Why are they singing in Les Misérables 2012 film?

When I watched the movie Les Misérables (2012), I was surprised to see them singing! It looks funny to me. The story is excellent and touching but I find it quite inappropriate to see them singing. I feel like watching and opera show, not a movie, and I don't even like opera.

I have seen many animations where singing is very common. For cartoons and animations, singing is very matching because it is mostly designed for kids and for entertainment. I have seen other movies like Enchanted where they sing a lot but it is very matching with the beautiful scenery, dress and the beautiful actors. But the movie Les Misérables is not like that. People are very dirty, the places are dirty, there is only death and struggles. And they are singing :( I think it should be done like a normal movie instead of the actors singing always. I also don't like the way they sing. It is only spoiling the movie.

Why was Les Misérables (2012) movie made in musical style? Would it be better if it was done like a normal movie, which I think will make it more real and more touching?

les-miserables

Best Answer

The story has already been shot as a normal movie, back in 1998. And 1995. And 1982. And 1978.... on and on and on.

The 1998 version of Les Miserables was a straight take on the Victor Hugo novel, intended to be a po faced English language interpretation of the failed second revolution. It was well received (still rated 78% fresh by Rotten Tomatoes) but did not meet anywhere near the same level of financial success as the 2013 version.

The new version was created as a musical because this is the first time the story has been told in musical format in a feature film, having been adapted from the long running stage show. The Musical had already proven its popularity, being the longest running stage show on the West End of all time.

There have been nine interpretations of the story, but this is the first time the musical has been re-created, instead of the story.

Basically, the reason they sing is because that's entirely the point of this production: it is an adaptation of The Musical, not the book.