Beauty and the Beast (1946 film)
| Beauty and the Beast | |
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Film poster
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| Directed by | Jean Cocteau |
| Produced by | André Paulvé |
| Screenplay by | Jean Cocteau |
| Based on |
Beauty and the Beast by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont |
| Starring |
Jean Marais Josette Day Mila Parély Nane Germon Michel Auclair Marcel André |
| Music by | Georges Auric |
| Cinematography | Henri Alekan |
| Edited by | Claude Iberia |
| Distributed by | DisCina |
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Release date
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Running time
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93 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
Beauty and the Beast (French: La Belle et la Bête) is a 1946 French romantic fantasy film directed by French poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau. Starring Josette Day as Belle and Jean Marais, it is an adaptation of the 1757 fairy tale of the same name, written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont and published as part of a fairytale anthology.
The plot of Cocteau's film revolves around Belle's father who is sentenced to death for picking a rose from Beast's garden. Belle offers to go back to the Beast in her father's place. Beast falls in love with her and proposes marriage on a nightly basis which she refuses. Belle eventually becomes more drawn to Beast, who tests her by letting her return home to her family and telling her that if she doesn't return to him within a week, he will die of grief.
Beauty and the Beast is now recognized as a classic of French cinema.
While scrubbing the floor at home, Belle (Josette Day) is interrupted by her brother's friend Avenant (Jean Marais) who tells her she deserves better and suggests they get married. Belle rejects Avenant, as she wishes to stay home and take care of her father, who has suffered much since his ships were lost at sea and the family fortune along with them. Belle's father (Marcel André) arrives home announcing he has come into a great fortune that he will pick up the next day, along with gifts for his daughters, Belle's shrewish sisters Adelaide and Felicie. Belle's roguish brother Ludovic (Michel Auclair) signs a contract from a moneylender (Raoul Marco) allowing him the ability to sue Ludovic's father if he can't pay.
Later, Belle's father finds on his arrival that his fortune has been seized to clear his debts and he is forced to return home through a forest at night. Belle's father gets lost in the forest and finds himself at a large castle whose gates and doors magically open themselves. On entering the castle, he is guided by an enchanted candelabra that leads him to a laden dinner table where he falls asleep. Awakened by a loud roar, he wanders the castle's grounds. Remembering that Belle asked for a rose, he plucks a rose from a tree which makes the Beast (Jean Marais) appear. The Beast threatens to kill him for theft but then suggests that one of his daughters can take his place. The Beast offers his horse Magnificent to guide him through the forest home.
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