Beauty And The Beast

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

(1946)
In French, with English subtitles.
Our story begins when Beauty's father (everyone in the film calls her "Beauty") gets lost in a fog-shrouded forest on his way home one night. Stumbling upon a mysterious estate, he callously plucks a rose from the surrounding shrubbery. The head of the manor, one Mr. Beast (Jean Marais), takes exception to this inconsiderate act, and sentences him to die for his misdeed. Surely, the death penalty is a bit harsh for picking a flower, you think. "Remember, this is a fairy tale," replies the Beast. "And stop calling me Shirley."

In exchange for her father's life, Beauty (Josette Day) agrees to go to the Beast's estate, where he makes her a virtual prisoner. Initially, she rebukes his advances. Not that we blame her - his voice is an irritating gravelly growl (plus he speaks French, which only makes matters worse). "My heart is good, but I am a monster," he laments.
"Yep," she answers.
"Love can make man a beast," he asserts.
"Sure, like, whatever," she replies.
"Love can beautify ugliness," he pontificates.
"Never say die," she responds, stifling a yawn while glancing around for the TV remote. The Beast sees her at seven each evening, in hopes she'll eventually fall in love with him. And although she's a captive audience, it actually starts to work. Maybe this Beast guy is on to something.

Right from the start, they make the perfect (bickering) couple. "Can't we be just friends?" she asks him at one point. So that's where that phrase came from. In another scene, Beauty is babbling on about something when Beast is distracted by a deer in the forest (there's even a clever makeup effect of his ears perking up at the sound). "Are you listening?" Beauty asks, annoyed. "I'm talking to you." I tell you, these two were made for each other.

Writer/Director Jean Cocteau infuses many of the scenes with the kind of magic which resides only in fairy tales. The walls of the Beast's mansion are lined with disembodied arms which willingly surrender their candelabras to passersby and point them in the proper direction. Faces in the fireplace mantel change expression. As the Beast carries Beauty into his bedroom, her dress changes into a majestic gown. In a later scene, when Beauty's spiteful and jealous sisters stare into Beast's magic mirror, one sees an old woman, while the other sees a monkey.

At the movie's climax, Beauty's father falls ill and she begs Beast to allow her to return home to him. Beast relents, under one condition. He gives her the golden key to his treasure trove, and explains that if she doesn't return, he'll eventually die without the key. Unfortunately, after Beauty visits home, her siblings prevent her from returning. With a broken heart, the Beast cuddles Beauty's blanket every night and longs for her return. As a last act of desperation, he sends his white stallion "The Magnificent" to her to bring her back. When Beauty sees the stallion has come for her, she resolves to return. Climbing in the saddle, she recites the magic words learned earlier in the film, "Go where I am going. Go. Go. Go!", and the horse magically carries her back to the Beast's estate. In the final scene, the Beast's earlier statement that "Love can beautify ugliness" comes true, as Beauty's act of love transforms him into a handsome prince. I did say this was a fairy tale.

In order to appreciate this film, you have to accept that Cocteau is less interested in drama and logic than he is in presenting beautiful and imaginative imagery, and a story which tugs at the heart strings. One of the most effective elements of the tale is the manner in which Beast induces Beauty to return to him. Instead of threatening her life, he places his own in danger and trusts in the virtue of her character. She, of course, is aware of his trust, and his belief in her becomes a prime motivating factor for her not to let him down. In the beginning of the film, he tries to force her to love him in a manner true to his beastly nature. But as the film ends, he has learned that her love can only be gained through an act of her own free will. He has, in metaphorical terms, changed from a beast into a man. Cool, huh?