The Hunchback (1997 film)
| The Hunchback | |
|---|---|
British television cover
|
|
| Directed by | Peter Medak |
| Produced by | Stephane Reichel |
| Written by | John Fasano |
| Starring |
Richard Harris Salma Hayek Mandy Patinkin Edward Atterton Benedick Blythe |
| Music by | Edward Shearmur |
| Cinematography | Elemér Ragályi |
| Edited by | Jay Cassidy |
|
Production
company |
Plan B Entertainment
(United Kingdom) |
| Distributed by | TNT Productions |
|
Release date
|
21 May 1997 |
|
Running time
|
99 minutes |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Language | English |
The Hunchback is a 1997 New Zealand fantasy television film based on Victor Hugo's iconic 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, directed by Peter Medak and produced by Stephane Reichel. It stars Richard Harris as Claude Frollo, Salma Hayek as Esmeralda and Mandy Patinkin as Quasimodo, the titular hunchback of Notre Dame.
The year is 1480 in Paris. Dom Claude Frollo, a highly religious man, hears the sound of a baby crying and screaming loudly. He finds an abandoned, deformed baby boy on the steps of Notre Dame and takes pity on him, believing him to be sent by God. He names the baby, Quasimodo, and raises him as his son.
Twenty-five years later, on the day of the Feast of Fools, Quasimodo is named the King of Fools by Clopin, the King of the Gypsies. Esmeralda honors Quasimodo with a dance. Both Frollo and Gringoire, a wandering poet, see her dancing. Gringoire falls deeply in love with Esmeralda, while Frollo becomes entranced by her and begins to lust after her. He stops the dance, and scolds Quasimodo for leaving Notre Dame, telling him that if he ever goes outside the cathedral again, Frollo will not help him.
Frollo, after physically punishing himself with a whip for his lustful thoughts towards Esmeralda, pays two guards to kidnap the gypsy. They attempt to take her by force, but their plan is thwarted by Gringoire and Quasimodo, who protect her. Gringoire ultimately is nearly hanged by the gypsies for trespassing on the Court of Miracles, but Esmeralda says she will marry him in return for rescuing her.
Angered by Quasimodo's interference in his plans to kidnap Esmeralda, Frollo allows Quasimodo to pay the price for attacking Esmeralda, even though he is innocent. Esmeralda begs King Louis to stop the torture (fifty strikes of a whip) but the King regards her as not a 'real woman', and refuses to listen to her. Quasimodo is left for public humiliation for one hour, during which many people throw fruit at him. Quasimodo begs the crowd for water. Instead of helping him, they mock him further by shouting, "Water," back at him. Frollo ignores Quasimodo's attempts to get his attention. Esmeralda later gives Quasimodo some water. As a result, he becomes deeply infatuated with her. When he comes back to Notre Dame, he falls to the floor as he cries while Frollo consoles him.
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