Product Description

Based on a story by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, this Criterion Collection includes BOTH the original film score by Georges Auric and the original opera (featuring Gregory Purnhagen and Janice Felty) written for the film by renowned composer Philip Glass. PLOT SUMMARY: "Once upon a time..." A half-ruined merchant lives in the country with his son Ludovic and his three daughters. Two of the daughters, Felicie and Adelaide, are real shrews, selfish, pretentious, evil. They exploit the third daughter, Belle ('Beauty'), as a servant. One day, the merchant gets lost in the forest and enters a strange castle. He picks up a rose for Beauty, which makes the castle's owner appear. He is a monster, half-human (body) and half-beast (paws, head), and he has magic powers. He sentences the merchant to death, unless one of his daughters replaces him. Beauty sacrifices herself for her father and goes to the castle. She soon discovers that the Beast is not so wild and inhuman as it looks. [IMDB - Yepok] ++++ DVD FEATURES: This officially licensed release from South Korea is 4:3 Full Screen display in Black & White, with Dolby Digital Sound in the ORIGINAL FRENCH language with optional (removable) English or Korean subtitles. BOTH the original film score by Georges Auric and the opera by Phillip Glass are included so you can select which version you want to hear while viewing the film. This Criterion Collection also includes the original trailer and a still gallery.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #72847 in DVD
• Published on: 2003
• Formats: Black & White, Full Screen, Import, NTSC, Subtitled
• Original language: French
• Subtitled in: English, Korean
• Running time: 94 minutes

Customer Reviews

IT WAS BEAUTY THAT KILLED THE BEAST...
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!

Review of the Criterion DVD of "La Belle et La Bete"
My husband and I have just watched the Criterion DVD of Jean Cocteau's "La Belle et la Bête." Criterion has done its usual through job of restoring a fine cinematic classic.
The picture and sound quality were quite good, thanks to the restoration. We appreciated the way in which the high quality of the print enhanced the depiction of the many striking visual poetic images, such as the faces with moving eyes and the arms holding candles on the walls of La Bete's castle. Likewise, the improved soundtrack played up the contrast between the farm-house ambient sounds and the lack of many ambient sounds inside the castle, increasing the mysterious aura of that setting.
The extras include subtitles in English and Korean, as well as the trailer for the film and a slide show of still photos. A really interesting added attraction is the optional soundtrack for Philip Glass's second opera, written to correspond with the film, which one can listen to while watching the movie. However, working with the onscreen menu, I could not find a way to turn on the subtitles and the Glass soundtrack at the same time. Fortunately, though, since we had just seen the movie the night before, we were able to follow it well enough with the Glass opera, which is a fine example of minimalism. Philip Glass also scored the recent film, "The Hours," for which Nicole Kidman won an Oscar for playing Virginia Woolf.
Since I was interested in finding out more about Philip Glass' opera, I discovered that the Oakland Opera Theater had just completed a production of the opera, staged without the movie.

Sumptuous Perfection
Sheer curtains shimmer in hallways where characters float as if in a mist of dreams, appearing from velvety darkness. The sumptuous perfection of the black & white cinematography is a beauty even beyond the story, which is emotionally fulfilling and replete with contrasts of ethical significance. As with any great story, there are forces of darkness and light, a hero's journey and exciting moments of terror where the characters must overcome their deepest fears.

Both Belle and her father must overcome their fears in the dark forest where a magical castle is securely hidden amidst thick foliage. Here the Beast wanders in his anguish, knowing he can only escape his torment with a loving look. The possibility of this happening (of human kindness appearing in the dark treacherous life he leads) is so challenging a prospect; he almost seems to lose his mind in his impatience.

The sheer terror Belle experiences when she first sees the Beast, is subtlety softened by his carrying her up a winding set of stairs into a beautiful garden setting. The change of her costume in one scene creates magical elements as Jean Cocteau works his cinematic magic born of his fascination with mirrors, animated statues and the ability to escape time's constraints. Arms stretch out from walls holding candelabra and hands pour drinks from the middle of a table.

As with all of Jean Cocteau's work, you can see his influence appearing again and again throughout the history of cinema. Even Disney seems to have captured the magic from this movie and if you have an interest in the story of Beauty and the Beast, then Jean Cocteau's La Belle et la Bête is an essential experience. I can also highly recommend his Orphic Trilogy.

The Commentary versions are well-worth watching and you can end up spending the entire evening watching this three times and enjoying every moment. I will have to agree that even Belle seems to be disappointed by the appearance of the prince who seems too perfect and so much less of a challenge.

There is great beauty in the love Belle shows to the tortured soul of the Beast and in this is the true beauty of kindness. You can completely lose yourself in the magical perfection of this timeless classic.

~The Rebecca Review