Beauty and The Beast - Criterion Collection Reviews

• Luminous, magical, deeply moving film; superb DVD

  
  By A3RAWQSWAC7BWD on 2003-03-13
  Jean Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast (1946) is not only one of the greatest films I have seen - a perfect blend of poetic fantasy and psychological depth - it's also one of my all-time favorites. The restored version from the Criterion Collection is among the best DVDs I have seen, both for the breathtaking clarity of the image and sound, and for a wealth of supplemental materials, including several fascinating documentaries, essays in a lavish printed booklet, and Philip Glass's complete opera synched to the film on a separate audio track.

  With each re-viewing of Beauty and the Beast, I see new layers of Cocteau's vision. As a child, I was enthralled by how real, and actually lived in, this fairy tale world seemed. And I was spellbound by the Beast, brought fully, both horribly and tenderly, to life by Jean Marais' riveting performance. I will never forget the Beast's death scene, when Marais expresses worlds of pain, love, and self-understanding solely through the eyes peering out of a feral, hair-covered face.

  The film does not need today's digital special effects; it still works perfectly with its own low-tech but deeply resonant wonders. And it is a triumph of design. Cocteau worked closely with production "illustrator" Christian Bérard and cinematographer Henri Alekan to give the picture what he called "the soft gleam of hand-polished old silver." It is filled with simple but gorgeous - and unforgettable - tableaux, from a corridor of disembodied human arms grasping candelabra that burst into flame as you pass by, to Beauty gliding in slow motion through the enchanted castle. Then there is the indefinable magic of the scene at the manor with huge white sheets drying in the sun, creating silhouettes of striking power. (Cocteau's crew spent weeks searching everywhere for sheets without patches, an almost unheard of luxury in postwar France.)

  Technically, and aesthetically, it is astonishing how Cocteau wrested so much visual interest from a film comprised almost entirely of medium shots. A close look reveals how dynamically, yet subtly, unbalanced most of the compositions are. We rarely see a subject head on, but rather from a slightly skewed angle. And during some of the most important moments, Cocteau foregrounds an unimportant object (a candlestick, a tree branch) to block our view, to make our imaginations fill in the obscured main details. Throughout he also makes evocative use of shadows, both where you would expect them, in the Beast's mysterious realm, and where you might not, in the merchant's strangely foreboding manor house. This tense visual quality meshes perfectly with the film's complex emotional nature.

  On one level, Beauty and the Beast is a perfect, and largely faithful, realization of a great fairy tale, originally written in 1756 by French author Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont while she served as a governess in Scotland. But Cocteau's film exists on many other levels as well, which is why it continues to appeal as much to adults as children. There have been many interpretations, including symbolist, Jungian, Freudian, deconstructionist, and even gay readings (Cocteau is not only a preeminent author, poet, artist, playwright, and filmmaker of the 20th century, he is also a central gay icon). All of these views help reveal the many, and sometimes contradictory, layers of Cocteau's vision.

  At its simplest and most direct, the film paints a moral lesson as easily understood by a child as by most adults: Who and what you are - your true nature - matters more than your appearance. We see this idea embodied, in troubling ways, by many of the human characters, including Beauty's two wicked sisters and, to a lesser extent, her wastrel brother Ludovic. But the most morally ambiguous character, and the one who gives the film considerable emotional depth, is Avenant. He is, of course, played by Jean Marais, who also performs the Beast and, at the end, Prince Ardent. Avenant is strikingly handsome, self-assured, and energetic, yet Marais also brings out his darker side, subtly in his attempted seductions of Beauty and overtly in his fatal greed at the end. What compounds Avenant's resonance for the film comes out in one of the final lines. Beauty answers Prince Ardent's question about whether she loved Avenant with a breathless, "Oh yes!" How, and why, could our heroine - who comes to see through the Beast's fearsome persona to the torn yet righteous man within - ever have been in love with someone like Avenant? That is yet another of the film's emotional mysteries, the ones which may appeal more to, and perhaps even unsettle, adult viewers.

  One of the most fascinating, and visceral, comments on this film is musical. Composer Philip Glass (whose works include the operas Einstein on the Beach, Satyagraha, and The Voyage, and film scores Koyaanisqatsi, Mishima, and The Hours) set Cocteau's screenplay to music which runs simultaneously with the picture on the DVD, as the composer intended. The film's original, magisterial score by Georges Auric is one of cinema's greatest; and Cocteau knew exactly when to use it - or silence - for maximum effect. But Glass uses his patented syncopated rhythms and repeated symmetrical sequences of chords to create a haunting alternate voice for the picture. Distinct from Auric, Glass's score reveals the sometimes dark and disturbing emotional subtext, rather than the fairy tale sense of wonder. Previously I had liked the opera as an audio recording; but when joined with the film I found it utterly compelling.

  Beauty and the Beast is a film I look forward to reexperiencing for the rest of my life. It has a way of getting under your skin, even entering your dreams. The closer you look at it, the more mysterious, and spellbinding, it becomes.
  
  

• ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS A GREAT FILM...

  
  By A1L43KWWR05PCS on 2002-05-18
  In this, his first feature film, director Jean Cocteau set a standard for filmmaking that not even he could surpass. A masterpiece of inventive, surreal imagery, this film captivates the viewer as few other films have. Haunting, lyrical, and enchanting, this film retells the story of an age old fairy tale classic, "Beauty and the Beast" by Jeanne Marie LePrince De Beaumont. The film is sheer poetry in motion.

  This marvelous, exquisitely rendered adaptation centers around the core of the fairy tale. An impoverished merchant (Marcel Andre) comes across a most unusual chateau, deeply hidden in the forest, where he is provided with hospitality by an unseen host. Upon leaving, he happens to break off a rose from a rosebush in the garden of his reclusive host, in order to take it back to Beauty (Josette Day), the most beloved of his three daughters. This simple act calls forth his previously unseen host, The Beast (Jean Marais), who tells him that the theft of that which The Beast loves most will cost the merchant his life or the company of the one whom the merchant loves most, one of his daughters. Allowed to return home temporarily, the merchant tearfully recounts what happened to him, and Beauty surreptitiously goes in his place to the enchanted chateau upon a magical horse that seems to sparkle with fairy dust. It is there that she, too, meets The Beast. Alas, the path of true love does not run smoothly, and Beauty and The Beast, together, make that discovery.

  Be prepared for a visual feast of dreamy black and white cinematography, as well as one of the most unusual sets ever to grace the silver screen. Living statuary, human candelabras, and tears that turn to diamonds are just some of the exquisite, surreal immagery that take the viewer's breath away. Superlative performances by Josette Day and Jean Marais, as well as an excellent supporting cast, make this, indeed, a film to remember! Filmed in 1946, time has not dimished the ability of this masterpiece to enchant and captivate the viewer. Bravo!
  
  

• Criterion re-releasing in the fall.

  
  By on 2002-06-08
  "Criterion has ceased manufacturing our original edition of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (spine #6) to make room for a new edition, scheduled for release later this year. The new BEAUTY AND THE BEAST will feature a new transfer, a new spine number, and additional new supplemental features . It will be preceded by a theatrical release of newly restored prints in the spring. It's not technically going out of print, but the original edition will be replaced." - Jon Mulvaney / Criterion Co.
  
  

• A Magnificent Film

  
  By A2HZFST16PHKSC on 2001-10-15
  I first saw this poetic, fantasy film back in the '50's, when I was about six or seven years old. In those days, Channel 13, in New York, would run foreign classics. Cocteau's Beauty And The Beast stood out in my memory, because of its haunting, surreal images. Of course, back then, I wouldn't know what the word "surreal" meant. All I knew was that the film was a hypnotic, yet beautiful, experience. About a dozen years passed, until I saw Cocteau's work of art again, on a UHF presentation, emceed by film critic Charles Champlain. (I could somehow make out the images, through all the "snow" on the screen.) Up to that point, I wondered if what I saw, on that flickering TV screen, during my childhood, was in fact itself a dream. Later, when I was in charge of film activities at my college, I arranged for it to be shown there. So I was once again able to enter the magical world that Cocteau had created.

  This cinematic version of Perrault's fairy tale is far from pretty. In fact, it's downright scary in some scenes -- especially the ones in the Beast's house. So it's not something I'd recommend for young kids. Nevertheless, if you're a person who loves the mysterious beauty of shadowy B&W photography, and enjoys being transported into a Twilight Zone-ish world, where things aren't quite what they seem, this film is definitely for you. This version is for adults, or kids who are mature in their thinking (and can handle subtlety). For others, who can't get to that level, and who are geared towards Star Wars effects, and third-grade quality movies, Disney (Ugh!) will have to do.

  Criterion did a fantastic job in the restoration of the film. And the bonus features, including a superb commentary, make it a doubly worthwhile purchase. Plus, the subtitles are easy to read. So what are you waiting for? Don't waste any more time. Go get this DVD!
  
  

• A treasure trove of Beauty

  
  By A1XL5L0AQXPCKB on 2005-03-29
  I vascillated for a long time on picking up this disc. Its pricey and I asked myself, how often I would want to revisit this film, practically memorized by now, having viewed it countless times over the years.
  
  Yet something drew me to this edition, and the verdict is definitely a positive one. The restored version is lovely-all the incredible contrasts of soft greys, silver and stark blacks have been gloriously brought back to life. This what they mean by "in glorious black and white!" There is a clarity and richness here that gives the viewer an opportunity to notice subtlties that were obscured by the scratchy old print that was used on the VHS version. Gone are the distracting audio pops and clicks and most of the visual scratches, allowing the viewer to more readily fall into the dreamy trance of this timeless film.
  
  Cocteau was a poet and a visionary,and despite the technical limitations of film in the 1940's, he brought real magic to the screen, something that today's digital wizardry doesn't always deliver. This is a richly textured retelling of this famous fable, full of detail and nuance. It is decidely more Grimms than Disney, so I don't recommend showing it to small children. Charged with an undercurrent of eroticism and psychological symbols,it is really a fairy tale for adults.
  
  The disc is packed with extras. I haven't yet checked them all out, but the "Screening at the Majestic' is a nice documentary. I particularly enjoyed seeing Jean Marais, still very much alive and kicking, reminiscing at the very house that was used as the set for Beauty's family home. I started watching the film with the alternative Phillip Glass opera soundtrack and was amazed to find that the opera vocals are the exact original dialogue, and even more astounding, somehow he was able to sync the vocals precisely with the actors performance. Quite a feat for any composer. It's a bit eerie at first, but a great bonus that I will sit through and absorb someday. I'm looking forward to seeing the Alekan interview as well.
  
  Criterion generously fills the accompanying booklet with more gems; a translation of the original fable by Mme.le Prince de Beaumont is in there as well as a couple of fascinating essays, including Cocteau's own thoughts as to the meaning of his film.
  
  While all the extras are a great addition, this version is worth the price of admission just by virtue of the film itself. This is a complex allegorical fairytale, filled with symbols and dream imagery. And like all great fairy tales (and dreams) it is filled with ambiguities and contradictions. Perhaps this is why we can come back to it again and again over the years,finding something new in it each time. Every time the ending comes I am confused and beguiled. It always leaves me with a sense of wonder, curiosity and unanswered questions.
  
  What more could you want from a movie?
  
  
• Cocteau's sensual version of the timeless fairy tale
  By A2NJO6YE954DBH on 2001-09-10
  Jean Cocteau's elegant vision in "La Belle et la Bete" is an absolute treat. Marie Leprince de Beaumont's dark fairy tale is turned into a film of erotic obsession. With its inventive and stylized images, this sensual film is not really for the kids. But some day they will come to appreciate Cocteau's film as much as they love the Disney version. Josette Day is Beauty, while Jean Marais plays not only the Beast, but Avenant and the Prince as well. However, the costumes, make-up and sets are what you will remember long after you have seen this 1946 film for the first time. One of the most beautiful black and white films ever made, with lush cimenatography by Henri Alekan. Do not wait until your kids are old enough to watch this one before you see it for yourself.
  
  
• Thrilling.....
  By A1G56KHOUOFWDW on 2001-12-22
  At the beginning of "La Belle et la Bete" the wonderful film based on Marie Leprince de Beaumont's book of the same title, the director, Jean Cocteau asks the viewer to become as little children and engage in the willing suspension of disbelief. Fortunately, I believe in mystical and magical things, so I found Cocteau's instruction easy to follow and was rewarded with thrills of excitement.

  Criterion has performed it's usaual great service, restoring a masterpiece. The technical aspects--remastering of the 1946 black and white film appears to me to be very nearly perfect. But more importantly, "La Belle et la Bete" is truly a work of art. A documentary included with the DVD explains how Cocteau, in spite of wartime shortages, was able to create his fantasy using the paintings of Vermeer and the etchings of Gustave Dore as a point of inspiration. Many of the most spectacular scenes are animated Gothic wood block prints! In an age of dazzling special effects, it is wonderful to know that creative geniuses have existed and once upon a time movie-making was based on artistic genius, not just technological wizardry.

  Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale. In this version, Beauty is a convincingly good daughter and the beast is a convincingly bloody beast. Mornings after his nighly prowls little dead animals can be found in the courtyard. (He is unlike the cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz). However, by the time the Beast is dying and Beauty rushes to his side, I am have come to care for him--if not love him. Jean Marais and Josette Day are very convincing.

  Cocteau's "La Belle et la Bete" is closer to the original European tale than many other dramatizations. The purpose of these "fairy" tales was to impart a distilled bit of wisdom from one generation to another. "La Belle et la Bete" teaches an eternal truth--one does not love someone because of their appearance. True love is unconditional. If it is not unconditional, it is not love. As my mother used to say, "You should not judge a book by it's cover" -- although many of us do.
  
  

• A cartoon comes to life
  By A6DOCZ10B7JAJ on 2008-04-07
  Don't laugh my bros. I'm still the same guy who loves my blood and gore flicks. But sometimes you gotta shake things up a bit. This adult fairy tale glides with an enchanting splendor and overwhelming grace. No seriously.
  
  The horrors of the real world can corrupt us. As adults we try to push away the spirit of our childhood and repress all the indelible figments of our imagination. Any rekindling of our past fantasies is deemed a weakness, which is sad.
  
  You probably know this story, Beauty is held captive by The Beast. She recognizes a warm tenderness hidden beneath the monstrosity. The story progresses with a magical elegance and soothing vitality. Plus the camera work is phenomenal. The inanimate is given life--castle walls, statues, the forest. Quite a passionate tale.
  
  This truly is a landmark feat in cinematic fantasy. Recommended for anyone willing to let there guard down.
  
  
• A FAIRY TALE FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS
  By A3R2YB0WTTB0IJ on 2001-06-10
  We always should give a second chance to a movie. Two years ago, I wanted to see THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST late at night after a working day. 30 minutes later, I was ejecting the DVD and could swear that this film was only an antiquity reserved only to nostalgics ones. Now, a few days ago, tired of the standardized Disneythings, I decided to show it to my children and stay for a while in order to explain certain scenes to them.

  Believe me or not, they were literally hypnotized by the movie, rediscovering this fairy tale in a way unknown to them until then. I'm sure that the shadows of this black and white film are more suggestive than all the special effects of the world. The strangeness of the fairy tale comes from simple tricks already discovered in the first years of Cinema : clever editing, costumes and decors reminding the illustrated books of our childhood ( Gustave Doré, for instance ) , superb and disturbing slow-motions at the right moments and an impressive musical score.

  Jean Cocteau wrote a screenplay very close to the first version of this well-known tale but he added some variations of his own : allusions to other tales such as " The Sleeping Beauty " or " Cinderella ", the important role given to the Temple of Diana, an element entirely invented by the French director, and the character of the Beauty's real world lover played by un unmasked Jean Marais.

  This Criterion DVD also offers a very relevant commentary track, a 30-minutes TV show that unveils the multiple tricks used by Jean Cocteau in order to create the strange mood of the movie, the original text of THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST written in the XVIIIth century and a restoration demonstration.

  A DVD for your library.
  
  

• PAINTING WITH BLACK AND WHITE AND SILVER
  By A3AIO6FSH42ECT on 2004-02-25
  Cocteau's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST will leave an impression on those who are about to see it for the first time. Anyone who has seen it already will be able to recount multiple favorite images and delight in expounding upon them. Film in the hands of some people seems to become more malleable. Cocteau is one such weaver of images whose fantasy world is at the same time childlike and foreboding - innocent as a puppet theatre ,then dark as sin.
  The film mixes fantasy and reality by presenting time spent in the ordinary world in straightforward, unambiguous scenes and juxtaposing these with theatre-like sequences that represent the parallel world of enchantment. Surreal set pieces, mists and blackness define the borders of the Beasts domain.
  From the Beasts smoking hands after the kill to the living arm sconces and the couples flight in the end, simple effects seem to gain impact from the bare uncomplicated nature of them thrust out into view like magic tricks.
  Composed like paintings the rich imagery conspires with stellar black and white photography
  to produce a seeming mid range of silver smoke and shimmering highlights.
  Anyone into or discovering film should acquaint themselves with this highly original sence of cinema that has lured admierers for almost six decades.
  This adaptation of a fairytale will be best understood by adults but should be shared with children as well.
  Small children will be uneasy in the presence of the Beast who looks a far cry from a cartoon character. Also, someone older will have to read the subtitles to them but in a darkened room that might make it even more effective as a fairy tale experience.
  
  
• A beautiful restoration
  By A8UHLME6J038P on 2006-09-14
  Although I have owned the Cocteau "Beauty and the Beast" on tape for a number of years, I was hesitant to buy the Criterion Collection restored version on DVD because I had read that there was a new sound track: an opera by Philip Glass. What was not clear to me was that the new sound track is only one of the options; another is the original sound track, much cleaner than on the tape version.
  
  Many DVDs of restored classics include examples of the restoration; this one doesn't. I played the Criterion DVD, then my VHS version, and I was amazed at the difference; the DVD makes the film look as if it were made yesterday; the tape version has all the scratches, pops, and muffled dialogue that are more or less typical of tapes made from deteriorated films. The subtitles on the DVD are easier to read than the ones on the tape (the DVD uses a different type font), there are two different commentaries included among the options, and the Philip Glass opera version is there as well. There is a print bonus as well: a booklet that includes the text of the original fairy tale, Cocteau's comments on filming it, and a critic's comments on the film.
  
  The opening credits alone are worth the price of the DVD: Cocteau himself, writing on a blackboard (the tape version only displays text against a background).
  
  
• Essential film, not so good transfer (Criterion Spine # 6)
  By A1354X7FISJORF on 2002-07-07
  Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast is a universal masterpiece. But the transfer for this edition (Criterion Spine #6) is not up to the editor's usual standards : scratches, jumps, blurs and sound hissing. Plus... the opening credits are not the wonderful original ones, when Cocteau is seen writing the names of the film crew on a school blackboard. Wait a while and get the new Criterion edition, due in late 2002 !
  
  
• The New Beauty Is Just OK
  By A3B77HQU7OM3A0 on 2003-02-08
  Well...I almost hate to write this, because there's no doubt that Criterion is the platinum standard in DVD. I just watched a review copy of the "restored" Beauty And The Beast and it's not as "beauty"-ful as the original Criterion edition that came out a few years ago. The film does look pristine, but the depth of the original is missing. It almost looks too squeaky clean and...well, digital. Make no mistake, you'll be completely entrhalled by this DVD, but if you can get your hands on the other Criterion edition, do it. You'll be even more enchanted.
  
  
• Georges Auric 10 Philip Glass 0
  By A1KC9VBLF4J93G on 2003-03-16
  "La Belle et la Bête" is unquestionably one of the finest films ever made. I have owned the Criterion DVD since it came out in 1998 and was a little weary about getting the second Criterion DVD of the same movie in just five years. I was wrong: the second DVD is better and here's why. I features the 1995 official, estate-approved, European mechanical and digital restoration of the French master picture and sound negative as opposed to a half-hearted, image-only, American restoration of an American master of the film (the introduction and titles are different from the French version). The 1995 restoration not only did away with practically all artefacts, it restored the movie's sheen, contrast, brilliance, stability and rhythm. The sound is greatly enhanced and free of pops and hisses (2.0 mono digital on this disc, as opposed to 1.0 mono digital on the previous one), even though some distortion in a very loud musical passage (Belle putting on the glove for the first time) was absent from the U.S. print. Also, some missing frames from the French print, which the French redid digitally, were always present on the U.S. print (restorers should talk to each other more often but copyright law is probably involved here). There is a second commentary that is more to the point than the previous one (also offered) and the documentaries and interviews (4 in all, including a restoration documentary and 1995 interviews with the surviving members of the cast and crew) are all French-made and a marked improvement over the 60's, American-made, slightly embarrassing "after-school special" of the preceding version. Finally, this new DVD offers as an optional track Philip Glass' (ahem) opera reprising the film's French script. As an opera lover, even one seeing the distinct possibilities of "La Belle" as a lyric piece, I really would like to say this opera pays homage to Cocteau's words, on some level. But the reality is that I find Mr. Glass' minimalist work tedious and abysmally inept. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It make one appreciate the French comedians' natural delivery and opulent expression all the more, as well as Cocteau's occasional use of silence to create mystery. The opera's French lyrics are horribly mangled in pronunciation, delivery, metre and a little something the French like to call "tonic accent", which is totally missing. A Yankee wrote this opera and George Gershwin he ain't! I don't care how much you are enamoured of the supposed avant-garde, there comes a time when one has to turn the page, musically speaking. I think there should be a special circle of Hell dedicated to Mr. Glass' endlessly repetitive creations. As a Frenchman, I could not decipher one fourth of the words even knowing the script by heart. The singers' diction is actually insulting not only to the script but to the French language in general. Couldn't this production afford a French-language coach? Other negative points: the synchronization of the singing with the actors' mouths is only approximate and comes at the price of shortening some of Cocteau's best lines (the opera comes with its own subtitles). This opera is by necessity comprised of recitatives interspersed with orchestral passages and devoid of arias. As recitatives go, these are rather lifeless and predictable affairs. Also missing are the humour and vitality of the comedy scenes, the sound effects and, most of all, Georges Auric's immortal music. Auric had a hundred times more on the ball, harmonically and melodically, than Glass ever will. His music seems to come out of the night air and return there when it's done and is always surprising even after one hundred hearings. Glass' score is what could be wickedly called "duotonic" for lack of a better word, since it seems to be based on the same two notes and the same two arpeggios (recycled from his score to the 1931 "Dracula"). Glass' feeble attempts at sound effects, furthermore, are ludicrous, e.g.: Belle's first running away to join the Beast, a day-for-night scene, that Glass transforms into daytime with the use of jolly, insomniac, totally out of place, chirping birds. On the plus side: replacing the single voice of Belle's door and Belle's mirror with a male chorus was a good idea musically, but hardly worth the price of admission. What would have been a marvellous idea is to provide on an extra track a totally synchronized version of Swiss conductor Adriano's complete reconstruction and recording of the original Auric score in 5.1 stereo. It could also have been either isolated or synchronized with the dialogue and effects track, assuming this isolated track does exist, which it probably doesn't. But if you need a confirmation of Cocteau's and Auric's genius, I couldn't recommend a better tonic than this DVD which offers a look at what "La Belle" could have sounded like without Josette Day's magical, enchanting voice and Jean Marais' multilevel interpretation of the Beast. No couple ever made better-sounding music, with or without an orchestra.
  
  
• Like seeing this masterpiece for the first time!!
  By A234SRAQE7I12C on 2003-06-26
  I've been enchanted with "La Belle et La Bete" for as long as I can remember, seeing it at repertory movie houses more times than I can remember, even buying an original poster from its French release.

  I thought I knew "Beauty and the Beast," but seeing this DVD version, published by the reliably meticulous crew of the Criterion Collection, was a revelation and a delight.

  Through long and painful processes (documented on the DVD), the scratchy, jumpy, fluttery-sounding film I loved has been transformed. The producers modestly say "restored;" I say nothing short of REBORN. No more scratches, hairy-looking objects, missing frames.... finally this masterpiece has, as Cocteau intended, the "soft gleam of hand-polished old silver."

  The superb restoration alone would distinguish this release, but we're also treated to two fascinating and informative commentary tracks, numerous short segments including a "making of" the original film, recollections of various people involved in its production, the art of makeup, a whole alternate operatic soundtrack, and more.

  When I could look away from the screen, I discovered a lavish booklet containing an excerpt from Cocteau's press book for the U.S. release of the film, a passage from a biography of Cocteau, and the entire original fairy tale (it was surprisingly short), handsomely laid out amidst a selection of still photos from the film, all suffused with that patina of old silver.

  Criterion rather immodestly calls the result "breathtaking," and proclaims it is "...proud to present the definitive edition" of a "masterpiece." They deserve to be proud; I cannot imagine a better treatment of this classic and beloved film.
  
  

• The most beautiful film ever made
  By on 1999-11-03
  Upon leaving the theater after viewing Cocteau's "Beauty and the Beast," Greta Garbo was reported to have said, "Bring back my beautiful Beast!" Amen.
  
  
• No more beastly scratches
  By A29QA79VLQGHY6 on 2003-03-10
  The Criterion Collection has released its second DVD version of Cocteau's masterpiece, this time featuring the extensive 1995 Luxembourg restoration done for French cinema's centennial. The black-and-white film, mono, in French, comes in its original aspect ratio of 1:33.1. The restoration -- detailed on the DVD -- removed most of the scratches and dropouts that plagued the original nitrate negative. While viewers will marvel at the quantum leap in video integrity and continuity, owners of the 1998 Criterion DVD may want to hang on to their discs. Missing in action from the 2003 version -- which appears a bit flat after all that scrubbing -- are the dramatic contrasts of the previous restoration, done in the United States. (The older DVD presentation bears major scratches throughout -- pick your poison.)

  Regardless, the new "Beast" DVD comes with significant upgrades over previous U.S. video versions. The notoriously bad audio loses almost all of its persistent scratchiness and lack of dynamics -- giving the "Beast" back his roar. The English subtitles benefit from much-needed care in translation and presentation.

  Another notable change is the resurrection of Cocteau's original opening -- the live-action titles in which the stars' names are hastily written on a blackboard and the director's handwritten message to the audience.

  Modern-day composer Philip Glass' "Beauty and the Beast" opera -- usually performed live as Cocteau's movie plays as a silent film -- comes on an optional audio track, in Dolby Digital 5.1. There's an undeniable thrill in having "Beast" unspool as Glass' hypnotic music swirls around the room, but the replacement of the original actors' dialogue with opera singers' wailing quickly wears thin. The opera comes with its own set of subtitles.

  The new DVD carries over the 1991 commentary by film historian Arthur Knight that appeared on the original Voyager laserdisc and on the 1998 DVD. The talk is informative, but one gets the feeling Knight would rather be talking about the director's first film, the avant-garde "Blood of a Poet" (1933). Bringing a fresh second opinion to the disc is cultural historian Christopher Frayling, whose talk is as good as it gets in academic film commentary. (Sir Christopher's track was recorded in 2001 for the British Film Institute.) Frayling greatly admirers Cocteau's film but doesn't hesitate to point out weaknesses. Unlike Knight, Frayling stays on topic, moving scene-to-scene with the film but never wasting time with the obvious.
  
  

• The Magic Of French Cinema: Film Lover's Collection
  By A1JUYF5D6TFFHB on 2004-02-21
  The 1947 French Cocteau classic, "La Belle Et La Bete" (Beauty and the Beast)was revolutionary in its day and on this new DVD, we get all the scoop on the making of this film and the masterpiece of French cinema. There is commentary by cultural historians and film critics, insight from the director, cinematographer and the cast and even more impressive, the opera by Phillip Glass, which he modeled after this same film. The film stars Josette Day as Belle and a costumed and frightening Jean Marais as the Beast. This film was released when World War II still weighed on people's shoulders. The French cinema was taking the film world by storm. It would be only one of many Cocteau films, though most assuredly his best work. The most impressive aspect of this film is its special effects and cinematography. Cocteau infused the film with surrealism and magic, enhanced by special effects which were new at the time, though tame and old-fashioned by today's standards. Before the digital, computer-generated image, there was "camera tricks". Cocteau was wise to make a film set to an enchanted fairy tale. He was able to make the bewitched castle seem alive. There is a prevailing eerie mood. Gargoyle, stone statuary, noctunal moods, voices, talking mirrors and doors, doors which open and close on their own and dimly lit candelabrum made the interior of the Beasts castle supremely Gothic and sensational.

  As far as the acting goes, the cast does a good job at deliviring a good performance eventhough they are portraying fantasy characters. Josette Day is a beautiful and noble heroine as Belle and the Beast, monstrous in looks but gentle of spirit and kind hearted in a more human way. The story is more true to the original concept of Beauty and the Beast. This is not to be mistaken with the Disney 1991 animated film. There is very little cuteness and charm in this one. It's presented as a serious work of cinema. A must have for cinema students.
  
  

• Five stars are not enough
  By on 1999-12-22
  Beauty and the Beast has been my favorite fairy tale since childhood, and I have seen and read countless versions. This is the one which eclipses them all, and is as magical today on my fortieth viewing as it was twenty-odd years ago, on the first. If someone were to ask me which five films I could take with me to a desert island, this would be first on the list. In a world with too little magic, La Belle et la Bete contains all you will ever need.
  
  
• A most beautiful "Beauty"
  By A1O993FMIC0EXM on 2003-07-12
  I have owned several video and DVD versions of "Beauty and The Beast" and this restored version took my breath away the first time I watched it. It's almost like an entirely new movie, remade shot for shot, it's that much better than any other version I've seen. If you had never seen it before, you would never think it was over 50 years old; it's that clear and unblemished. It's the perfect movie to watch when one needs reminding that falling in love with a perfect physically beautiful person is quite wonderful, but true beauty has nothing to do with the exterior of a person. The movie was made under difficult circumstances and the end result is a true work of art, created at a time when movies were made out of love, not a love for profit. When one watches the movie, your eyes should never miss a second of it. Some scenes in particular are works of art all on their own: the candle sconces on the wall, lighting on their own and moving as they are passed; Belle's father picking the rose, which suddenly becomes illuminated; the first meeting of the Beast and Belle, when she faints; the statue of Diana coming to life; Belle running across the estate after she realizes she loves the Beast. The exteriors were shot on a beautifully decaying French estate. Any person who loves this movie should buy this version and throw all others away.
  
  
• a surrealist fantasy with freudian sexual overtones
  By A3SIRH8JWGYU80 on 2007-01-18
  About one half hour into Jean Cocteau's La Belle et la Bete (Beauty and the Beast), the Beast (King Kong by way of Gustave Dore) reassures his captive Belle (Josette Day) that "there is no master here but you." It strikes us as a strange bit of logic, given that she was forced to come to this place and does not stay of her own will. The Beast wishes only to meet every evening at seven, if only to gaze upon her as she eats. It's not as overtly kinky as watching her put on nylons or some other traditional fetish, but it works for the Beast so I won't judge.
  
  At one point later in the film, Belle allows the Beast to drink from her hands. "It doesn't repulse you?" the Beast asks. "No, Beast, I like it," and we imagine so does he. She later comforts him by running a hand through his fur. "You stroke me as one does an animal." Belle does not understand. "But you are an animal." It's so easy to forget sometimes, and the Beast has Belle to remind him. When he awakens her in the middle of the night, disheveled and stinking of deer blood, he can barely look at her. "Forgive me...for being a beast" he says with embarrassment. Belle is enraged. "These words are not worthy of you. Aren't you ashamed?" It's as though she caught him masturbating to the Victoria's Secret catalog. She tosses a shawl in his direction. "Go clean yourself up and go to bed."
  
  Then the Beast puts on a leather mask with a zipper where the mouth should be and Belle makes him lick the pointy heel of her 9-inch stiletto boot.
  
  Okay, that last part didn't happen. It's not that kind of movie... or is it? Not on the face of it, perhaps, but sexual and overtly Freudian undertones float throughout La Belle et la Bete as icebergs in an ocean, occasionally protruding the surface like, well, protuberances. At heart, what we have is a love story between a beautiful woman and a monstrous part-lion, part-man creature. Belle, the Cinderella-esque sibling of two spoiled sisters, becomes hostage to the Beast after her father unwittingly steals a rose from him. It doesn't make much sense, and it's not supposed to: the picture is surrealist in its truest sense, governed by dream logic. Like her paramour Avenant, the Beast asks for her hand in marriage and he is likewise rejected (both Beast and Avenant are played by the same actor, Jean Marais). True to her Electra complex, Belle claims she cannot abandon her father - indeed, she only leaves him (to live with the Beast) when by doing so saves his life.
  
  As directed by Cocteau, Belle's entrance to the Beast's magical abode is really a thing of beauty (some of the French director's techniques would be appropriated, most notably, by Spike Lee and David Lynch). Traditional natural laws do not apply - she roams the hallways as though swimming in water. Belle doesn't walk, she glides through this Freudian playground of dream symbols: human arms hold up candelabras, statues open and close their eyes, always watching. Like much of her new home, the bed is organic, a living thing. When she first lays eyes on it, the furry comforter peels back, inviting her in. It's both erotic and terrifying (like most everything having to do with the Beast). Belle faints, overcome.
  
  Love doesn't bloom between Beauty and Beast so much as Stockholm Syndrome-level sympathy for one's own captor/gimp. "Love can turn a man into a beast," Belle says. "But love can also make an ugly one handsome." Quite literally, in the case of Belle's ferine co-star (as those familiar with the fairy tale will know), but I wonder how much Cocteau truly believes it. We tend to think we are separate from our bodies, as though the interior and exterior selves are independent. But they are not. We are our bodies, and when the Beast ceases to have his, shed like a snake his skin, he ceases to be himself.
  
  Interesting footnote: Jean Marais plays three roles in La Belle et la Bete, including the handsome Prince that Belle ultimately flies off with. In life, he played the role of Jean Cocteau's long time male lover (the director was openly homosexual). Marais would go on to star in a number of Cocteau's future films, including L'Aigle a deux tetes and Les parents terribles.
  
  
• A Dream of A Fairy Tale
  By A2KVUYPLEW4LXT on 2002-10-27
  In the very beginning of this movie, the film maker genius responsible for its creation tells us that he wants us to suspend disbelief. He wants us to forget about the ordinary rules of reality, to accept what we see as real, as would a young child. Basically, he's telling us to fasten our seatbelts, because the movie is going to take off and never come back down.

  There are movies, and then there are movies. This is a movie buff's movie, one for the ages. Why? Well, for starters, it was a miracle that this movie was ever made at all. If you check out the story behind its creation, you'll discover that because it was made right after World War IIa lot of the equipment used in it's production was in terrible shape. There was barely enough money to finish the movie. And people kept on stealing things from the set. Yet...this movie is perfect. The visuals literally will take your breath away. The acting will forever set the standard for any foreign film I will see in the future. And then there is...

  The Special Effects
  This movie without a doubt has the best special effects of any movie ever made. What do I mean? How about living furnature? Not inpressed? How about teleportation that ends in someone coming OUT of a wall? How about someone GLIDING across a floor? And let's not forget tears that turn into diamonds. Yes, the first time I saw this movie, I kept rewinding it because the special effects were amazing.

  Good movies become dated, great ones never do. This movie becomes more amazing every time I see it. And the DVD edition is a definite must-have because the film has been cleaned up so much it looks practically brand new. This film just might have the best black and white photography of any movie ever made, and only the Criterion DVD does it justice.
  
  

• Once upon our time...
  By A1GSR7RGCG1QYZ on 2004-09-24
  This film immediately captured my attention with the written comments at the beginning of the film. Director Jean Cocteau begins this story by explaining why he wanted to make this film. He talks about the passion behind the picture and all the social unrest at the time. He ends this written dialogue with a comment that will forever remain in my mind. He says, "...and now, we begin our story with a phrase that is like a time machine for children: Once Upon a Time..." This just sent chills down my spine. Why? Because, although he is addressing children, I feel that it is really a phrase meant for all of us. It is used to bring the child out in all of us, to show us that we do not need to be 4 or 5 to fully understand the themes of this film ... we are meant to just sit back and let the film take us to another mythological time.
  
  The amazing set design also impressed me about this film. Again, without the modern conveniences of today's cinema, Cocteau had to improvise. This was hard for him to do. Not only were there huge budgetary issues (since it was the end of WWII and France was about to be demolished), but also he was racing against an impending war. Fear was deep in the hearts of the French after WWII, and what a better way to rally your people then with a story about love found in the darkest of places.
  
  This film also made me very sad. I am sometimes disgusted with the way that Disney ... for lack of a better word ... Disney-fies their fairy tales. I think after watching this masterpiece I will have trouble ever being able to go back to the computer generated "Song as Old as Time" version that Disney plastered their trademark to. Never have I been so impressed with black and white cinematography as I have been with this film. The actress that plays Belle, Josette Day, steals the camera every time it is on her. She looks so radiant with the black and white that to see a colorized version of this film would completely do it injustice. The power and emotion that comes between Belle and the Beast feels so true. Cocteau has somehow grabbed the true feeling of two people that are complete opposites that seem to find true love in the coldest of places. I would be one of those reviewers that believes that if this film were released today, it would still pull the audiences in as it did the first time. Only proving that it was made well before it's time, it shows so many of the characteristics of the modern day movie. Even the special effects seem perfect for this film. Even with budget being sub-par, we are able to get a true feeling that this Beast is one of the magical kind.
  
  Oh, this film was superb. I would have to say that it is the best adaptation of a fairy tale that I have seen today. Definitely my best 40s film (made in 1946), and possibly the best telling of Beauty and the Beast EVER!!
  
  Grade: ***** out of *****
  
  
• Beautiful, lyrical, and riveting
  By A2CW9IQAPFEYLM on 2005-10-28
  Jean Cocteau's magical and exquisitely lyrical interpretation of the fairy tale. Beauty's (Josette Day) father accidentally picks a rose from the garden of the Beast (Jean Marais) and must die, but Beauty insists on going in his place. The Beast then falls hopelessly in love with her.
  
  All the elements of a fairy tale are here: magical things (a mirror, key, glove), enchanted settings, evil sisters, and the message of a good heart being more important than looks. Yet the Beast is hardly ugly, just discomforting - which just adds to his allure. Cocteau was a unique filmmaker, working in a semi-surreal setting all his own. This is a marvelous movie, from the script to the costumes to the music (by George Auric).
  
  This Criterion Collection edition is excellent, with a superb print of the movie and lots of interesting add-ons - including an original opera by Philip Glass. Definitely worth checking out.
  
  
• Just the Best
  By AKCF45Z2DV6TN on 2000-04-18
  There hasn't been a better filmed version of "Beauty &the Beast" either before or since this film. ((I know Disney dida film with the same title, but it wasn't the real story.))

  Most people ought to know the story -- the well-to-do merchant who loses everything, his one last chance to recoup that falls through, the journey through the spooky forest that leads to the magic castle, the rose the merchant picks for his daughter, the angry Beast who demands the merchant's life, Beauty's return to the Beast's castle in her father's place, (...) and so on.

  But you really don't KNOW the story till you see this film and let Cocteau make it clear for you.

  Done on an obviously shoe-string budget, brilliantly applied, with camera-work and incredibly simple but effective "special effects" that truly enhance the story without calling undo attention to their own cleverness, with beautiful costume and makeup designs adding even more, this film is simply a visual treat. (An example of the simple-but-effective effects is Beauty's return to her father's home -- the actress stepped backward through a paper "wall"... and they ran the film backward.)

  [This film is/was good enough that when the cable "Faerie Tale Theatre" series did "B&B", they basically did a 60-minute remake in color of this film, including most of the visual touches, especially the Beast's makeup.]

  Beautiful, dreamlike and entrancing.
  
  

• a must see movie for everyone
  By on 1998-12-26
  this is surely the most beautiful movie ever made--the director jean cocteau tells the story of beauty and the beast--the film is sheer magic and impossibly beautiful with images of hands holding torches to light hallways --mystical mirrors with images --the beast with his smoking hands and beauty gliding down the hallways of the castle--josette day portrays beauty and gives the character an etherial otherworldly quality--john marius gives an equally strong performance as the beast who falls in love--the first time i saw this movie i missed a lot of the english subtitles because the movie itself was so beautiful to watch i kept forgetting to read the subtitles--my children were equally fascinated by this film but it is very realistic and i don/t recommend it for very small children---watch it yourself first ---a visual treat from start to finish
  
  
• A lovely film to watch
  By A3ATYXUIKAJH78 on 2001-03-18
  I bought this DVD because I hadn't seen the film but on knowing Criterion's feeling about releasing important works. I wasn't disappointed.

  I would like to think that I know a little of films or at least I can tell from the beginning if I'm going to be watching a good film. I know my credability will be going out the window but as soon as I started to watch "Shakespeare In Love" I knew I was watching a movie that I would enjoy and I felt the sam with "Beauty and the Beast"

  From the very beginning of the film when the two "pretty" daughters come out into the farmyard to raise the men from their naps I thought that this film was going to be good.

  Having read about the difficulties of getting this film made, the trouble was well worth it because the film is beautifully made.

  I had to rediscover the story of "Beauty and the Beast" and Jean Cocteau manages to take the basic story and turn it into a magical tale. The acting is wonderful, the makeup and costume of the beast is a sight to behold! And the camera trickery involved to make Beauty appear to come out of a wall is amazing for it's time in my opinion.

  One of the most remarkable sights is of the interior of the Beast's castle. The candelabras are held by human hands and as aperson walks past they suddenly flare into light. The statues come alive and blow smoke across the room. All in all it's a very impressive sight and one that creates the illusion of a magical castle.

  My only gripe about the film is once the beast transforms into a man the story ends quickly. I would have preffered to see a little of what happened to the daughter or thier reactions. The film ended a little too quickly for my liking.

  The Dvd comes with a few extras which I admit to not having watched yet. The bonus material covering the cleaning of the film was very interesting. You see some of the scenes from the original and how they've been restored, it is amazing what can be done these days.

  If you are a fan of classic movies then this is another great film to add to your collection.
  
  

• So beautiful, it's scary.
  By on 2002-01-18
  Sort of like a diamond or a snowflake: i.e., uniquely perfect. As Criterion points out, Cocteau's *Beauty and the Beast* is one of cinema's crown jewels. The tone is thoroughly traditional, as are the settings (enchanted woods, haunted old castle) -- though one may rightly wonder what Cocteau is up to at the end when the magnificent, sorrowful beast turns into a puffed-up dandy w / tights and a blond wig. But perhaps such ironies have always been present in folklore, if we care to examine such stories closely. Nonetheless, we can all probably agree with Greta Garbo who, after seeing the movie, was heard to say: "Bring back my beautiful Beast!" The make-up sessions for Jean Marais must have been an ordeal -- well worth it, for it's magnificent work. Josette Day's remarkable beauty (I mean her looks, not just her character's name), in its alabaster sensuality, makes it easy to believe that the 2 beasts in the movie (the other being Marais' Avenant) would wallow in self-abnegation for her acceptance. The "special effects", by the way, are amazing, and further proof that computers should be the last resort when it comes to stories such as these (and never mind that this was 1946. Real human arms that serve as living candelabra look like, well, real human arms. CGI arms do not). Criteron must have spent a fortune cleaning this one up. Splendid work -- only downside is that there are no liner notes in the package. But whatever. Every serious cineast should have this in their collection.
  
  
• New version to be released Fall 2002
  By A1RDPBXEFS35K9 on 2002-09-04
  The most groundbreaking work that has ever been done on this classic film, past the commentaries and polishes, was composer Philip Glass' operatic juxtaposition. Simply put, Criterion is releasing a new version of this DVD with Philip Glass' opera superimposed over the images, as he originally conceived it. That is something to look forward to.
  
  
• The 2002 Criterion DVD is a stunning production
  By A16QODENBJVUI1 on 2003-11-27
  I previously reviewed Jean Cocteau's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST based on the earlier Criterion DVD, but I was just given the 2002 reissue as a gift, and I have to say that I am simply stunned at how good this disc is. It is so superior to the previous DVD that I heartily recommend anyone owning any earlier editions to sell what they have and get this new version.

  The film itself has been restored to pristine condition, in the best Criterion tradition. The original soundtrack has been cleaned up to the greatest extent possible, though it does not compare well to modern films. One of the unfortunate marks of English and continental filmmaking in the thirties and forties was the fact that their sound technology was several years behind what was being done in Hollywood, and it was only in the 1950s that they largely caught up. The sound in this film, therefore, does not compare to the best in Hollywood, though visually the film stands comparison with any period. The greatest thing about the audio tracks on this new DVD is the ease with which one can switch from the original soundtrack to the Philip Glass opera composed to accompanying the film to either of two commentaries.

  This DVD is so stuffed with goodies that one wonders how it all fits on a single DVD. You get documentaries, trailers of various sorts, the text of the tale the movie was based upon, the two aforementioned commentaries, and the magnificent Philip Glass opera. To be honest, the Philip Glass opera is so spectacular that it would have justified the purchase price of the disc. To have it included as a mere extra is extraordinary indeed.

  I have several Criterion discs, and all are enormously impressive, but I have to say that this may be my favorite disc that they have yet put out. We hear a great deal about piracy these days, but if the various media corporations would concentrate on quality products like this they would have less to complain about. I still think the price is a tad high, but I will say that the quality of the disc at least makes one feel that their asking price is justified.

  A favorite moment: Beauty has left the Beast to visit her father and family, but dawdles for longer than she agreed upon. The Beast, to encourage her to return, sends her his mirror. She looks into it and sees her face, beautiful and reposed. The surface of the mirror changes to that of the Beast, in great agony. His face fades, to reveal her face again, only now pained and dismayed. In a movie with dozens of marvelous moments this is one of my favorites.
  
  

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