By Eliana Tallarida, news correspondent
In true Disney fashion, the live-action “Beauty and the Beast” does not disappoint in its cast, fantastical costumes, appropriately over the top animation and cinematography.
The film effectively sets the scene for the unfolding story known all too well by Disney lovers and despisers alike by opening on a beautiful ballroom dance scene in which the audience sees a pompous prince, the future beast, surrounded by possible suitors and adoring subjects moments before he becomes cursed. The live-action adaptation follows the same general plot line as the 1991 animated version, but dives a little deeper into Belle’s (Emma Watson) past and the death of her mother.
Watson puts her heart and soul into this role in a way one would not expect from a Disney film. The emotion she pours onto the screen, along with the well-timed camera work, makes her character three dimensional and more relatable to the average woman than the previous versions of this Disney princess.
Watson said in multiple interviews that she worked with the movie’s producers and writers to make Belle into more of a strong female character, and the subtle details throughout the movie solidify this. There are scenes where she invents a new way to do laundry (involving a donkey and a barrel, which is quite frankly pretty inventive) and another in which she teaches a girl to read. In one of the final climactic scenes, Watson throws off her ball gown and rides her white horse to save the Beast (Dan Stevens) from Gaston (Luke Evans) in her undergarments, cementing Watson’s version of Belle as more than just another fairytale princess.
The filmmakers take a carefully executed stab at incorporating equality and current social issues into the film through Lefou (Josh Gad), Gaston’s sidekick and a gay character. Leading up to the film’s release, there was discussion about whether movie theatres in certain countries and even in American states would show the movie because of Lefou. That being said, these subtle nods at gay acceptance are only really noticeable to those who are intentionally looking for them in the film. Bill Condon, the director, expertly fits a small yet meaningful glance between Lefou and his male dance partner in the last ballroom scene.
One cannot help but smile during the scene where Madam Garderobe (Audra McDonald), the wardrobe, defends the castle by wrapping three men in a whirlwind of fabrics and ribbons. She puts the three men in dresses, one of whom shares a soft smile while the others run off in disgust.
Although brief, the one male character’s happiness is important because it highlights the idea that all people can be whomever they want and identify as whatever they please. With the current social climate as it is, Disney perfectly hits on the importance of equality between all people through this film.
Disney continues to roll out live-action versions of classic childhood fantasies and although most consumers know it is a plot to take our money, the money is well spent. The 2 hour 10 minute movie lived up to the hype that has surrounded it since it was announced in spring 2015. With each well tuned note, each subtle yet endearingly light hearted joke from Lefou and the moment when Belle says firmly “I am not a princess,” the viewer falls in love with the nostalgic fantasy of childhood stories and heartstring-tugging fairy tales that Disney does all too well.
Photo courtesy Walt Disney Studios
