Thoughts on live-action Beauty and the Beast
When news of the live-action Beauty and the Beast was officially confirmed, I could hardly contain my excitement. Every new teaser trailer or sneak-peek clip released intensified my feelings to the max, and following the mixed reception of Cinderella (2015), I was praying that it would deliver. Well recently I went to see the new tale as old as time. Twice, in fact. So did it deliver?
(Warning: spoilers)
Yes. Yes it bloody did deliver.
Beauty and the Beast is a Disney classic. Originally released in 1991, it tells the tale of Belle, an inventor's daughter who is the "funny girl" in her village - and not in a good way. She is the only one who can read and write, and she refuses to conform to her village's predictable ways, let alone agree to marry the misogynistic, arrogant hunter Gaston. Instead she yearns for adventure. Her life changes when her father, Maurice, is taken hostage by a beast trapped by a curse. Sacrificing herself and her freedom by taking his place, she befriends the enchanted staff in the castle and the story becomes that of love - "for who could ever learn to love a Beast?"
Beauty and the Beast has always been my favourite Disney film, and since I was a little girl there was always something about it that captured my heart. This was of course before I realised that the whole film romanticises Stockholm Syndrome - an issue that since coming to uni never fails to be pointed out. My thoughts regarding that whole issue, however, should probably be saved for another post.
ANYWAY, I've been thinking about it a lot since I saw it for the first time and I'm still not quite sure how to put my love for it into words - I was crying in the cinema from about 3 minutes in and didn't stop until the rolling credits. You think I'm joking.
First things first, cast and characterisation. Emma Watson was perfect as Belle. Literally perfect, there is no other word - she IS Belle. This casting was just what the film needed however, as her portrayal of the aspirational girl was in every way believable and natural. Don't even get me started on her voice, both in song and in terms of delivery. Bringing a balance of how you would expect Belle to speak while also bringing a fresh take on the role through comedic emphasis on certain words, she made the character her own.
Dan Stevens as the Beast was equally as fantastically cast. The newly written Evermore is so beautifully performed and feels so breathtakingly raw that it gives me goosebumps. The CGI of the Beast achieves such a technically visual triumph, and most of his motions and expressions are a real reminder of the man behind the spell.
Luke Evans certainly looked the part of Gaston, donning the slick, tied-back black hair and infamous red outfit, but his take on Gaston really made me think about how different he felt from the cartoon. I watched an interview with him saying how he wanted to change his persona slightly, so that people would "have to like him in some part" but inevitably "dislike him by the end of the film". My friend and I also commented on how good his comedic timing and acting is in stark contrast to his role in the Hobbit. And as the second part of the lovable duo, while LeFou is mainly used as a comedic relief, Josh Gad truly came into his own yet again. Notorious now for playing roles that allow him to inject humour into a story, it was just another element that gave the film the balance of lightheartedness and malice from the pair.
LeFou is the first openly gay character in any of Disney's films, which has unfortunately left it exposed to criticism from within the LGBT+ community. Being a part of this community myself (although not a part of the one this concerns), I understand why, seeing as the representing 'moment' barely lasted the most of 1.5 seconds in the penultimate scene, and it was relatively underwhelming. But regardless of the fact that it was a short scene, LeFou is a secondary character who receives less screen time, which would account for why the 'gay scene' had less significance. Quite frankly I do think it's appalling that it has taken this long to have anything representing feelings towards the same-sex, and it should have been a longer scene - but despite how minor it was, I do think it is an important step for such a large and influential company to have included it in the film. I just hope it leads to more representation in the future.
The entire cast of enchanted staff was also well cast, with stellar performances from Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Audra McDonald - even the somewhat dodgy French accent from Ewan McGregor doesn't detract from his wonderful interpretation of Lumière. The spectacular recreation of "Be Our Guest" is a visual masterpiece to watch. Kevin Kline cannot go unmentioned, portraying the warm nature of Maurice so gently.
Credit due where credit is due, director Bill Condon's excellence really shines - recreating the original magic of the 1991 movie while on the whole faithfully following the original plot, he gave the new film its own beauty and it's own stamp away from the cartoon. Gifted with backstories, extra songs and the guidance of composer Alan Menken who is renowned for his beautiful scores, nothing detracted from the story; it simply helped it along and added value.
Now, let's talk about the dress. By heck, what a stunning creation. Even in the 1991 film, I have always adored Belle's yellow dress and just everything about that ballroom scene; the moment she walks down the stairs, the song, Angela Lansubry's voice, the dancing, the looks exchanged between the two leads and the dress, the dress, the dress. Before watching the live-action, I never knew I could be so emotional over an item of clothing, but Condon truly made it real. I know Emma Watson was wearing it so obviously it's real, but it's just so beautiful. I'm still in complete awe.
I think I only have two major issues in the film; the first is more of a silly one and is during one of the earliest scenes in the town during "Belle" when she visits Monsieur Jean. The line I can't stand is featured in the music album too, and I cringe every time I hear it - I don't even know why. "Your library makes our small corner of the world feel big". That's it, that's the line, and it makes me feel so uncomfortable. I don't even know why - I'm fine with other awkward moments, like Prince Adam's roar in one of the penultimate scenes, and Ewan McGregor's questionable accent like I mentioned previously. It just doesn't sit right.
The second, is the kiss. The first time I saw it I was overwhelmed with the whole film and was just crying through the whole thing so I didn't really think about it - but on the second time of watching I wish they had maybe talked more. Particularly Belle to Adam, seeing as she had just witnessed an animal turn into a human. In the 1991 cartoon, he even says "Belle, it's me", which follows a deep stare into his blue eyes (something they stayed true to in the live-action), and for Belle to realise "It is you!" I think there should have been some form of dialogue rather than a look, but that's just my personal beef.
There are so many other parts of the film that I adored and would make this post far too long, so I plan to do another post on my likes and dislikes of it which will go into much greater detail. By then, I plan to have seen the film for a third time.
What did you think to Beauty and the Beast live-action? Did it live up to the original tale?
