Figure 1: La Belle et La Bête poster
La Belle et la Bête directed by French poet and maker Jean Cocteau. When Jean Cocteau began to direct Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la bête) in 1946, he was known primarily as a poet and a painter. The film is a theatrical film and a fairy story. After the film was released he instantly became one of the finest French directors of his era. The film is based on the fairy tale by Madame Leprince de Beuamon. The film starts with Belle (Beauty) working for her family, while her sisters are waiting to find their bridegroom. Beauty’s family consists of her brother, her two sisters, her father and a friend of her brother Avenant. Business isn’t going well for the family, so Beauty’s father undertakes a desperate trip that promises riches. Returning home in the fog after great disappointment, he wanders into a magical castle literally illuminated hand held candelabras and watched over with living statues and table hands that pour wine for the guests. Special effects used on this movie are minimum. We can see a variety of camera tricks during his movement in the castle. “Cocteau was attempting to approximate the spirit of the tale by conjuring cinematic tricks. But he wasn't interested in special effects that you add in the editing room. He wanted to use tricks that could be caught on camera through superimposition, slow motion, and running the film backwards for dreamlike effect.” (Matt Langdon, 2008). As he leaves from the castle he cuts a rose for Beauty as she previously asked him to bring her a rose. The beast appears. He demands his death, unless he can supply one of his daughters to die in his place. The beast costume is quite appealing if we take in mind that this film was filmed in 1946. Although we can see only his eyes expressions due to his costume.
Figure 2: Beast eyes expressions.
As her father returns and desperately tells what happened Beauty feels that the whole mess is her fault and secretly makes her way to the hidden castle. During her first contact with the beast she faints. The beast treats her like a princess. The Beast struggles to show his inner humanity and to overcome his animalistic nature. Beauty gradually likes him and doesn’t look about his exterior look. While Beauty interacts with Beast and the days pass she gradually develops feelings for him. She isn’t scared of him. She gets familiar with him , even she gives him water to drink by her own hands. Beauty passes through some stages in order to get familiar with him. The beast overcome his instincts for her. The Beast may look "horrible" but he has a heart of gold. Beast behavior is the behavior of a gentleman.
Figure 3: Beast treating Beauty as a princess.
Beauty has to go back to see her sick father. Her sisters are jealous of her because of what the Beast has given to her. Beauty confess that she misses the Beast and she is worried about it. She wants to go back to him. Her sisters with her brother and Avenant plan to go secretly on the castle, kill the Beast and take all his rich fortune. Avenant gets killed and transformed into a monster while Beauty gives freedom to the Beast by crying for him which turns him into a princess. It’s really interesting how Beauty gets familiar with the Beast and overpass his appearance. I didn’t like the ending, which was accompanied by a kind of funny for us scene from the special effects view where Beauty and the Beast fly away. It’s a classic fairy story that can be seen by anyone. It reminds us classic fairy stories of our childhood.
Figure 4: Beauty and the Beast flying together away in the end of the film
“Jean Cocteau’s La Belle et la bête is that rarest thing in cinema, a film that has the ability to transport an adult spectator into the realm of childhood imagination without ever appearing twee or childish. Its unique design confers on it a palpable sense of enchantment, of the kind that is only ever really experienced in childhood.” (James Travers, 2000-2010). The film want’s to pass the message that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover." The aura of amour drifts through every scene, underpinning the story and leading us to a triumphant conclusion which celebrates the victory of love over all obstacles. We believe in this fairy-tale and that is how it should be.” (Dammian Cannon, 1997).
Illustration List:
Figure 1: La Belle et la Bête (1946): http://prints.encore-editions.com/0/500/poster-a186-la-belle-et-la-bete-movie-poster.jpg
(Accessed 5/10/2011)
Figure 2: La Belle et la Bête (1946): http://locotigrero.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/la-belle-et-la-bete-beast-blood-smoke-2.jpg
(Accessed 5/10/2011)
Figure 3: La Belle et la Bête: (1946):
(Accessed 5/10/2011)
Figure 4: La Belle et la Bête: (1946):
(Accessed 5/10/2011)
Bibliography
Review by Matt Langdon : La Belle et la Bête
http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/1946/beauty-and-the-beast
(Accessed 5/10/2011)
Review by Dammian Cannon: La Belle et la Bête
(Accessed 5/10/2011)
Review by James Travers: La Belle et la Bête
(Accessed 5/10/2011)
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