A New Life
Running approximately 14 minutes, A New Life was part three of Edison's ambitious serialized version of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. Having been nabbed by his tormentor Javert for breaking parole, ex-convict Jean Valjean is returned to prison. This is quite a comedown from his prior existence as a prosperous factory owner and town mayor. Again escaping imprisonment, Valjean takes refuge in a convent. From here, he journeys on to the next, even more eventful chapter of his life. The trade magazine Variety admired the fact that the storyline of this film was comprehensible even to those who hadn't read the original novel.