Figure 1

La Belle et la Bette is a 1946 French Romantic Fantasy film directed by Jean Cocteau based on the fairytale by Madame LePrince de Beaumount. The story of Beauty and the Beast is an old tale of a young kind girl who is taken in place her fathers imprisonment in a mystical castle where a beastly man lives. At first the beast seems to be heartless and evil but through time does Belle learn to care for him as to see past his ugliness and embrace the person underneath it all. As said by (Thatcher, 2013) Beauty and the Beast is a story that teaches the incorruptibility of courage, patience, stoicism, understanding and above all else, not judging a book by its cover . It is one story that has told countless times as it is relatable a young woman who stands up for her rights and her fathers rights as well as taking responsibility as a woman who needs to work for what she gets. As well as no t marrying a man she does not love all these attributes make a woman that is highly regarded in our world today.

(Figure 2) As you enter the strange world of the Beast and his castle you start to see shadows and smoke which creates a mystical and magical feeling. One where it seems someone if watching you. Its almost terrifying watching Belles father get lowered into the dark of the castle. As he sits by the fire to warm himself he starts to notice how strange the castle truly is, how there are eyes watching him and hands that wait on him. This creepy feeling is lingered through the film accompanied by Georges Auric's memorable music didn't so much underline the visuals as frequently cut across them, reaching a synthesis at vital moments (Malcom, 1999). The scene when Belle runs into the house to embrace her fait, you watch her in slow motion as to capture her beauty and to be mesmerized by her. As she floats through the enchanted castle dress swaying with every move as to imply Belle belongs as she herself is so graceful so magical. The world of the castle always makes you feel slightly far away from the fairytale disney film as it is stylized in a way to give you that feeling that the Beasts wealth is a facade that hides a lot of good and a lot of evil a metaphor that still plays a part when comparing this to all wealth in a capitalist society. Hes done something very clever here even tears turn to diamonds in the hands of Cocteau (Thatcher, 2013). As the Beast (and also as the Young Prince and as the churlish suitor of the heroine), JeanMarais has the grace of a dancer, (Crowther, 1947). Avenant plays the lovely young man who wants to marry Belle and whom Belle loves but cannot marry as that would mean her leaving her father. Avenant soon turns bitter and is not the man Belle once knew. Strangely enough when the Beast dies the magic cast onto him to make him ugly disappears and turns him into the image of her Avenant, the man she loved before he turned bad. This in itself is a the metaphor is beauty within, it remains a problem because love is blind and no womans love can magically make a Prince of her beast,(Thatcher, 2013). As the magic of the castle and the beast turned him into a handsome man one that mirrored the image of the man Belle loves as this was her reward.

Illustration Bibliography Figure 1 http://lisathatcher.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/la-belle.jpg Figure 2 http://3.bp.blogspot.com/Fhx2XcQL1m4/UfhvM3M2IVI/AAAAAAAAHmA/sBXk_flpZ0I/s1600/jean_cocteau_la_belle _et_la_bete_gallery_8.jpg

Bibliography Thatcher, Lisa (2013) Film Review http://lisathatcher.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/la-belle-et-la-bete-jean-cocteau-re-imaginesfairytales-film-review/ (Accessed on 30-10-2013) Malcom, Derek (July 1, 1999) http://www.theguardian.com/film/1999/jul/01/1 (Accessed on 30-10-2013) Crowther, Bosley (December 24, 1947). http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review? res=9B03EFD71E3EEE3BBC4C51DFB467838C659EDE (Accessed on 30-10-2013)