"Les Misérables" A microcosm of the world of despair and anger in the suburbs of Paris

"Les Misérables" synopsis

Montfermeil is located on the outskirts of Paris. This city, the setting for Victor Hugo's novel ``Les Misérables,'' has now become a dangerous and criminal area populated by immigrants and low-income people. Stefan, a new police officer who joins the crime prevention unit, notices tensions between several groups while patrolling with his friends. One day, a trivial incident caused by a boy named Issa develops into a major commotion. Stefan and his friends struggle to solve the case, but the situation begins to take an irreversible turn...

Index

• The current state of the city set by Victor Hugo
• The power distribution of a city where nationality, religion, and ethnicity are intricately intertwined
• History of the low-income housing area “banlieue”

The current state of the city set by Victor Hugo

The moment when France won the 2018 Soccer World Cup for the first time in 20 years. Many African immigrants gathered around the Arc de Triomphe, chanting the name of Mbappé, who scored the fourth goal in the final and has roots in Cameroon. Some in the crowd wore the tricolor French flag like a cloak.

However, the drama that unfolds after this depicts the hopelessness of the people living together under the same flag, with no way out, and forces all viewers into the same abyss. This film, which was nominated for this year's Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, depicts the reality of a divided society in a more poignant way than even the Parasite (2019), which won the same category and Best Picture. Project.

The setting is on the outskirts of Paris. The Bosque housing complex in Montfermeil has been left out of circulation due to highway construction and has now turned into a slum. Montfermeil is a town known as the setting for literary great Victor Hugo's masterpiece ``Les Misérables.'' The story's guide is Stéphane, a new detective from Cherbourg. Stefan is assigned to a crime prevention unit led by Chris, a veteran police officer who protects public safety in Bosque, and Gwada, an African immigrant, and witnesses the complex reality of Bosque on his first patrol.

Frankly speaking, the map of the city's power distribution that is introduced in the first few minutes is an important key to the story. The complex and mysterious landscape looks like a piece of fiction written for a movie, but in reality it is not. The up-and-coming director Raji Li, who makes his feature debut with this film, is a literal native who was born and raised in Montfermeil and still lives there. The things depicted are based on the director's own experiences.

The power distribution of a city where nationality, religion, and ethnicity are intricately intertwined