Beauty and the Beast
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| A Rose in Bloom/Artwork by Kate Dorsey |
When
Disney’s live-action version of Beauty and the Beast came out on DVD, I
was willing to give it a try. It helped
that Luke Evans was in the film, and I also like Emma Watson, so I knew there
would be actors I like in it. So, I
watched it. I thought it was pretty
good, but didn’t expect to ever watch it again.
Then it started airing on TV. The
more I watched this film on TV, the more I liked it; to the point I look
forward to every time it is on.
Belle
(Emma Watson) is not like others in her village. She enjoys books, encourages girls to learn
how to read, and does not fall all over local “hero” Gaston (Luke Evans). No, Belle would much rather fall into the
world of her books and help her artist father than have anything to do with
Gaston. She certainly does not want to
think about marrying or having children with him, two things Gaston is
determined to have happen.
One
night, on his way to market, Belle’s father, Maurice (Kevin Kline), comes
across a castle. Cold from his travels
through the forest, Maurice enters it to get warm. He sits down at the dining table, and is
scared away by a talking teacup.
Eager
to get off the castle grounds as fast as possible, Maurice almost forgets he
promised Belle a rose from his travels.
He picks one from the castle’s garden, angering the master, the Beast
(Dan Stevens). Beast throws Maurice behind
bars, with plans to never release him.
When
Maurice’s horse, Phillipe, returns home alone, Belle knows something is
wrong. She rides Phillipe to where he
was last with her father. Belle enters
the castle and finds Maurice held captive.
Pretending she only wants to say goodbye to her father, Belle switches
places with him, promising she will escape and come back home.
While
Beast is not happy to have Belle in the castle, his servants are thrilled. For years they and the palace have been under
a spell, living as objects while their master lives as a beast. The servants believe Belle will be the one to
save them, as long as she can fall in love with Beast. If she can do it before the last petal of an
enchanted rose falls, they will all be saved.
Wanting
to free Belle himself, Maurice returns to the village to find someone to help
him save Belle. Gaston and his constant
companion, LeFou (Josh Gad), agree to help.
But as Maurice struggles to find the castle, Gaston becomes more aggravated
about this journey he didn’t truly want to go on. Then, when Maurice says Gaston will never
marry Belle, he abandons the mission entirely, and leaves Maurice in the woods
to die.
Back
at the castle, the servants keep trying to get Belle and Beast together. It’s only once Beast saves Belle during an
escape attempt that she starts to see Beast in a different light. Something
other than her angry jailer. After this,
they spend more time together, and feelings form. But it may all be too late.
In
some ways I don’t have to actually watch this film when it’s on anymore,
because I have seen it so many times.
Instead, I can sit and enjoy the music and dialogue while doing
something else at the same time. I know
Lumière (Ewan McGregor), the candelabra, and Cogsworth (Ian McKellen), the
clock, are going to argue and clash.
Mrs. Potts (Emma Thompson), the teapot, is going to be caring and kind to
Belle. And Gaston, no matter what is
going on, is going to be egotistical and full of himself.
Even
though I know this film so well, there are some parts I always have to watch no
matter what else I am doing. The tavern
scene when the song “Gaston” is sung is one part in particular. Others are throughout the film; most
especially all of LeFou’s little asides.
They’re really funny, and I always look up when one is about to arrive.
There
are some new songs and scenes that weren’t in the original Disney animated
film, but they work beautifully. I think
one day I should watch the two films back to back just to see how many
similarities and differences there are. Watching
them together so closely, I may find I like both films even more.
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