April In Paris Film Festival – Beauty And The Beast

Director: Jean Cocteau

1946, France, 93

Screenwriter: Jean Cocteau

Cast: Jean Marais, Josette Day, Mila Parély.

 

“I ask of you a little childlike sympathy and, to bring us luck, let me speak four truly magic words, childhood’s ”Open Sesame” Once upon a time…´Jean Cocteau’s introduction to La Belle et La Bete. Long before Disney’s animated tea sets danced and sang, poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau adapted a 1757 fairytale into a dream-inducing fantasy for all ages (who can read subtitles). Josette Day is an open-hearted village girl who lives with a misunderstood Beast to save her father’s life. In doing so, she eases the loneliness of the frightening creature, who is actually a fetching young man (Jean Marais) trapped in a spell. A eclectic and unique artist, Jean Cocteau took everything he learned in theater, painting, and writing, and poured them into a still-young art form. His imaginative mind invented many unusual new visual effects, with the help of legendary cinematographer Henri Alekan (Wings of Desire), However, his search for the new was always in the service of creating poetic images of mystery and romantic love for the viewer.

“One of the most magical of all films” – Roger Ebert.