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Synopsis
In 1815, French prisoner Jean Valjean is released on parole from the Bagne of Toulon after serving nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread and trying to escape multiple times. On the outside, Valjean's anger rises as his paroled status prevents him from getting work or accommodation. He is offered shelter by the kindly Bishop of Digne, but Valjean steals his silverware. Captured by police and taken to the Bishop, Valjean is shocked when the Bishop answers he offered him the silver, telling him to use it to do something worthwhile with his life. Valjean decides to break his parole and start a new life.
Eight years later in 1823, Valjean is now a respected factory owner and mayor of Montreuil, Pas-de-Calais. He is shocked when Javert, formerly a Toulon prison guard, arrives as his new chief of police. Javert suspects Valjean's real identity when he rescues an injured worker trapped under a heavy cart. One of Valjean's workers, Fantine, is dismissed by the factory foreman upon learning she has an illegitimate daughter Cosette, whom she left to live with the greedy innkeepers, the Thénardiers, and to whom she sends all her earnings. To support her daughter, Fantine sells her hair, her teeth, becomes a prostitute and is arrested by Javert when she attacks an abusive customer. Valjean, learning who she is, rescues her and takes her to the hospital.
Valjean later learns that a man has been wrongly identified as him, and decides to reveal his true identity to the court - before returning to the dying Fantine, promising to care for Cosette. Javert arrives to arrest Valjean but he escapes, finds Cosette and pays Fantine's debts to the Thénardiers. Valjean and Cosette flee from Javert, hiding in a convent, aided by the worker Valjean rescued before.
Nine years later, Valjean has become a philanthropist and helps the poor in Paris. General Lamarque, the only government official sympathetic to the poor, dies, and a group of revolutionists called the Friends of the ABC plot to rebel against the monarchy. Marius Pontmercy, a member of the Friends, encounters Cosette and they fall in love. He asks Éponine, the Thénardiers' daughter, to help find her. They finally meet and confess their love, leaving Éponine sad as she's also in love with Marius.
Thénardier plans on robbing Valjean's house, but they are stopped by Éponine. Valjean, afraid Javert could be near, makes plans to flee to England with Cosette. Cosette leaves a letter for Marius, but Éponine finds it and hides it from him.
During Lamarque's funeral procession, the revolt begins and barricades are built across Paris. Javert pretends to be an ally to spy on the rebels but the street urchin Gavroche exposes him as a policeman. During the first skirmish against the soldiers, Éponine takes a bullet for Marius and dies in his arms, giving him Cosette's letter and confessing her love. Marius' answer to Cosette is intercepted by Valjean, who joins the revolution to guard Marius.
Valjean offers to execute Javert but actually releases him, faking his death. By dawn, the soldiers are close to ending the revolution, storming the students' barricade and execute everyone save Marius and Valjean, who escape into the sewers. Thénardier comes across Valjean and the unconscious Marius, stealing the latter's ring, before pointing a way out. Valjean finds Javert waiting for him, ignoring his nemesis' threats. Javert, morally confused by the mercy of Valjean, commits suicide by throwing himself in the Seine. Marius recovers but is traumatised by the death of his friends.
Marius and Cosette are reunited but Valjean, concerned his presence would threaten their happiness, makes plans to leave and reveals his story to Marius, who promises to remain silent. Cosette and Marius marry, but the Thénardiers crash the wedding reception to try to blackmail Marius, with Thénardier saying that he witnessed Valjean carrying a murdered corpse and shows the stolen ring. Marius recognises it as his own and understands that Valjean saved him that night. Marius forces Thénardier to reveal where Valjean is before leaving with Cosette, with the Thénardiers thrown out of the wedding afterwards.
Cosette and Marius reunite with the dying Valjean at the convent. Valjean gives them letters of confession before dying peacefully, and his spirit is guided away by the spirits of Fantine and the Bishop to join the spirits of Eponine, Gavroche and the Friends of the ABC in the afterlife.
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