The following article contains spoilers about “Beauty and the Beast.”
A tale as old as time, filled to the brim with beauty, elegance, dreams and imagination was transformed into the movie ‘Beauty and the Beast’ by Disney in 1991.
Jump to present day, and Disney has released a live action remake of “Beauty and the Beast” on Mar. 16, 2017 starring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast. Throughout the new movie there are some significant differences that made the movie as incredible as it was. This remake gives viewers a better understanding of not only Belle’s past, but the Beast’s past as well. This deeper insight helps viewers to understand why the characters are the way they are.
In the new movie Beast shows Belle a book that was given to him by the enchantress that gives him the ability to travel wherever they can dream of going. Belle chooses to go to Paris, where the viewers discover Belle’s mother died of the black plague. This scene revealed why Maurice, her dad, took Belle away and why Belle has developed such a strong sense of independence and intelligence. Belle’s intelligence shines through more brightly in the new movie in her actions. She begins to teach a girl to read while she waits for her clothes to be done getting washed in the contraption that she created.
Beast’s past is revealed after he is attacked by werewolves while saving Belle. Mrs. Potts tells Belle that Beasts mother died when he was just a boy and his father’s shallow ways transferred to the Beast, this left him shallow and self absorbed.
On Mar. 25, 2017 Midland Center for the Arts presented “Beauty and the Beast” as a play directed by Tommy Wedge. This play had a significant similarity to the original movie, but had it’s own unique aspects as well. Humor was a major factor in the play which gave the viewer a more comedic view on the story, while still keeping it’s original elegance.
All three portrayals of this story had one common factor, the waltz. The waltz may be one of the most well known scenes of the original movie. It is the turning point where viewers really begin to see Belle and the Beast falling in love.
The new movie replicated certain parts of the the original movie in a slightly different way. In the original movie, Beast doesn’t give Belle the opportunity to say goodbye to her father when she makes the decision to take his place in the castle dungeon, and it is the Beast who takes Belle to her room. However in the new movie the Beast gives Belle the opportunity to say goodbye to her father before he takes Maurice away and it is Lumière and Cogsworth who show Belle to her room without the Beasts knowledge.
Even in the modern day portrayals, the main theme of not making judgments based on appearances was present. Both of the imitations were very good and never lost the true spirit of the movie.
By: Anikka Thorson
