Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite classic Disney animated films and it is one that stems the most from its original fairy tale by Madame Le Prince de Beaumont.

 

In both makings, Belle finds herself at the Beast’s castles while trying to save her dad from imprisonment and being the whole-hearted person she is, offering to take his place. The difference is how the father gets there. In the original, her father gets imprisoned because he steals the Beast rose which is his prized possession while in the Disney version, he stumbles upon the castle and is imprisoned.

The Disney film includes many animated appliances as the Beast companions/servants while in the original he actually has servants, especially ones that tend to his roses. The rose is a common factor also except in the original the Beast just loves his roses and in Disney’s the rose holds the curse that could kill him.

Belle saves the Beast from death in both versions by telling him she is in love with him, but both death scenes are different. In the original, Belle leaves to go see her sisters and she doesn’t return in time so the Beast is dying of heartbreak while in Disney’s the Beast is stabbed by one of Belle’s suitors. After she tells of her love, the Beast turns back into a prince.

Love is deeper than looks. Vanity will not get you far in life and I believe that both these works push to show that you must look beyond the outside and look for the good on the inside.