BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Denmark, 1984, 87 minutes, Colour.
Jesper Klein, Line Arlien Soborg, Merete Volstedlund, Jan Johansen.
Directed by Nils Malmros.
Beauty and the Beast is a brief, slowly-paced look at a father and daughter relationship. The film has a contemporary atmosphere, portrays the Danish nuclear family with a touch of tradition and a yearning for innocence. However, the film also shows a father so caring about his daughter that he becomes obsessed with her, supervising her, spying on her and her reaction.
The film says nothing particularly new but dramatises an important facet of parent-child relationships. The film draws great strength from the presence of its stars and their excellent interaction. An interesting theme and thoughtful treatment.
1. The title and its fairytale references? use for a contemporary story? To whom did the title refer? Ironies?
2. Danish production: colour photography, the use of the city, contemporary atmosphere? Score? atmosphere and popular songs?
3. The slow pacing of the film? Thoughtful and emotional response? A study of characters and situations for insight?
4. Family background: relationships, the mother and her pregnancy and hospitalisation, father and his writing, the daughter at 16? Traditional patterns? Love, care - the importance of the hospital visits? The focusing of the relationships in the hospital visits? Christmas and its joy, exchange of gifts? The discussions about tradition - especially the father's discussion with Drude and her relationship with Mini? The final irony about the relationship between Mette and Mini?
5. Relationships, sexuality and concern? Mette and her friends, at play, skiing, skating? Drude, Mini, Lars - and his disappointment, his visiting Mette and his tears? Mette’s fascination with Jonne? His studio, photography, advertising, glamour? His spiel about photographs? especially nudity for portraiture? His way of speaking, pleasant manner, Mette and being drunk from his egg punch, his visit to the father, the drinking of the whisky, the talk, the karate?
6. Father and his age, care for his daughter? The film focusing on him? Lifestyle, writing and the involved, even pretentious, style of his writing? Visits to the hospital, celebration of Christmas, father and daughter together, the Christmas carol, Christmas tree? Freedom around the house - and her nudity and her comment? Affection, her calling him a toad, commenting on his fatness? His supervising her outings? His treatment of her on her return home drunk? His own drinking with Jonne and rising late? Wanting to get the painting done and his gift of the roller? His going skiing, his discovery of the photos, the visit to Jonne and discussion? Going to the train to see his daughter off, yet forgetting to pick her up? The discussions with the mother about Mette and her freedom and supervision? His following her to the disco, listening to her conversation on the phone? The effect on him, preoccupation, obsession? The undertones of potential incestuous fascination? Mette's reaction, painting, outings, reaction to supervision, his spying? Her innocence and ordinary relationships with the friends? His final listening to her and her going to Jonne? The irony of his concern about her virginity - the effect of the encounter with Jonne and her bland and quick remark about mini a year earlier?
7. The portrait of young people - ordinary, visits, jokes, the atmosphere of innocence? Jonne and his pleasantness, the dancing? The irony of the phone call, his friend watching, winning the bet?
8. A portrait of characters? Study of supervision, care, love, growth and obsession?
