Jean Valjean releases Javert

Jean Valjean releases Javert at the barricade after receiving the insurgents’ permission to execute their prisoner. The scene first makes the release look like a private act of vengeance: Jean Valjean unbinds Javert only to lead him beyond the barricade, carrying a pistol and a knife. Instead, he cuts every restraint, gives Javert the address where he can be found, and tells him to go. The anticipated execution becomes an act of mercy, leaving Javert free and Jean Valjean to return to the fighting.