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Editorial Reviews
Review
One of the most magical of all films. --Roger Ebert
Product Description
Jean Cocteau reinvented the fairy tale for the cinema with this enchanting, exquisitely realized vision of Mme Le Prince de Beaumont's fantasy romance. With all manner of unparalleled visual effects and photographic tricks, Cocteau makes the spellbinding tale of transformative love both ethereal and tangible, and his indelible images haunt the cinema like no others.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Jean Cocteau was the lead artistic director in French cinema. This is a revered, beloved film of his. It is a classic retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale yet also is surreal with Dali-like sets and props and an Art Deco look and feel to it. Cocteau cast his own long time lover, Jean Marais, as the beast. Marais is a good looking man but, ironically, he is so great as the beast that it is a bit disappointing when he becomes his classically handsome self at the film's end.
The plot is that La Belle's (Beauty's) father steals a rose from La Bête (the Beast) and he must surrender his daughter to La Bête in order to remain alive. Belle moves into the La Bête's exquisite Art Deco like mansion with all its perfect accoutrements and gardens. She doesn't realize it but it is her love that can restore La Bête from his present form to his former Prince Charming handsomeness.
Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont wrote the original fairy tale and Jean Cocteau wrote the screenplay adaptation with all of its artistic, visual and surreal influences.
The plot is that La Belle's (Beauty's) father steals a rose from La Bête (the Beast) and he must surrender his daughter to La Bête in order to remain alive. Belle moves into the La Bête's exquisite Art Deco like mansion with all its perfect accoutrements and gardens. She doesn't realize it but it is her love that can restore La Bête from his present form to his former Prince Charming handsomeness.
Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont wrote the original fairy tale and Jean Cocteau wrote the screenplay adaptation with all of its artistic, visual and surreal influences.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Jenn's Mom
Amazon Verified Purchase
This DVD was purchased as a present to myself. It is as lovely as I remembered from watching it years ago. Subtitles are easy to read. I would certainly recommend it.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
Very nice print and very affordable. The Essential Art House films are basically Criterion without all the bells and whistles (extras). Anyway, very enjoyable. Cocteau's effects were clever for their day. Good story telling. Nice job by this seller also. Thanks.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Belle's father (Marcel André) has to go to town for business. He asks Belle (Josette Day) what she would like him to bring her. A Rose as there are no roses at home. On his way back from the city he must go through a mysterious forest in the evening. He stumbles upon an enchanted abode. There he is offered food and drink. On his exit the next morning he pilfers a prize rose to fulfill his daughters wish. Now he is confronted by the home owner La Bête (Jean Marais). For his indiscretion he is given the choice of giving up his life or that of his daughter. He returns home to tell the tale.
The story first written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont is adapted by Jean Cocteau to film, also directed by Jean Cocteau.
I could expound on the great visual effects and dialog choices. But it is much better described by the voice over track on the Criterion version. You will be enchanted by this version and will come to make this your favorite.
Beauty and the Beast: Diary of a Film
The story first written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont is adapted by Jean Cocteau to film, also directed by Jean Cocteau.
I could expound on the great visual effects and dialog choices. But it is much better described by the voice over track on the Criterion version. You will be enchanted by this version and will come to make this your favorite.
Beauty and the Beast: Diary of a Film
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Carol Wright
Amazon Verified Purchase
Love this movie! before modern special effects, there was this movie with very clever effects.
Interesting for any movie lover!
Interesting for any movie lover!
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
The fairy tale of "Beauty and the Beast", as re-created by Jean Cocteau in cinema format, is a production with supreme finesse and vitality. Major aspects are in rarely balanced contrasting pairs. The overall dual setting of a nearly grimly real late Medieval France urban household -- with a bankrupt merchant father about to be totally stripped of posessions and dignity -- is in very effective contrast with "The Beast" [La Bete] residing in an "Otherworld" forest chateau -- reached by various surreal routes from the "Real World". Other main aspects of this movie are in similar pairs of real versus surreal and dark versus fair -- in complete harmony of the overall theme of "Beauty and the Beast". Dark versus fair shades are used for effective contrast as well as murky versus clear, rough versus slick and lower versus upper perspectives -- and all of that is just some of the visual effectiveness of the presentation. The actors and acting are in great finesse in their balanced movement, evocation, dialog and timing -- minor and major moods are done spot-on. Also -- without anything remotely like current special effects -- supreme usage is made of imaginative creative classical effects [circa 1946] -- such as isolated heads with exactly surreal smoothly tracking faces and eyes and mobile arms with gripping hands holding candelabras or various utensils. In a like manner trees, plants, doors and drapes are in animated movement in sync with the drama and persons [including "The Beast"]. I especially appreciate Josette Day as La Belle ["The Beauty"]. I am glad this Great Classic movie haunted my memory from a long ago school movie appreciation class. This Essential Art House variant is of great quality -- maybe with less non-movie frills than the Criterion variant -- but more modestly priced as well +++
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
Such a wonderful movie, great special effects for the era. Recommend it for all ages.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Shoshana
Amazon Verified Purchase
I wanted to know if the product was available at a reasonable price. The movie was very special to me (it was accidently erased from my DVR) and it was important that the cost was relatively inexpensive and it would arrive at my home in a timely manner and in perfect condition. This wonderful foreign film made in 1946 was one of my favorites. I was extremely pleased that everything worked out well from ordering the product to receiving it timely and the price was fantastic! This was my second experience with AMAZON and I'll continue using it in the future!!!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cocteau films
This is my favorite Cocteau film. If you are interested is Cocteau's films (which are not to everyone's taste: some view them as too 'Artsy') you absolutely should have this film.
Published 14 days ago by R. Larson
5.0 out of 5 stars
La Belle et La Bete - Required Watching!
The beauty of the sets, the costumes, the actors, the film tricks -- pre computer -- "special effects," and the direction make this a near PERFECT movie and required... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Gamba Babe
5.0 out of 5 stars
BEST SUB TITLED LOVELY MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN
I DO NOT USUALLY WANT TO SEE SUB TITLED MOVIES BECAUSE I DO NOT LIKE TO READ THE WORDS ETC...THIS WAS TRULY AN UNEXPECTED JEWEL. Read more
Published 1 month ago by SARABETH WILLIAMS
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not your kiddie's Beauty!
I love this film overall. It is a grown up and imaginative take on Beauty and the Beast. A dark chocolate version to Disney's milk chocolate. Read more
Published 4 months ago by m-o-o-n, that spells moon
5.0 out of 5 stars
My favorite movie since the 70's
That question, if you were on a island alone what movie would you want...this has been my favorite movie for as long as I can remember having a favorite movie. Read more
Published 5 months ago by nick adams
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
I may be slightly bias when it comes to this DVD as I have been looking for it for quite some time. You have to be into this type of movie and understand the era that it comes... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Luvlumps
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rare Find
I stumbled upon this film in my early teens and fell in love with it. It thrilled me to find it on DVD years later. Read more
Published 9 months ago by HEP
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cocteau's spellbinding fairytale masterpiece
Jean Cocteau's LA BELLE ET LA BETE remains one of the benchmark masterpieces in cinema history. Filled with fascinating camera tricks and exquisite performances, it's a magical... Read more
Published on November 28, 2010 by Byron Kolln
5.0 out of 5 stars
The beauty and the beast
Long before Disney ever got their grubby paws on it, Jean Cocteau made the ultimate adaptation of the classic French fairy tale "The Beauty and the Beast." And it was... Read more
Published on October 27, 2010 by E. A Solinas
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast
I am a middle school teacher and showed this film to my 7th and 8th grade classes. They were silent as the film proceeded and the 7th grade actually clapped at the end of the... Read more
Published on September 18, 2010 by Janice D. Leykauf
