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Post by ladypocahontas on Oct 29, 2007 21:41:50 GMT -5
Beauty and the Beast is the one film that makes you feel like love is real! And...love is not just about looks - it's about a person's heart. All of the characters in this film are wonderful! I love the part where Beast is in the courtyard, and all the birds land on him. He's so cute! You just wanna hug him!
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Post by barkydog2000 on Nov 12, 2007 23:46:04 GMT -5
Wow, seriously? I have never commented??
Well, I just watched this recently, so now is a good time to comment. Actually, I watched the Special Edition version.. but I'll get to that.
Ok well, were to begin? This film is outstanding and does infact stand out from all the other Disney film as a modern classic. The opening is perfect, beautiful, and strong. Using the staind glass windows to tell the story was very creative, and very goreous. When I learned that Paige O'Hera tried out for the voice of Ariel and was turned away because she sounded too old, I realized.. she does sound a lot like Jodi Benson, but older. Proving that if they used her for Belle, Belle must be older than 16. I agree with BRP that Gaston is very complex. I liked when he was just a conceded jerk and not as evil as in the end. And the comperison that he made between the Beast and Gaston is right on. I never thought about it like that, that as much as the Beast was learning to be a man, Gaston was becoming a beast. And the fight scene on the roof proves his blind jealousy of the beast. He says, "Did you really think that she could fall in love with you when she has someone like me?" He knows Belle has fallen in love with him and and so that is what is driving Gaston to want to kill the beast. But Gaston has never scared me more then the guy that runs the assylum.. he has always scared me so much.
The music, it really is beautiful: both the intrumental and singing. And in the special edition when they added Human Again, I think it worked quite nicely. They did a great job intergrating it with the original, but I am still up in the air on where or not I liked the part that they added with her teaching him how to read. I like how the composers always seem to get all the melodies in the intrumental parts and all of the sudden you find yourself humming along with the song Belle, or what ever the song they are playing at the time. It is kind of magical in it's self.
The animation is revolutionary. It is interesting how BRP mentions that it is the first time a woman drew the lead female because I think Belle can look kind of awkward at times. I think my sister has a point, I think her smile is some times out of proportion and is too big for her face. But over all she is drawn very nicely and very beautifully. Oh yeah, and how you guys were talking about people thinking that animation is a child's artform.. I think it is quite the opposite. There is such a fine line between having the animation look cartoony and realistic. There needs to be a perfect balance other wise it is not believeable, or look so real that it is strange looking. It is deffinitely not something a child can do, at least not intensionally and make a movie the precise animation. This movie does intergrate the very first use of CGI and it is definitely shows. During Be Our Guest.. the chandelier is very poorly CGI animated (at least for today's standards). It looks too much like a geometric program. I think they spent all their time working on the ballroom scene and it really paid off. It is a lot better.
I can really see why this movie was so critically accliamed.
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Post by Briar Rose's Dark Knight on Nov 13, 2007 22:57:07 GMT -5
I think it's often important to judge how an animated film looks in it's historical context. Case in point is Snow White. When we compare it to subsequent films, it does not look as good as they do. However, in it's historical context, Snow White stands head and shoulders above the rest, especially because it was feature length whereas at that time, everything else was short.
In historical context, the computer work in Beauty and the Beast is astonishing. Nothing like the ballroom scene had ever been attempted before. The computer enabled them to sweep across the ballroom and show that scene from a never before seen perspective.
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Post by emuhlee on Nov 27, 2007 9:29:16 GMT -5
Beauty & The Beast is such a spectacular story and Disney did it well with making told like a story book fantasy. It was animated well and the music was phenomenal.
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Post by beautywithin on Jan 20, 2008 10:22:49 GMT -5
This is one of the best disney movies ever a must for disney fans!
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Post by LauraHonest on Jan 24, 2008 18:54:13 GMT -5
I think it's often important to judge how an animated film looks in it's historical context. Case in point is Snow White. When we compare it to subsequent films, it does not look as good as they do. However, in it's historical context, Snow White stands head and shoulders above the rest, especially because it was feature length whereas at that time, everything else was short. In historical context, the computer work in Beauty and the Beast is astonishing. Nothing like the ballroom scene had ever been attempted before. The computer enabled them to sweep across the ballroom and show that scene from a never before seen perspective. That is a good point. It amazes me to look back and see how much praise things got for being "groundbreaking" and compared to right now they are very poor. In 10 years we will look at things that are coming out now and laugh at them too. Regardless of how advanced things get in the future, i will always love this movie and think it is beautiful. It has a special grace and charm that makes it so appealing.
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Post by Briar Rose's Dark Knight on Jan 26, 2008 0:52:26 GMT -5
The leaps and bounds that technology takes can never diminish great films. The reason why so many Disney films are still beloved today is because they are timeless, regardless of advances that have been made since the original release.
One of the things I find really funny is when people rail against computers and talk about what they've done to hand drawn animation. The truth is that the last film to be drawn completely and entirely by hand was Sleeping Beauty almost 50 years ago.
Beauty and the Beast will always remain a beloved and classic film. The story is powerful, thought provoking, and beautiful. As much as the art form of animation has changed since 1991 and will continue to change, the story keeps it powerful. It's the same reason why Snow White, even though some may think it's not as beautifully animated as the subsequent films, is still a beautiful film. With a strong story, technological changes can never diminish what was created the first time around.
And for a totally random fact about Paige O'Hara inspired by the comment that she auditioned for the voice of Ariel, but they went with Jodi Benson because O'Hara was too old. When O'Hara audtioned for Belle, she feared she was too old for what they wanted. They quickly explained that it didn't matter because Belle was supposed to "an old soul."
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Post by disgirl12 on Sept 4, 2008 23:30:49 GMT -5
This has got to be my "tied for first" favorite movie. Belle is someone so completely relatable to me, not only for our love of books and our love for our fathers, but for her personality as well. She's just...exactly who and what I want to be.
I absolutely love this movie, and I did see the play version for my 16th Birthday. They moved the ballroom scene to a rose garden, which bothered me because the ballroom scene is central to the movie in every way shape and form. Its really when the Beast realizes how much he loves Belle.
Anywho, this movie is just, amazing. It always cheers me up and makes me feel better and i always have a smile on. I've seen it enough times that I watch it in french and say the lines in english along with it.
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Post by Silver on Oct 2, 2008 20:14:29 GMT -5
After recently watching this movie two thoughts have pondered my mind for awhile. (PLEASE don't take this too seriously or out of contex) I'm merley sprouting my ideas and making some fascinating observations.
While many (in general) say that Belle had to learn to see past the beast's exterior. I disagree. When she first encounter's the Beast and has full visual inspection. It's more shock then anything. (I personally don't think the Beast's character is unattractive) But because he represents this creature that would remind somebody of The Jersey devil: he's something you come across in supernatural tales. So no wonder she's petrified! But soon she surpasses this odd twist of fate and only see's his first impression attitude. And I don't blame her. He was nothing but disrespectful and cruel. Why should she have sympathy? And secondly, who would really think to fall in love with another species? While the audience knows the backround and hope for a happy ending. She obviosuly doesn't. But soon picks up on human like qualities. So if anything, I never thought his physical appearence had anything to do with her appeal or disapproval of him. Just she's come across this creature that has a horrible view on life and very strange form of mannerisms.
My next thought sort of twists around the plot. But it's still on base. The Beast of course is supposed to learn to love, but he also should have learned to see beyond appearence. Do I think he learned his lesson" Yes and no. While he absolutley learned to appriciate what Belle had to offer on the inside. I can't help but wonder what would have happened if her character instead wasn not that attractive. Yes I am aware this is called "Beauty and the Beast" but even still even if your physicallity isn't what you wish. Many can and will still view others in a vain and shallow light. So I can't help but wonder how the story would have been effected if Belle's character would have been swapped and she was the unattractive one. Would he still envision her as his last hope? Would he be as willing to keep her in his life knowing she wouldn't change? Could he really see the sweet and intelligent girl if she didn't have that stunning face and body image? I don't know but there are times I have my douts.
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Post by Butterscotch on Oct 3, 2008 16:06:01 GMT -5
This has nothing to do with anything, but my sister is terrified of the legend of the Jersey Devil. It's fun when we're driving through the Pine Barrens at night to scare her with that.
Anyway, I agree with you on the first point. As strange as the Beast looks, it's really his personality that leaves Belle cold.
For the second point, I'm not sure I agree with you. The Beast does view Belle as his last hope to regain his humanity, but on the other hand, how many girls just randomly wandered into the castle? I think the Beast would have made the same awkward attempts at courting regardless.
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Post by tweetiencam on Oct 17, 2008 18:58:07 GMT -5
i like the movie and the story is nice and magical too
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Post by Briar Rose's Dark Knight on Oct 18, 2008 1:41:43 GMT -5
One of the interesting elements of the film is how it turned things on it's head. The Beast became a beast because he was a monster on the inside. In short he had become the very thing he had spent his life acting like. In some ways I think he was very much like Gaston before the Enchantress showed up and made his outer form match his inner being.
Belle is interesting here because she sees through things. As noted in the film, she found Gaston physically handsome, but was repulsed by his behavior. And early on in the Beast's castle, she is also very much repulsed by the Beast, but not because of his monstrous appearance. I think he agreed to let Maurice go for selfish reasons. He wanted a prisoner and Belle was a girl, so she might break the spell. The problem is that he was still a monster on the inside.
Even if Belle was his last hope, he still treated her poorly, perhaps because of awkwardness, perhaps because he didn't know how to act, but he still had a lot to learn. The key turning point came when she ran away. In risking his life and suffering painful injuries to save her, he acted in a selfless way for the first time in a very long time.
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Post by crazyalice on Nov 21, 2009 2:51:23 GMT -5
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Post by SpellWovenNight on Nov 21, 2009 12:52:48 GMT -5
[quote author=silver board=Movies thread=688 post=410740 time=1222996469
My next thought sort of twists around the plot. But it's still on base. The Beast of course is supposed to learn to love, but he also should have learned to see beyond appearence. Do I think he learned his lesson" Yes and no. While he absolutley learned to appriciate what Belle had to offer on the inside. I can't help but wonder what would have happened if her character instead wasn not that attractive. Yes I am aware this is called "Beauty and the Beast" but even still even if your physicallity isn't what you wish. Many can and will still view others in a vain and shallow light. So I can't help but wonder how the story would have been effected if Belle's character would have been swapped and she was the unattractive one. Would he still envision her as his last hope? Would he be as willing to keep her in his life knowing she wouldn't change? Could he really see the sweet and intelligent girl if she didn't have that stunning face and body image? I don't know but there are times I have my douts. [/quote]
I see what you're saying, but I also think that the Beast was very much repulsed by his own self, by his own appearance. At the beginning, he hated himself more than anything else. Although it's not very clear that he had a transformation to being okay with himself, I think that it meant something to him that Belle, someone who was remarkably beautiful, could love him, an ugly creature, as he thinks himself as. I think it's that fact that helps him with the new perspective on life and is able to move past appearances.
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Post by Silver on Nov 21, 2009 18:15:24 GMT -5
Alice- I agree 500%! Actually the Beast is my favorite character from the film because he's so complex and paradonxicle. I think he's one of the greatest characters Disney has ever written! Robby Benson gave such a spectacular performance! But I also love Steve Blanchard who played the Beast on Broadway for the last 8 years. Whoever plays the Beast in the Live-Action adaptatio has some enormous shoes to fill. I hope whoever it is does it justice. I mean the same goes for the rest of the cast but since he's my favorite I'm biased.
Spellwoven- I guess it is a non-conclusive idea. But it's something I can't help but wonder about it. Especially in this day and age where expectations for beauty (Sometimes it's garnered more on others then oursleves) the theory can still be applied to Beast. But for the most part I like to believe the Beast had transformed into a much more gracious person with less judgement. Then again he's back to being a handsome prince with a beautiful princess so even if he doesn't state his opinion about appearence who knows what he's really thinking. Like I said though, I think Belle would keep him in line even if he does and help his self-esteem grow just like you said.. It was just food for thought.
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