A very short summary of Beauty and the Beast. The beauty and the Beast

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The film "Beauty and the Beast": description, plot, trailer, actors, photo, poster

Original name: Beauty and the Beast

Country: USA

Genre: musical, fantasy, melodrama

Actors and roles in the movie Beauty and the Beast

Emma Watson, Luke Evans, Ewan McGregor, Dan Stevens, Emma Thompson, Gugu Embata-Ro, Stanley Tucci, Ian McKellen, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad

The main role - the beautiful Belle - is played by 26-year-old actress Emma Watson, a friend from the movie "Harry Potter".

The Beast is played by Dan Stevens. He starred in films - "Guest"; "The Fifth Power"; "Night at the Museum: The Secret of the Tomb"; "Daunt Abbey".

The hunter Gaston is played by Luke Evan.

Belle's father is played by actor Kevin Kline.

Synopsis for Beauty and the Beast

The plot of the next film on the theme of Beauty and the Beast is unpretentious and simple. Nevertheless, it is very interesting how modern computer technology will decorate the old fairy tale.

Plot of "Beauty and the Beast"

In ancient times, a young prince named Adam lived in an ancient castle. He was no prince, and as a person even worse. The evil and narcissistic young man, in the end, angered the sorceress and she, of course, bewitched him, turning him into a frog. It was a joke about the frog.

She turned his disgusting monster, although the artists even painted him as a very pretty monster, one might say noble.

And she also managed, together with Adam, to enchant the servants of the castle.

As time went. The castle was aging, and life went on as usual. It seemed that no one and nothing could change the status quo. Adam will be able to return to normal only after the magic rose, enchanted by the Sorceress, loses the last petal from the bud.

But there is one but. During this time, Adam needs to change - to become kind and fair. And most importantly, fall in love, and not just fall in love, but love should be mutual. But who will fall in love with a monster, albeit a cute one. It seems that the situation is hopeless.

At the same time, a girl named Belle was born in a small village. It has grown and flourished.

One day her father went to the fair and got lost. Wandering through the dark forest, he suddenly stumbles upon an enchanted castle and inadvertently enters it.

Now he is at the mercy of the enchanted castle and the Beast.

From now on, two lives, a father and a monster, are in the hands of the beautiful Belle.

But if only it were that simple.

Someone Gaston - a wonderful hunter, passionately in love with Belle, not having achieved reciprocity, will stand at the head of the hunters and try to kill the Beast.

Movie poster Beauty and the Beast

Trailer for Beauty and the Beast

Producer Gary Truesdale
Kirk Wise Producer Howard Ashman
Don Khan
Sarah MacArthur Scenario Linda Woolverton
Roger Ollers
Kelly Asbury Roles
voiced Paige O Hara Music Alan Menken Animators Country USA Premiere November 22 Duration 84 minutes (original version)
90 minutes (special edition) Budget $20 million IMDb page BCdb page [ [Animator.ru]]]

"The beauty and the Beast"(English) Beauty and the Beast) is the thirtieth animated film by the Walt Disney Company. It premiered on November 22, 1991 in US theaters. The film is an adaptation of the famous fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" about a beautiful girl imprisoned in a castle by a terrible monster. The film was the first animated film to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The film was shot in the traditional Disney style.

Short review

Linda Woolverton's film is based on a script by Roger Ollers, which is an adaptation of the fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" by Jean-Marie Leprince de Beaumont (uncredited). Film directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Weiss. Music by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.

Box office receipts amounted to 146 million dollars. The film became the third most successful film of 1991 after Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. It is also the most successful animated Disney film of its time.

The animated film was awarded the "Oscar" in the nominations "Best selection of music for the film", "Best Song" (Alan Menken and Howard Ashman "Beauty and the Beast", sounding at the end of the film performed by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson). Two other songs by Menken and Ashman from the film were also nominated for Best Music and Best Song ("Be Our Guest" and "Belle"). Beauty and the Beast was also nominated for Best Sound and Best Film. It is the only animated film to ever be nominated for Best Picture and is likely to remain so due to the introduction of the Best Animated Picture nomination.

Summary

One cold winter night, an ugly old woman came across the prince's castle. She asks the prince to let her warm up, even though she only had one rose to give him as a thank you. Being selfish and heartless, the prince drives her away, simply because she is unpleasant to him. The old woman warns him that true beauty is hidden in the depths of the heart and is not visible. The prince refuses her again, and the woman takes on her real appearance as a powerful sorceress and, as a punishment for the cruel and selfish prince, she turns him into a monster. The servants in the castle are also bewitched; they become teacups, candles, pieces of furniture, and other household utensils. The castle becomes scary; cherubs become gargoyles. This spell will last until the monster learns to love and someone loves it. However, this must happen before the last petal of the magic rose withers and falls, otherwise he will remain a monster forever. Many years have passed, the monster is in despair and every time it instantly becomes furious, wondering who will be able to love the disgusting monster.

"Beauty" is the name of a girl named Belle who lives with her father Maurice in a small French village. Maurice is known for his extravagant inventions; the townspeople notice Belle's beauty, but consider her strange because of her passion for books (as it was believed at the time, most women must be a little stupid, as Gaston, one of the villagers, said in his phrase, "It's not normal if a woman reads Soon she will have ideas and start thinking…”). Her beauty caught the attention of local hunter and strongman Gaston, but Beauty finds him "rude and arrogant" and ignores him.

Fragment from the cartoon "Beauty and the Beast".

One day, Maurice decides to showcase his latest invention at a fair in the village. On the way, he got lost in the forest. The wolves are chasing him, his horse, Philip, does not obey and, frightened, flees. Maurice runs blindly through the forest and eventually finds the monster's castle. The servants of the castle, still in the form of various household utensils, take care of him. And so on until the monster returns. The Beast holds Maurice as its prisoner, believing him to be a "trespasser".

The beauty, returning to the village, politely but firmly resists Gaston's proposal to marry her. Gaston explains to Beauty that she will be his "little wife", have 6 or 7 beautiful boys (by nature - "real men", like himself), and makes many other compliments that are humiliating from her point of view. She is very surprised when she sees that her father's horse has returned without a master. With the help of her father's horse, she finds her way to the castle. There, she offers the Beast to take her as a prisoner instead of her father; The monster agrees and sends Maurice back to the village. Back in town, Maurice tries to tell the people what happened to Beauty, but the villagers, including Gaston, think he's crazy and refuse to help him, so Maurice decides to get his daughter back on his own.

The Beast, realizing that his captive could break the spell, allocates Belle her own room and allows her to walk around the castle wherever she wants, except for the West Wing - the Beast's old room, where everything hints at his past as a person. Of course, he has not learned anything good since his transformation: for example, he orders that none of the servants feed the Beauty if she does not dine with him. Beauty yearns, thinking that she will never see her father again, she has not the slightest desire to do anything for the Beast.

Left to right: Mrs. Potts, Chip, Cogsworth.

The castle is full of miscellaneous utensils and paraphernalia, including a Lumiere candlestick and a Cogsworth mantel clock, entertaining guests with an exquisite French meal and providing the most comfort a team of servants can provide (despite the fact that the Beast forbids them from doing so due to its unfortunate trying to get Beauty to come to dinner). Of course, everyone wants Beauty and the Beast to love each other so that they can all regain their human form. Unfortunately, Beauty and the Beast do not get along due to the arrogance with which he treats her and the constant bickering with each other.

During a tour of the castle, a curious Beauty enters a corridor she has never been before, the forbidden West Wing. Everything in the room - broken mirrors and especially a torn picture of his human form - reflects the sadness of the Beast. Fascinated by the beautiful rose, Beauty comes to take it, but the suddenly returned Beast becomes enraged and drives her away. She quickly leaves the castle, and is immediately confronted by a pack of wolves in the forest; The monster turns out to be her only protector. Over time, Beauty and the Beast fall in love with each other, and over the course of several days, the Beast becomes more human, showing more kindness. Thus, Beauty "sees him in a way she's never seen him before." One day, he gives her a magic mirror that can show anything she wants to see. She asks to see her father and sees that he is sick and dying as he foolishly tried to find a castle to bring her back. The monster, sincerely loving, makes the only right decision, frees her, and she and her father return to their house in the village. However, Gaston arrives with an angry mob and threatens to take Maurice to an insane asylum if Belle does not agree to marry him. She desperately tries to prove that her father is normal, and shows the audience an image of the Beast with the help of a magic mirror.

Enraged, feeling betrayed, Gaston convinces the crowd that the Beast is a terrible menace to society and provokes the crowd into sacking the castle, urging them to "kill the Beast". The enchanted inhabitants of the castle fight against a large crowd and drive it away. Gaston finds the Beast and attacks him. The Beast, who is in anguish, confident that Beauty will never return again, does not resist until Belle appears in the castle again. However, at the very moment when the Beast is about to kill Gaston, it realizes that it can no longer do this to anyone and lets the latter go. As soon as the Beast and Beauty are reunited again, Gaston treacherously inflicts a mortal wound on the Beast with a dagger, but breaks off the roof and falls down, breaking to death. At the last moment, Belle tells the dying Beast that she loves him and the sorcery is broken. The monster turns back into a prince, the scary castle becomes beautiful again, the enchanted utensils of the castle are returned to their human form. A beautiful and touching tale ends with the wedding of the prince and Belle.

In The Mob Song, Gaston quotes from Macbeth by William Shakespeare. "Let your courage fly like a banner."
The cries of the crowd "Kill the Beast" ("Kill the Beast") involuntarily evoke associations with the film "Lords of the Flies", based on the novel "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding. According to the plots of both films, people are convinced that it is the “monster” that is evil, although in reality they themselves are the source of evil.
The film was restored and re-edited for theatrical re-release on January 1st. For this version of the film, most of the animation was reworked, the order of mise en scenes was changed, the cut song "Become Human Again" ("Human again") was inserted into the second act of the film, and all original fragments of the film were transferred to a new digital format to match the high IMAX resolution. Beauty and the Beast: Special Edition, the title of the extended version of the film, was released in the Disney Platinum Collection on 2 DVDs in October.
"Belle" (Belle) in French means "beautiful" (perfectly matches the title of the film - "Beauty and the Beast")
Gaston is the first animated character in a modern Disney film to assert his superiority over women (Gaston calls Beauty his "little wife" and says that he and Belle will have six or seven "real men" like himself, (and also says that reading is an unsuitable activity for women.) Similarly, Jafar, another Disney character, in a conversation with Princess Jasmine, states that silence is "a wonderful quality for a wife").
When Gaston puts his feet on the table in Beauty's house, the dirt that has fallen from his shoes clearly resembles the shape of Mickey Mouse's head. According to the old Disney tradition, there are "hidden Mickeys" in all films.
Beauty and the Beast was the first and only animated film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. He lost that title to The Silence of the Lambs.
At the very beginning of the film, as soon as the first frames appear on the screen, we see the castle before it was cursed. In the foreground, a deer drinks from a stream. We see how this deer sharply raises its head and looks around. This deer looks exactly like Bambi's mother in that very scene before the hunter kills her (obviously, this hunter is implied to be Gaston).
In the tavern, when Gaston sings his song, he raises a bench with triplets. The same triplets are in Aladdin when Prince Ali Ababwa enters the city and the Genie sings a song, appearing on the balcony with the triplets.
Robbie Benson, who voices the Beast, is the brother of Jodi Benson, who voiced Ariel in The Little Mermaid.
In one episode, Cogsworth and Mrs. Potts sing on the fence. Cogsworth is wearing a farmer's straw hat and holding a pitchfork. This is a reference to the famous American Gothic painting by artist Grant Wood.
The literal translation of the beginning of Gaston's song, after Maurice was thrown out of the tavern:

GASTON: Lefou, I'm afraid I thought.
LEFU: It could be dangerous.
GASTON: I know.

The scene in the tavern is reminiscent of a scene from the cartoon "The Adventures of Ikebod and Mr. Todd", where one of the characters (very similar to Gaston) sings about the headless horseman.

Characters

Belle(voiced by Paige O'Hara) - A girl just out of her teens, she's in her early twenties. She has brown hair, brown eyes, and a passion for reading (a quality that Gaston is deeply disgusted with). Very smart and independent, she desperately wants to escape from the boring atmosphere of the poor village where she lives. In addition to her father Maurice, she has no more relatives. She stands out very much, which is noticeable by her habits (reading) and clothing (blue, while everyone else is dressed in red and brown). Probably the prettiest "Disney princess" for modern girls because of her knowledge, courage, compassion, and unwillingness to be indifferent.

Monster(voiced by Robbie Benson) - seemingly a kind of anthropomorphic hybrid with features of a wolf and a bull. In fact, this is a prince who was turned into a monster by a sorceress due to his lack of compassion and the ability to love (and, according to some viewers and fans, for discriminating against women based on gender). Loving someone is the only way to break the spell, so the Beast desperately wants to fall in love with the first girl he comes across; thus, according to the condition of the spell, he would be restored to human form. When he finally finds a suitable person, it turns out that haste and excessive perseverance only hinder his goal.

Gaston(voiced by Richard White) - The villain of the film. He is big, strong, handsome, and masculine, and considers himself irresistible and desirable (inflated self-esteem, confirmed by the opinions of many young girls in the village, including three blonde dolls). Though he's scheming, amoral, and brash (and a misogynist and chauvinist as well), he doesn't look like the typical Disney villain. He is much more attractive than most other Disney villains, and besides, unlike the typical villains in Disney fantasy, he does not have supernatural powers. According to Roger Ebert, Gaston "goes from chauvinist pig to sadistic monster over the course of the film."

Cogsworth(voiced by David Ogden Steers) - The castle's butler, always trying to keep things in order, and very eager to please his master, the Beast. Was turned into a mantel clock when the spell was cast.

Lumiere(voiced by Jerry Orbach) - The head waiter of the castle, was turned into a chandelier.

Walt Disney animated feature films

Classics (Walt Disney Animated Classics series)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) Pinocchio (1940) Fantasy (1940) Dumbo (1941) Bambi (1942) Hello friends! (1942) Three Caballeros (1944) Cheer me up (1946) Fun and fantasy for free! (1947) Melody Time (1948) The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Tod (1949) Cinderella (1950) Alice in Wonderland (1951) Peter Pan (1953) Lady and the Tramp (1955) Sleeping Beauty (1959) One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) Sword in the Stone (1963) The Jungle Book (1967)

Madame Leprince de Beaumont

Once upon a time there was a rich merchant who had three daughters and three sons. The youngest of the daughters was named Beauty. Her sisters did not like her because she was everyone's favorite. One day the merchant went bankrupt and said to his children:

Now we have to live in the countryside and work on the farm to make ends meet.

Living on a farm, Beauty did everything around the house, and even helped her brothers in the field. The elder sisters were idle all day long. So they lived for a year.

Suddenly, the merchant was told good news. One of his missing ships has been found, and now he's rich again. He was about to go to the city to get his money and asked his daughters what to bring as a gift. The elders asked for dresses, and the younger asked for a rose.

In the city, having received money, the merchant distributed debts and became even poorer than he was.

On the way home, he got lost and ended up in a thicket of the forest, where it was very dark and hungry wolves were howling. It began to snow, and the cold wind pierced to the bones.

Suddenly, lights appeared in the distance. Approaching, he saw an ancient castle. Entering its gate, he put his horse in the stable and entered the hall. There was a table set for one and a burning fireplace. He thought: "The master will probably come any minute." He waited an hour, two, three - no one appeared. He sat down at the table and ate deliciously. Then he went to see other rooms. Entering the bedroom, lay down on the bed and fell asleep

deep sleep.

Waking up in the morning, the merchant saw new clothes on a chair next to the bed. Going downstairs, he found a cup of coffee with warm rolls on the dining table.

Good wizard! - he said. - Thank you for your concern.

Going out into the yard, he saw the already saddled horse and went home. Driving along the alley, the merchant saw a rose bush and remembered the request of his youngest daughter. He rode up to him and plucked the most beautiful rose.

Suddenly, there was a roar and a disgusting huge monster appeared before him.

I saved your life, and this is how you repay me for it,” he growled.

For this you must die!

Your Majesty, forgive me, please, - the merchant pleaded. - I picked a rose for one of my daughters, she really asked me about it.

My name is not Your Majesty,” the monster growled. My name is Beast. Go home, ask your daughters if they want to die instead of you. If they refuse, then in three months you must return here yourself.

The merchant did not even think of sending his daughters to their deaths. He thought, "I'm going to say goodbye to my family and come back here in three months."

The monster said:

Go home. When you get there, I will send you a chest full of gold.

"What a strange man he is," thought the merchant. "Good and cruel at the same time." He got on his horse and went home. The horse quickly found the right path, and the merchant got home before dark. Having met the children, he gave the youngest a rose and said:

I paid a high price for her.

And he told about his misadventures.

The older sisters attacked the younger one:

It's all your fault! they shouted. - I wanted originality and ordered a lousy flower, for which the father now has to pay with his life, and now you are standing and not even crying.

Why cry? Beauty answered them meekly. - The monster said that I can go to him instead of my father. And I will gladly do it.

No, - the brothers objected to her, - we will go there and kill this monster.

It's pointless, said the merchant. - The monster has magical powers. I will go to him myself. I'm old and I don't care to die soon.

The only thing I grieve about is leaving you alone, my dear children.

But Beauty insisted on her own:

I will never forgive myself, she repeated, if you, my dear father, die because of me.

The sisters, on the contrary, were very glad to be rid of her. Her father called her and showed her a chest full of gold.

How good! - the good Beauty said joyfully. - Suitors woo my sisters, and this will be their dowry.

The next day, Beauty set off. The brothers wept, and the sisters, rubbing their eyes with onions, sobbed too. The horse quickly found its way back to the castle on its own. Entering the hall, she found a table set for two people, with fine wines and food. Beauty tried not to be afraid. She thought, "The monster must want to eat me, so he's fattening me up."

After dinner, a snarling Beast appeared and asked her:

Did you come here of your own free will?

You have a good heart, and I will be merciful to you, - said the Beast and disappeared.

Waking up in the morning, Beauty thought: "What will be - that cannot be avoided.

So I won't worry. The monster probably won't eat me in the morning, so I'll take a walk in the park for now."

She enjoyed wandering around the castle and the park. Entering one of the rooms marked "Beauty's Room", she saw shelving full of books and a piano. She was terribly surprised: "Why did the Beast bring everything here if he is going to eat me at night?"

There was a mirror on the table, on the handle of which was written:

"Whatever Beauty wishes, I will do."

I wish, said Beauty, to know what my father is doing now.

She looked in the mirror and saw her father sitting on the doorstep of the house. He looked very sad.

"What a kind monster this is," thought Beauty. "I'm less afraid of him now."

In the evening, sitting at dinner, she heard the voice of the Beast:

Beauty, let me watch you eat.

You are the master here, she replied.

No, in this castle your wish is the law. Tell me am I very ugly?

Yes! Beauty answered. - I can't lie. But, I think you are very kind.

Your intelligence and mercy touch my heart and make my ugliness less painful for me,” said the Beast.

One day the monster said:

Beauty, marry me!

No, - the girl answered after a pause, - I can't.

The monster cried and disappeared.

Three months have passed. Every day the Beast would sit and watch Beauty eat her supper.

You are my only joy, it said, without you I will die. At least promise me that you will never leave me.

Beauty promised.

One day the mirror showed her that her father was ill. She really wanted to visit him. She told the Beast:

I promised you never to leave you. But if I do not see my dying father, life will not be sweet to me.

You can go home, - said the Beast, - and I will die here from longing and loneliness.

No, Beauty told him. - I promise you I'll be back.

The mirror told me that my sisters were married, my brothers were in the army, and my father was lying alone sick. Give me a week.

Tomorrow you will wake up at home, - said the Beast. - When you want to go back, just put the ring on the bedside table next to the bed. Goodnight. Gorgeous.

And the Beast quickly left.

Waking up the next day, Beauty found herself in her own home. She dressed in her expensive clothes, put on a crown of diamonds and went to her father. He was incredibly happy to see his daughter safe and sound. Her sisters came running and saw that she had become even more beautiful, and in addition, dressed up like a queen. Their hatred for her increased with a vengeance.

The beauty told everything that had happened to her, and said that she must certainly return back.

Week later. Beauty gathered back to the castle. The insidious sisters began to cry and lament so much that she decided to stay another week. On the ninth day, she had a dream that the Beast was lying on the grass in the park and

dies. She woke up terrified and thought, "I need to get back quickly; and cure him."

She put the ring on the table and went to bed. The next day she woke up in the castle. Putting on her best clothes, she waited impatiently for the Beast, but it did not appear. Remembering her strange dream, she rushed into the garden. There on the grass lay a lifeless Beast. She rushed to the stream, scooped up water and splashed the Beast in the face. Her heart

torn with pity. Suddenly it opened its eyes and whispered:

I can not live without you. And now I'm dying happily knowing that you're by my side.

No, you must not die! cried Beauty. - I love you and want to be your wife.

As soon as she uttered these words, the whole castle was lit up with a bright light, and music began to play everywhere. The monster was gone, and in its place lay the most charming of princes on the grass.

But where is the Beast? Beauty screamed.

This is me," said the prince. - An evil fairy bewitched me and turned me into a monster. I was to remain so until a beautiful young girl fell in love with me and wanted to marry me. I love you and ask you to be my wife.

Beauty gave him her hand, and they went to the castle. There, to their great joy, they found Beauty's father and sisters and brothers waiting for them. Then the good fairy appeared and said:

Beauty, you are worthy of this honor and from now on you will be the queen of this castle.

Then, turning to her sisters, she said:

And you will become stone statues at the doors of the castle for your malice and envy and will remain so until you realize your guilt and become kinder. But I suspect that such a day will never come.

The beauty and the prince got married and lived happily ever after.

The other day the world premiere of a new feature film from "Disney" took place: a remake of their own cartoon "Beauty and the Beast". The Beast itself has become more terrible and more horned compared to all previous versions. This means that the essence of this image is gradually lost...

Few people know that back in 1740, the French writer Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbeau de Villeneuve printed the very first literary version of the fairy tale "La Belle et la Bête / Beauty and the Beast". Just seven years later, great-grandmother Prosper Mérimée, Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, printed an abridged version of this tale, incl. and translated into English, but did not indicate the source. Jeanne-Marie deliberately shortened this tale and reworked it into an edifying story for young girls, removing "everything superfluous". Because of this, almost no one still remembers the name de Villeneuve: for everyone, the author of the literary fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" is considered Leprince de Momont.

It is noteworthy that so far the best adaptations of the plot of "La Belle et la Bête" are French (feature films and opera-ballet of 1771). A film of the same name was released in 1946. Jean Marais and Josette Day starring. In 2014, a wonderful version of the fairy tale appeared with Léa Seydoux and Vincent Cassel. Anyone who has watched both versions is aware that the new French film builds on the old one and even borrowed some motifs from it. These motifs, only hinted at in the 1946 film, were vividly and well developed in the new color film. Old film - black and white. And yes: it is not good for a good pastime. This is a serious director's and actor's one and a half hour work, very tedious and almost incomprehensible to the modern viewer. By the way, chic costumes for this film work were created by a then young fashion designer Pierre Cardin.

The French film of 2014 is very colorful and mythological! It has very high quality graphics and an understandable plot. The motifs that he took from the old film, in turn, echo the myth that experts consider the primary source of the plot of "Beauty and the Beast": this Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche. Here I want to note that Slavic and Western European fairy tales are full of similar motifs and it is not a fact that they are all directly borrowed from Ancient Greece. They say that even Russian writer S.T. Aksakov, author of the literary fairy tale "The Scarlet Flower", was surprised to learn about the existence of a French fairy tale, because he himself (in his words) wrote down his story from the housekeeper Pelageya.

Above in the photo - A monster from the Soviet cartoon "The Scarlet Flower" (1952) and the Beast from the French film of 1946 (Jean Mare played this role), below - the Beast overgrown with moss from the Soviet feature film "The Scarlet Flower" (1977). By the way, the Soviet film, if anyone remembers it, is no less philosophical than the French versions or Greek myths. What is the sorceress performed by Alla Demidova alone worth!..

In 1991, the Disney company created a masterpiece - a full-length animated film "Beauty and the Beast". The inspiration for him was the same fairy tale of the French grandmother Leprince de Momon, but this is not mentioned in the credits. Walt Disney himself wanted to film the fairy tale (in the 1930s and 1950s), but something didn’t work out for him. "Beauty and the Beast" was Disney's thirtieth animated feature and the studio's most successful animated film. In turn, he formed the basis of the eponymous Broadway musical (1994) and feature film (2017). The musical was very successful, staged in different countries, but the film ... is it going to have the same future? I think no. Disney makes no secret of the fact that they made the film as a complete remake of their own 1991 cartoon. Question: for what? Why and who needed it?

I watched a new movie yesterday. From the point of view of cinematography, the black-and-white French film of 1946 looks more like a masterpiece, and the film of 2014 is a miracle in general!

I think that some potential viewers are already aware that the film "Beauty and the Beast", not yet reaching the screens, was at the center of the scandal. A few weeks before the world premiere, Disney announced that the film had an unambiguous character and that the film's finale would feature "a very sweet first gay moment in a Disney film." Distributors and viewers are perplexed why there are hints of non-traditional sexual orientation in this picture. Who would want to, he himself saw and would understand what's what ...

I have already said that I am tolerant about this topic if such comrades behave quietly or if they are geniuses. The creators of the new picture explain that this is how they wanted to pay tribute to the composer Howard Ashman. "I understand that, I'm also married" (c). But why? It was enough to write about it again in the credits, as it was done in the 1991 cartoon. For example, I didn’t know what kind of life this composer led and what he died of (as it turned out, from AIDS), why should I know about it now? ..

Because of the noise across the ocean, in Russia they played it safe and awarded this picture a rating of 16+. In the United States, children with their parents are simply allowed to see the film. After watching the Russian version, I personally did not find anything "sort of" in it, because of which it was necessary to raise such a fuss (by the way, they say that Russian film censorship also did not find anything). I think it was just a clever PR move by the filmmakers to get more attention. Let your children go to this movie and don’t be afraid, but yourself ... don’t go if you are a fan of the 1991 cartoon :)

The new movie... how to put it mildly... very boring. I almost fell asleep on it. One to one copies the cartoon - the same scenes, the same songs, even the text of all the characters is the same, sometimes word for word! Added a few new scenes and 3 songs that don't quite match the style of the old ones - and that's it.

There is no magic - both literally and figuratively: no mystery, no fairy tale. It even adds real stories about the Prince's family and Belle's mother. Belle herself quickly realizes that a spell has been cast on the castle and its inhabitants and that all of them, including the Beast, are enchanted people, and things are eventually explained to her. True, they do not explain to the end, but I was disappointed with this turn of events.

Love - .. only its traces in the eyes Maurice, Belle's father.

The brightest and funniest moments of the picture are associated with hunter Gaston (in the brilliant performance of Luke Evans) and his environment, including the "unambiguous character".

Emma Watson, as many reviewers write, "too dull and serious for the role of Belle." I agree with them. If Rowan Atkinson, for example, can play Detective Maigret in such a way that no one, looking at him, remembers Mr. Bean, then Emma Watson is not so far removed from the image of Hermione here. The same childish face, the same wry lips, the same furrowed brows, the same hunched shoulders, and the same feminist gait. In a word, as if clever Hermione was transferred to another dimension, to another fairy tale...

See my stories about Atkinson and Megre (link opens in a new window).

Big minus of the Russian-language version: the lack of original songs and voices. There are songs, but in Russian, but I would like to hear how the actors themselves sing.

I would like to hear the voices of those who were behind the scenes: Chandelier - Ewan McGregor, Clock - Ian McKellen, Teapot - Emma Thompson. These are wonderful actors with interesting voices. Ewan McGregor, for example, learned to speak with a French accent especially for this film. The Russian audience does not hear this.

By the way, all the things in the castle, in my opinion, are depicted ugly - except for the Clock and the Candelabra. Cups are terrible. Chip caused the only emotion, as in the cartoon: "Mom does not allow me to roll on the table, because the guests might get scared" :)

Conclusion: the film seems to be watchable, but it is primarily for those who do not know anything or have forgotten about the original cartoon. I will never review. For me the three best film adaptations of this motif- a 1991 Disney cartoon and two French films. Separately, we can note the Soviet variations on the theme of the scarlet flower, which are also worthy of respect.

By the way, there are several more films either with the name "Beauty and the Beast" or referring to this motif, but some of them are violent horror films, and some are fantasies on the theme of "The Phantom of the Opera".

As for "blue shades". On reflection, you can find your meaning in this. And I would say that this is even very symbolic if we consider the "beauty and the beast" motif in the context of world mythology and compare all its versions, incl. screen adaptations. I will not philosophize about this for a long time here, I will only say that I understand this.

The very first version of the tale - the one written in 1740 by the French writer Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbeau de Villeneuve - explains why the sorceress bewitched the prince: because he did not want to be with her as with a woman. Many animals, monsters living in the wild are bisexual. And it is no coincidence that the expression "animal instinct" exists. Both French films - both 1946 and 2014 - have similar motifs in their plot. For the Beast, performed by Jean Marais, this is generally a torment, but many viewers do not understand or see this: the film itself is very chaste.

I remember that in the Disney cartoon, Clock-Cloxworth always dodged the hugs of Candelabra-Lumiere and even resented when he wanted to kiss him in a friendly way. In the new film Clocksworth - Ian McKellen(in the previous photo above), a great British actor, who is known to all modern teenagers as Magneto from the X-Men films and Gandalf from the Hobbit films. I respect him very much. Sir Ian McKellen, that's how you should address him: the actor was awarded a knighthood. In real life, he's... openly gay. To be honest, I thought that in the film, after turning into people, Clockworth and Lumiere would kiss, but what was my surprise that in this case ... I will not spoil it anymore :) About the "interracial kiss" in the film, which is also "Disney" boasts, I won't say anything either.

In general, "Disney" was blown away, therefore it is now inflating out of elephant flies as much as it can, and everyone is buying into it ...

Jean Marais, who played the Beast in the 1946 film, was also gay, but had it been shouted at all the crossroads before? His life partner was the director of the same film, Jean Cocteau. Who dares to reproach the outstanding Cocteau for something? Nobody. Jean Marais himself will forever remain for me the Count of Monte Cristo. He was also a brilliant painter and sculptor! If someone knows about the existence of the sculptural composition "The Man Who Passes Through the Wall" (location - Paris, Montmartre), then this is the work of Jean Mare.

There are two bronze sculptures on the tombstone of Jean Marais. They are cast from the original work, which was made by the actor himself:

It's the monster's head...

certain as the sun
rising in the east
Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
beauty and the beast.

Alan Menken, Howard Ashman. "Tale As Old As Time / A Tale As Old As The World". Song from the cartoon "Beauty and the Beast" (1991). Winner of the Oscar for Best Song.

In one state lived the family of a wealthy merchant, consisting of three daughters and sons. Everyone called the youngest Beauty, because she was beautiful. Her sisters did not like her, because everyone liked her.

Soon trouble came to the merchant's house. During a storm, all his goods drowned, and he and his whole family had to move to a farm and work in such a way as to earn their living.

So the whole year went. The beauty did any housework, and even went out into the field to her brothers, and her sisters loitered around the yard doing nothing.

Suddenly, the merchant received news of his missing ship, and he again became a wealthy man. Going to the city for money, he asked his children what kind of gifts to bring them.

The older sisters wanted a lot of smart clothes, and the younger one asked for a rose. In the city, their father repaid all his debts, and again became a pauper. Returning home, he got lost and found himself in a dark forest. The merchant became cold and scared. But, suddenly, he saw how very close is a beautiful castle. When he went there, he saw that there was no one there, and the table with food was set for one person. And without waiting for the owner, the merchant ate and fell asleep soundly.

In the morning, without seeing the owner, he thanked him with words, and sitting on the horse prepared for him, went home. Passing by the garden, he plucked a beautiful rose for his youngest daughter.

And as soon as he did this, how a huge monster appeared, which said that he must give his life for the offense he had committed. But the merchant began to make excuses that he did not do it on purpose, but promised to get his daughter as a present. The monster released the merchant, and even gave him a whole chest of treasures, but only on one condition. If he does not want to die himself, then let him send one of his children. In the worst case, he should return himself.

Arriving home, the merchant told about his adventures. The elder sisters began to blame Beauty, the brothers were eager to kill the monster. But Beauty, having a noble heart, went to the forest monster to protect their family from misfortune.

Arriving at the palace, in the great hall she saw a table with cooked food for two persons. Suddenly, a monster appeared in front of her, who asked if he had forced her to come here. Hearing a negative answer, the monster promised not to offend her.

He did everything for her. Prepared a special room, books, outfits. And Beauty confessed to the monster that, although he was ugly, he was very kind and noble.

One day, looking in a magic mirror, she saw that her father was ill, and she asked to go home. The monster, sending her to her family, gave her a magic ring with which she could return to him. But if this does not happen, he will die of boredom.

The return of the Beauty home inspired her father, but on the contrary, her sisters were angry. They looked with envy at her expensive dresses and the still more blossoming beauty of the girl.

After a week, she got ready to go back, but her sisters would not let her go, and Beauty stayed for a while longer. One day she dreamed that the Beast was dying without her. And she resolutely returns to the castle. There, in the garden, she sees a dying monster. The girl hugged him without fear and asked him not to die, because she loves him so much and is ready to become his wife. And as soon as these words were spoken, the gloomy castle turned into a most charming palace, and instead of a monster there was a beautiful king. The magic spell has been lifted.

The sorceress who appeared appointed Beauty the queen of the castle, and turned the evil sisters into stone statues for her bad temper. The beauty and the prince got married and lived in perfect harmony.

The fairy tale teaches us that appearance is not the most important thing in a person, but his rich spiritual world.