 | Director Jean Cocteau’s French classic (1946) is a magical masterpiece that casts a unique spell. This is simply poetry on screen and possibly the loveliest film ever made. |
Director Jean Cocteau’s French classic (1946) is a magical masterpiece that casts a unique spell. Conjuring a gorgeous and gloriously surreal retelling of the fairy tale by Mme Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont.
The exceptional sets and costumes create the dark and brooding atmosphere while actor Jean Marais as the gentle and lonely Beast and the lovely Josette Day as Belle fill the screen with menace, longing, love and lyricism. Written and directed by l’enfant terrible Jean Cocteau who celebrates the horror story, the weird tales and employs a wonderful lyricism to bring us a unique experience. There is clearly a Freudian undercurrent to the beast and his longing gaze at the sweet young woman he entraps – while his redemption echoes Cocteau’s home country’s emergence from four-and-a-half years of Nazi occupation. This is simply poetry on screen and possibly the loveliest film ever made.
The exceptional sets and costumes create the dark and brooding atmosphere while actor Jean Marais as the gentle and lonely Beast and the lovely Josette Day as Belle fill the screen with menace, longing, love and lyricism. Written and directed by l’enfant terrible Jean Cocteau who celebrates the horror story, the weird tales and employs a wonderful lyricism to bring us a unique experience. There is clearly a Freudian undercurrent to the beast and his longing gaze at the sweet young woman he entraps – while his redemption echoes Cocteau’s home country’s emergence from four-and-a-half years of Nazi occupation. This is simply poetry on screen and possibly the loveliest film ever made.
