« Chacun ne peut donner que la réalité qu’il a » La question du réalisme dans les adaptations françaises des Misérables

What makes Victor Hugo’s work distinctive is its sense of heritage and its social engagement. The realism found in adaptations of Les Misérables problematizes the text’s mimesis (characterized by its distance) and its symbolization. Some directors privilege the documentary character of the writing, others the accuracy of the relations between individuals and the portrayal of the social body. Finally, others foreground the misery of the characters, overcoming contingencies in order to rise to the level of a metaphysical investigation.