Beauty and the Beast came out of the Disney vault this week. The
Diamond Edition home entertainment video of the highly acclaimed 1991 animated feature film is available for a limited time in high definition Blu-ray disc and DVD combination. Superb color quality pops right off the screen in this digital restoration, and bonus features like sing-alongs and music videos enhance this new release. Also intriguing are the never-before-seen alternate opening and deleted scene. Viewing the pieces that hit the cutting room floor gives viewers insight into the story’s metamorphosis from fairy tale to feature film.
This “tale as old as time” begins with narration and back story setup. “Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind,” we are told. One night a haggard old woman appeared at his door offering a single rose in exchange for shelter. He cruelly turned her away only for her to reveal herself a beautiful enchantress. He tried to apologize but to no avail, as his cold heart had made itself evident. The woman cast a spell on him and all the inhabitants of the castle. Until the prince could learn to love another and earn her love in return, he would remain a hideous beast. If he could learn that true beauty comes from within before the last petal fell from the enchanted rose, the spell would be broken.
Belle is introduced as a maiden longing for “more than this provincial life” of her small French village. Constantly fending off the affections of the arrogant Gaston, Belle seeks adventure and dreams of being more than his little wife. When her inventor father gets lost in the woods and seeks aid at the Beast’s palace, he becomes imprisoned in the tower. Belle’s heart for adventure and adoration of her father lead her to take his place. Belle initially views the Beast as nothing more than a monster, and he sees her as stubborn and difficult, but over time the two develop an unlikely friendship and a gentle romance blossoms. When Gaston heads up an attack on the castle, he mortally wounds the Beast before falling to his own death. The Beast, in his dying words, reveals his affection for Belle, who in return, whispers, “I love you.” And the spell is broken! The prince does not die; instead he returns to his human form and the pair live happily ever after.
Walt Disney Pictures’
Beauty and the Beast was the first full-length animation in the history of the Oscars to be nominated for Best Picture. And though it did not take home that prize, its musical composers, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, were awarded the Academy Awards for Best Original Song and Best Original Score.
The live version of this modern classic,
Beauty and the Beast—Live on Stage, debuted at then Disney-MGM Studios’ (now Disney’s Hollywood Studios) Theater of the Stars November 22, 1991, marking the first time a feature film and its stage version opened on the same day.
Today’s Takeaway:
“Beauty and the Beast” is a traditional folktale first published by Jeanne-Marie LePrince de Beaumont of France in 1757. Many variations have been transcribed over generations, including one by the famous Grimm brothers of Germany. Read through
several versions to see how the “tale as old as time” varies when recorded by different storytellers.
A minimum of three participants are required for this writing exercise. Seat students around a table with pen and paper. Set a timer for 10 minutes and allow students to create the beginning of a fictional story. When the timer buzzes, have them pass their papers to the student on their right and silently read over the story handed to them. Set the timer for a new 10 minutes and have students add to the story in front of them. Repeat the process until each student has contributed to each story twice. Have them read the completed stories aloud.
This exercise not only helps get creative writing gears cranking, it gives the students an understanding of how different authors’ perspectives can alter the intent of the original idea.
SCHOOL SUBJECT: Creative Writing
SKILL LEVEL: Middle Grades
Beauty and the Beast
1 comments:
I love Beauty and the Beast and I'm thrilled that it has finally been re-released. And although the writing assignment is above my kids in the writing world, this will be great to do as a verbal round robin. Thanks for the idea Jodi!
Post a Comment