I just finished watching the movie while bearing in mind Blo's review. Even before posting my thoughts, I made sure that I re-read the review. Anyway, I know that the low flick score was not based on the "thought-provoking" perspective, but I do want to express my disagreement with it.
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The message, I suppose, is intended to be that “beauty is only skin deep” and that one must look deeper to see the true heart and soul of another. Not a bad message, huh? Yep, that no matter if someone kidnaps and imprisons your father, and then you, that no matter how loudly they scream at you, or how forcefully they slam doors in your face, no matter how controlling, no matter how threatening, no matter how downright abusive they are, all you have to do is love them enough and they’ll turn into a prince and you’ll live happily ever after. Good message. Come here, daughter ... let me teach you just how much crap you have to accept in the name of love.
Dangerous. |
I think this is reading too much into the movie (and I'm a person who deeply read into films' messages and symbolisms). The father was not kidnapped, but was imprisoned for trespassing. As a Beast, he had every right to kill a trespasser (such as in PRESENT DAY America, where we can shoot-to-kill any intruder), but in this case, he was quite lenient with the father's plight.
As far as being "abusive" -- they were NOT in any type of romantic relationship to begin with. Belle was just the trespasser's daughter. That's it. She's a prisoner. But in this case, she's a prisoner who can freely roam the castle except the West Wing. Again, a very lenient sentence -- from a Beast.
Remember, Belle ESCAPED the castle when the Beast scolded her about being in the West Wing where the enchanted flower was. She's no weak-kneed girl, but a girl who takes initiative when she knows that things are not quite rosy.
She escapes -- but then, the Beast RESCUES her.
And that's when a small form of relationship occurs. And it's even in that dreaded Celine Dion song:
Barely even friends, then somebody bends, unexpectedly
In a tumultuous start, both strangers, something happened. Both learn to accept and love each other.
If the story starts off with Belle in a relationship with the Beast and he continues to mistreat and abuse her, then I will agree with your opinion about this "ill-unintentioned message for our youngsters." The thing is, it's NOT there, in my opinion. Furthermore, does the Beast abuse Belle AFTER her rescue?
Before the rescue, she was a prisoner and he was a captor. After the rescue, she and he were both friends.
Despite what seemed to be an impossible match, turned out to be not at all.
THAT is the message of "Beauty & The Beast." There is no underlying message of spousal abuse and foolish love with an abusive husband.
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| “Beauty and the Beast” may be the most beloved Disney animated film. It may have been nominated for a Best Picture Oscar in 1991. It may have been developed into one of the most successful Broadway musicals of the last several decades... but it is irresponsible film making. My daughter will not see this film again if I have anything to say about it. The message I want her to learn is that her love is a precious thing to be given ONLY to a man who loves her in return, that mutual respect and kindness are prerequisites of such an exchange of love, and that she can kick anyone’s ass who dares attempt the misogynistic ideals this film passes off as normalized courting ritual. |
Before I continue, I'm speaking from a different perspective. I'm a gay man, and some of you know this. Now, Blo, what if your daughter ends up being a homosexual? Do you see where my question is leading to?
I will return to DaveB's observations:
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A Rush of DaveB to the Head:
Had Beauty and the Beast not become a love story at the end, but a story about the redemptive power of friendship or something, there'd likely be a lot less complaints about poor female role models, etc.
Curious what Blofeld, Jason, and the other antis think about this idea:
As soon as you involve love, it becomes about a pseudo-abusive relationship. If it just involved friendship, it would be about reaching out to a fellow human being, who's grown cold after years of isolation and pain. If you stretch it even further and remove sex from the equation by making Belle another male (non-homosexual), it's a non-issue.
Isn't this double-standard just as insulting to women, as it assumes any woman who would befriend or fall in love with this fellow is weak?
Perhaps the only reason the relationship worked at all is because Belle was strong enough to not become a doormat and to reach out to this guy who's obviously torn up inside, despite his outbursts and such. |
Blo, you are assuming that it's always about SEXUAL LOVE when it involves a woman and a man. I guess if Belle was a man, then it's only PLATONIC FRIENDSHIP that can come out of it. Not that I'm optimistic enough to see a Disney-related film that involved homosexuality (except for stereotypic drawings and mannerisms of secondary characters), but I'm just pointing out that you are actually underestimating children.
The beauty of watching a children's film is that it's worthy of your time to discuss it afterwards. However, the tough part is that YOU found this "ill-unintentioned message." As a parent, you know what's best for your child and no one has the right to tell you what's what.
But as a fellow film lover, I do want to tell you that such an "ill-unintentioned message" is NOT there. I do urge you to give the film another chance and see whether what I've said is completely off-base.
I'll consider changing "bread" to bred, if you'll tell me WTF is Paprika Chicken, babeeeee? LOL
