Beauty and The Beast Free Essay Example, 2000 words

The two characters, Belle and the Beast, were initially cast against each other though despite the presence of a persistent suitor, Belle was genuinely single and is therefore open to romance. Although the plot seemed obvious because of the title, the movie did its part in showing the development of the characters own selves before developing a love for each other. It would be prudent to note that the hideous form of the Beast was a punishment from an otherwise wayward prince. Also, it can be seen that the imprisonment of Belle was likewise a watershed event in her life that has opened up herself to be more caring and sensitive to other people. In fact, getting to know Beast in a deeper sense can only be the possible explanation for such a beauty to fall for the beast (Minow 2007). A Beastly Beauty in itself The film itself was a romance in the making. Berardinelli (1991) argues that it was the best animated movie that was ever made. However, he concedes that the Lion King was by far the highest grossing Disney film, the story and cinematography coupled with the astounding soundtrack and musical has pushed the movie to great heights. We will write a custom essay sample on Beauty and The Beast or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now However, despite being an animated film, the movie did not really bank on animation though it was fairly respectable during that time. With the developments in technology, this pales in comparison to animated hits of the new century (Pierce 2001). Probably among its greatest strengths was the superb musical that accompanied the film which was fairly easy to remember and even hum to ones content. One of the crucial success factors of the film was the casting of Belle as a strong-willed lass that is a strong deviation from the otherwise passive character that Beauty was in the original story. In fact, Belle was praised for veering away from the usually sexist themes portrayed by heroines of Disney movies such as Ariel in the Little Mermaid. Cummins (1995) however argued that the movie still follows the same old format that a woman’s happiness can only be possible, and last ever after, when she finds a prince. In so doing, the film seem to have a beastly undertone in its beauty which seem to permeate the minds of little girls and those hopeless romantics that in order to find the happiness that they desire, they must embark on a personal expedition to search for her prince. However, this argument seems unfounded though since Belle herself was a strong willed and educated girl. It was portrayed that she has a voracious appetite for books and is not easily swayed by the swooning men of her village, even the very persistent Gaston.