Despite an inferior holiday-based sequel, Beauty and the Beast is the perfect Disney movie to curl up with on a cold winter night.
Disney has its share of holiday content, although its animation lineup tends to be pretty static. The big — The nightmare before Christmas — is more or less part owned by Halloween. While the two Frozen films come with a wintry setting, they are prone to overdubbing, while Mickey’s Christmas Carol was well and truly wiped out The Muppets’ version of Charles Dickens’ classic. They all see their share of views during the holidays, but they can grow a little pro forma year over year.
The original The beauty and the Beast makes a surprisingly strong celebration of winter. Although it lacks a specific holiday theme and much of the story is set in other seasons, its overall mood is quite conducive to a cozy winter spent with family or friends. That it is one of Disney’s brilliant masterpieces is really just icing on the cake.
The weather plays a big role in Beauty and the Beast
The beauty and the Beast uses the weather — and the time of year — to convey the emotional beats of his story. The opening story – tells how the beast and the inhabitants of his castle fell under a curse — starting with a green and flourishing landscape, in late spring or early summer. The wizard who curses him arrives “on a winter’s night” – however, a direct break from the first images and an overt sign of the tragedy to come. As the sequence ends, the winter storm has claimed the castle, with trees now dead under a gloomy and overcast sky.
It remains until Belle arrives, again reflecting the characters’ positions in the story. Belle’s time in “this poor provincial town” comes in autumn, with red and gold in the trees and the sky a harvest yellow. It becomes actively Halloween-esque when Belle’s father Maurice gets lost in the woods, then goes back to winter darkness when Belle agrees to remain the Beast’s prisoner. From that moment, winter takes hold and stays put until the transformation of the Beast at the end. The snowy wind blows outside the village tavern where Gaston, for example, sings his title song, while Belle’s aborted attempt to escape the castle takes place in a full-blown blizzard.
Among its other effects, it creates a sense of warmth and coziness in the castle itself, as it slowly transforms from a prison to a sanctuary for Belle. It includes the hot food and similar amenities provided by the servants, as well as places like the library that emphasize relaxing indoor activities. As romance slowly blossoms, the weather becomes more hospitable, leading to a “snow day” where Belle and the Beast feed the birds and have a snowball fight in the castle courtyard. Belle wears a very elf-like red hood with white robes for her outing, which ends with her reading to the Beast in front of a roaring fireplace.
The atmosphere makes Beauty and the Beast ideal winter viewing
Spring returns for the film’s finale, as Gaston marches to the castle amid the March rain and mud, and flowers bloom as Belle’s love brings the Beast back to life. But the crux of the story lies in winter – at its worst and best – with the Beast’s castle transformed into a cozy haven when the weather rages outside. By mirroring the growth of the characters, it turns The beauty and the Beast for an outstanding film to watch during the winter months, wrapped up in a comfortable chair or sofa while the temperature drops outside.
The film spawned a direct-to-video sequel, Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmaswhich assumes a more open holiday theme (and takes place during the same winter months depicted in the original film). Unfortunately, it’s a poor substitute and frankly does nothing but do the first thing The beauty and the Beast kept subtle. The original film offers winter delights baked into its already classic plot, and its quiet emphasis on the snowy season makes it easy to overlook. Disney fans are looking for a change from the usual holiday fare is likely to have an ideal alternative on its Blu-ray shelf.
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