Review of Beauty and the Beast (1991) by Viniciusbrito — 10 Jul 2018

This Beauty and the Beast movie is one of the biggest Disney classics ever. Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise. A story that it is originally from 1740. A prince that is a very greedy, finicky and a selfish man, lives in a big castle with a lot of people that works for him. In one very day a old beggar asked for help in one situation, but the prince disgusted by the poor appearance of the beggar, he exempted her and told her to leave, what he didn't counted was that she was a enchantress, as punishment she turned him into a beast and also turned every member of the castle in different objects. The spell could only be undone if he truly fall in love with someone and that one also truly love him. Belle, a woman that lives in a village, in some moment her way got into that prince and that's where the magic happens.

The movie is a masterpiece since the very first moment, introducing the movie with a prologue told in a way that it is pretty much like someone is reading a book, a fairy tail to you, and showing like pages with stained glass to introduce the story, it was beautiful. Just after that the movie introduces to us the main plot, they introduce the character of Belle in one of the most beautiful introductions that I have ever seen in my life, I believe that they were very happy in introducing the character with a song, a song that not just tell us how the character think, how is her life and how is the village that she lives in, but also it is a great music. At the end of the music they just introduce another character in a very good way, that make us understand, as well, the character and how he is. The movie doesn't go in that classic way, that the pretty girl mary with the hero war and marry the most beautiful guy, it is different from those stories, the character doesn't want to follow this life, it breaks that love at first sight thing, Belle also is corageous and impetuous in the best sense as possible.

The environment in this movie is another great aspect, not just in the village, showing france costumes back in the day, but also at the castle, the Mise en scène is very complete, the scenario is very fulled with objects and actions that make the place really to be alive.

The Dubbing were really good, Paige O'Hara did a remarkable job, her voice is subtle and also can be fear and curiosity, she can pass all of it with belle in certain moments, without mentioning the singing parts. Raymond Benson as the beast had another great job, his character in a lot of moments had to try to be threatening, but at the same time afraid and trying to be better, it is very good. Richard White as Gaston did a nice job as well, he can pass the idea of a guy that thinks that he is always right and is the best person in the world, self convinced that he is the big boss. Jerry Orbach, David Ogden and Angela Lansbury that respectively do Lumière, Cogsworth and Sra. Potts are all great supporters, they have a really nice french accent wich give a tone to them and for contextualize the time and place, and also sing really well.

Pretty much all the musics of this movie are outstanding, like really, all of them are remarkable and memorable in so many ways. The melody is gorgeous. It does have a lyrical aspect, it is poetic, with all the rimes and the differential rhythm, with the music paused as like they were really verses like a poem. The songs in some moments mean to explain at the most fun way as possible some aspect of the movie, tell about the character, in some moments to just relax after a worrisome moment, or to consecrate a moment in the most beautiful way as possible. The singing and lycris are phenomenal in this animation. Wich were made by Alan Menken.

Another really strong aspect of the movie is the develop/journey of the beast, how he started as a monster that didn't knew how to treat and how to live with other people, how belle was able to change him and how this movie can be a teach of how to treat a woman, how to be kind, how to be polite, and how love really looks like. Every moment that they interact and just get better with eachother, you can just feel them, the emotion of those scenes.

The animation is pretty good, the 2d animations does have something special, it is like something else that I can't name it, I truly love it.

The movie have a clear message about beauty, that it isn't just about the appearence outside, it is really more deep then just that, love goes far beyond then how someone looks like, it is really how you treat the other and definely have nothing to do with how someone looks like. About Belle, even that her name means beauty and she is gorgeous, she show us that her best quality isn't that, she have content, she is smart, like to create, really "odd" for that time. Not to judge just for appearence, but also not judge because of belief, races, even taking away from romance, looking in a friendship and acception.