BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
France, 2014, 112 minutes, Colour.
Lea Seydoux, Vincent Cassel, Andre Dusollier, Eduardo Noriega.
Directed by Christoph Ganz.
Beauty and the Beast has been seen in many film versions.
The classic version is that by Jean Cocteau. There have been television versions with stars like George C.Scott. For the general public, the Disney version of 1992 is probably the best known.
Director Christoph Ganz (Brotherhood of the Wolf) has decided to make an adult version – even though the context is a mother telling children a bedtime story. He has relied on special effects and the film was made on the sound stages of Germany’s Babelsburg Studios. And it is quite a lavish production, in its period settings, costumes and decor. There is a sea port, taverns, homes in the country, and a huge castle on a mountain in the woods.
The film focuses on a merchant, Andre Dusollier, a merchant, whose ships are wrecked, although one survives and he has to use it to pay his debts. In the meantime he has a reckless son who is squandering his money. He searches for him in the port and comes up against a dangerous adventurer, Perducas, played by Eduardo Noriega.
On his way home, the merchant is lost in the snow, comes across a castle and finds lavish food there for him to eat. He also takes a rose for his youngest daughter, something which enrages the owner of the Castle, the Beast.
Allowed to return home, the merchcant finds his children dissatisfied with their home in the country, except for Belle, who tends the garden. She returns in her father’s place to confront the Beast. What follows is the familiar material of Belle beginning to understand the Beast, discover a great deal of his story, find compassion for him. As he allows her to return home for a day, she promises to come – or else, he will die.
Complications set in. Perducas is pursuing the extravagant brother for him to pay his debts. The brother takes Belle’s horse and rides towards the castle in order to get more jewels such as the one he found on his sister’s dress. But Perducas, who relies on a friend who is an expert tarot cards but has not revealed the full truth, goes in pursuit.
The finale consists of an attack on the Castle, its defence by two huge statues and the mysterious growths of tree limbs which can envelop people, especially Perducas. Belle is able to make her way into the castle on time, the Beast comes back to his normal appearance – which the audience has often seen in flashbacks where he is in love with his wife, goes to hunt the golden deer which his wife urges him not to because, when he kills, it it is revealed that she is the golden deer, a nymph of the forest. Hence his becoming the Beast.
The film actually ends with a happy ever after, the reader of the story being Belle with her husband outside working in the garden. Lea Seydoux is charming as Belle and Vincent Cassel is a strong beast.
1. The classic story? Fairytale? Novels? Jean Cocteau’s film, popular versions, telemovies, Disney’s animation? Audience awareness of these versions?
2. The adaptation of the novel, the Fairytale for an adult audience? It’s being told to children in the film?
3. The re-creation of the period, costumes and decor, the port, the ships, the ships at sea, the snow scapes, the city taverns, the isolated castle and its surroundings, the interiors? The special effects, make up, the Beast, the giant statues, the action? The lush score?
4. The story and the variations? From the focus on the children in the family, to the family story and the merchant, to Belle’s story, to Beast, to flashbacks, to disaster, to change and the finale?
5. The merchant, his wealth, his children, the ships, the storm and their being lost, one saved? His forfeiting the wealth to pay his debts? His wastrel son, the other sons, one to take over the business? His daughters, frivolous and superficial? His love for Belle?
6. The mother telling the story, the narrative throughout the film – and the revelation that the mother was Belle, and her husband working outside the house in the garden?
7. The father, seeking Maxime, in the tavern, the owner warning him, Perducas, his vengeance, the woman and the tarot cards, not revealing the full prediction? The father escaping, riding home, the snow, lost, the horse falling, his finding the castle, the food ready, taking the rose? The confrontation with the Beast? The challenge? His being able to leave but the obligation to return?
8. His return home, the relief of the sisters, the brothers, Belle? Belle settling into the new house, the others wanting to leave and go back to the city? Belle and her garden? Her decision to return to the beast?
9. Belle, the encounter with the beast? Her fears, yet her courage? His appearance, his words? The threats? The interaction between the two? Her learning more about him, seeing the images, the mirrors, the flashbacks and the story of the beast, as Count, his friends, hunting, the issue of the golden deer? His wife, love, his devotion, his pride that she was pregnant? Her warnings about the deer?
10. Belle and her learning more about the Beast? More sympathy? More understanding? The shooting of the golden deer, the discovery that it was his wife, her explanation about being a nymph, her grave? And his transformation?
11. Belle, being allowed to return home, the necessity for her coming back? If she did not, he would die?
12. Her return home, the reaction of the family, her father in a kind of coma, the sisters, the brothers?
13. Belle’s red dress, the jewels, Maxime and his taking the jewel, to pay his debts? Going to the castle to get more? The arrival of Perducas? His pursuit, his greed? The woman and the predictions?
14. Getting to the castle, the two statues, the attempts to destroy them, the statues coming apart? The forest and the growing limbs? Enfolding them? The destruction of Perducas?
15. Belle, Maxime taking the horse, her trying to get in, her arrival, the collapse of the Beast, the Beast, her expressions of love? His revival?
16. And Belle telling the story to her children – and the happy ever after ending?
