Looking Deeper into Disney's Beauty and the Beast

One reason that I love Beauty and the Beast is all the artistry behind it. The movie's pacing, animation, music, and reworking of the original tale are all spot on and marked a big change for the Disney company. This blog post will consist of me bouncing between brief topics relating to this film. From Pride and Prejudice to the symbolism of the seasons, let's bounce into Beauty and the Beast!
I first want to touch on an obvious piece of symbolism and that is what objects the servants in the castle transformed into. Lumiere the womanizer turned into a candelabra to symbolize bright light and attracting women like a moth to a flame. Cogsworth the wound up one is transformed into a clock. Mrs. Potts the motherly one is turned into a teapot which supplies comfort to those in times of hardship. This is the brilliance of Disney. They use everyday objects to depict someone's character.
Now let's move on to the Beast who was originally transformed based on his beastly personality however is the only person to truly change throughout the story. By the film's climax, we the audience are aware that Beast is a good person but he still maintains his animal look. While this is obviously a plot device, it also is much more than that. Look at Gaston for example. Here is a very interesting contrast that the filmmakers throw in...the contrast of Beast to Gaston. When it really comes down to it, they are very much the same person at the beginning of the film but as the film progresses we see Gaston's personality become more beastly even though he is handsome, and Beast's personality become more gentle and kind even though he looks like a monster. What is also great about this is that at the beginning Belle doesn't like either of them but values a good ugly person over a bad good looking person and this also becomes clear later in the film.
Speaking of true colors, have you ever noticed Beauty and the Beast very much mirrors Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Two people have a misunderstanding about each other, bend a little bit and slowly get to know one another and fall in love. Belle indeed shares many of the qualities set forth by Lizzie Bennett and the Beast too gives off a very damaged and anti-social vibe throughout the film. Of course there are differentiations between the two works but if Disney relates to Austen in any way then I'm always on board.

Going back to Belle, and making my final point of the blog, we see an interesting transformation in her as well throughout the film. Many seem to forget about her transformation as the film really shines light on the Beast and his servants. Belle's transformation is very subtle but brilliant film-making. In the beginning of the film we see the season is autumn by the warm colored leaves on the trees. We also are told through song that Belle is sick of her provincial life. The season directly mirrors Belle's mood as autumn is typically seen as a time of dying and Belle is dying a little inside. She really wants to get out of her life and meet someone who understands her (I know, Belle is such a hipster) as opposed to everyone around her who thinks she is crazy. She is then forced to die a bit more when she sacrifices her freedom for her father's. We then enter winter, the season of death where Belle is at her lowest point. It is when winter is nearing an end and spring is slowly blooming that we see Belle begin to thaw her frozen heart (no Frozen pun intended) and allow Beast to see another side of her. The film perfectly sets the seasons to be a metaphor for Belle's transformation. Damn.
Those are some things I've noticed about the film. Let me know if you've noticed these things or other things you noticed in the comments below! Have a Disney-rific day!

Emma Watson to Play Belle...YAY!

The time has come for I, Disney Danielle, to admit that I am a psychic, for I have correctly predicted the latest casting news from Disney. I predicted that Emma Watson would one day take on the role of Belle in a live action take of the classic fairy-tale Beauty and the Beast. Evidence of this can be seen to your left as I designed a fan movie poster with Emma as Belle. My prediction came true last week on Monday when Disney and Emma announced the news to the world wide web.
Emma Watson is most known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films and has had an amazing career since the films wrapped. She has been in flicks such as My Week with Marilynn, Noah, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower while also taking time off for University and playing a big role in global politics particularly surrounding feminism. Rumors have surrounded her since Potters ended that a live action Beauty and the Beast film was in the works from Warner Brothers and director Guillermo Del Toro though the project never fully got off the ground and it is unknown if it will continue now that Watson has left for Disney and Toro dropped out.
I've always imagined Watson would make a fantastic Belle and clung to the hope that she would eventually take the role. You can imagine my freakish excitement when the announcement was made. But beyond my feelings which change all of the time, why else does Watson fit so well into Belle's shoes? For starters, she has the look. She also has the talent. Watson has been in the company of grade A actors and has really become a fantastic actor herself. She values smart female characters and will give great respect to the role of Belle. Not only is Belle a strong female character but a character Watson grew up with and is attached to. This is a clear win win situation.
It has been said that Disney's live action remake will be a musical just like the animated feature. This begs many questions such as -- will Alan Menken return to re-orchestrate? Will songs from the Broadway show be included? Can Watson sing? Ironically, Watson is rumored to have been casted in another film titled La La Land which is also a musical. She also sang backup vocals with Ben Hammersly in the song Pantomime. I'm sure she can sing well and she will be taking singing lessons but I wonder if she can belt like Paige O'Hara did in the original 1991 film. Which also makes me wonder if any of the original cast will return to help the new actors or make cameos.
Disney has been into remaking their animated features into live action blockbusters for a while now and none of them have been highly regarded. While I very much enjoyed Alice in Wonderland, I can see why critics wouldn't like it. Oz the Great and Powerful had some really great moments but nothing saved it from being a sub-par movie. And Maleficent was just bad. Instead of trying to be a good movie it tried to be different and clone Frozen at the ending. Overall, not a good track record. Cinderella is set to come out in March so we will have to see how that movie does but from what we have already seen, Disney hasn't done much justice to their own source material. It is apparent that creativity and good story telling/movie making is given a back seat to cash. Hopefully Beauty and the Beast won't fall into this trap. Though after hearing that director Bill Condon, director of such classics like Breaking Dawn Part 1 and Part 2, will be involved I am a little more worried. Then again, Steven Chobosky (author of Perks of Being a Wallflower and screen writer/director of the film adaption) is the screen writer so there is still room for hope.
Overall, this is great news and I can't wait to see the final product and Emma as Belle! What do you think of this casting choice? Are you excited to see Emma as Belle? What do you think of Disney's live action film adaptions?