Jean Valjean is released from prison after nineteen years of hard labor, violence, and suffering. Filled with anger and a deep sense of injustice, he has become a dangerous man who trusts no one and nothing. When he arrives in a small village in Provence, he is repeatedly turned away, treated like a pariah. Desperate, he unknowingly finds refuge at a priest's house. Bishop Bienvenu lives there simply with his sister and a single servant. Surprised by their warm welcome, the open-minded spirit of the bishop, and the conversation he begins, Jean Valjean’s inner demons start to waver. But the temptation to be what society sees in him still haunts him, and he disappears overnight, stealing the Bishop's silverware. When the police catch him and bring him back to the house, the bishop’s great soul forgives him, calling him "my friend" and gifting him the silver candlesticks.