Over the weekend I had the distinct pleasure of going to
see Disney’s re-release of Beauty and the
Beast in 3D.
It. Was. Awesome.
The film served as a memory time machine. The second that fanciful, unforgettable score started, I was immediately transported back to
1991. The glee I felt when the spoons started dancing in “Be Our Guest,” the
terror when Maurice was attacked by the wolves, the awe when Belle appeared in
the gold dress, everything came flooding back to me in an intense wave.
In my research, I was surprised to discover that I was freshly 4 when the movie was
originally released. This made me realize that seeing it in theatres is probably one of
my earliest memories, and it remains incredibly vivid to this day. Watching it
again 20 (HOLY COW) years later, I realized that the amazingness of this movie lies
in its ability to instantly transport the viewer into a world of magic and story-book beauty. Watching it on the big screen was like being 4 again! I got excited
at the same points, laughed at similar moments, and maybe even got a little
emotional at the same places…
I may have cried when the Beast gave her the library…
and when they danced to “Tale as old as Time”… And when Gaston stabbed the
Beast… And when he started to transform… until the end…
I, however, was not the only one who was overwhelmed – at the
end of “Be Our Guest” another girl a few rows in front of me stood up and
uproariously applauded!
… ok … so maybe she actually
WAS 4…
BUT she was still overcome
with enthusiasm! And that is what is so amazing about this genre of Disney
movies – they bring out that sense of zest and magic in viewers young and old(er)
alike.
The Disney of the 80s – 90s (you know what I’m talking
about – The Little Mermaid, Beauty and
the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King) remains, in my opinion, the Golden Age
of animation. And I’m not alone! - Often called the “Disney Renaissance,” this cinematic era continues
to spark enthusiasm and delight in a vast amount of viewers. Apparently, the demand for
that classic wistfulness is as strong as ever, with the re-releases of films from
this stage becoming prominent in theatres. (I’ve heard rumors that The Little Mermaid is next! Fingers
Crossed!)
These movies, and fairy tales in general, remind us to
believe in the unbelievable. To trust in love at first sight. To remain
optimistic that justice will prevail, the good guys will win, that evil will be
stamped out. These films help remind us that a loving heart and a little extra
courage are all you need to push through the tough times, that beauty is found on the INSIDE, and that animals and inanimate objects who sing and dance are harmless and friendly…
These films enforce the idea of the good in people, and the magic that waits around every corner. These reasons are why they remain intoxicating to viewers.
On a side note – I don’t want you all to think I'm
a totally naive optimist. Believe
me, I've taken enough classes and done enough research to be aware of the
corporate greed, misogynistic undertones, and manipulative format that
Disney creates. I totally get the dash of Stockholm Syndrome that leads Belle to fall in love with the Beast...
HOWEVER – I choose to look beyond that. The way I did when I
was four. The way I do now. I CHOOSE to see the magic, the sweeping romance,
the enchanted world that lies just within reach in all of our imaginations.
From a more down-to-earth critical point of view, the
movie is as cinematically stunning as ever. The music remains as wonderful
today as it was upon release. Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s amazing lyrics
and overpowering melodies still elicit the same sweeping sensations.
The
operetta style of many of the numbers such as “Belle” (Bonjour!) and the
climactic “Mob Song” give the film a feel of watching a fantastic stage musical.
I also found myself discovering new lyrics I had never noticed before as a kid
(My personal favorite was during the “Gaston” reprise when LeFou sings “No one
persecutes harmless crackpots like Gaston!” Hi. Larious.
FYI - days later, I am still smiling whenever I think of Gaston and LeFou...
The artwork is stunning as well. The painted backgrounds
serve as a wistful backdrop to the vivid characters, and the art design is so explicit
and well done that you feel as if you’ve entered a story book. The opening
sequence alone, all told through images in stained glass, is worth the price of
admission.
I would like to mention, however, that while the 3D is
interesting, it is very much not the
draw to see this movie. I would have been just as happy (and six bucks richer) seeing it in 2D. It’s
not the things on screen coming at me that made the experience amazing, it was
seeing it on the big screen period. Re-living that vibrantly magical world on
such a large scale is what made it special.
Even the end credits are great – they’ve added in
animation sketches from the film that roll, and I highly recommend
sitting through at least some of these.
This movie was a beautiful and winning escape from
reality. At roughly an hour and twenty minutes (a perfect film length in my opinion),
it is just enough time to remind you of the magic of being a
kid, and why that whimsy is important to carry in our everyday lives.
I may even need to throw a Beauty & the Beast
birthday party this year…
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