Beauty and the Beast - Hunchback of Notre Dame parallels

[Farerb]

Since the two films were done by the same directors, do you see similarities between the two films? Some kind of parallels? If so what are they in your opinion?

[JeanGreyForever]

There's the obvious parallels of the setting since both films are set in France. Both involve an outcast who is secluded from society because of his looks and how he falls in love with a beauty. Both films have a love triangle (well love square in Hunchback although love might not be the correct word for Frollo) with a jealous and wicked suitor. It's interesting though how both films also have a handsome suitor but only in Gaston's case is he conflated with the villain role, unlike Phoebus, in a departure from the novel.

Both have a rooftop climax involving a sword while an angry mob rages below, although in Hunchback's case, this mob is actually on the side of good. However, the mass of villagers still fill an antagonistic role earlier on in the film during the Festival of Fools scene, which is more akin to the mob scene in BATB. Another thing about the climax is that in both cases, it has been criticized for including gratuitous humor from the sidekicks which people felt was tonally inappropriate. Speaking of the sidekicks, both films involve enchanted objects coming to life.

Another interesting concept is that both beauties in the film lose their complicated parentage from the original source materials. The entire subplot about Belle's mother really being a fairy (while her father is a human king) is completely waived aside to give her humbler roots. Meanwhile, Esmeralda's subplot of searching for her mother is also ignored. Funny how pretty much every adaptation of both these stories decide to do away with the significance of the identity of their mothers.

I always wished that the directors could have adapted The Phantom of the Opera as well to complete a trilogy of films that are all set in France and involve a beautiful girl torn between a handsome suitor and a disfigured man whose outward appearance belies the beauty of his soul.

[Farerb]

Those are great! Thank you.


I also thought about the gargoyles and the enchanted objects. More specifically how Victor is level headed like Cogsworth, Hugo is supposed to be the funny one like Lumiere, and Laverne is motherly and suppotive like Mrs. Potts. Also I think A Guy Like You was an attempt to replicate Be Our Guest (not a good one).

Both films have an elaborate musical number and both have the same type of villain, which is one who is rooted in reality.

[Disney Duster]

For a very long time I have felt they have the same message: Beauty is on the inside/what makes the monster and what makes the man?