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

History of the low-income housing area “banlieue”

By the way, low-income housing areas like Bosquet are commonly called "banlieues." It means "suburb" in French. Its history is old. In the 1970s and 1980s, the French government built a series of low-income public housing units on the outskirts of major cities to accommodate immigrants from its former colonies, Algeria and Morocco. However, when demand for immigrants disappeared due to the oil crisis, unemployment rates for second- and third-generation immigrants rose, and petty crimes by juvenile delinquents increased. As a result, the banlieues were viewed by French society as a hotbed of crime.

On October 27, 2005, two boys were electrocuted to death in Clichy-sous-Bois, a banlieue in northeastern Paris, when they tried to hide in an electrical substation to avoid police pursuit. Occur. This triggered a large-scale riot by hundreds of young people, which quickly spread across France. By the way, Jebril Tsonga, who plays Gwada, is from Clichy-sous-Bois.

"Les Misérables" (c)SRAB FILMS LYLY FILMS RECTANGLE PRODUCTIONS

Banlieues are often the subject of films, including Mathieu Kassowitz's film Hatred (1995), which depicts the devastation of young people, and which looks at the reality of Tamil refugees fleeing their homeland of civil war in Sri Lanka and arriving on the outskirts of France. `` The Battle of Deepan '' (2015), which won the Palme d'Or at the 68th Cannes Film Festival, and Luc Besson's `` The Ultimate '' (2004), a non-stop action story about a man searching for a time bomb planted by a gangster. ), it has been the setting for many works across genres.

In `` The Strongest Couple '' (2011), which is still loved by movie fans, Doris, an African immigrant played by Omar Sy, lives in Ne-Cahiers, a town in the ``banlieues'' northeast of Paris. The original title, ``The Untouchables,'' suggests that the ultra-bourgeois Philippe (François Cluzet) and Doris are in an irreconcilable relationship, but in reality, the two are bound by an eternal friendship. However, when you watch ``Les Misérables,'' you realize once again that this is truly a miraculous true story.

Text: Kiyoto Kiyoto

Transitioned from the apparel industry to a movie writer. He regularly writes reviews for Eiga.com, Pia, J.COM Magazine, Tokyo Walker, Yahoo! News personal "Kiyoto Seito's Cinema Gym", etc. She has written books such as ``Learn from Audrey's Stylish Practice Book'' (published by Kindai Eigasha), which utilizes her knowledge of fashion. Currently in charge of commentary on BS10 Star Channel's movie information program "More Movies."

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"Les Misérables"

2.28 (Friday) Shinjuku Musashinokan, Bunkamura Le Cinema, Human Trust Cinema Yurakucho and other nationwide roadshows

(c)SRAB FILMS LYLY FILMS RECTANGLE PRODUCTIONS

Official website: lesmiserables-movie.com