{"id":44745,"date":"2019-09-12T13:05:54","date_gmt":"2019-09-12T20:05:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=44745"},"modified":"2020-12-10T09:44:22","modified_gmt":"2020-12-10T16:44:22","slug":"beauty-and-the-beast-1946","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=44745","title":{"rendered":"Beauty and the Beast (1946)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;I disgust you. You find me repulsive.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Poster-221x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"221\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-44747\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Poster-221x300.jpg 221w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Poster-94x128.jpg 94w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Poster.jpg 736w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 221px) 100vw, 221px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen a man (Marcel Andre) is sentenced to death by a beast (Jean Marais) after plucking a rose in his garden, his loyal daughter (Josette Day) &#8212; who has refused to marry a local suitor (also Jean Marais) &#8212; agrees to go and live with the beast in exchange for her father&#8217;s life.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Folk Tales, Fairy Tales, and Mythology<\/li>\n<li>French Films<\/li>\n<li>Jean Cocteau Films<\/li>\n<li>Mistaken or Hidden Identities<\/li>\n<li>Romance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary writes that &#8220;Jean Cocteau&#8217;s legendary, increasingly popular adult adaptation of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Beauty_and_the_Beast\">Madame Le Prince de Beaumont&#8217;s classic fairytale<\/a>&#8221; is &#8220;the cinema&#8217;s most &#8216;poetic&#8217; work, with much of its charm coming from the fact that it is presented so simply, without self-indulgence or pretense.&#8221; He points out it&#8217;s full of &#8220;hauntingly beautiful, dreamlike imagery&#8221; &#8212; including &#8220;the merchant&#8217;s terrifying visit to the Beast&#8217;s dark, forbidding castle, in which statues move and unattached arms extend from the wall to hold candelabra; and Beauty&#8217;s arrival at the castle, in which she floats\/walks trancelike through the various rooms and hallways&#8221;. He notes that Cocteau &#8220;was exploring &#8216;the reality of the unreal&#8217;, and only through his surreal imagery did he believe he could convey the precise emotions, feelings, and atmosphere that he believed represented absolute truth&#8221;. He argues that while &#8220;Josette Day is perfectly cast as one of literature&#8217;s great heroines: innocent, strong of character, honest, loyal, exquisite, and virtuous&#8221;, &#8220;less impressive is Jean Marais&#8221; who &#8220;plays the obnoxious, foolish rapscallion Avenant, whom Beauty loves; the wimpish, self-pitying, though elegant-looking Beast; and the worst of all, the effeminate Prince into whom the Beast turns at the end&#8221;.    <\/p>\n<p>Peary elaborates on this and other aspects of the film in his <em>Cult Movies<\/em> book, where he writes that &#8220;first time viewers are invariably impressed and surprised that such an unusual film exists; that Cocteau dared to make a fairy tale without drastically changing the content of the original story; that he dared make a film with &#8216;art&#8217; and not box office success as the ultimate goal; and that he dared approach his film as a poet rather than as a typical movie director.&#8221; All of this rings true: it remains a genuine pleasure to revisit this film, despite its shortfalls &#8212; which include (for me) a storyline that seems to lag at times, perhaps due to Cocteau&#8217;s emphasis on lingering for atmospheric effects. On that note, Peary points out that cinematographer Henri Alekan&#8217;s &#8220;camera rarely moves, yet within his fixed frame comes a mesmerizing panorama of movements&#8230;, shadows, darkness, the clear white sky, and characters who, set against that sky, are filmed as if they were moving statues.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>Regarding Peary&#8217;s frustration with the Beast&#8217;s transformation into &#8220;a human being who looks like Avenant with a permanent&#8221;, I can&#8217;t say I share it. Peary&#8217;s assertion that &#8220;Beauty suddenly becomes flirtatious, as if all along she had only pretended to be an innocent&#8221; is an unfair assessment of her piqued romantic interest; why does Peary begrudge her happiness at seeing a beloved companion transformed into a human who she can more easily envision as a viable life partner? Meanwhile, Peary&#8217;s fixation on the prince&#8217;s &#8220;effeminate&#8221; nature and hair perm are uncharitable at best (his hairdo is certainly no better or worse than that of Avenant). Peary&#8217;s ending statement in his <em>Cult Movies<\/em> review &#8212; &#8220;We aren&#8217;t pleased by any means. This transformation, the worst scene in the picture, almost ruins what went before it: a true king has been demoted to a prissy prince.&#8221; &#8212; is simply not true. For shame, Peary! (especially given that Marais was Cocteau&#8217;s real-life lover). Allow this fairy tale to end the way one might imagine it to in its original form, as intended by Cocteau.    <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Visually stunning sets and costumes<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Set.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Set.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Set.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Set-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Set-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Creative special effects<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Hand.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Hand.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Hand.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Hand-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Hand-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Eyes.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Eyes.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44767\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Eyes.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Eyes-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Eyes-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Henri Alekan&#8217;s &#8220;splendid photography&#8221;<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44765\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Cinematography.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Cinematography-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Cinematography-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Cinematography2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Cinematography2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44766\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Cinematography2.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Cinematography2-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Cinematography2-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Georges Auric&#8217;s score<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as an unusual and visually mesmerizing cult classic. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Foreign Gem<\/li>\n<li>Genuine Classic<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0038348\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1947\/12\/24\/archives\/the-screen-in-review.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thespinningimage.co.uk\/cultfilms\/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=1394&#038;aff=13\">Spinning Image Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fantasticmoviemusings.com\/2014\/10\/07\/beauty-and-the-beast-1946\/\">Fantastic Movie Musings Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.combustiblecelluloid.com\/classic\/bellebete.shtml\">Combustible Celluloid Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.moriareviews.com\/fantasy\/beauty-and-the-beast-1946-la-belle-et-la-bete.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/68298\/la-belle-et-la-bete#articles-reviews\">TCM Articles<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;I disgust you. You find me repulsive.&#8221; Synopsis: When a man (Marcel Andre) is sentenced to death by a beast (Jean Marais) after plucking a rose in his garden, his loyal daughter (Josette Day) &#8212; who has refused to marry a local suitor (also Jean Marais) &#8212; agrees to go and live with the beast in exchange for her father&#8217;s life. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Folk Tales, Fairy Tales, and Mythology French Films Jean Cocteau Films Mistaken or Hidden&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=44745\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=44745"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44745\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56695,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44745\/revisions\/56695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=44745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=44745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=44745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}