Product Details

• Format: Black & White, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: A&E Home Video
• VHS Release Date: January 28, 1997
• Run Time: 50 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: 6304340192
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #458,562 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

To the Medieval world he was a monster, a hideous living gargoyle. But in the eyes of the woman he loved, his spirit soared like the spires of a great cathedral. Quasimodo, the deformed hero of Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is one of fiction's most haunting figures. The tale of his impossible love has been translated into dozens of languages, made into operas and musicals, and continually revived on film. Explore the life of Hugo's fascinating character, from his birth in 19th- century France to his many incarnations in 20th-century Hollywood. Expert interviews, astonishing archival materials and rare film clips tell his unforgettable story and the story of the genius who brought him to life. Take a revealing look at the gentle and loyal soul whose legend has captivated us for generations THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AN ENDURABLE CHARACTER, December 11, 2000

By 

Bonita L. Davis - See all my reviews

This review is from: Biography - The Hunchback of Notre Dame [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Abandoned as an infant, grotesque in appearance and raised by a crazed cleric, Quasimodo as remained as the most endurable character portrayed in literature, film and theatre. Biography has honored this imaginary creation of Victor Hugo by giving us a journey through his life and impact on culture.

Victor Hugo went against the fashionable literary style of his day by creating a character who repels us to no end but at the same time gains our sympathy. The Hunchback of Notre Dame contains an endless array of political, social, aesthetic and religious issues that penetrate our souls and causes us to reflect. Contained within the story itself are the elements of torture, love, beauty, grotesqueness, and heroism that lend itself to theatrical and film presentation.

Quasimodo is an ugly and pitiful creature who is misunderstood by all. Transcending his physical deformities lies a soul which is capable of love. The question is whether we are able to see that soul. Biography does an outstanding job in dealing with this question.

Two actors in particular have defined the character of Quasimodo in film. Lon Chaney introduced him onto the silver screen and gave us a portrait of a brute who had humanity. Charles Laughton further refined the character but made him a spirit to which we can all identify and weep for our inability to see his beauty. These two great actors gave a powerful rendition of a character which no one has yet surpassed.

You will enjoy this life story of a character who both repels and attracts but in the end shows us the goodness of the human spirit.