Melodrama mudo sobre el conflicto entre clases sociales a través de la vida de la desdichada Catherine Ferrand, una chica huérfana, que es víctima de los celos de las mujeres y la codicia de los hombres. Encuentra trabajo en casa de los Mallet, pero la señora desconfía de ella debido a las insidiosas habladurías de la gente del pueblo. Catherine acaba huyendo, pero, algún tiempo después, el amable señor Mallet, lleno de remordimientos, la busca e intenta rescatarla de la miseria.
Comtesse Della Gentia and her lover Paul attempt to seduce and blackmail a rich neighbour Juan, who is in love with a naïve young friend of theirs, Clarisse. Their plot fails; the Comtesse kills herself at a ball, and her lover re-covers her face with its mask.
The rebellion of 1832 is on. There is rioting and barricading in the streets. Marius in despair, and in the hope that a bullet will soon end his life, joins the mob and becomes a fighter in the ranks of the insurgents.
The Thenardiers and their small daughter, Eponine, and young son, Gavroche, are seen at their dingy country tavern. Here little Cosette, the daughter of Fantine, is seen performing drudgery and menial tasks. The Thenardiers are treating their own children kindly, but are cruel to Cosette.
Everyman Coupeau's attempts to stop drinking are routinely thwarted by the wicked and vengeful Virginie. Based on Zola's novel, Capellani's film is about the free fall of a group of working-class French folk into degradation and tragedy due to carelessness, jealousy, and alcohol abuse. At the time of its release, L'Assommoir was hugely successful.
