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The film is overall faithful to the original fairy tale with Belle living with her merchant father, two mean sisters, and three brothers. They also move from a mansion to a country house at the beginning of the film. Plus, Belle's father also goes to the Beast's castle and picks a rose only to have the Beast send him back. The Beast makes Belle eat dinner with him a few times before they fall in love, too.
Beauty and the Beast may be faithful to its source material, but it also has several interesting twists. For instance, Belle chooses to go to the Beast's castle after her father returns instead of passively following instructions. Belle also claims her mother died giving birth to her, revealing an interesting if brief backstory. There are also a lot of cartoony dogs living in the castle. The problem with these dogs, though, is that they look more fit for an animated film.
There are even some nods to Disney's animated film. For example, there is a scene in which a bunch of men play games at a bar. The Beast also destroys his own property, prompting Belle to run away. As Belle runs on cracked ice and drowns, the Beast follows and rescues her. An army of men also go to the castle in with weapons during the climax. They use a log to break into the castle as well. This nods to "The Mob Song" from Disney's version.
Belle wears several elegant dresses throughout the film, from her peasant dress to her red gown. She is also fiercer than her classic literary counterpart. Not only does she choose to go to the Beast's castle to save her father, but she also yells at the Beast and stops two stone giants. Although I love her active role and desire for a happy life, I wish there was more depth to Belle's character.
The Beast also has elegant costumes and detailed face design, but his character is problematic. First, he threatens to kill his family before Belle's father goes home. The Beast also forces Belle into a relationship and shows no signs of regret over his actions. Even though Disney's Beast was also initially abusive, he clearly expressed guilty over his own behavior. Plus, while Disney's Beast saved Belle from the wolves, Christophe Gans's Beast pushed Belle onto the ice before saving her. Since he did not reflect over his actions much, the Beast overcame his abusive nature too quickly.
Three backstory segments occur throughout the film. These reveal, over time, how the Beast got cursed for killing a deer, who turned out to be the daughter of the forest god. I appreciate how these dreams prompted Belle to save the Beast. However, there should've been more clarity about his relationship with the girl he killed and how she turned into a deer.
I find it interesting how Christophe Gans took a more animalistic approach to the story. Since the Beast killed a deer-woman, he became a Beast so that he could learn that animals can be loving. With this approach, the dogs' presence makes sense.
This version of Beauty and the Beast is more violent and disturbing than other film adaptations, hence the PG-13 rating. For instance, a giant stone face scares Belle's father away after he plucks a rose. Plus, branches move apart from each other and invade the castle later in the film. Yet, this movie is also well-lit to an extent at which it could be the Beauty and the Beast equivalent to Disney's live-action Cinderella.
The actors all shine in their performances as well. I especially appreciated Léa Seydoux's performance as Belle, especially with her hair down.
One more unique element of this feature is how it follows a woman reading the tale from a storybook with her two children. Storybook introductions are rare in modern fairy-tale movies. Perhaps the last time it happened in a Disney movie was in 2007's Enchanted. The credits begin with drawings as well.
For fans of Beauty and the Beast who want to go beyond Disney's versions, this French take on the story is a stunning and mature, if imperfect, treat.
Have you seen Beauty and the Beast? What do you think about it?
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