If you ever want to see real magic on film you need to watch Jean Cocteau’s 1946 “La Belle et La Bete”
For those of you who don’t speak portuguese, that means “Beauty and the Beast”.
As near a perfect fantasy romance film as has ever been made. The whole film feels like it’s floating. Every shot is something you’d hang on the wall. The designs are haunting, surreal and utterly gorgeous. The actual makeup and costume for the Beast looks amazing (and they didn’t even have to have theater owners download a patch so that James Corden would stop giving people nightmares… more than usual, I mean) and if there’s ever been a more radiant vision on celluloid than Josette Day as Belle then I’d sure like to see.
You know the plot, but you’re here for the atmosphere and just the VIBE.
I think it’s available to stream on The Criterion Collections streaming service, but I also highly recommend the Criterion bluray. It’s got an optional secondary audio track that is the Philip Glass Opera which is a pretty gorgeous way to watch it a second or third time.
Currently Playing: Temple Ov Saturn – “Meditations”
Currently Reading: MEDDLING KIDS, Edgar Cantero
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