Essential Art House: Beauty and the Beast [Criterion Collection]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Jean Cocteau's adaptation of Beauty and the Beast (originally released in France as La Belle et la Bête) stars Josette Day as Beauty and Jean Marais as the Beast. When a merchant (Marcel André) is told that he must die for picking a rose from the Beast's garden, his courageous daughter (Day) offers to go back to the Beast in her father's place. The Beast falls in love with her and proposes marriage on a nightly basis; she refuses, having pledged her troth to a handsome prince (also played by Marais). Eventually, however, she is drawn to the repellent but strangely fascinating Beast, who tests her fidelity by giving her a key, telling her that if she doesn't return it to him by a specific time, he will die of grief. The film features a musical score by Georges Auric. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
• Encoding: NTSC
• Screen: Black and White
• Subtitle: English

AWARDS

• Cannes Film Festival

•     Won International Grand Prix For Best Musical Score - 1946 (Georges Auric)

• French Film Critics Circle

•     Won Prix Louis-Delluc - 1946 (Jean Cocteau)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Josette Day - Beauty
       Jean Marais - The Beast/ Avenant
       Mila Parély - Adelaide
       Nane Germon - Felice
       Michel Auclair - Ludovic
       Marcel André - The Merchant

• Director:

  Jean Cocteau

• Producer:

  André Paulve

• Screenwriter:

  Jean Cocteau

• Cinematographer:

  Henri Alékan

• Composer (Music Score):

  Georges Auric

• Editor:

  Claude Iberia

• Art Director:

  Christian Berard

REVIEW:

• Jean Cocteau's most popular film, this 1946 masterpiece is perhaps the most faithful of the many film versions of the 1756 fairy tale written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. Though the ending is a bit on the strange side -- the Beast morphs into a prince who looks exactly like Belle's hapless suitor, and her disappointment is unmistakable -- the film features tight, economical storytelling and enough visual fireworks (including many stunningly executed optical effects) to enrapture viewers from beginning to end. The actors are uniformly wonderful; Josette Day makes a stunning Belle, and Cocteau regular Jean Marais excels in a triple role that includes the magnificent Beast. The real stars of the film, though, are Cocteau himself, who gives the film a shimmering, romantic look, and the brilliant costume and set design. The Beast's makeup, in particular, works beautifully; it's just realistic enough to be convincing, while allowing Marais to emote through his eyes and subtle facial tics. The unforgettable sets, which include human-arm candelabras and moving statues, are a marvel of impressionistic romanticism, filled with symbolism that hints at the story's darker implications. Forget Disney -- this is the closest anyone's come to capturing the essence of a fairy tale on film. ~ Mark Pittillo, All Movie Guide

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