Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast

This is definitely not the Disney version. While it remains faithful to the plot of the classic fairy tale by Leprince de Beaumont, Jean Cocteau's 1946 French romantic fantasy is the product of a sophisticated, mature sensibility in its tones and textures and, above all, in its surprising emotional power. With sparkling black-and-white imagery that, for once, is actually dreamlike rather than cute or kitschy, and with a Beast (Jean Marais) who is almost as glamorous with his silky blonde facial hair as he is clean shaven, the movie casts a seductive spell. It might actually be a little too rich and unsettling for kids. Even the costumes and the draperies are entrancingly ornate. Viewers intoxicated by this enveloping vision should consider moving on to Cocteau's even more aggressively other-worldly 1949 masterpiece Orpheus, in which Marais plays the doomed poet of ancient Greek legend, updated to a Parisian "punk" milieu of motorcycles and black leather. --David Chute

Production: Buena Vista
  Won 2 Oscars. Another 24 wins & 25 nominations.
 
IMDB:
8.0
Metacritic:
95
Rotten Tomatoes:
94%
G (General Audience)
Year:
1991
84
$47,611,331
Website
4,911 Views

Belle:
Hello? Is someone here? Wait! I’m looking for my father. I... That’s funny. I’m sure there was someone. I-Is anyone here?

Maurice:
Belle!

Belle:
Papa! [Grabs a torch from off the wall]

Maurice:
H-How did you find me?

Belle:
Oh, your hands are like ice. We've got get you out of here.

Maurice:
Belle, I want you to leave this place!

Belle:
Who's done this to you?

Maurice:
No time to explain. You must go. Now!

Belle:
I won’t leave you!

Beast:
[grabs Belle] What are you doing here?!

Maurice:
Run, Belle! [torch goes out]

Belle:
[meeting the Beast for the first time] Who's there? Who are you?!

Beast:
The master of this castle. [growls]

Belle:
I've come for my father. Please let him out. Can't you see he's sick?

Beast:
Then he shouldn't have trespassed here!

Belle:
But he could die. Please, I'll do anything.

Beast:
There's nothing you can do. He's my prisoner.

Belle:
There must be some way I can... wait! [The Beast stops and turns around] Take me instead.

Beast:
[scoffs] You? [considers] You would... Take his place?

Maurice:
Belle, no! You don't know what you're doing!

Belle:
If I did, would you let him go?

Beast:
Yes. But... you must promise to stay here forever.

Belle:
Come into the light.

[The Beast steps into the light, revealing himself to Belle. Belle gasps in shock from his appearance, and turns away.]

Maurice:
No, Belle! I won't let you do this!

Belle:
[slowly] You have my word.

Beast:
[quickly] Done!

Maurice:
No, Belle, listen to me! I’m old! I've lived my life!

Belle:
Wait!

Maurice:
Belle!

Belle:
Wait!

[Cut to the Beast opening the castle door and dragging Maurice out.]

Maurice:
No, please spare my daughter. Please!

Beast:
She’s no longer your concern.

[Fade to the deep forest, night. After a few hours of traveling, it seems obvious that they are lost. Phillipe walks on cautiously, frightened out of his wits]

Maurice:
We should be there by now. [above them, an owl hoots, adding to the spookiness of the environment] Perhaps we missed a turn. I guess I should have taken...wait a minute. [raising his lantern toward a sign with arrows pointing in separate directions, though the writing is faded and unreadable. Phillipe snorts, and whinnies to go one fashion, but he pulls his reins in the separate direction] No, let's go this way! [Phillipe whinnies and looks at the path Maurice has picked. It is dark and foggy, with many trees forming an archway. Then he looks at the other path, which is much more inviting. Phillipe whinnies to go on the safer path, but he pulls him toward the other one] C'mon, Phillipe, it's a shortcut! We'll be there in no time. [the two continue down the path, albeit slowly due to Phillipe, fearing what can be lurking about in the darkness. At that moment, a shadow whisks past them and the sound of howling fills the air, spooking Phillipe whinnies; looking at his map] This can't be right. Where have you taken us, Phillipe? We'd better turn around. [suddenly, the howling becomes louder. Phillipe whinnies to back up, afraid of whatever might be around them] Woah. Woah, boy. Woah, now. Woah, Phillipe. [but the spooked horse does not stop in time, and bumps into a hollow tree. A flocks of bats swarm out and surround them] Watch out! [Phillipe runs off in fear, not noticing where he's going] Woah! Woah, boy! [eventually, his steed stops until he sees where he is; at the edge of a very tall cliff] Back up! Back up! Back up! [they back off slowly, yet afraid to an inch of their lives] Nice boy, nice boy. That's nice, that's–back up! Easy. Easy! Now, easy. Easy.[the howling is now so loud, Phillipe whinnying] Oh no, Phillipe?! OW! [falls off the wagon train and crashed the lampost] No!


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