Les Misérables is a film version of the Victor Hugo novel released in France on March 12, 1958. Victor-Marie Hugo ( ( February 26, 1802 – May 22, 1885) was a French Poet, Playwright, Novelist Les Misérables (pronounced /le miːzeʁabl(ə translated variously from French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Written by Michel Audiard and René Barjavel, the film starred Jean Gabin as Jean Valjean. Pierre Michel Audiard ( May 15, 1920 - July 7, 1985) was a French dialogue writer and film director René Barjavel ( January 24, 1911 - November 24, 1985) was a French author journalist and critic who may have been the first to think Jean Gabin ( May 17, 1904 – November 15, 1976) was a major French actor and war hero Jean Valjean is the chief protagonist of Victor Hugo 's 1862 novel Les Misérables, or The Miserable Ones in English translation [1]