litlover12

Has anyone seen the 1946 French version of Beauty and the Beast? (velle, I was thinking maybe you might have.) I'm watching it now, and it's utterly charming. Beautifully acted and shot, and the effects (disembodied arms holding candlesticks, busts that turn to look at people, the Beast's makeup) are riveting and truly creepy. Who needs CGI, anyway?

I tend to put story first and not always think that much about the setting, but even I'm impressed with how gorgeously the whole thing is put together. The leading lady is a little too prone to pose theatrically -- she can't even walk down a hallway without a series of grand gestures -- but that seems to have been part of the director's vision of how he wanted the whole thing to look, and it does make for some arresting images. And she and the Beast have off-the-charts chemistry. This is definitely a version to look for, if you haven't yet had a chance to see it.