 |
| Fig 1 |
La Belle et la Bette
is the closest predecessor possible to Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’, shot in live-action in 1946 by Jean Cocteau.
As with the cartoon feature, the story follows the character of Belle, who is
forced to live under the watchful eyes of the Beast in place of her father
after stumbling upon an enchanted castle whilst lost in the woods. The film
flows with a combination of tragic romance, stunning production design and a
lesson of moral vanity in the face of adversity.
 |
| Fig 2 |
Conceptual art from the pre-production stages completely
reflects the atmosphere of the Beast’s castle, giving it a very real sense of
mystery and unease. “Cocteau uses
haunting images and bold Freudian symbols to suggest that emotions are at a
boil in the subconscious of his characters.” (Ebert, 1999) There is no
denying that the dark atmosphere, coupled with the prospect of living with an
alpha male figure, with limbs protruding from all corners of the room, suggests
that there are hints of sexual tension as the vulnerable young lady copes with
the presence of a terrifying animal.
 |
| Fig 3 |
The facial design of the beast was particularly reflective
of his attitude towards Belle. “In my
opinion, one must have Marais’ passion for his work and his devotion to his dog
to persevere as he did in deserting the human race.” (Cocteau, 1970) This
gives the impression that the Beast was something of a human dog, as many
features were designed around one, hopelessly lonely, standing his ground in
his territory and endlessly loyal to the one he loves. Even the way in which
the Beast sniffs at Belle’s sheets when she is away shows how truly animalistic
he is, finding comfort in the smell of his beloved.
 |
| Fig 4 |
Prosthetics and costume design, for the decade in which it
was made, were particularly awe-inspiring. “The
costumes were so elaborate they were said to be ‘as much as the actors could
stand up in.’” (Ebert, 1999) The production art works alongside the
costumes and sets in such a way that it feels as though the film purposefully
works better with the lack of colour. It is clear from the beginning that no
expense was spared in order to immerse the audience in this romantic fantasy,
which alongside the post-modern camera trickery makes this film a truly magical
viewing experience.
Bibliography
Steegmuller F. 1970 - On the Making of Beauty and the Beast - http://www.criterion.com/current/posts/17-on-the-making-of-beauty-and-the-beast
(Fig 1) Christian B. - http://cineclap.free.fr/la-belle-et-la-bete-1946/la-belle-et-la-bete-1946-a04.jpg?lzv1sf
(Fig 2) Christian B. - http://venetianred.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/cberardbb2.jpg?w=300&h=263
(Fig 3) La Belle et la Bête (1946) - https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LZf_qWN26aRly1zw5qeRAFi4N7yRPZOXTQ-D6GdKRdfGxF46gfO7MsU0oeYFHK6H8gWWFC-XMkAK4s7fX3kSSDvd9Otfsi4n4trX5HLEBEEi3Sze2rOrGR_lk-9yRuI6JunKl3c1IyAH/s1600/beauty.and.the.beast.1946.720p.bluray.x264-cinefile.mkv_snapshot_01.16.57_%255B2011.07.29_23.17.40%255D.jpg
Hi Josh,
ReplyDeleteAnother well written review!
Have a look back at my previous comments on your 'Alien' review, as most of the issues still stand for this review too... basically, try and link your images more to the text; so say, for example 'The production art works alongside the costumes and sets in such a way that it feels as though the film purposefully works better with the lack of colour, as shown in figure 4'.
You are also still missing bits in your bibliography and illustrations list - have a look here
http://community.ucreative.ac.uk/article/27187/Referencing
Josh - re. Prague, there's something missing details on your health form you'll need to supply before you'll be signed off: they are
ReplyDeleteName, address and telephone number of doctor on health form
Cheers.