History Film / BeautyandtheBeast

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''Beauty and the Beast'' (''La Belle et la Bête'') is a French film directed by Jean Cocteau, based on the fairytale "Literature/BeautyAndTheBeast". It's particularly noted for its visual design, which has influenced several subsequent versions of the story.

This retelling adds the character of Avenant, a villainous suitor who is beautiful on the outside and ugly on the inside, contrasting with the Beast who is ugly on the outside and beautiful on the inside. This version may or may not be the first to include this character, but it's certainly the codifier.

The film was originally released in France in 1946, and received its US debut in 1947.

You may have been looking for ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'', the Disney animated feature based on this fairy tale.
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!!This film provides examples of:

* ArtisticTitle: The opening credits appear written on a blackboard, then erased.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: Avenant seems like a reasonable guy most of the time...but then he'll turn around and sucker punch his friend, hit a girl, or plan to commit murder and theft.
* DysfunctionalFamily: The paterfamilias is weak and despised by most of his children; two of the girls are stuck-up and cruel; the son is a feckless wastrel...and then there's Belle.
* ExtremeDoormat: Belle.
* {{Fainting}}: Belle faints when she meets the Beast.
* TheIngenue: Belle
* LooseLips: On visiting home, Belle ''immediately'' proceeds to spill information about the Beast's powers, riches, and complete trust in her to several people whose only interest is in exploiting all three.
* MindScrew: The ending.
* OnceUponATime[=/=]OpeningScroll:
-->''"Children believe what we tell them. They have complete faith in us. They believe that a rose plucked from a garden can plunge a family into conflict. They believe that the hands of a human beast will smoke when he slays a victim, and that this will cause the beast shame when a young maiden takes up residence in his home. They believe a thousand other simple things. I ask you a little of this childlike simplicity, and, to bring us luck, let me speak four truly magic words, childhood's 'Open Sesame': 'Once upon a time...'"-Jean Cocteau''
* PivotalWakeup: A version without the usual sinister connotations occurs during the Beast's transformation at the end.
* PrinceCharmingWannabe: Avenant.
* {{Redubbing}}: [[{{Minimalism}} Minimalist]] composer Music/PhilipGlass wrote ''an entire {{opera}}'' that is meant to replace the soundtrack of the film, with the singers providing the voices for the characters on screen. It's available as an extra on several editions of the DVD.
* RichBitch: Felicity and Adelaide, the two sisters. Not even actually being poor changes their behavior any.
* TouchOfTheMonster: Belle is carried back to her room after she faints.
* WouldHitAGirl: Avenant slaps one of the sisters when she insults him.
* UglyHeroGoodLookingVillain: The Beast and Avenant.
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''"Children believe what we tell them. They have complete faith in us. They believe that a rose plucked from a garden can plunge a family into conflict. They believe that the hands of a human beast will smoke when he slays a victim, and that this will cause the beast shame when a young maiden takes up residence in his home. They believe a thousand other simple things. I ask you a little of this childlike simplicity, and, to bring us luck, let me speak four truly magic words, childhood's 'Open Sesame': 'Once upon a time...'"-Jean Cocteau''

* ActingForTwo: Jean Marais plays both Avenant and the Beast, as well as the prince after the Beast transforms back into a human at the end.
** IdenticalStranger: It's lampshaded that the Prince and Avenant both look so alike.

** IdenticalStranger

* DysfunctionalFamily
* ExtremeDoormat

* AndYouWereThere: Jean Marais plays both Avenant and the Beast, as well as the prince after the Beast transforms back into a human at the end.

* AndYouWereThere: Jean Marais plays both Avenant and the Beast.

''Beauty and the Beast'' (''La Belle et la Bête'') is a French film directed by Jean Cocteau, based on the fairytale "BeautyAndTheBeast". It's particularly noted for its visual design, which has influenced several subsequent versions of the story.

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''Beauty and the Beast'' (''La Belle et la Bête'') is a film directed by Jean Cocteau, based on the fairytale "BeautyAndTheBeast". It's particularly noted for its visual design, which has influenced several subsequent versions of the story.

You may have been looking for ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'', the Disney animated film, which did take some inspiration from this version.

* MindScrew: The Ending.

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You may have been looking for ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'', the Disney animated film.

* PrinceCharmingWannabe: Avenant, a villainous suitor who is beautiful on the outside and ugly on the inside, contrasting with the Beast who is ugly on the outside and beautiful on the inside. Jean Cocteau's 1946 film version may or may not be the first to include this character, but it's certainly the codifier.

''Beauty and the Beast'' (''La Belle et la Bête'') is a 1946 film directed by Jean Cocteau, based on the fairytale "BeautyAndTheBeast". It's particularly noted for its visual design, which has influenced several subsequent versions of the story.

[[redirect:Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast]]