Jean Valjean, a French peasant and convicted thief, is freed from jail by a kind bishop and makes the most of the opportunity, changing his name and eventually becoming a factory owner and Mayor. When Valjean’s criminal past is resurrected and the Chief of Police, Javert, vows to bring him to justice, Valjean is forced to give up everything he has worked for and flee. Before doing so, he promises Fantine, a former worker on her death-bed, that he’ll find and care for her daughter Cosette. Years later, Valjean has cared for Cosette as a father, Javert seeks him still, and the city of Paris is torn by revolutionaries. Political and personal stories become intertwined, and all are called to question their devotion to freedom, love, and justice.