Fresh
A sublime, sumptuous film directed by Jean Cocteau with the help of Rene Clement.
Don Druker, Chicago Reader
Beauty and the Beast
Once upon a time…
1946 · 1h 36m · Not Rated
Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Directed by
Jean Cocteau
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Beauty and the Beast
Overview
The story of a gentle-hearted beast in love with a simple and beautiful girl. She is drawn to the repellent but strangely fascinating Beast, who tests her fidelity by giving her a key, telling her that if she doesn't return it to him by a specific time, he will die of grief. She is unable to return the key on time, but it is revealed that the Beast is the genuinely handsome one. A simple tale of tragic love that turns into a surreal vision of death, desire, and beauty.
Director and cast
- Jean Cocteau Director
- Jean Marais as La Bête / Le Prince / Avenant
- Josette Day as Belle
- Marcel André as Belle's Father
- Mila Parély as Félicie
- Nane Germon as Adélaïde
- Michel Auclair as Ludovic
- Raoul Marco as The Insurer
- Jean Cocteau as The Voice of Magic (uncredited)
- Noël Blin as Footman (uncredited)
- Christian Marquand as Footman (uncredited)
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
Rotten
Unduly slow pace and repetitious use of trick sets hurts chances of this film.
Variety Staff, Variety
Fresh
Cocteau's fairytale set standards in fantasy which few other film-makers have reached.
Tom Milne, Time Out
Fresh
Studied or not for philosophy, this is a sensuously fascinating film, a fanciful poem in movement given full articulation on the screen.
Bosley Crowther, New York Times
Fresh
A daring artist, working in a difficult time of shortages and old equipment, convened 'a little village of workmen' and packaged a dream for the ages.
Jane Sumner, Dallas Morning News
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