviewed in this issue), it makes sense to recommend one of the non musical versions so that you can actually experience the story more or less the way that Hugo wrote it. There are numerous film versions of the story dating back to 1913 with the 281 minute 1934 French version considered to be the gold standard.

For those of us who want something a little less daunting there are 4 highly regarded English versions (1935, 1952, 1978, 1998) from which to choose. While each of them has something to recommend them, I have given the nod to the most recent one from 1998 which features Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, and Uma Thurman in the high profile roles of Jean Valjean, Javert, and Fantine.

Danish director Bille August (The House of the Spirits) knows how to adapt epic literature and at 134 minutes his version is not too short and not too long and the casting of well known performers helps more of today’s audience get into the story of a French convict and his relentless pursuit by an obsessed police inspector while he raises the child of an unfortunate prostitute.

Good performances and strong production values (it was shot in Prague doubling for 1832 Paris) make this the Les Miz of choice although for old movie buffs the 1935 B&W version with Frederic March and Charles Laughton is hard to top while the 1978 TV version with Richard Jordan and Anthony Perkins seems to be most people’s favorite. Unfortunately it is only available in a heavily edited version. The 1952 version which comes on DVD with the 1935 version is the weakest of the four but still worthwhile.

So there you have it, four different non-musical versions to choose from. You have my recommendation which is readily availablebut whichever one you select (and the others are all on DVD) make sure you rent it soon as either preparation for the musical version or as a different take after you’ve seen it.

 

Michelle Keenan’s Pick:

Psycho (1960)

After reviewing Hitchcock this month, it seemed an opportune time to offer Psycho as my DVD pick. Made in 1960, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho pushed the boundaries of the horror film genre and with the sensors. As a result, horror movies were forever changed and, well let’s face, what little boundaries are left with the censors, we’re still pushing.

Hitchcock was looking for his next project on the heels of the wildly successful North by Northwest. He read the novel Psycho by Robert Bloch and was inspired to adapt it for the screen. Paramount would not finance the film so Hitchcock financed the project himself. Shot for $800,000 and change he got his money’s worth.

The plot revolves around Marion (Janet Leigh), a secretary who embezzles $40,000 in order to help her divorced boyfriend. En route to rendez vous with said boyfriend, she makes a fateful stop at a little roadside motel. The young owner/manager, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), tries to befriend the aloof blond. He seems sweet, but he’s lonely and creepy. The creep factor is enhanced by the spooky house on the hill above the motel that Norman shares with his unseen mother.

After the (now infamous) shower sequence at the Bates Motel, Marion never makes that rendez vous. Eventually Marion’s sister Lila (Vera Miles) and a private detective (Martin Balsam) come looking and the plot thickens.

With its lusty subplots, shocking shower scene and homosexual antagonist, Psycho shocked audiences and became a cultural cornerstone in film. By today’s standards it is tame, but Hitchcock can thrill an audience more with the power of suggestion and innuendo than anyone can do with fake blood spatter and gratuitous violence. Dubbed ‘The Master of Suspense,’ Hitchcock’s films stand the test of time, and Psycho is among the best of those films.