Though Ariel is my favorite Disney princess, I could always relate to Belle the most with her sophistication, intelligence and empathy. She is one of the only two princesses to be born outside of the royal class, providing a perspective into the life of a commoner (a woman just like us) who can understand a world outside privilege.
A lot of new Disney movies I feel are trying to compensate for the past lack of feminism by steering clear completely from the typical romance, but this movie incorporates romance without it being the end all be all.
It is basically the embodiment of the modern fairytale.
1. The Soundtrack
The score and music is basically straight out of the original animation itself or a Broadway musical. After a single note, one is able to recognize which song it will lead into. The creators even included lost lyrics to Beauty and the Beast and Belle, since they had been lost in the original version.
2. The Historical Remake
References to the plague, the war more closely align to events of the 18th century and the detailing of the furniture and wardrobe more easily resembles a realistic tale of items of the time. I don’t know if it actually was accurate but it made the fairytale feel less far away in an unattainable realm and more like an anomaly in an ordinary world.
3. It Perfectly Portrayed Past and Modern Views of Women
Especially with a lead like Emma Watson, it’s difficult not to portray Belle as a strong and independent intellectual who simply wants more than “this provincial life.” Much like the women of the 21st century, she refuses to conform to gender norms of domesticity and even advocates for young girls and using her mind and desire for learning to gain respect rather than her beauty. On the other hand, the film accurately depicts views of women in the way women are discouraged to excel through education and be independent. The Beast even makes a comment about Belle’s preference for Romeo and Juliet following the romanticized image of women.
4. Set Design and Shooting Location
Believe it or not but this movie was shot in a country aside from its original setting of France. They actually had two filming locations in England with the forest built on a set and the village set in a 2,800 acre lot in Watson’s homeland. And we can’t forget about the set design itself which took at least several weeks to build in order to be authentic, even detailing the Rococco style of the 18th century.
5. Costume Design
In addition to the peplum and floral detail incorporated into Belle’s everyday wardrobe, (as compared to the plain white with the blue apron from the original 1991 movie) there were two dresses that really blew my mind due to the attention to detail and the intricacies of the way it flattered Emma Watson’s figure and stood out as a masterpiece all on its own. The first is obviously the classic yellow ballgown that incorporated Swarovski crystals and involved 12,000+ hours of work to produce and the second is the flawless, seamless flow of the floral and lace wedding dress that encompassed the beauty of simplicity in the summer.
6. Visual Effects
Don’t get me wrong, the Be Our Guest scene is absolutely spectacular in all its glamour, but there are two scenes that absolutely stood out to me as far as the visual effects go and they all surround the ballroom scene. The first one involves the golden flakes from the building that delicately laid themselves on Belle’s dress in order to add the finishing touches to the iconic layers of yellow. The second involves the dance itself with gorgeous hanging lights of icy blue and fiery orange floating suspended in various heights in the air in the background of the dance.
7. Beyond the Outside
From the beginning, the idea of not judging the book by its cover has permeated both the original and the remake version of the tale as old as time. And since this version is no different, it really emphasized how appearances are deceiving and sometimes they aren’t the greatest indicators of a positive personality. If anything, Belle’s question about growing a beard could be a reference to the fact Belle enjoyed the less objectively attractive version of the Beast better as if his evolved appearance could change his character.
8. The First Homosexual Reference in a Disney Movie
It is barely noticeable but there is a moment when LaFou dances with another man in the end and one of Gaston’s soldiers gets excited about being dressed as a woman. However, if you weren’t paying any attention to that, you wouldn’t have necessarily noticed. Regardless, I appreciate the film for referencing the changing times and including such a character.
9. The Humanity of the Beast and Enchantress
Providing both the Beast and the Enchantress with a backstory allowed the audience to connect with characters that were the least human in a supernatural respect. Understanding how the prince had become selfish and heartless after losing his mom and being molded into the typical French noble by his dad, one is better able to sympathize with the Beast’s evolution. Also, the Enchantress is given a more humanized figure as she embodies Agatha, the town beggar, and attempts to influence certain aspects of the story while going unnoticed.
10. More than a Love Story
In the end of the movie, the last petal falls before Belle is able to save the Beast and the Enchantress is the one to reverse the spell upon witnessing that Belle truly loves the Beast and the Beast had changed. Hence, the tale had more of a hinted theme toward salvation and being your own person rather than star crossed lovers meant to find true love.
11. The Plot
Director Bill Condon stuck very close to the plot and if one is familiar with previous versions of Beauty in the Beast including the original French version, one would be able to recognize references such as Maurice picking the white rose (an important symbol in another version of the story and the French Movie). Hence, it was expertly crafted to combine aspects of all preceding versions of the story with Easter eggs in every scene.
12. The Surprise Plot Additions
In a brilliant move of adding an additional enchanted object that allowed Belle to see the world and see the city of her birth, the film once again humanized the Beast and connected the viewers more to the characters and not just the story.
13. Emma Watson
I must say that my first viewing of the trailer confused me because I simply couldn’t picture seeing Emma Watson as Belle. However, after learning of her HeforShe campaign and watching Emma’s press tour, I quickly could not get enough of Emma Watson’s resilience, poise and brilliance and became a fan within the minute.
14. It Transports
I think I cried twice during this movie and that’s more than I can say about any documentary. Aside from that, this movie transports you into a realm that serves as a cross between a Disney ride and a Broadway musical. Not only was I a part of their world (oops, wrong Disney movie) but I was viewing it within a magical realm where the most childlike parts of me had been brought to light.