ABSTRACT
Studying a small selection of the numerous films inspired by the novel, I will attempt to show how some directors develop and transform the character, who has been played by a range of actresses diverse in looks and manner, as revealed by the divergences from the original work. Comparing these reinventions of Éponine with Hugo’s own atypical creation enables a reflection on what the writer does with nineteenth-century stereotypes of femininity.1 While examining women’s place in nineteenth-century society and during each film’s period, in addition to highlighting the question of gender, I also engage with issues surrounding adaptation. I concentrate on four adaptations whose treatment of Éponine as an adult seems particularly interesting:2 one of the oldest, the 1925 silent film directed
and adapted by Henri Fescourt with Suzanne Nivette3 in the role of Éponine; Raymond Bernard’s 1934 version with Orane Demazis; the 1958 film directed by Jean-Paul Le Chanois with Silvia Monfort; and Tom Hooper’s 2012 adaptation with Samantha Barks.
