Les Misérables Quotes

Captain Beauvais: [pointing a pistol at Valjean with a trembling hand] Are you a convict? Is that true?

Jean Valjean: Yes.

Captain Beauvais: Where's the inspector in there?

Jean Valjean: Inside

Captain Beauvais: Did you kill him?

[Valjean shakes his head]

Captain Beauvais: [lowers his pistol] That's a pity.

Captain Beauvais: [hands over his pistol to Valjean] You'd better hit me hard enough... to make a lump.

Bishop: Now don't forget, don't ever forget, you've promised to become a new man.

Jean Valjean: Promise? Wha, why are you doing this?

Bishop: Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to evil. With this silver, I have bought your soul. I've ransomed you from fear and hatred, and now I give you back to God.

Marius: If we can't win today, then none of us have a future.

Jean Valjean: You have love. That's the only future God gives us.

Javert: I've tried to live my life without breaking a single rule...

[takes Valjean's shackles off, pushes him to the ground and puts them on himself]

Javert: You're free.

Landlord: Am I a charity? You haven't paid me in four months.

Fantine: [shivering with cold] I paid you...

Landlord: I have bills too and I can't spread my legs. Besides, it's not good business to rent to a whore.

Jean Valjean: When you're better, I'll find work for you.

Fantine: But you don't understand, I'm a whore... and Cosette has no father.

Jean Valjean: She has the Lord. He is her father. And you're his creation. In his eyes, you have never been anyting but an innocent and... beautiful woman.

Javert: Monsieur, a serious... a grave violation of the public trust has been committed. An inferior has shown a complete lack of respect for the law. He must be exposed and punished.

Jean Valjean: Who is the offender?

Javert: I am. I slandered you Monsieur le maire, I'm here to ask that you demand my dismissal.

Jean Valjean: Brevet, Lombard, Bertin. Look at me. You recognize me? I recognize you, Brevet. You were an informer in Toulon, I see you're still a snitch.

Brevet: Valjean?

Jean Valjean: Hello, Brevet.

[turns to Lombard]

Jean Valjean: And you, Lombard, don't look at my fancy clothes, don't look at my scraped chin. Look at my eyes. You called yourself Godless, right? You've got a scar on your left shoulder. I gave it to you the night you tried to kill me, remember? When I pinned you over the stove.

Lombard: It is you...

Jean Valjean: Show the court your scar.

[Lombard bares his shoulder revealing the scar]

Jean Valjean: Bertin, the hollow of your left arm, there's a date tatooed, 1789, the year of the revolution. Show them!

[Bertin rolls up his sleave to reveal the tattoo]

Jean Valjean: I know these men, Monsieur le President, and they know me. I am the man you want. I am Jean Valjean.

Judge: Monsieur le maire, I know you to be a kind man, but this...

Jean Valjean: A kind? A kind man? When I was in prison I was as ignorant and mean and devious as these men here, but not kind. And I wish I could keep my mouth shut and let this poor wretch suffer for me, but... continue with your investigation, monsieur, you will find further proof that I am Valjean.

Javert: [Valjean slams Javert against the wall, starts to put his own handcuffs on him] Where will you go, Valjean? You don't have papers.

Javert: [Valjean slams Javert's head against the wall once more] I'll find you...

[another hit against the wall, Javert loses conciousness]

Thénardier: I adore that child.

Jean Valjean: You adore her?

Thénardier: Yes, it's true. I'm not rich. I've had to pay over 400 Francs for her medicine. But I'm a stupid man, I have no sense... just a heart.

[glances at Valjean's wallet]

Thénardier: A big heart.

Jean Valjean: You paid over 400 Francs?

Thénardier: 500...

Javert: This week was the same as last, every night?

Informer: Inspector, they're in love. It's perfectly nauseating. She sneaks out the door, and they're together till dawn. They even stay out there when it rains.

[sneezes]

Informer: I haven't caught the gun supply, Inspector, I've caught pneumonia.

Enjolras: You hurry back. After tomorrow, you can make love to her as a free man.

Marius: Maybe.

Old Woman: [first lines - dark street] You can't sleep here.

Jean Valjean: Get away from me.

Old Woman: Why don't you go to an inn?

Jean Valjean: Why do you think?

Old Woman: Can't you knock on doors and ask people?

Jean Valjean: I asked. I ask everywhere. Leave me alone?

Old Woman: You didn't ask there? Knock on that door.

[pointing to Bishop's residence]

Mme. Gilot: [sharing their meal with homeless convict] What crime did you commit?

Jean Valjean: Maybe I killed someone... How do you know I'm not going to murder *you*?

Bishop: How do you know *I'm* not going to murder *you*?

Jean Valjean: What's that, a joke?

Bishop: I suppose we'll have to trust each other.

Jean Valjean: You might be making a mistake.

Javert: Mistake? What kind of mistake is that?

Jean Valjean: Sometimes, people move into town to start a new slate, you might be doing more harm than good by prying into their private lives.

Cosette: Please tell me what this is all about, papa. Please, please tell me what this is. Please, what is it?

Jean Valjean: [stammering] I... I am a convict. When I was young... just your age I was very poor, I was starving. One day, I stood in front of the window. A window full of bread, there was just glass between me... and not being hungry anymore, it was so easy. So I broke it... and took what I wanted. Then they caught me... and put me in chains for almost 19 years. They did things to me... I can't tell you about it, and I did things, there in jail. Terrible things. I became an animal. They took my dignity, they took everything from me.