Les Miserables (1935)

Victor Hugo’s acclaimed novel comes to life in this impeccably performed, magnificently filmed screen adaptation. Following the story of Jean Valjean, the ex-convict who rises against all odds from slave to mayor, and Javert, the police inspector who dedicates his life to recapturing Valjean, this vivid depiction of the poverty and social strife of 19th-Century France is profoundly moving.