La belle et la bête (1946)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Jean Cocteau

Writers:

Jean Cocteau (dialogue)
Jean Cocteau (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 December 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Plot:

A half-ruined merchant lives in the country with his son Ludovic and his three daughters. Two of the daughters...

Plot Keywords:

Castle | Beast | Rose | Forest | Magic

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Jean Marais	...	La Bête (The Beast) / The Prince / Avenant
Josette Day	...	Belle
Mila Parély	...	Félicie
Nane Germon	...	Adélaïde
Michel Auclair	...	Ludovic
Raoul Marco	...	The Usurer
Marcel André	...	Belle's Father
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Janice Felty	...	La Belle (1995 opera version) (singing voice)
John Kuether	...	The Father / The usurer (1995 opera version) (singing voice)
Ana María Martinez	...	Félicie (1995 opera version) (singing voice)
Hallie Neill	...	Adélaïde (1995 opera version) (singing voice)
Gregory Purnhagen	...	La Bête / Avenant / Ardent / The port official (1995 opera version) (singing voice)
Zhang Zhou	...	Ludovic (1995 opera version) (singing voice)

Also Known As:

Beauty and the Beast (International: English title) (USA)

Runtime:

96 min | USA:93 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Dolby Digital (1995 opera version)

Certification:

Singapore:PG | South Korea:All | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Château de Raray, Senlis, Oise, France

Company:

DisCina

Trivia:

Philip Glass composed an opera perfectly synchronized to the film. The original soundtrack was eliminated, and he composed the opera to be performed along with the film projected behind the orchestra and voice talent. The compact disc recording of Glass' "La Belle et la Bête" can be played alongside the film with a very similar effect. Note: the opera is recorded on two compact discs; hence it will be necessary to pause the film once while changing discs. In the US, the second DVD release of this film by the Criterion Collection gives the viewer the option of hearing the original soundtrack or the Glass opera version, which, in a sense, gives you two movies for the price of one. Glass has composed similar works for two other Jean Cocteau films: Orphée (1950) and Les enfants terribles (1950).

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: Boom visible at the top of the picture during the entire scene when Ludovic and Avenant first approach Diane's pavilion.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Claude Jutra, portrait sur film (2002)

Soundtrack:

La belle et la bête

Visually stunning

When special effects anthologies are shown "Metropolis" is called the grandfather of film FX, "2001" is the son and "Star Wars" is the grandson. Invariably the French are forgotten. This is shameful, since the French were truly the masters of FX or "trick" shots. Following my analogy, Cocteau was the heir apparent of Melies.

"Beauty and the Beast" not only beautifully re-tells a beautiful story, but powerfully displays the Beast's magic. Cocteau's genius is that he makes simple editing techniques look like art and in this movie like the combination of art and magic. Watch what happens when Beauty gives one of her sisters a present from the Beast's castle which the Beast meant only for Beauty.

The version I saw was in French with English subtitles, but the visuals, in glorious black and white, are so stunning, you could almost cover up the subtitles and still understand what's going on.

I can't recommend this movie enough! It is #1 on my foreign film list.