Les Miserables

he looked positively alright then
He did!

albeit the odd Australian overtones creeping in now and again
Ah, but he is a Kiwi!

Wonderful to see this as a fully blown drama. I have read the book and seen the musical twice and I'm loving the drama.

Jalima Russell Crowe was better when he was doing his "father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife" etc., monologue kitted out in gladiatorial gear, he looked positively alright then, albeit the odd Australian overtones creeping in now and again, not something one equates with Rome in the 2nd or 3rd century AD, but at least he didn't sing

Happened to a lot of women in N Ireland too at the height of the troubles.

I think the 'Eton Crop' came in, in the 1920s and until then women wore their hair long and up. My DM went and had her hair cut short in the Eton Crop (the first young woman to do so in their area) and got into trouble with her employer for not asking permission first!
Then her employer asked her where she'd had it done and went and had hers cropped too.

Women who were thought to have fraternised with enemy soldiers sometimes had their hair cut off as a punishment and a mark of shame.
Wasn't that a scene in Ryan's Daughter (Sarah Miles) grannyticktock?

Even much more recently than this, it wasn't normal for women to wear their hair short. Girls wore it hanging down or loosely tied, while adult women wore it fastened up. It was only after the First World War, in the 1920s, that short, bobbed hair it became common in Britain. My Granny, born about 1875, never had her hair cut in almost a century.

Chopping off a woman's hair has often been used to humiliate her and take away her womanliness. Women who were thought to have fraternised with enemy soldiers sometimes had their hair cut off as a punishment and a mark of shame.

Watching this I have realised that it seems that in those times, woman 1890s and earlier just did not wear their hair short, I had wondered if it was sometimes regarded as a sign of bad woman.

I am really enjoying it and think it's brilliant. It has me putting down my tablet, book, phone etc and giving it my full attention and if anything can do that it has to be good. I have seen the musical and this is helping to flesh out the bare bones of the story and giving me a lot more understanding of the storyline. Can't wait for episode 3!

I have read the book
Well done Luckygirl, that is quite a feat!

I remember when DN told me she was reading it (in the original French) at university

I'm really enjoying it although it is making me quite anxious!

I did think that Russell Crowe's rather gruff singing voice was quite suitable for the part of Javert Terribull - I wouldn't have wanted The Inspector to sing in a operatic style.

I can't bear it! I find it very depressing and I am not interested in the storyline. I have seen the musical and I guess that was enough for me!

I'm loving this adaptation and am glad that, although I did see the film, I still don't really know the storyline [I was pretty bored by it]. Reminds me a bit of Zola's 'Nana' in the way such beauty decays before your eyes. Given that the book is so long there must be a lot of storylines/characters that have been missed out.

Farmor, I imagine the long hair being worn loose, particularly in the case of Fantine was to emphasise the great loss it would be when she sold it, bearing in mind she had lovely hair. I'm another who didn't particularly enjoy the film, ruined by the singing imo., particularly Russell Crowe's. Many years ago we were given tickets for the stage show but for some extraordinary reason the traffic was gridlocked on that particular evening due to a fatality, so we didn't make it. Shame because I've heard it's wonderful, a friend of mine has been to see it a few times.

Anyway, I'm enjoying this TV production, albeit very tragic. The pulling of the teeth scene was horrible, I had to look away.

It is a good but wretched story. I am ' enjoying' the TV production better than the film. Never saw the stage production..other than the abridged school version in which DGD played young Eponine!
Rather think the story of Fantine from pretty girl doing "OK" to destiute prostitute still applies, in one way or another, today.

Well Nelliemoster here it is now in front of you as a drama so they are doing what you want

Well it was decidedly written to be a novel not a musical,

It Was a story about the desperate plight of the very poor in France at the time and how Jean Val John wanted to reform his previous behaviour and his concerns for the poorest.

I dont think Victor Hugo would have been impressed that his story would have become a musical.

I did fully enjoy the musical but may be we should stop turning every play into musicals and learn to actually make and watch plays.
Has the public become unable to view anything without putting in songs.
This sounds to me like dumming down.

Oh my Gosh the teeth scene was grim poor Fantine she was so pretty and sweet when she started out and such a short time to go to this
Fantastic acting I m so enjoying this best thing on tv at the mmentb

I am enjoying Les Mis a lot, the scene with the tooth extraction was grim, the old mother was scary. Poor Fantine, women were definitely second class citizens then especially poor ones. Olivia Colman has varied roles at the moment from inn keepers wife to aristocracy.

I think it’s mainly starvation Crystal. I couldn’t watch the teeth scene either!

Great acting in this. Couldn’t watch the teeth scene. It’s not clear what is wrong with Fantine, is it TB? I haven’t read the book, but might give it a go now. I know its not going to end well though.

Does anyone else get annoyed at the long, loose hair worn by women in this and other period dramas? From my (limited) knowledge I thought adult women wore their hair tied up in some way in 19th century. Particularly women working at any kind of manual work would probably have had it in some kind of bun and covered with a scarf.

Apart from that, I thought tonight’s episode was good, though sad and depressing.

Labaik

or if that is more appropriate!

I'm enjoying it so far. I've seen the stage show twice and the musical. I haven't read the book, but am finding this latest tv version more in depth. Already I am sad for poor Fantine.

Howcridiculous what did they want some jolly jolly moments with a feel good factor thrown in
It was very good and I m looking forward to the next one probably the best thing over Christmas tv actually