PRINCESS AND TIVOLI

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 342, 1 May 1928, Page 15

PRINCESS AND TIVOLI

“LES MISERABLES” - So big as to beggar description, so delicate in its artful shadings of pathos and humour, and yet so overpowering in dramatic power and sweep that the audience is field constantly in the grip of tense interest, admiration and sympathy, “Les Miserables,” is now being shown daily at the Princess and Tivoli Theatres. One cannot see this gripping, soulstirring movie masterpiece without realising that infinite patience, unlimited money and inspired endeavour were lavished upon the production, for no item in the tremendously big tableau seems to have been too small to be worthy of the utmost care in reproducing, when actual antiques could not be obtained. It is said that most of the scenes, excepting those representing Paris, were taken on the actual locations of the book. These Parisian sets were built with such astonishing fidelity that they convey the illusion of age and realism, and to such an extent that it is difficult to believe that they were not photographed a hundred years ago. Jean Valjean, regarded by many as the most beloved character in fiction, is played by Gabriel Gabrio, with a depth of understanding that makes the man of burdens live and breathe. The lovely Cosette, the terrible Javert, the crafty Thernardier and Father Muriel, the saintly—all these are brought to being on the screen with the force of truth. The scene in the court room, where Valjean gives himself up to the law. would wring tears from the heart of a stone if a stone had a heart. The scene of the historic barricades is a big and exciting drama within a drama. The prison at Toulon, the Paris sewers, Valjean’s escape from gaol, the love of Cosette and her poet revolutionist — these will linger long in the memory of everyone who sees “Les Miserables.”