Discussion Characters / BeautyAndTheBeast2017

Personally I think a more accurate descriptionof his character would be fleshed out. While he does appear a tad more sympathetic at the beginning, he establishes himself as self-absorbed and over confident by talking to his own reflection ("No one deserves you"). Also he at first states (true to the original) that Belles beauty makes her the best. Also he treats the reincarnations of the bimbettes with absolutely no respect ( for example splashing mud all over their dresses and not even possesing the decency to apologize to them. Whether you think they deserve it or not, it's just plain rude). His comments in the tavern heavily imply that he sees Belle as a hunting trophy more than anything else, what with dismissing the triplets as mere rabbits. If you look close enough he's not really that respectful towards Belle. He carelessly walks through her garden, smashing every vegetable in the process (yes, it's a small moment, but it's things like that, that hint at his true personality). Furthermore his effort to save Belle wasn't that genuine. He didn't really believe in Maurice's story about a beast (what about him telling Maurice he's certain Belle's safe and sound at home, probably cooking something and threatening an old man to feed him to the wolves if he keeps talking about the beast), he volunteered to help him in order to gain Maurice's favor and rewarding him with his daughters hand (Which Gaston straight up tells him). This is after Belle blatantly refused to ever marry him. Given how close Belle and her father are it's likely he knows about her (lack of) feelings toward Gaston. And Maurice isn't completely blind either. After witnessing first hand what kind of man Gaston is, he has every right in the world to tell him off.

Plus, Belle made it very clear she wasn't interested. About as clear as she could make it without outright saying, "I don't like you."

And when she says that she will, flat out, not marry Gaston, he does not rail against her like in the animated version. He goes to drink away his sorrows and offers to help Maurice, in a clear effort to win over Belle. Thats not villainous, its just stubborn.

Further, there are just as many points showing that he values Belle's mind just as much as her body. He tells Le Fou that what he finds so outrageously attractive is her dignity.

In his interactions with Maurice, he has done nothing but try to help out the old man, even though he doesn't believe him that there's a beast (which, remember, as a villager, he has been cursed just like everyone else to not think there's a beast). Gaston would like nothing more than for there to be a beast; look at how readily he assembles a mob. Given that he's an avowed hunter, and sees himself as a hero, what better way for him to prove himself, not just to Belle, but to himself, than killing the monstrous beast and saving the girl? And yet, even though he thinks Maurice is wrong, he's still going along with everything and trying to humor the old man.

I'm not arguing that Gaston is 'the Hero' but that he's far more heroic than in the animated version.

You're crazy. Gaston is not heroic in this version. Everything he does, either wanting to help Maurice or being courteous, is done so he can get all the glory for himself. This is called being Faux Affably Evil. And look at what he did before his first conversation with Belle, he was stalking her! Stalking a girl you like is creepy, and it makes girls not want to go out with you. It's also called being clingy. Compare Gaston to the Beast. Unlike Gaston, Beast doesn't even try to win Belle's affections. He's more humble and not as clingy as Gaston is. That's why Belle falls in love with Beast, because he's humble and not clingy, unlike Gaston. Even before he stalked her, he stole the flowers that he was 'offering' to Belle without even paying for it. Also when he offered to help Maurice, he's only doing so he can be a hero in the eyes of Belle. Don't believe me? Go check Character Exaggeration in the film section for Beauty and the Beast. So in actuality, he's more darker than the original animated version. Luke Evans said so himself.

I see what you (Chris Valentine) mean, but I would be very careful calling him heroic. He ACTS heroic, there's a difference. To me Gaston is a full blown psychopath, and they can appear very charming and mimic sympathy and pity perfectly, but they actually have am extreme lack of empathy, and can be very manipulative, which Gaston clearly is. Every action he takes is ultimately for his own benefit and his own benefit only. And while he may value Belle's intelligence more than his animated counterpart, she is barely more than a trophy (a prized one, granted) to him. Had he been as deeply in love with her as the beast, he'd have respected her decision not to marry him. By the way, the villagers were cursed to forget about the castle am it's inhabitants, not to not believe anything about a beast. Had that been the case, Gaston would have believed Belle's prove to be nothing more than witchcraft. And again, him going along to help Maurice was nothing more than an attempt to win Maurice's approval (ultimately for his own benefit, not out of an desire to help the poor man), as he never believed him or Bell to be in danger in the first place. So in my opinion, that makes him a lot more darker than his animated counterpart.

First, I did not say that Gaston was heroic, I said he was *more* heroic. When you compare Luke Evan's portrayal with the animated version, it seems clear to me that he is supposed to be far more sympathetic. And if we want to cite the actor's own words, he says that he wants people to see Gaston as a character with an arc, who starts off as a good guy and ends up the villain. I'm not comparing this Gaston to the Beast or the platonic ideal of heroism. I'm comparing him to the other Gaston.

Second, there is no need to insult people by calling them crazy, Edward Davies.

Third, I disagree that Gaston was stalking Belle, and would like some evidence that he was. I didn't notice him not paying for the flowers when I saw the movie, but I'll be sure to check that out on future viewings.

Fourth, yes, the Beast is more humble than Gaston. Because he has been cursed by a witch for an undetermined period of time as punishment for his pride. Go figure.

Fifth, obviously he's helping Maurice to look heroic to Belle. Since when is that a character trait of a villain? A flawed person, sure, but wanting to impress people is an incredibly normal and reasonable cause for many people's actions. Regardless, it is still better, initially, than his animated version's actions of throwing Maurice out into the snow and immediately plotting to have him committed.

As may be, but that still doesn't refute my argument, that his supposedly *more* heroic actions are still an act as they don't stem from (*more*) heroic motives but pure selfishness (which may not be villainous but still not more heroic) and that Gaston still remains a psychopath. What you call more sympathetic is what I'd call more realistically drawn and what I initially meant with fleshed out. He may not have started out as a villain but neither has his animated counterpart. The animated Gaston was more unlikeable perhaps, more obviously mysoginistic, but not a villain (though doubtless not a good guy either). But since his motives stem from pure self-interest even in the first half of the movie that's still not enough for it to be Adaptational Heroism.

Exactly how is that better? Yes, he wouldn't have had Maurice killed had he given him his blessings, but that's something hard to compare to the original, as Maurice never was a character whose blessings (had he given them) would have had much value to anyone. And Gaston in the original never acutally plotted to have him killed. He wanted to have him committed to blackmail Belle into marrying him, and probably would have released him had she said yes. Luke Evans Gaston knocked Maurice out cold (clearly showing how much he cared for what he thought would be his father-in-law), tied him to a tree to freeze to death or be eaten by wolves, and initially wanted him to die in an asylum so he could be the only person left caring for Belle (though admittedly he left him the loophole his animated counterpart left Belle), showing once again how well he knew his supposedly loved one, as Belle would rather go on the streets begging than be his wife. And while his initial plan didn't involve having Maurice killed (or thrown out into the cold) him doing so without batting an eye (or listening to Lefou, his oldest friend) doesn't really speak in his favor and betraying his best friend even less.

Well no, actually at the start of the movie the prince as a beast was still a good deal more proud than he should have been, initially viewing Belle as beneath him. Certainly did the curse humble him a bit, but it was mainly his interaction with Belle that brought out his better side. And Gaston being the psychopath that he is, there's really no telling that he would have followed in Beast's shoes had he been cursed.

Efficacious Pantheress You cannot be more right. Gaston may be sympathetic in your eyes, Chris Valentine, but that's just because he's really good at showing superficial charm. That's what psychopaths do. They fool people into sympathizing with them using superficial charm. You may think that Gaston is a designated villain, many don't. A lot of them are saying that Gaston has increased in this version.

Efficacious Pantheress, you're absolutely right that, once Gaston crosses that moral event horizon, he's most certainly villainous. However, beforehand, he's simply your perfectly normal film/tv character trying to get the girl.

Edward Davies, actually, I find Gaston sympathetic for more reasons than just superficial charm. I won't presume to know your reasons for disagreeing with me, do me the courtesy of not presuming to know my reasons.

There's a reason why I don't think Gaston is redeemable. A certain character from Harry Potter said this line, "We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are."

Beast and Gaston act as counterparts to each other. Both begin as self-absorbed and selfish, but while the Beast chooses to become a better person, Gaston chooses to become worse. There has to be a balance. That's the reality.