10 harsh realities of rewatching Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

It has been over 30 years since Disney Beauty and the BeastAnd it’s still one of Disney’s best animated movies. The strong characters, fairy tale aspect and stunning animation make this film just as magical as when it premiered. It remains Disney’s only animated film (excluding Pixar) to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Gaston is an excellent realistic villain, while Belle is one of the most iconic Disney princesses. However, rewatching Beauty and the Beast Brings up some harsh realities Which went unnoticed while viewing the film for the first time.

Many Disney films have bleak truths when rewatching. however, Beauty and the Beast is a special case because It is seen as one of Disney’s more problematic films Among other things, because of Bel and Adam’s relationship. Regardless, Beauty and the Beast is no exception to its harsh realities. Whether it is an explosive reality, weak old moments, a dark interpretation or problematic aspects, Beauty and the Beast has its fair share of harsh realities that come to light when rewatching the classic Disney film.

10

The beast only came back to life because of the enchantress

Gaston killed the animal, but the Henschener revived him

When Belle and Adam reunited at the end of Beauty and the BeastEverything seems perfect until Gaston stabs Adam. The beast teeters on the brink of death before Belle confesses her love, effectively breaking the enchantress’ spell. However, the time between Bel’s proclamation of love and Adam becoming human is so short that The fact that he died is often overlooked. Gaston’s story was fatal – Adam actually died in his animal farm. Fortunately, Belle broke the curse in time, so the spell of her magic to bring Adam back to life and turn him into a man once again.

9

Gaston planned to throw Maurice into an asylum to force Belle to marry him

Gaston went to extreme lengths to marry Belle

Gaston is much more evil than he seems to be. His self-centered, narcissistic personality masks the darker parts of his character. One of the worst parts about Gaston is the lengths he would go to marry Belle, stopping at nothing to ensure she becomes his wife. Gaston conceives a plan to put Belle’s father, Maurice, in a mental health institution (known as the Asylum in the movie) so that he can offer Belle Morris’ freedom if she marries Gaston. It is an exclusive design that depicts Gaston exploiting Belle’s vulnerabilities to make her his property.

8

The mob song criticizes how extremists see the world

An incriminating lyric exposes extremists

During “The Mob Song,” the last musical number in Disney’s soundtrack for the animated film Beauty and the BeastThe villagers sing about killing the beast on the way to his castle. One particular lyric illustrates the hidden meaning of the song: “We don’t like / what we don’t understand / in fact it scares us.” The lyric describes the true purpose of “The Mob Song”: To describe how extremists view the world. This puts the whole song into perspective—even though the crowd sings about killing the beast, their only motivation is the fear that Gaston has instilled in them.

The villagers cannot think for themselves; They follow societal expectations, which involve excluding anyone else. This is why they are wary of Belle, the strange bookworm, and Maurice, the crazy inventor, and it is why they want to kill the beast. Extremists are born of social norms – they take an average perspective and maximize it to the most brutal interpretation possible. “The Mob Song” also reveals the dangers of social norms And how they can quickly lead to spiraling situations. What started as a statesman intervention turned into a plan to kill a living being for no reason.

7

Bell was the only woman in her village who knew how to read

Reading is discouraged for women

The musical number “Master” in Beauty and the Beast Depicts Bell as an anomaly, not the norm. The villagers see her as such because of her love of reading; They complain about her passion for books. Gaston even comments, “IIt is not right for a woman to read.”Because they start forming their own thoughts and opinions. These cases suggest that Bell is the only woman in her village who knows how to readAnd besides the bookseller, social norms have discouraged women from reading. Belle can not only read, but this is her favorite pastime.

6

Gaston is one of Disney’s scariest villains because of his realism

Gaston mimics real life predators

Disney actually breaks a 54-year-old villain’s streak with Beauty and the Beast: Gaston is the first male villain in a Disney Princess film. Some may not see Gaston as scary because of his dark-witted personality, but he is one of Disney’s scariest villains. Gaston is afraid because of his realism. He embodies toxic masculinity, and His relentless pursuit of master makes him a predator. Gaston does not give up, no matter how many times Bell gives him up. He does not see her as an independent person; He only sees Belle as someone who can give him a beautiful offspring.

Gaston is a dangerous reflection of men who cannot accept rejection from women. The Live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast Makes Gaston distinctly worse. In the animated film, once Gaston learns of the Beast’s existence, he pushes his marriage to Belle to the back of his mind as he prioritizes killing the Beast. The live-action version of ​​Gaston does not forget Belle – he teases her, saying that the beast’s head will hang in their house, and Belle cannot avoid marrying him. The 2017 film chose to capitalize on the realism of Gaston from the animated movie, which paid off immensely.

5

Be our guest Glamorizes Labor Exploitation

Be Our Guest suggests that the working class’ purpose is to serve the rich

“Be Our Guest” is often considered one of the best musical numbers in Beauty and the Beast. From the dazzling theater to the rich animation, there are many reasons why “Be Our Guest” is popular. However, one of these verses has an obscure meaning that is often missed. Lumiere sings, “Life is so unnerving for a servant who does not serve / “He is not quite without a soul to wait on“What Proposes that the working class exists to serve the superior. When the Chinese cursed the castle, the servants became peasant objects, which they felt were useless.

They spent their lives catering to Adam, serving him music without thinking about their own desires in life. Everyone deserves a chance to find their purpose, and someone being a servant does not mean that they cannot have a life outside their work. The verse in “Be Our Guest” sure makes things interesting because It is unknown whether the song was written so deliberately or if it is just poor old lyrics– A real possibility due to today’s more progressive world views.

4

Bell has an attraction to animals

Belle falling in love with the beast suggests she is attracted to him in that form

Belle is in love with Adam and confesses her love on his deathbed. She kisses him once he is human again. However, Belle hesitates on the transformation of the animal – she falls in love with an animalistic creature, not a person. Although Belle is overjoyed once she realizes that Adam as a man is still the man she fell in love with, there is a hint of disappointment on her face. This fact means Bel falls in love with Adam in his animal form. She knew what she was getting into, and it didn’t change her love for him.

Bell has a genuine attraction to animals. It’s a bit disturbing to realize Belle’s romantic interest in animals, especially since bestiality is never a theme in a Disney film. It’s most likely not intentional on Disney’s part, but it doesn’t change the fact that the story portrays Belle as attracted to the Beast. The live-action adaptation takes it a step further at the end of the film when Bell asks Adam how he would feel about growing a beard, making Bell’s affinity for bestiality much more likely.

3

Chip was born during the curse as a cup

Chip was never human before the end of Beauty and the Beast

One of Mrs. Potts’ children, Chip, is a broken carpet who is very young. Chip’s age is unknown until he turns into a man at the end of Beauty and the Beast. Based on Chip’s interactions with Mrs. Potts and his human form, he can’t be older than seven or eight. “Be Our Guest” says that the castle was enchanted for 10 years, and Adam was 11 years old before the curse. That device chip was born in the decade. When the curse breaks, He becomes a man for the first time.

however, It is not clear how Mrs. Potts reproduces children like a teapotEspecially, since there doesn’t seem to be any father in the picture. Beauty and the Beast Never clarifies how enchanted carpet – or any enchanted object, for that matter – can reproduce children. It is possible that enchanted objects have similar abilities to humans, regardless of the mechanics. However, chances are that Chip’s age is just something Disney overlooked, similar to how Disney overlooked the possibility of The Lion KingSimba and Nala are connected because of how lion prides work.

2

The dishwasher that breaks are real people

The dishes cannot return to their former selves

When Gaston enters the castle with his men, the enchanted objects ambush them. It’s an exciting, well-deserved moment since the villagers have no business intruding. However, when rewatching the scene, the fighting is noteworthy because enchanted dishes and other pieces of furniture break when attacking Gaston’s men. If the objects break in this state, it most likely means that they die. The dishes, in particular, shatter into many pieces, making them impossible to repair. The servants gave their lives to protect their homeBut it comes with the ultimate cost – they will never return to their human forms.

1

Bell & Beast is a classic example of Stockholm syndrome

Bell is in love with her captor

One of the most common criticisms of Beauty and the Beast Is Belle and Adam’s romance. They meet because Belle tries to save her father, but Adam catches her. He offers Maurice’s freedom in exchange for Belle’s, which she accepts, creating a power imbalance. Therefore, when Belle falls in love, she becomes a victim of Stockholm syndrome. Although Adam lets Belle go because he truly loves her, Belle still feels obligated to return. moreover, It only took a few nice gestures for Bell to fall in love. It is not one of Disney’s best romances, despite the film’s overall excellence.