Les Mis question

[gsh]

Saw the movie yesterday with vvalkyri. My first les Mis other than the Liam Neeson movie, which was most certainly not a musical. I'm confused as to if I'm supposed to be liking the Eponine character, and her involvement in the love triangle with Marius and Cosette. I'm perfectly fine with disliking Thénardiers (in spite of the fact that Helen Bonham Carter and Sasha Baron Cohen stole the show with their over the top comedic relief), but I started out all 'boo hiss' with Eponine but by the end of the movie I was sad for her. Is she *supposed* to be an honorable character? The movie didn't have Eponine abusing Cosette as a youngster, and as a young adult Eponine did deliver the note to Marius, and I can't think of any reason not to consider her as sympathetic as any of the other young idiots who got them a case of dead going up against the French army.

Thoughts?

Comments

[vvalkyri.livejournal.com]

I spent some time on the phone with lonebear last night - he may have more to say (may I point him here?) as he is very familiar with the stage show. But yes, eponine is another tragic figure. Remember, even early on she is helping him find Cosette. Compersion.

Lb says the medal to gavroche was new in the movie.

[vvalkyri.livejournal.com]

What was eponine like in the Liam Neeson?

[gsh]

I don't remember her from that movie at all.

[anais-pf.livejournal.com]

Éponine does not play a major role in the Liam Neeson version. She only appears in one scene, as a child.

[anais-pf.livejournal.com]

There's a book about it you could read for clarification. It's called Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo. Probably Éponine is a complex character and not just a cardboard cutout you're supposed to applaud or boo.

[gsh]

I'm sorry, but I find your comment neither polite nor helpful.

[petrona.livejournal.com]

I have only seen the stage versions and in those, young Eponine was quite mean to the Cosette setting the stage to be less sympathetic towards her even though her lot in life changes drastically over the years. In the middle I found her crush on Marius to be annoying, but after she sang "On my own", my attitude towards her changed. By the end, I was crying for her.