MovieChat Forums > La Belle et la Bête (1947) Discussion > Fantastic movie, here's why...

Fantastic movie, here's why...

posted 22 years ago by les_etoiles
25 replies | jump to latest

we watched this film in my sixth-year french class with subtitles; while the rest of my class seemed to be yawning, i really enjoyed this film. beauty and the beast has always been one of my favorite tales and this was a wonderful cinematic presentation of it.
when one views this film, it is necessary for one to take many things into consideration. this film is much more adherent to the original story of "la belle et la bete" (beaty and the beast) than the disney - or any other version - has been. disney took the story and, well, disney-fied it: there's nothing wrong with this, i love the disney movie. it just helps immensely to think of the cocteau and disney versions at entirely seperate stories as they are essentially incomparible.
this movie came out right after the ending of WWII, as such cocteau had to rely upon a very tight budget in order to produce this film. vischey france was essentially still in power and would only be demolished a short time later. thus, cocteau had to make sparse usage of obvious locales, fearing to be found out.
the special effects and costumes to this film are magnificant - in my mind, this movie is not intended to be "realistic" or "believeable": it is a fairy tale and is presented as such.
the castle in which the beast lives harbors many enchanted things - arms reach from the walls to hold candles; this is hardly the benevolent "lumiere" of disney's version. the eerie ambiance of the film is almost hallucinatory - sparse lighting during some parts and overly-extravagent visual imagery makes this film a necessary film to watch.
not only does jean cocteau present a fairy-tale, but he seeks to yank the viewer into the dream-like world of love and fear. while the essence of the emotions may be lost upon the audience - who can honestly connect with a courting prince and jealous sisters who want to take throne? ...asides metaphorically - that is entirely the point.
even the beginning of the film begins with a disclaimer of sorts, with cocteau asking the viewing audience to release their pre-disposition towards skepticism and to abandon themselves to a fairy-tale.
most assuredly one of the finest classical films, and one of the best french films, ever.

etoiles*
i will not die for what you have to say, sir, but i will die for your right to say it - voltaire

[–] catherine_the_so-so 21 years ago

Well... I disapprove of what you say... but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

I bet you're pretty bummed out about the fact that the only response you got to this clearly thought-out post was to criticize your tendencies to grossly misquote.

Hm. C'est la vie.

[–] BlueLeaves 21 years ago

your ridiculous response and then continue on with your catherine the so-so life. His a new quote for you to add to your collection.

If you can't say something nice or at least pertinent don't say anything at all.

"If a king can't sing, it ain't worth being king."

[–] catherine_the_so-so 21 years ago

Well. It's about time somebody called me on what a jerk I am. Touche.

Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking. -The Wizard of Oz

[–] BlueLeaves 21 years ago

I just wanted to respond and say that I appreciate your honest enthusiasm for this rendition of the classic story "Beauty and the Beast". I feel that Cocteau's creativity in the development of the mystique and enchantment of this story using such limited funds is wonderfully inspiring.

I especially enjoyed your phrase

dreamlike world of love and fear

and felt it the perfect description of the Beast's castle.

La Belle et la Bete is the quintessential telling of this most popular fairy tale.

"If a king can't sing, it ain't worth being king."

[–] zebra7_us 21 years ago

I agree wholeheartedly, this is one of my favorite B&W films. In an age in which film with digital effects are the norm, it is a pleasure to see a well made film as this made with creative human and optical effects. I must admit that I am very shocked as to why this film doesn`t get the credit it deserves. Is is because it`s french and not american? I am a film school graduate as well as an artist and I am constantly reading books on the history of filmmaking. This Surrealist version of "Beauty and the Beast" is not even mentioned in the numerous film books that I`ve read, is this a slight to the creativity of the french film industry? I strongly believe that had this film been the product of hollywood it would have been given much, much more due respect.

Thank you Jean Cocteau for this timeless cinematic masterpiece.

zebra7 (an american)

[–] BijouBob8mm 21 years ago

I don't think it's the nationality of the film, as much as it is the subject matter, that have kept some from giving it the serious consideration it deserves. Even while it was being made, Cocteau felt the critics would be unkind to it because it wasn't a "serious" subject.

[–] leeyan-marquez 20 years ago

ah you are definitely not alone in your appreciation of this film, silly replies notwithstanding! i used to be a huge fan of the disney version, because i thought that it was one of the more mature and intelligent animated features i had ever seen, but when i saw this version by Jean Cocteau, I was incensed to find out that almost all of the things that i admired about the Disney version were almost directly lifted from this film - uncredited!

There's the ambivalence that Belle feels toward her captor - how the force of her character withstands the innate violence of the Beast, the look of the rival (Gaston in the Disney version/Avenant in the Cocteau version), the significance of the symbols of the Beast's power (the mirror, the horse...), and finally, the disappointment with which Belle views the Beast's transformation. That for me, is what keeps me going back to the film: Cocteau's Beast was so wonderful (at times I found myself yelling at Belle for being such a meanie! or is that just bad subtitles?) that it was indeed a disappointment to see him revealed as the Prince. It's this very anticlimax that underlines the mysterious, surreal beauty of the whole film.

[–] freefall79 20 years ago

Thunderbirds Aren't Slow

also i love the fact that the Prince turns into her exboyfriend...they should have done that in the Disney film hence it would have warrented a sequal

[–] Greenteeth 20 years ago

I am lucky to be old enough to have seen this in the late fifties when I was a kid. A great movie.

[–] space_quest_cat 20 years ago

I, too, think this movie is pure magic. The first time I saw it was purely by accident while flipping through t.v. very late one night... the movie was playing and caught my attention immediately. I could not take my eyes from the screen. I only wish I had words enough to describe the pure beauty that this film portrays. Although I was quite young when I first saw the film (perhaps 17 years old?), it had me fixed to it, not wanting it to end! Truly beautiful.

[–] blackjack912 20 years ago

presonally, I like the part when the beast sees the deer and his ears swivel.

That, and when his eyes sparkle.

Oh, and his glittery cape.

"Beeellle... voulez- vous etre...... MA FEMME?!?!?!?!"

heeheehee... But seriously, this is a really good movie.

[–] cinemanewyork 20 years ago

all i really need in a movie is avenant flipping his hair.

but i liked your rendition of the proposal.

je suis une drôle de petite fille. une drôle de petite fille!

[–] dbdumonteil 20 years ago

I'm French and I'm proud of my country when I see so many people around the world who admire Cocteau's chef d'oeuvre!

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] tyger_lilee 19 years ago

Well your complaint about the "fairy tale ending" is hardly valid considering "Beauty & the Beast" IS a fairy tale--what did you expect? :p

I've read multiple versions of the original fairy tale for an essay, and yes, in our day we would consider it rather ridiculous at times, which is why this movie is such an appropriate tribute to the tale. Character development in these kinds of stories is less important because true fairy tales are so heavily symbolic. Characters stand for concepts, values, and basic personas, which is why they seem to lack development. The symbolism, didacticism, and of course the pure aesthetics are what fairy tales are all about--they don't 'lack' certain things so much as they emphasize others. It's simply a different form of art from the movies you're used to watching. For these reasons I think it's unfair to 'deduct points' from a movie for simply going the proper fairy tale way instead of following the unwritten code of Hollywood-esque films.

If you have problems with the strange, odd, and weirdly unsatisfying stories, don't open up any tales by the Grimm brothers. ;)

[–] NonmipiaceHarpy 19 years ago

I'm 16 and I absolutely love this film. The surreal beuty and the depth of emotions that it portrays is really outstanding. The visuals itself are breathtaking, and I find the acting by all roles to be excellent. I would rather watch this than a explosion-ridden new movie anyday.

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[–] peterfrancislewis 18 years ago

This is not a fantastic movie. It important to remember that it is not even in colour. It is made in French (which, incidentally, is spoken in only a handful of countries by a relative handful of peoples) which is a bit parochial for me. To top it all the acting is hammy and the settings are just not convincing. Please use your eulogies discerningly.

[–] thatcat1960-1 18 years ago

I'm sorry that's all you got out of it.

[–] prfrbr48 18 years ago

I agree with you to bad they got nothing from the film.
I first saw this as a kid in the fifties.
It made quite an impression on me then.
And still does the effects work so well on a low budget.
But if you sit back and enjoy it what dose that matter.
I watch movies to get lost in the story.
And forget the everyday world.
Fantasy is supposed to be somewhat over the top.
Pass the popcorn I'm having fun.