Beauty and the Beast

While most old Disney films were highly regarded by critics and audiences when they were released, the 1991 animated film, Beauty and the Beast, was a film that did a lot for Disney and even animation in general, especially in regard to how much respect it was given. Based on the 1756 French fairy tale of the same name written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, the story of a young woman forming a romantic connection with a monstrous beast felt in line with the usual Disney standard, but this film was met with overwhelmingly positive reception upon release, earning a ten-minute standing ovation from film festival audience members, won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (the first ever animated movie to win that category) and was even nominated for Best Picture at the Oscar (the first time anything animated was ever placed into said category). Even during the Disney renaissance with other soon-to-be classics like The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast still holds it head high as one of the greatest films the company has ever made. In a quiet French village, a young girl named Belle (voiced by Paige O’Hara) is often criticized and passively judged by the townsfolk due to her love for reading and disinterest in the town’s resident hunter, Gaston (voiced by Richard White). A desire for change comes unexpectedly when Belle learns that her inventor father, Maurice (voiced by Rex Everhart) got lost on the way to a fair and has been taken prisoner by a hideous Beast (voiced by Robby Benson) who lives isolated in a dilapidated castle. Deciding to trade her freedom for his, Belle is forced to live in the castle, uncertain of what her future holds now that she has become a prisoner to an easily aggravated monster. As time passes, both Belle and the Beast start to get to know each other more and a connection is formed, one that if blossomed into true romance, could reverse the spell placed on the Beast and revert him back into a human. However, this may never happen as Gaston plots to force Belle to marry him and upon seeing that the Beast hinder this plan, he decides to take him out of the picture. With incredibly vibrant and elegant imagery, outstanding music, memorable characters, and a wonderful retooling of the fairy tale formula, Beauty and the Beast is a classic film that may be simple in delivery but is close to perfect in execution.

While the story had been done a few times before (with the most notable being the 1946 French film which this film took some ideas from), it’s safe to say that most people know the story due to this animated version, with the original story being quite old even for fairy tale standards as well as very different. There are so many great visual qualities to this story that fits perfectly in the world of animation, whether it be the striking look of an animalistic beast brought to life, or even just the subtly iconic image of an enchanted flower where falling petals indicate the time remaining to break a spell, it checks all the right boxes Disney would like to experiment with. Walt Disney noticed this and started developing ideas to create the film as early back as the 1930s and 40s, but plans didn’t pick back up until the late 1980s (during the Disney Renaissance). What makes this film stand out from the rest is the evolved level of maturity in regard to how it presents this tale. This isn’t to say that it has especially complicated themes or that other Disney films weren’t taken seriously, but there was an extra level of depth added in that brings a new spark to what could’ve otherwise been another standard kid’s film. The emotions on display are fairly quick to grasp, yet feel more natural and thought out than something that’s bent to fairy tale logic, the characters are given more agency and shades to their morality, the animation and music are very prominent and bring a musical theatre essence to the picture that heightens the spectacle, feel and mood of the plot, and the scripting is honestly one of the best Disney has had up until that point. A lot of credit needs to be given not just to the film’s screenwriter, Linda Woolverton (the first screenwriter ever placed onto a Disney animated movie), but also all the others who contributed to the film’s plot, including Brenda Chapman, Chris Sanders, Burny Mathison, Kevin Harkey, Brian Pimental, Bruce Woodside, Joe Ranft, Tom Ellery, Kelly Asbury and Robert Lence, because the manner in which this story is tweaked and even improved upon from its original source material is very impressive. The truncations made to the story are quite good as the original tale seems pretty long winded and even a little complicated, the romance between the leads is simple yet allowed to be charming and not held down by pointless side plots, the introduction of Gaston adds a new spin on the typical roles associated with fairy tales in a brilliant way, and it just overall works in a much nicer package, remaining as a wholesome child-friendly experience that just so happens to contain a tragic nuance you’d normally only see in a typical opera. This film was directed by Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale (in their feature directorial debut) and while they do an amazing job for their first outing, the one noticeable flaw the film has is that it could’ve been paced a little differently. It has a breezy feel and goes by very quickly, and while it’s nicely to the point, it feels like certain scenes could’ve used a bit more time to stew in order to really get across what they’re presenting (not a lot, but just a little bit more).

The characters for this story have become very iconic, and it’s amazing to see how they not only changed the pre-existing characters, but added in new ones that are so ingrained into the story that you can’t imagine it without them. The servants becoming sentient household appliances was only introduced in the French film, yet they were given no characteristics, and this film remedies that problems and gives them such defined personalities. Roles like Lumière (voiced by Jerry Orbach), Cogsworth (voiced by David Ogden Stiers), Mrs. Potts (voiced by Angela Lansbury), and even smaller parts like Chip (voiced by Bradley Pierce), the Featherduster (voiced by Kimmy Robertson) and the Wardrobe (voiced by Jo Anne Worley) add an active light-hearted energy to what could be a very gloomy and oppressive situation, matching the Disney vibe through their cartoony designs and slap-stick qualities, but never going too far to the point of overshadowing the serious moments or affecting the film’s softly dramatic tone. Belle as a character was given a bit more attention than other Disney heroines, with a lot of focus being put on making her more progressive against the other princesses. You can feel that through her desires being more than just love and her actions being more understandable and natural, and while these are nice touches, the real important quality is whether or not she’s likeable, and she really is. Paige O’Hara brings a lot of great personality to Belle, with her mature voice and great expressions allowing the role to feel very human while still able to capture the traditional Disney heroine traits as well. She’s animated very well, her voice acting as well as singing is perfect, and while she may lack any form of flaw or problem to overcome (with that more so going to the Beast), she’s still great to watch. The Beast is also a great character, taking what could be a very one-note shouty and bland role, and adding a truly gothic tragedy to the character that makes him a very interesting figure. His facial expressions are incredibly well done especially in tandem with his wonderfully animalistic design that lends way to some great flowing movements, Robby Benson does great at making the character easily angered yet never truly unlikeable (making him feel like a constantly aggressive child who doesn’t know how to speak nicely), and the relationship between him and Belle is very sweet and grows pretty naturally, being one of the first Disney romances where it took more than a few days to reach it. Gaston is such a great villain for this story, being the typical handsome hero that would normally be the savior in any common fairy tale, yet whose selfish tendencies and arrogant demeanor form him into a narcissistic villain who never changes his attitude. Richard White is great at bringing that booming masculine voice in a way that is played for both comedy and drama, his design is wonderfully deceiving, and his role in the story led way to breaking the stereotypical expectations of most fairy tale stories in the future.

Like most of Disney animated work at the time, the film looks incredible and carries with it the usual great line work, vibrant colors, and incredibly expressive designs, but there is also a quality of elegance to this film that comes through in the flowing yet heavier pace at which the characters and even the visuals move at. The opening demonstrates this heightened atmosphere flawlessly, with a beautiful stained-glass mural detailing the backstory like a cautionary bedtime story, the outstanding music that feels regal and enchanting yet somber and foreboding, and the fantastic narration (also performed by David Ogden Stiers), which really adds a weight to the story that’s about to be delivered. The backgrounds are so atmospheric through the smooth brush strokes, eye-catching color choices and gorgeous lighting, and while there might be a few times where some of the character models and expressions can look a little off (mainly during the opening act), it is a very nice-looking movie that has held up astoundingly well all these years later. The music and songs handled by returning duo, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman (who tragically passed away due to a complicated with AIDS before the film was released) is equally as impactful as their last showcase in The Little Mermaid, producing truly long-lasting songs that work wonderfully as numbers that progress the story in a fun way, and also as generally hummable melodies with great lyrics and orchestrations (ones that were strong enough to earn the film an Oscar). Everyone knows these tunes by heart, the singing is all fantastic, the animation becomes even more lively and glowing in these moments, and they range between being uplifting show tunes to threatening ballads like something out of Les Misérables, it does everything that a Disney musical should do.

Even against a group of movies that have held up quite well in Disney’s library, Beauty and the Beast is still one of their most effective, most romantic, most endearing, and most memorable films in their entire roster, and one that the company should always remain proud of. While it is arguably pretty simple and could’ve maybe used a bit of an extension in order to showcase some of their ideas a little better, the film must be doing something great when the biggest complaint is wanting more. The characters are memorable, it has amazingly engrossing visuals and music, the way in which the story is upgraded is very effective, and while it may not be the most complex piece of material, the emotions are always felt front and centre. A tale that will last as long as time itself, a true game changer right here.