La Belle Et La Bete
1946
Visionary filmmaker and poet Jean Cocteau responded to the terrors and creative constraints of occupied France with this elaborately realized take on the classic fairy tale BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Suggested by his longtime collaborator and muse, French actor Jean Marais, the cinematic version of the fable first penned by Jeanne-.. Read more
| Starring | Jean Marais, Josette Day, Marcel Andre, Michel Auclair |
|---|---|
| Director | Jean Cocteau |
| Genres | Drama, World Cinema |
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La Belle Et La Bete
Visionary filmmaker and poet Jean Cocteau responded to the terrors and creative constraints of occupied France with this elaborately realized take on the classic fairy tale BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Suggested by his longtime collaborator and muse, French actor Jean Marais, the cinematic version of the fable first penned by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont became Cocteau's most celebrated film. Cocteau renders the story of a gentlehearted beast in love with a simple and beautiful girl in the style of the luminous paintings of Dutch master Vermeer. From the quaint and humorous scenes of Beauty's happy home to the ominous surreal spectacle of the Beast's enchanted estate, Cocteau transforms the simple tale of tragic love into a surreal vision of death, desire, and beauty. Marais is chilling as the lonely and tormented beast, projecting a wounded love for the glacial yet endearing Beauty (Josette Day), whose simple request for a rose from her father brings tragedy crashing down on her whole family. Cocteau expands upon the cinematic inventiveness first seen in his masterpiece BLOOD OF A POET with mirrors made of water, living statues, and candelabras fashioned from living arms, transforming a children's fable into a complex and radiant cinematic classic.
| Starring | Jean Marais, Josette Day, Marcel Andre, Michel Auclair, Nane Germon, Mila Parely |
|---|---|
| Director | Jean Cocteau |
| Studio | BFI VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 29 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama, World Cinema |
| Language | DVD: French |
| Subtitles | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 19 Nov 2001 Production year: 1946 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (2)
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Although René Clément got a co-directing credit for his technical assistance, this adaptation of Mme Leprince de Beaumont's timeless fairy tale is clearly the work of the poet-director Jean Cocteau. With interiors that owe much to the paintings of Doré and Vermeer, this visual feast is enhanced by the magical realism of Henri Alekan's photography, Christian Bérard's exquisite costumes and Georges Auric's audacious score. Josette Day is a delight as Beauty, while Jean Marais, in his dual role as the Beast and the Prince, manages to be truly touching beneath Hagop Arakelian's superb make-up.
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"...One of the most sophisticated and visually elegant films of all time....A haunting, original treasure..." -- Critic's Choice
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Most helpful member's review
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10 out of 11 people found this review helpful
Post-war French romanticism
Recognised as one of the classics of European cinema, La Belle et la Bete is a master class in cinematography and symbolism.
The director, Cocteau remained in France during the Occupation of France during the Second World War and survived despite his overt homosexuality - not a popular profile under the Nazis. He certainly suffered but was seen as having, to some degree, sold out his art by remaining yet not joining the Resistance.
After the war, Cocteau redeemed himself with this film which gives us a vision of the torment of an occupied soul – the Beast – who struggles to remain human and noble despite the circumstance of his enchantment. Beauty, a domestic slave and lynchpin of a feckless family, comes to love the Beast and finally liberates him from his base nature. In a final scene of glorious yet restrained eroticism, the two are united in romantic bliss.
Jean Marais, Cocteau’s lover, plays the Beast with dignity: Josette Day is a natural and unaffected Beauty. But the real star is the Castle – with living statues and carving, it creates the backdrop for this tale of oppression, honour and ultimate salvation. You have to see it. -
Most recent members' review
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10 out of 11 people found this review helpful
Post-war French romanticism
Recognised as one of the classics of European cinema, La Belle et la Bete is a master class in cinematography and symbolism.
The director, Cocteau remained in France during the Occupation of France during the Second World War and survived despite his overt homosexuality - not a popular profile under the Nazis. He certainly suffered but was seen as having, to some degree, sold out his art by remaining yet not joining the Resistance.
After the war, Cocteau redeemed himself with this film which gives us a vision of the torment of an occupied soul – the Beast – who struggles to remain human and noble despite the circumstance of his enchantment. Beauty, a domestic slave and lynchpin of a feckless family, comes to love the Beast and finally liberates him from his base nature. In a final scene of glorious yet restrained eroticism, the two are united in romantic bliss.
Jean Marais, Cocteau’s lover, plays the Beast with dignity: Josette Day is a natural and unaffected Beauty. But the real star is the Castle – with living statues and carving, it creates the backdrop for this tale of oppression, honour and ultimate salvation. You have to see it. -
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La Belle Et La Bete
Visionary filmmaker and poet Jean Cocteau responded to the terrors and creative constraints of occupied France with this elaborately realized take on the classic fairy tale BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Suggested by his longtime collaborator and muse, French actor Jean Marais, the cinematic version of the ...
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