Summary
When her eccentric inventor father Maurice trespasses on an enchanted Beast’s domain, Belle agrees to live with the Beast to save her father’s life. Unbeknownst to her, the Beast must win her heart to become human again even as her own disgusting suitor, Gaston, seeks to rescue and possess her.
My Viewing
This is the Disney film of my childhood. This will come as no surprise to frequent readers of TMM, since I have extolled this classic fairy story before as one of the most influential on my young psyche.
As much as I love “Aladdin,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “The Lion King,” they do not resonate with me on the foundational level that this story does.
Introduction
The film opens with one of my favorite sequences in film. Not in a Disney movie. In all Film History.
The combination of Ogden Stier’s (Lilo and Stitch) vocal performance, a tenuously mystical score, and stained glass evocation of mythological gravity crashed this scene into my heart and lodged it there to never be shaken loose. I have literally watched the introduction to this film, separate from the entire, more times than I can recall.
Storytelling Masterclass
The main thing that makes this film the classic it is, for me, is the storytelling, not through loud obnoxious action sequences or songs, although I like these as well, but through character moments and development which happens not just through discussions but through silent moments and reflection.
With songs playing over many important character development moments the director and animators had to focus on visuals to drive home the subtle changes in Belle (Paige O’Hara, “Ralph Breaks the Internet”) and the Beast’s hearts. Romantic love is a language of looks and body language. It is not the work of flirtation and verbal sparring with which Gaston seeks to engage Belle.
This is because the selfish desire Gaston has for Belle is born of his self love. He can do nothing but talk about himself and how amazing he is. Of course he has woven his own sort of spell over the townsfolk who all worship him for what he is on the outside but love is deeper than the outside, as this tale tells us.
The love that Belle and the Beast develop for each other is born in the observation of another and the act of letting down your guard and opening to possibilities and hope. Belle and the Beast do not wax eloquent on how they feel about each other. They show their love through actions, a softening demeanor, and bravery to be embarrassed or lose what they have grown to cherish.
This treatment of serious matters of the heart is what causes this film to transcend above other Disney films such as “The Little Mermaid,” or “Sleeping Beauty,” where people fall in love based on a person’s singing voice, their looks, or the fact that they are a prince.
Foreshadowing of characters inner nature also plays a heavy role, especially in the character of Gaston, whose first on screen act is killing an animal and then being willing to literally climb over houses just to have an opportunity to harass Belle into marrying him.
The Cartoon
Another aspect that makes this film work is the blending of that serious subject matter with lighthearted song and silly fun. For a child, which I was when I first saw this, it is the ‘spoonful of sugar that makes the medicine go down.’
The cast of characters feel alive in no small part to the acting talents of the people voicing them but also the inventive animation and character design. By casting the servants of the castle as everyday objects children’s imagination is captured, their sense of fun is encouraged, and even the theme of people being more than their outward appearance is re-enforced.
One of the principle ways that the film accomplishes this is through song. Song is the language of children and a song’s tone says a lot about the message that a child will glean from it.
Gaston’s song, while fun and humorous, also carries with it a ridiculous quality that, even to my young mind, solidified into a sense that while I could think the song was funny, there was no way that I should admire Gaston or want to be him. His self centeredness was too obviously thin to be admirable or taken seriously.
Be our Guest does a wonderful job of showing that work and service can be a joy and should be celebrated and Beauty and the Beast not only signals the solidification of a romance but also demonstrates its nature as a dance of two hearts.
Final Act
In the end, the characters are finally revealed for what they truly are, only this time, for everyone to see. Gaston’s passion for himself and what he desires leads him to care so little for others that he would murder for the sake of himself. Belle continues to sacrifice her own safety for the sake of another but this time, not for her father, for an animal she has come to love. The Beast, whose heart has finally changed is revealed to be a man who would be willing to be a beast forever in order to give Belle her freedom and even die for the one he loves.
The story is so beautiful on so many levels that I feel like I have only scratched the surface. You have probably seen it and may even know the songs by heart, as I do, but if by chance you haven’t or know of a child in your life that hasn’t, set aside time for a magical night that will leave you cherishing those you love for all the things they are within.
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