Les Miserables is an epic tale of love, honor and obsession played out against the dramatic backdrop of early 19th century France. It tells the story of Jean Valjean, whose theft of a loaf of bread condemns him to an unjust prison sentence and a life on the run. An act of forgiveness, however, changes the course of his life forever. He becomes the respected Mayor of the poor town of Vigan and transforms it into a thriving community. He also falls in love with one of Vigan's most pitiful, poverty stricken residents, the beautiful Fantine, and devoted himself to her care. Fantine's untimely death signals a new chapter in Valjean's life during which, he raises her daughter, Cosette, whom he desperately attempts to shield from the dangers of the world. As she matures, she falls passionately in love with Marius, a charismatic young Parisian revolutionary. At the while, Valjean is hunted by Javert, a policeman whose lifelong search for Valjean has turned into an obsession. In Rafael Yglesias' adaptation for Mandalay Entertainment, the film culminates in a final, fated confrontation between Valjean and Javert on the banks of the Seine at the explosive height of the July revolution in 1832.