Jean Valjean dies of some unspecified disease. The very last 30 seconds, it switches to showing a couple of beggar children soliciting passers-by for coins. Who were they? Did they appear earlier in the story?
shareThey are no one in particular and are meant to represent the downtrodden and unfortunate members of society (Les Miserables . . . The Miserable Ones).
Essentially the story is pointing out that while Valjean and Cosette were able to find a way out of their circumstances and make something of themselves, there are plenty like them who are still in the gutters, and we should not ignore their plight.
The novel had a similar funny end. It was a good novel and went into a lot of detail. I found the ending very abrupt though. From memory. Jean Valjean dies and there is an epilogue saying that his gravestone is in a cemetery. It does not say was became of Cosette and Marius or anyone else.
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