Beauty and the Beast

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Beauty and the Beast

1947

1h 35m

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

67 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

The story of a gentlehearted 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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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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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

08/06/2018

5/5

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.

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Kristin M. Jones

Wall Street Journal

02/14/2018

"Beauty and the Beast" remains a profound exploration of the human and animal worlds, light and darkness, and love and art.

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Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

metro.co.uk

09/06/2017

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.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

10/28/2023

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.

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Michael J. Casey

Michael J. Cinema

09/19/2021

4/5

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

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Allen Almachar

The MacGuffin

07/25/2020

It's a mesmerizing experience of the highest order, hitting on every emotional beat and nailing every visual trick.

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Tom F

@RT55173143 Apr 16

The imagery and story are interesting to watch unfold, though it is hard to imagine in 2026 how this must have looked to audiences in 1946.

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Tim M

@tgmacman Mar 31

A hauntingly effective adaptation of the classic fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast captures the magic through pathos and striking lighting.

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sean O.

@seandaddy0 Jan 24

The special effects for the time period were superb.

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Simon T

@Bucksplit Nov 10

Echoes of several fairy tales and myths, particularly Phantom of the Opera and Cinderella. But Jean Cocteau's version is mind-numbingly tedious and incredibly slow. It's also woodenly acted and strangely uninvolving. Its reputation is baffling. If I heard the Beast preface another utterance with 'Belle, Belle...' I'd have screamed. But what do I know: I'm someone who also loathes Les Enfants du Paradis.

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Lluvia A

@RT77312457 Jul 8

A beautiful adaptation of Beauty and the Beast.

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john h

@RT11274104 Jun 6

The most magical and accurate adaptation of Beauty and the Beast.

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Synopsis

The story of a gentlehearted 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
Production Co: Les Films André Paulvé
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)