To save her father, a girl who always puts others before herself promises to live her life in a lavish castle with a strange beast.
Director: Eugene Marner
Writers: ..., Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve (fairy tale)
Stars: John Savage, Rebecca De Mornay, Yossi Graber.
Christine Oren ... choreographer
Watched out of sequence because the disc for Puss in Boots ('88) just arrived with this and another non-musical ft from '62.
4 songs in the Soundtracks.
I might not have rated this so highly if I hadn't researched the original story and watched the Disney version. This follows the original story much more closely than Disney, although the story mentions she is well-read, and she never touches or refers to a book in this film.
This is simpler, without all the dancing dishes, concentrating the magic on fulfilling Beauty's wishes. Also, she dreams of the prince nightly while in the palace, who does resemble the Beast slightly (after all, they built the beast mask on his face). Also we get Cinderella-like circumstances at home, where her siblings treat her like a servant, but she seems to revel in her maternal role. Until, that is, she's spent all that time with Beast, who serves her with his magic. When she visits home again, she finally sees them for the selfish twits they really are.
I was disappointed that she didn't shed a tear on the Beast when she discovers him near-dead, but she declares her love, and that rouses him. She looks absolutely disappointed when, after finally agreeing to marry the Beast (he'd been proposing nightly), he changes into the prince of her dreams. I liked her trepidation a lot, and it's not just momentary.
Since I gave the Disney version a 7-, I'll call this a 7+. Maybe I like it an entire point more, but I'm not willing to commit to an 8 today.
distr. Cannon, dir. Marner; 7+
