Hong Kong's Protestes, And The Usage Of 'Do You Hear The People Sing' From Les Misérables

Three Javerts on one stage: Michael Ball, Philip Quast and Bradley Jaden at the opening night of "Les Miserables - The Arena Spectecular" in Sydney.

The accusation

*whispers* omg they held hands

Javert and Monsieur Madeleine, 京剧 悲惨世界 | Les Misérables Peking Opera

Behrouz Gharibpour's 1997 Les Misérables tele-theatre | تله‌تئاتر بینوایان

Behrouz Gharibpour is well renowned in theatre (especially in traditional Persian puppeteering!), and he directed Bahman Cultural Center's 1997 production of Les Misérables. (Link to the recording of production at the bottom of this post)

Gharibpour had previously worked on a Farsi translation of Les Misérables in 2006.

The location of the 1997 play was important as the Bahman Cultural Center was in the capital’s less affluent southern district. To contrast, the theatre audiences would mainly comprise of the wealthy sector of society.

Around about ten years later, he directed and wrote a stage adaptation of 'Uncle Tom’s Cabin' in the same center.

“My aim in staging this play was not just to depict poverty— I also wanted to call attention to ignorance, because I believe ignorance to be more painful than poverty." [...] “The media censorship of blacks in the United States and the U.S. government’s behaviour towards racial minorities in housing and also the slowness in delivering relief after the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina indicate that discrimination still exists in the society. [Uncle Tom’s Cabin] raises many other important issues and questions. Our behaviour towards Afghan immigrants in Iran is an example of one of the main issues touched on in the drama."

Available at: https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/163730/Ignorance-is-more-painful-than-poverty-in-Uncle-Tom-s-Cabin

By 2007, Gharibpur resigned as director of the Iranian Artists Forum "following criticism of certain performances staged at the venue which highlighted Iranian and foreign scholars and intellectuals."

"[...] About dealing with the ancient and traditional rituals of Iran; I must say that it is not the only issue of dealing with ancient and ritual roots. The main issue is reconciling the audience with the theater. Many people are still afraid of the theater and think that the theater belongs to a certain class, and this special class is intellectuals and book readers. I attracted a large number of audiences to the theater by performing the plays "Les Misérables" and "Uncle Tom's Cabin".Therefore, my concern has not changed since I entered the world of theater at the age of fourteen, and that was to attract the audience as much as possible."

Available at: https://theater.ir/en/165680

From these statements, we can see that there are political ties and messages conveyed from the stage adaptations of Les Misérables in Iran. In fact, in the later 2019 production, the same issues were raised about the wealth disparity and the irony of the theatrical performance of Les Misérables when it was only available for the wealthy.

It seems that, even after twenty odd years, similar sentiments are expressed by the public.

At the end of the day, Gharibpour fought to have his plays be more accessible to combat these struggles, of which he places responsibility in Iranian cultures on the relationship between class, wealth, and theatre.

He has additionally compared his translations and works to the current socio-political environment of Iran.

However, there had been criticisms to the above:

“Other social classes can attend other plays; you shouldn't expect the entire public to come and see this particular production. Of the 150,000 people who saw our work, are all of them wealthy, privileged, and without pain? I strongly disagree with the claim that we are producing this for only a specific group."

Available at: https://www.tebyan.net/news/458977/%D8%A8%DB%8C%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AA%D8%A7-%D8%AF%D9%82%DB%8C%D9%82%D9%87-%DB%B2%DB%B5-%D8%AC%D8%B0%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA

To watch the tele-theatre (I don't think all of the episodes are uploaded, but I haven't watched it yet so I don't know in confidence):

YouTube

بینوایان

Sketch redraw of this valvert drawing I did ages ago

would anyone like for me to ramble about how enjolras and grantaire are performing masculinity in opposite ways, with enjolras being a stereotypical "pretty boy" while grantaire is the more rugged, masculine, drunk type of typical man.

that could hint at their upbringing, with enjolras's being very obviously bourgeois, while grantaire's allows more leeway. a strong, ugly alcoholic can be found in all social classes with varying amounts, but beautiful intellectuals are usually a higher class staple.

and, to say more on the performance of masculinity thing, i would argue that both enjolras and grantaire subvert their respective stereotypes in their own ways.

enjolras rejects his wealth and works for the people, but even more importantly (in discussing gender roles), he is very much not interested in women. and not in a marius way, a way virginal and messy, but still generally heterosexual. no, enjolras devotes himself to his patria, trampling over societal expectations in the process.

i will not be touching on things such as enjolras shedding a tear over killing the artillery officer or other ways he expresses emotions, as 19th century france is still a time in which emotions were yet to be a taboo for men. and they're maybe-possibly a saint just reference.

grantaire's biggest act of defying gender roles and his stereotype is, quite clearly, his adoration of enjolras. even, if one argues against it being love (and i do believe grantaire loves enjolras, as unhealthy at most points in the brick that love is), there is no denying that such deep infatuation with a man, and not his ideals or anything, is not standard in 19th century france.

plus, to mark a thought, grantaire also makes quite a lousy nihilist. in his brick introduction, he is specifically stated not to care for ideas or himself, but to care for his friends. "his mind could live without ideals, but his heart could not live without friendship". so even presenting as a guy that does not believe in anything, grantaire fails, because he loves his friends and believes in enjolras.

Enjolras animation✨✨

Quality is a bit butchered🥲

Bless Valjean and his big muscles for it’s good services.

Les Mis Shipping Showdown: Final

REMINDER THAT THERE IS NO POLL STEALING IN THIS ROUND.

e/r art by @non-tmercy

eposette art by @piierogis

hello enjoltaire nation, today I give you another offering