Shining Restoration of Jean Cocteau’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’

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CHICAGO – One of the legendary films in cinema history is Jean Cocteau’s “La Belle et La Bete,” also known to generations as “Beauty and the Beast.” The restored re-release is touring the country, and in Chicago it’s currently at the Gene Siskel Film Center, and Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com will lead a discussion of the film there on Monday, April 11, 2016.

The story is adapted from a traditional fairy tale, but in Cocteau’s hand is more adult-like, even more so than the sophisticated Disney animated version. The “Beauty” is about sexual blossoming, and the “Beast” is willing to accommodate, but first some trials must be had. What makes the film so unusual is the palette on which this multi-textured story takes place, an expressly creative landscape of dreams, with a production design (by Christian Bérard and Lucien Carré) that uses every inch of the ‘Academy Aspect” – the old square screen view rather than the widescreen. The film proves that inventing an atmosphere of pure imagination is not limited to our modern computer generated variations.

There is a funny girl named Belle (Josette Day), who through her rank as the youngest daughter takes care of her older sisters Adelaine (Nane Germon) and Felicie (Mila Parély), her father (Marcel André) and brother Ludovic (Michel Auclair). Fortune has come upon the family in the form of a shipping investment, but through some shady financial deal from Belle’s siblings, their father loses the bounty through moneylenders.

Jean Marais, Josette Day
The Beast (Jean Marais) and Belle (Josette Day) in ‘Beauty and the Beast’
Photo credit: Janus Films

Downtrodden, the father gets lost on the way home from his lost fortunes, and ends up in a strange castle in the woods. He steals but a rose from it, which makes The Beast (Jean Marais) appear. He threatens death to the man, but will settle for a daughter in exchange. Belle goes to live with the creature, and her adventures as his guest will determine the fates for all involved.


The landscape is everything in this version of the story. The use of black and white is so vivid it is a “color” movie in a sense. The hovel of Belle and her family is in stark contrast to the Beast’s opulence, but in that life the nature of his homestead is very surreal. He keeps his riches in a separate pavilion that virtually comes to life when it is lusted after by others. The lights in the castle are provided by human arms through the walls. All these touches – plus a daydream gauze in the look of the cinematography – lend a magic to the tale.

The acting is prime. The Beast is portrayed by Jean Marais, who also had two other roles. His pathos even through the heavy Beast makeup is profound – he’s a misunderstood being cursed to unrequited love. Josette Day’s Belle is appropriately gorgeous as the Beauty, but it is her evolution under the Beast’s care that really creates a full radiance. She’s understated in how she plays the role, but eventually projects a sensual and illuminating presence.

The fairy tale elements are a wonder in their simplicity. There is a magic glove, a far-reaching mirror, a golden key and statues that are actually living. Obviously in 1946 the special effects are limiting, but director Cocteau still manages a liveliness to what he uses that make them believable. And while the emergence of the Beast in a man is seen as a punishment, it certainly can be interpreted as a weigh station for all men, as they are tamed through their mating.

Jean Marais, Josette Day
Belle in Repose in ‘Beauty and the Beast’
Photo credit: Janus Films

The style of the melodrama is a bit old fashioned, and there are several unintentional laughs sprinkled throughout. I remember when seeing the Disney “B&theB” a friend and I offered that we preferred The Beast to the strangely fey prince he actually was, and lo and behold, the same process takes place in Cocteau’s version. He does add an extra layer to the transformation, and Josette Day is extraordinary in the way she interacts in that sequence.

Join me on Monday, April 11th, 2016 – beginning at 6pm – to discuss the film at the Siskel Film Center “Movie Club.” The price of an admission includes a complimentary beverage afterward and a back-and-forth discussion on the symbols and dreamscape of the magnificent “Beauty and the Beast.”

“Beauty and the Beast” will be screened by the Gene Siskel Film Center – 164 North State Street, Chicago – through April 13th, 2016. Featuring Jean Marais, Josette Day, Mila Parély, Nane Germon and Marcel André. Screenplay adapted by Jean Cocteau. Directed by Jean Cocteau. Not Rated.

HollywoodChicago.com senior staff writer Patrick McDonald

By PATRICK McDONALD
Writer, Editorial Coordinator
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2016 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

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