Beauty and the Beast

I don’t remember much about the time I first saw “Beauty and the Beast" because as a 9 year old, I would watch this film over and over again. I still have it memorized. After the "Toy Story" trilogy, it is my favorite animated film of all time and my favorite film from 1991. It entertains me now as an adult in a much more deeper way than as a kid. It has humor but a lot of drama. It is beautiful to watch and has aged wonderfully. The story is powerfully adapted and it has characters that come alive. It was more than worthy of its Oscar nomination for Best Picture (it was the first animated film to achieve that). I wish I had been old enough to fully take in the hype that this film generated during its release but I sin in my wish. I am glad to have been as young as I was because I was naïve enough that I thought all Disney movies were this good (my parents owned only “Peter Pan” and “The Jungle Book” besides this Disney movie at one point). I was unaware of how much better it was than many live action films of that time, let alone animated films. To have this be one of my first favorite films is gratifying. I could have been born in the 70’s at a time when Disney animation was not given the attention it needed. Thank heaven I came into this world in the early 80’s just as Disney started to get its priorities straight.

“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and “The Little Mermaid” brought Disney back into the reputable spotlight. “The Little Mermaid” in particular showed Disney what the world was ready for: Broadway musical entertainment that utilized the possibilities of animation. “Beauty and the Beast” was a story that was worked on at the studio twice in Walt Disney’s time. Even they had trouble with its adaptation. It must have been very intimidating for the people at Disney to try to make something work that Walt himself had trouble with. After early story work in the late 80’s failed, the film was made a musical and the Oscar-winning song writing team from “The Little Mermaid” was the obvious choice to pull it off. Lyricist Howard Ashman, who was focused on “Aladdin” at the time, was sick and about to pass away. Despite that, he put his heart into creating the adaptation that we love so much today. The original tale of “Beauty and the Beast” had to appeal to families and I love the changes that were made for the Disney version. An initial story problem was deciding who the main protagonist was: Belle or the Beast. Ashman reminded everyone of the title of the film and so both characters are central in the story. The opening 10 minutes is proof of this. I love the opening exposition sequence. The first piece we hear of Alan Menken’s Oscar-winning musical score is so amazing, as is the music throughout the prologue. The first few shots of the film are almost identical to those opening shots on “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. Seeing as how "Beauty and the Beast" is the 30th animated feature from Disney, the tribute is fitting. The use of stain glass windows are a great choice. We then transition wonderfully into the song “Belle”. Its operetta nature perfectly establishes the town, the leading lady, the antagonist and the relationships between them. One particular part that I like about the song “Belle” is where she explains to the sheep what she is thinking and feeling. I like it because “Something There” has a moment where the same music is reprised for Belle to once again sing about her inner feelings. For the reprise of “Belle”, Ashman and Menken create a “Sound of Music” moment that is also like their song “Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid”. The female lead sings about what she wants most and this is where Menken shines in his talent as well as Paige O’Hara who plays Belle and animator James Baxter. In “Beauty and the Beast”, it isn't so obvious what Belle wants in life. The three main Disney heroines of the Golden Age of Animation (Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora) each dreamt about a prince who would come for them. Ariel obviously wanted legs. As opposed to her predecessors, Belle wants some more all-encompassing; an adventure similar to the ones she reads about. This can include a handsome prince or not and this is very relatable to the audience. By watching this movie, people are expressing the same desire that Belle has. We go to see films to escape our world and see our dream come true through film characters. Funny enough, Belle immediately sets off on an adventure that turns her world upside down. Her dream also becomes a nightmare. In the original French tale, Belle’s father offers her to the Beast in exchange for stealing a rose from him. In this version, Belle exchanges her freedom for her father’s. It is much more nobler in nature and makes for a better story & for better characters. Belle has been “Americanized” into a more active woman. Even the Beast is surprised by her noble offer. He doesn’t believe her at first but then realizes dramatically that she is serious. He also sees that she can be a way to break the spell that is upon him. I think the Beast gives Belle a room of her own because her sorrow may have reminded him of the sorrow he first felt when he was turned into a beast. He also feels guilt of course. The Beast starts on a path to becoming human again, not just outwardly but inwardly. The filmmakers made a great choice in creating the idea that the Beast has gradually been de-evolving ever since the spell was put upon him. He is walking on all fours, growling and he is wearing only pants and a cloak. The filmmakers also show that even though he has aged since the spell was put on him, he still acts like a brat.

I like the humorous contrast between Belle crying on her new bed with Gaston “down in the dumps” back in the village. It makes me laugh when I hear him say, “Who does she think she is?” There is also irony in that moment because Gaston doesn’t know what has happened to Belle. “Gaston” is a very fun song but it is important. It serves to make the Beast more appealing than Gaston. This appeal comes later in the film however. I like the moment when the Beast asks softly for Belle to come to dinner and when she says no, he does a childish pointing move as if to say, “See! I told you so.” It is funny but it shows that the Beast still acts like a spoiled, selfish prince. The scene in the Beast’s room where he is watching Belle through the mirror creates empathy for him. We feel his hopelessness and he starts to become more appealing to us. At this point, there is a standstill between our two protagonists. The Beast is rude & villainous and Belle is noble & attractive. There is no connection or relation it seems between them. These characters have become alive before our eyes thanks to the story, the animation and vocal performances. They can genuinely think and feel. I am glad for the filmmaker’s change of mind to have “Be Our Guest” sung to Belle instead of Maurice. Menken’s musical score during Belle’s exploration of the West Wing is amazing; some of his best work in any movie! I like the score particularly when Belle sees the painting of the Prince and only the eyes are showing. It is a plot point that will later pay off. The music helps us understand what Belle is thinking. She recognizes the eyes but does not realize whose eyes they are. The music and also the animation are perfect in portraying that. I also like the dramatic moment when Belle is about to leave the injured Beast but realizes that this is not the monster that she took him for. If he saved her life, there is some good in him and her noble character cannot just leave him there to die. The Beast for the first time in his life cares for someone else because Belle took him home and cared for his wounds despite his behavior before. He knew she was special but he is even more amazed now by her nobility and good heart. It isn’t Beauty that tames that Beast; it is her beautiful character. The biggest reason why the two fall in love is the student/teacher relationship that they develop. In preparation for the romantic evening ahead, the Beast knows that he loves Belle. Just like all guys however, he is afraid of rejection and has trouble with expressing feelings. His choice to let Belle go was just the way for him to express his love. He has done something very unselfish because he gives up the chance to be human. He has grown up into an adult. Because of all the romance and drama, we have forgotten that Belle is still the Beast’s prisoner. It is hard to think of her as such in that gown. I also would like to point out the moment when the Beast spares Gaston’s life. I believe that the Beast once again is reminded of himself. Gaston pleads for his life and the Beast probably remembers his pleadings to the enchantress. His inner transformation from animal to human is complete in that he decides against killing Gaston. His facial expression goes from being angry to being calm as the Beast realizes his changed nature. It is such a well done animated moment that even as a kid I recognized. Belle loves the Beast but doesn’t know it until she loses him. She feels guilt for the villagers’ assault on the castle and when the Beast dies, she can’t handle it emotionally. How can animators create such drama throughout this film, especially in that final scene? It is a mystery that has existed since “Snow White”. The vocal acting as the Beast is dying is also very good. The filmmakers say that it was quite impossible to have the Prince resemble the Beast but that is why they set up and paid off his human eyes. In my opinion, the Prince’s hair and facial structure remind you of his Beastly form as well. The most important thing is that Belle and the Prince feel like the couple we have watched for more than an hour and they do. There is irony in how Belle is hesitant at first towards the Prince’s handsome face because she has trouble seeing the Beast she fell in love with. A great little touch at the end of the film is that Belle and the Prince kiss before they dance. I also like the choice of having the seasons reflect the relationship between the Beast and Belle. We go from an attractive autumn at the start of the movie, to winter and end up in springtime.

The characters and the vocal talent in this film add so much to its value as do other elements. O’Hara's acting is so believable and her singing is very princess-like. It is interesting that unlike the other Disney heroines, Belle is a little unaware of her outer beauty. In addition, I think that Belle’s beauty is actually held back which adds realism to the film. Sometimes in the past, Disney has created leading ladies that are extremely beautiful and exceed what is possible in real-life women. These Disney animated females also are fully aware of their remarkable beauty. “Beauty and the Beast” has a gorgeous heroine but Belle’s beauty comes from within and her outward features reflect more realistically that of real-life ladies. Robby Benson’s performance was menacing at times but dramatic and appealing at others. The Beast’s design reflects his character. I have seen other “Beasts” that have looked like baboons or pigs but this Disney design allows the Beast to act dramatically and allows us to see into his sole. He is not as ugly as he could have been designed to be but is rather like an anthropomorphic animal. He is still a beast because he is big, gruff, harry and intimidating. Richard White’ voice is absolutely perfect for Gaston. It is interesting that Gaston goes from being a humorous guy, to a manipulator, to a murderer. Another thing to note is that in the early phases of the film, he started out in his design as a proper, pompous, snotty, rich man. He then evolved into the robust town hero that we know and have a love/hate relationship with today, modelled after Brom Bones in Disney’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. This final design for the character and his changing role in the film are also thanks to Howard Ashman's input. Jeffery Katzenberg, the CEO of the Disney Studio, suggested that Gaston be as handsome as possible for a villain so as to contrast with the Beast. This film introduced me to Angela Lansbury, David Ogden Stiers and Jerry Orbach. It is interesting to note that Lansbury was hesitant to record the Oscar-winning title song and when she finally agreed, she did it in one take. Child actor Bradley Pierce was the voice of Chip and he later went on to appear in "Jumanji" and "The Borrowers" right under my nose. The filmmakers told a great story with great characters but just like Walt Disney, they pushed technology ahead. The ballroom scene shows this because they worked very hard at pulling that computer generated location off. Because of the release date approaching, it almost seemed that at one point they would have to cheat and put a spotlight on Belle and Beast as they danced in a dark room. Because of hard work and a love of the art form, the ballroom scene was finished and looks great. The Beast’s transformation is another moment that the filmmakers were tempted to cheat on in order to complete the film on time. Glenn Keane, who animated the Beast, was passionate enough about that scene to assure everyone that he could complete it. He did an amazing job in my opinion, thanks to the fact that he listened to Beethoven while working on those particular shots. I am grateful for the 3D version of "Beauty and the Beast" that was released in 2012 because before that, I had not seen this movie on the big screen. Even though I think the 3D conversion of "The Lion King" was better, I still enjoyed seeing "Beauty and the Beast" in 3D. I also got to see this film with an orchestra playing the score live and that was cool. Because the film has been around for 20 years, the comedian in me cannot help but joke about some things. I love the wedding band of villagers. The accordion player and the tuba player are the funniest because of the energy they portray. Because of the TV show “The West Wing”, you can’t watch “Beauty and the Beast” without that show coming to mind. How many servants live in that castle? Everything is alive for Pete’s sake. That is one ridiculous library by the way. Did the Beast loan it from Congress or something? Also that snowball that the Beast makes is awesome. Can you imagine that kind of talent in a snowball fight in real life? He turns a snowball into an even more deadly weapon. I like how the cook/stove scares the villagers during the battle sequence. He reminds me of the Chernabog from “Fantasia”. It is so funny.

The legacy of this film is astounding. As usual with Disney, their films overshadow the original versions from whence they sprang. In the public consciousness, the Disney versions become original and such is the case with “Beauty and the Beast”. My high school English teacher called the world we live in a “Disnified Society”. As mentioned, Howard Ashman died before he could see the finished version. His legacy will always live on because he was the one that “gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul”. I wonder what would have happen had he not died. I would like to think that the Disney Renaissance would have lived on past 1999. The American Film Institute has recognized this film and its impact. It is on their list of the 100 greatest movie romances at #34. It ranks higher than such films as “Jerry Maguire”, “Grease”, “Dirty Dancing”, “The Graduate”, “Sleepless in Seattle” and even “Titanic”. It is also on their lists of the greatest animated films (#7), greatest movie songs (the title song at #62) and the greatest movie musicals (#22). A work in progress version was shown at the New York Film Festival before the movie’s worldwide release and it received a huge standing ovation. “Beauty and the Beast” was also the first animated film to win the Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy Picture and in later years “The Lion King” and “Toy Story 2” have followed suit (it also won for Song and Musical Score at the Golden Globes). The biggest compliment that Hollywood gave this film was nominating it for Best Picture at the Oscars. It also recieved an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound Mixing. I believe this film and others from the Disney Renaissance & Pixar led to the creation of the Best Animated Film category.

As a child, you experience things that become part of you for the rest of your life. As a filmmaker and as a film critic, “Beauty and the Beast” is a part of a “foundation” that I was subconsciously building as a child movie lover. That foundation is now holding up my adult movie experience. I am very glad for that. Alan Menken's musical score is one of my top ten favorites from any movie. It is sometimes hard to tell whether I like “Aladdin” more or this film. As for now, “Beauty and the Beast” is better because of its drama. This film was the first contemporary Disney film that my parents bought for me. I am an animation fan because of the Disney Renaissance, which exists because of “Beauty and the Beast”. Without this film, “The Little Mermaid” would have been stand-alone hit like “The Jungle Book”. Immediately after “The Jungle Book”, the Disney animated movies did not measure up to it. Not only are the films that followed “The Little Mermaid” just as good, they are a lot better. As Glenn Keane said: “‘Little Mermaid’ declared: ‘There’s a new presence’. ‘Beauty and the Beast’ said: ‘And we are here to stay’.” This film made the Disney animation comeback a real thing and not just a speculation.

5 Stars