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Beauty and the Beast

Released Jan 1, 1947 1h 35m Fantasy List
96% Tomatometer 67 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
The story of a gentle-hearted beast in love with a simple and beautiful girl. She is drawn to the repellent but strangely fascinating Beast, who tests her fidelity by giving her a key, telling her that if she doesn't return it to him by a specific time, he will die of grief. She is unable to return the key on time, but it is revealed that the Beast is the genuinely handsome one. A simple tale of tragic love that turns into a surreal vision of death, desire, and beauty.

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Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast

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Critics Consensus

With its magical optical effects and enchanting performances, Jean Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast remains the most surreal -- and soulful -- of the fairy tale's film adaptations.

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Critics Reviews

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Kevin Maher Times (UK) What's mesmerising about Cocteau's film is the seriousness with which it regards the fairytale material, combined with an eerie, dreamlike production design that's more effective precisely because it's more real. Rated: 5/5 Aug 6, 2018 Full Review Kristin M. Jones Wall Street Journal "Beauty and the Beast" remains a profound exploration of the human and animal worlds, light and darkness, and love and art. Feb 14, 2018 Full Review Larushka Ivan-Zadeh metro.co.uk More exquisite than ever thanks to a 4K restoration, Jean Cocteau's dreamy 1946 black-and-white retelling of Beauty And The Beast is a real spellbinder. Sep 6, 2017 Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand The B&W photography by Henri Alekan shimmers, and the eerie imagery (created entirely in camera) creates a texture of visual poetry and cinema magic never been equaled in the years of fairy tale cinema since. Oct 28, 2023 Full Review Michael J. Casey Michael J. Cinema The characters are familiar, and the story is typical, but unless you have seen Cocteau's 1946 version of the story, you really haven't seen the magic and wonder of a fairy tale on the screen Rated: 4/5 Sep 19, 2021 Full Review Allen Almachar The MacGuffin It's a mesmerizing experience of the highest order, hitting on every emotional beat and nailing every visual trick. Jul 25, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Richard S Most touching is the expression of The Beast of his love for Beauty and his willingness to sacrifice for her. Never has true but unrequited love been shown so poignantly on screen. Intensely beautiful and unforgettable movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/28/24 Full Review Teddy B Jean Cocteau adds a considerable level of brevity to the hodgepodge of ideas that is the original fairytale. His dreamy, almost subconsciously dark, visuals and a slew of absolutely fantastic performances does make this the best adaptation. Disney may have been the most concise and iconic, but Cocteau's version has an undeniable mood that lingers with you after watching... Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/03/24 Full Review Luca D Surrealism meets a fairytale what could be better, well honestly my only problem with the movie was one that many old films suffer from. Sometimes the music can be too climactic at scenes where nothing is happening, and then the movie will be silent while something climactic in the story is happening. That's the only problem I could find. Otherwise its a wonderful movie and I would definitely watch it again Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/28/24 Full Review Matthew B One of the reasons why Jean Cocteau's fantasy update of Beauty and the Beast, La Belle et la Bête retains its freshness after over 70 years is that Cocteau made a film that has an adult dimension to it, but which seeks to appeal to the child-like sense of wonder that we all have in us. We are invited to suspend our disbelief and cynicism, and to accept that which is absurd and impossible. Made after the end of World War 2, Cocteau offered his audiences a chance to enjoy an escapist fantasy. It is not that Cocteau's film lacks special effects. In its way it is just as much concerned with delighting the audience with spectacle as any modern children's movie. It is just that the effects are never allowed to replace the storyline. There is no room for computerised effects here – just old-fashioned make-up and ingenuity. The stone carvings of moving faces in the wall were created by covering children's faces in plaster. The candles at the Beast's castle seem to light themselves, but this was achieved by getting the actor to walk backwards, blowing the candles out and running the film in reverse. I wrote a longer blog expressing a fuller appreciation of the movie if you are interested in reading more of my views: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2019/07/01/la-belle-et-la-bete-1946/ Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/16/23 Full Review FunkoPasion L It's a great and faithful adaptation of the book, which enhances the character of the Beast. I didn't love the ending but in general, is an excellent movie! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/10/23 Full Review Audience Member The greatest 01 hour: and 35 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Beauty and the Beast

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis The story of a gentle-hearted beast in love with a simple and beautiful girl. She is drawn to the repellent but strangely fascinating Beast, who tests her fidelity by giving her a key, telling her that if she doesn't return it to him by a specific time, he will die of grief. She is unable to return the key on time, but it is revealed that the Beast is the genuinely handsome one. A simple tale of tragic love that turns into a surreal vision of death, desire, and beauty.
Director
Jean Cocteau
Screenwriter
Jean Cocteau, Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, Jean Cocteau
Genre
Fantasy
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 1, 1947, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Jun 21, 2002
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 14, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$138.2K
Runtime
1h 35m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)
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