In Les Misérables (1958), Jean Gabin played Jean Valjean, the former convict who, after nineteen years in prison for stealing bread, seeks redemption through kindness, work and fatherhood. Directed by Jean-Paul Le Chanois, from Victor Hugo’s novel, the two-part film gave Gabin one of the great literary roles of French cinema.
Valjean is pursued for years by Inspector Javert, played by Bernard Blier, and Gabin plays him with a moral gravity that makes his struggle deeply moving. The film follows Valjean from prison to mayor, from fugitive to foster father to Cosette, and Gabin, with his plain face and steady gaze, embodies Hugo’s belief that a man can change his life. It is a performance of great dignity, and one of Gabin’s most admired.