Contest #1: Photo Representative

This picture is for Victor Hugo's epic classic Les Miserables.
There is no way to truly summarize such a long and detailed book (the translation I read was 1194 pages - it's the 20th longest novel, like, ever), in just a few sentences, but here is an attempt nonetheless:
"‘He was no longer Jean Valjean, but No. 24601’
Victor Hugo’s tale of injustice, heroism and love follows the fortunes of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict determined to put his criminal past behind him. But his attempts to become a respected member of the community are constantly put under threat: by his own conscience, when, owing to a case of mistaken identity, another man is arrested in his place; and by the relentless investigations of the dogged policeman Javert. It is not simply for himself that Valjean must stay free, however, for he has sworn to protect the baby daughter of Fantine, driven to prostitution by poverty. A compelling and compassionate view of the victims of early nineteenth-century French society, Les Misérables is a novel on an epic scale, moving inexorably from the eve of the battle of Waterloo to the July Revolution of 1830."
And this does not even begin to describe it. This is a book so amazing, you will walk away from it a changed person if you read it all the way through - I guarantee it! I recommend anyone and everyone with a reasonably high reading level read Les Miserables. You might want to start it during a school break because you will need all the time you can get, whether you start now or in six months READ IT!!! I don't care if you've seen the musical or the movie a million times, they pale in comparison to the masterpiece that is the original, unabridged work.
Enough shameless promotion, onto my reasoning behind this photo. This picture represents the sewer outlet that empties into the Seine described in Les Miserables. It was impossible to get an angle where one could see the actual grate, so I settled for this instead. Let me set up the scene for you (though you might not understand it if you haven't at least seen the movie)...
So Inspector Javert is following Thenardier (a known crook) along the Seine (in Paris) when Thenardier vanishes into a sewer outlet. Not wanting to get his feet wet, and knowing how treacherous the sewer is, Javert knows Thenardier is not going anywhere and waits for him on the riverbank (the waiting Javert is represented by the shadow in the picture). Jean Valjean, carrying the wounded and unconscious Marius (Valjean's adopted daughter's boyfriend) away from the fighting (there's a rebellion going on) via the sewers arrives at the outlet and prepares to emerge from the sewers only to find the grate locked. Thenardier approaches Valjean and has him pay him money to let him out (Thenardier has the key to the grate). As soon as Valjean emerges onto the riverbank, Javert swoops in and arrests him, and the rest, as they say, is history.
In other words, this picture represents Javert waiting patiently (the shadow) while the Marius-bearing Valjean (who is of course, impossible to see, being still inside the sewer) prepares to emerge from the sewer outlet (the concrete thing - which is a storm sewer outlet in real life as well). The dullness/dimness of the lighting represents the fact that it is nearing nightfall and the grimness/gloominess of events present (the rebellion) and future (Valjean's arrest). The "burnt" look of edges are meant to represent the fact that there is a rebellion taking place (a rebellion involving guns, explosives, (read: fire) etc.).
This picture/scene represents Les Miserables very well because it brings together so many of the characters and what they represent. Javert with his airtight legalism, Thenardier with his never satiated greed, the lovestruck Marius, and the ever sacrificial Valjean. There are also countless things the sewer outlet could be a metaphor for, which I won't get into here.
Hope that explains it well enough, and I hope you like the picture!
I used pixlr-o-matic for the editing: http://pixlr.com/o-matic/

12 comments:

  1. Amazing job! :) How long did it take you to do all of this? Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It took a while - can't remember how long. What took the longest was finding a free editing software that didn't require an IPod/IPad/Smartphone (seeing as I don't have one). When I did find it (the website/editing software) I just played around with the effects until I found something I thought looked good.

      Delete
  2. This is really creative. I love the thought that you put into this. Good luck and good job. (:

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh my goodness.. this may seem completely random but I love the song I Dreamed a Dream from the musical!!!! Anyways love the explanation and good job :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And our choir did On My Own for this one music festival in Disneyland (I was in the band at the time and we (the band) got to perform as well) and I had NO IDEA it was from the Les Mis musical until I first saw the musical (which was a week or two after I finished the book. Man was I surprised. My fav songs were I Dreamed a Dream, On My Own, and A Little Bit of Rain. If you're going to see the musical (before the musical movie comes out this December that is - here's the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk5UStefYmE) see the 25th anniversary edition. Samantha Barks is absolutely AMAZING as Eponine. Anyways...
      Some trivia for you - this is the 150th year anniversary of the book's publishing. Imagine that!

      Delete
    2. You performed On My Own at Disneyland?! Whoa, with your school band? Luckyyy :/
      Samantha Barks is AMAZING? Lea Salonga is ASTONISHING XD (though I have to admit, I haven't watched the 25th edition before...)
      There's a movie coming out?! I'm definitely going to watch it! And 150 years... WOW this book has indubitably passed the test of time :)

      Delete
    3. NONONO the CHOIR performed On My Own. The band played other stuff...
      Salonga played Fantine in the 25th anniversary edition
      Barks was sounded better

      Delete
    4. lol you still got to play in Disneyland :D
      Well, Salonga played both Fantine and Eponine. In the 10th anniversary edition she appeared as Eponine.... so goood :) She's one of the best singers in the world! No one can compare... except Julie Andrews. I'm serious. Are you sure Samantha's better? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGx_z4v4484 <3 X)

      Delete
    5. I heard them both sing in the 25th anniversary edition.
      There is a reason Barks beat out Taylor Swift for the role of Eponine in the movie musical (although I can't really see Swift with black hair...).

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAugBdMMdM0&feature=fvwrel <3 XD

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EXxQX0ZNQI&feature=related - and this one was just heartbreaking/tear-jerking. Sigh...

      Delete
    6. It's no surprise that Barks got the role. Taylor may be a good singer, but she's not THAT good.
      Still, Salonga made a better Eponine. Her singing is clearer, stronger and wayyy more expressive. And those vibratos ....beautiful ^ __ ^

      Delete
  4. Really?! I had no idea those songs were from the musical (kind of like 'Seasons Of Love' from RENT I guess, I just kind of knew the song...never really where it came from). We watched bits of the film in French class, but I've never actually read or watched it. Do you know if the movie musical will be out in theatres?

    BTW, Great photo. Great explanation and the editing looks good too. You really seem to love this book. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes it's coming out in theatres (it probs wouldn't be starring Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway otherwise). And the cast Samantha Barks as Eponine for the movie musical too!

      I do really love this book - can't see how someone can't love it.

      Delete