In 19th-century France, Jean Valjean, after serving a harsh nineteen-year prison sentence for stealing bread for his sister's starving child, is released on parole by Javert, the relentless prison guard. Valjean, burdened by the stigma of being an ex-convict, struggles to start anew. A chance encounter with the compassionate Bishop Myriel offers Valjean an act of kindness that inspires him to break his parole and reinvent himself under a new identity. Pursued relentlessly by the law in the form of the tenacious Javert, Valjean vows to lead an honorable life, becoming a factory owner and a mayor. However, his new life is overshadowed by the specter of his past and the unyielding chase of his adversary.

As Valjean forges his new existence, he becomes embroiled in the life of Fantine, one of his factory workers. Once a beautiful and naive girl, Fantine descends into a life of desperation after being wrongfully dismissed from her job. Left to fend for herself and her daughter, she makes great sacrifices, enduring degradation and illness. Her plight is emblematic of the widespread misery faced by the lower classes. Valjean is moved by her suffering and promises to care for her child, drawing him deeper into a commitment that will shape his future in ways he never could have anticipated. Meanwhile, the social unrest of the period simmers as the people grow weary of oppression, laying the groundwork for the struggles to come.