Beauty and the Beast (1991)

In this article, we will be looking at 2019’s book “1001 Movies to See Before You Die” and going through each film in a random order that I have chosen. We will be looking at what constitutes this film to be on the list and whether I think this film deserves to be here at all. I want to make perfectly clear that I won’t be revealing details from this book such as analyses by film reporters who have written about the film in question, so if you want the book itself you’ll have to buy it. But I will be covering the book’s suggestions on which films should be your top priority. I wouldn’t doubt for a second that everyone reading this article has probably watched many of these movies anyway. But we are just here to have a bit of fun. We’re going to not just look at whether it should be on this list but we’re also going to look at why the film has such a legacy at all. Remember, this is the 2019 version of the book and so, films like “Joker” will not be featured in this book and any film that came out in 2020 (and if we get there, in 2021). So strap in and if you have your own suggestions then don’t hesitate to email me using the address in my bio. Let’s get on with it then.

Beauty and the Beast (1991) dir. by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise

One of my favourite Disney Renaissance films was eventually ruined by a live-action remake, but the original still exists to add some nostalgia to my life. With voices that include Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson and Angela Lansbury, this film was one of the greatest animated films of the nineties and possibly one of the most daring things Disney Animations had ever done to their films. It had taken a lesser known classic tale of French Folklore and made it into a magical tale of love, despair and brilliance - brilliance in the form of anthropomorphic objects.

The consensus on Rotten Tomatoes is whole-heartedly positive and it now reads the following:

"Enchanting, sweepingly romantic, and featuring plenty of wonderful musical numbers, Beauty and the Beast is one of Disney's most elegant animated offerings.”

The New York Times praised the film’s reinvention of the animated film and, on the whole, the Disney Renaissance:

"Two years ago, Walt Disney Pictures reinvented the animated feature, not only with an eye toward pleasing children, but also with an older, savvier audience in mind. Disney truly bridged a generation gap with The Little Mermaid … Now, lightning has definitely struck twice with Beauty and the Beast.”

Obviously, Roger Ebert weighed in on the film, comparing it to other films of the Disney Renaissance and beyond. Check out what he had to say about “Beauty and the Beast” and its encompassing of the audience members of every demographic:

"Beauty and the Beast reaches back to an older and healthier Hollywood tradition in which the best writers, musicians and filmmakers are gathered for a project on the assumption that a family audience deserves great entertainment, too.”

He also makes the following statement about the way in which the music and choreography adds to the excitement and the ‘robust’ nature of the film:

“There are some wonderful musical numbers in the movie, and animation sets their choreography free from the laws of gravity. A hilarious number celebrates the monstrous ego of Gaston, who boasts about his hairy chest and the antlers he uses for interior decoration. “Be Our Guest” is a rollicking invitation to Belle from the castle staff, choreographed like Busby Berkeley running amok. And there is the haunting title song, sung by Mrs. Potts in the voice of Angela Lansbury.”

So, as one of the best loved Disney Classic Films of the Renaissance, I can honestly say that whilst this film can be remade, remade and then, once again, remade, the original version of the early nineties will always have a close place in everyone’s hearts as being the one and only respected version. It is the one that forms the base for all the others and will always be the one that everyone remembers.

Here is the Roger Ebert review for the film