This shot appears to be from one of Javert’s many resurgences back into Valjean’s life post-release, either during “Fantine’s Arrest” or “Look Down.” The main dynamic in Les Misérables is the endless chase of Valjean by Inspector Javert, and here we see Russell Crowe’s menacing law enforcer striding into town in full pursuit mode. The opening of the musical is a long stretch of music chronicling Valjean’s difficult time getting his life back together ( “Prologue: On Parole”) and this moment is most likely in the middle of that number. Our first glimpse of Les Misérables follows Jean Valjean (Jackman), recently released from jail, seeking shelter in a church. So what’s going on? What are we actually seeing in the first tease of footage? Here’s a breakdown of the trailer that should shed some light on what to expect from one of the holiday season’s biggest releases:

Whether or not you’re a fan of the source material, the trailer does wonders. Hathaway’s sweeping vocals carry the trailer’s imagery, a selection of snippets from the film that, while not delivering on context, punch with emotion. But the first glimpse of the movie offered reassurance that director Tom Hooper ( The King’s Speech) and his all-star cast - including Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfried - were getting it right. So of course, knowing there was a movie version of the hit musical arriving in theaters in 2012 left me a little anxious - as any fan would be.

As I professed in my write-up of the trailer for the big-screen adaptation of Les Miserables, I’m a bit of a nut for the show.

Les miserables full movie trailer