Tale as Old as Time
This weekend's review: Jean Cocteau's La Belle et La Bête.
Jean Cocteau’s La Belle et La Bête is a beautiful film. The story is fine, but in this case, it’s the visuals that really make the movie click. If the goal was to create something magical, then I’d say he succeeded spectacularly.
A disclaimer, however; I did not watch this movie with the original soundtrack. Instead, I watched it with the operatic soundtrack recorded specifically for the film by Phillip Glass. This may seem counterproductive, but the mixture of the old and the new works really well, giving the movie more of a fairy tale feel. By scrubbing out the sound effects, certain scenes feel almost like a silent movie, and the music is repetitive enough to fade into the background at certain moments, while otherworldly enough to keep you slightly on edge. Nothing against the music for the original movie, but I really do think it’s better this way.
Regardless of the version you watch, though, the story is the same. Belle (Josette Day) is treated like a servant by her social climbing sisters, while her brother racks up gambling debts. Their father (Marcel André) heads out to another town because he thinks his business is going to get an influx of money. On the way back, he gets lost in the forest and winds up in a mysterious, unusual castle. As he leaves, he plucks a rose for Belle, only to be confronted by the castle’s owner, the Beast (Jean Marais). He is told he must either return to be killed in three days, or send one of his daughters in his place. Belle, who loves her father deeply, sneaks out and goes to the Beast’s castle. Rather than eating her, however, the Beast treats her like a queen, which in turn causes her to look at him differently. A lot of the familiar elements of the story are there, but there are plenty of aspects that a modern audience would find surprising.
The visuals are absolutely glorious. The costumes are gorgeous, the makeup on the Beast looks real and is just the right blend of unnerving yet approachable, and the “magic” elements of the castle fit the setting and the story perfectly. Even when you know how the special effects were done, it’s still a wonder to see, and can even add a little bit to the unreality of the situation. I don’t say this very often, but the worldbuilding in this movie is top notch.
The one weak spot in the movie is a matter of pacing. Many scenes, especially in the middle, fade to black and come up on a different scene, with no indication in dialogue of how much time has passed. Some scenes set things up but never provide any payoff, and other ideas just come out of nowhere. This even extends to the ending, unfortunately; while the visuals offer one implication, the dialogue offers another, and you’re not quite sure which one to believe. This is only really noticeable on subsequent viewings, though, and there’s plenty to make up for it, besides.
This movie was obviously a major source of inspiration for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, from the look of the Beast to the magic mirror. But even without that reference, the movie is a delight to watch, no matter your age or experience. It’s like Cocteau said in his opening; sometimes, we need to remember a little bit of that childhood magic.
CAT ALERT: A cat can be seen sitting on the table as Belle’s brother talks to his friend about his gambling debts. Then the moneylender shows up and the cat gets out of there in case someone tries to bargain with it.
Jean Cocteau’s La Belle et La Bête is a beautiful film. The story is fine, but in this case, it’s the visuals that really make the movie click. If the goal was to create something magical, then I’d say he succeeded spectacularly.
A disclaimer, however; I did not watch this movie with the original soundtrack. Instead, I watched it with the operatic soundtrack recorded specifically for the film by Phillip Glass. This may seem counterproductive, but the mixture of the old and the new works really well, giving the movie more of a fairy tale feel. By scrubbing out the sound effects, certain scenes feel almost like a silent movie, and the music is repetitive enough to fade into the background at certain moments, while otherworldly enough to keep you slightly on edge. Nothing against the music for the original movie, but I really do think it’s better this way.
Regardless of the version you watch, though, the story is the same. Belle (Josette Day) is treated like a servant by her social climbing sisters, while her brother racks up gambling debts. Their father (Marcel André) heads out to another town because he thinks his business is going to get an influx of money. On the way back, he gets lost in the forest and winds up in a mysterious, unusual castle. As he leaves, he plucks a rose for Belle, only to be confronted by the castle’s owner, the Beast (Jean Marais). He is told he must either return to be killed in three days, or send one of his daughters in his place. Belle, who loves her father deeply, sneaks out and goes to the Beast’s castle. Rather than eating her, however, the Beast treats her like a queen, which in turn causes her to look at him differently. A lot of the familiar elements of the story are there, but there are plenty of aspects that a modern audience would find surprising.
The visuals are absolutely glorious. The costumes are gorgeous, the makeup on the Beast looks real and is just the right blend of unnerving yet approachable, and the “magic” elements of the castle fit the setting and the story perfectly. Even when you know how the special effects were done, it’s still a wonder to see, and can even add a little bit to the unreality of the situation. I don’t say this very often, but the worldbuilding in this movie is top notch.
The one weak spot in the movie is a matter of pacing. Many scenes, especially in the middle, fade to black and come up on a different scene, with no indication in dialogue of how much time has passed. Some scenes set things up but never provide any payoff, and other ideas just come out of nowhere. This even extends to the ending, unfortunately; while the visuals offer one implication, the dialogue offers another, and you’re not quite sure which one to believe. This is only really noticeable on subsequent viewings, though, and there’s plenty to make up for it, besides.
This movie was obviously a major source of inspiration for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, from the look of the Beast to the magic mirror. But even without that reference, the movie is a delight to watch, no matter your age or experience. It’s like Cocteau said in his opening; sometimes, we need to remember a little bit of that childhood magic.
CAT ALERT: A cat can be seen sitting on the table as Belle’s brother talks to his friend about his gambling debts. Then the moneylender shows up and the cat gets out of there in case someone tries to bargain with it.