I finally got around to watching the 1958 Les Mis, and oh boy..
It's definitely one of the more accurate adaptions, three hours long and French-written/produced. We start out in the galleys, where Jean 'le Cric' uses his immense strength to rescue a fellow convict from getting crushed-
*squints* 24601 is now 3021
Unfortunately, instead of being rewarded for his valor, Valjean is sentenced to three more years by the prison locksmith (is that even allowed?) who for some reason also decided it was bring-your-kid-to-work day
NOW for the trippy part. It's revealed later on in the movie that the locksmith's son was Javert!!! Not only does this screw with Javert's canonical criminal parentage (which is a fundamental part of his character) it also establishes a super-awkward age gap between him and Valjean, who looked to be in his late middle ages when he first encountered child Javert
AND THEN, when Valjean becomes mayor of Montreal-sir-Mer we're re-introduced to an older Javert, who's played by the same actor who played the locksmith.
Let's just try to forget the improbability of it all and appreciate how adorable baby!vert is ( ꈍᴗꈍ)
