" Who is the monster and who is the man? "
With all the recent excitement and obsession over Disney's new computer-animated hits - Frozen, Wreck it Ralph, Big Hero 6, and Inside Out - the company's traditional way of animating has been greatly disregarded. Now, don't get me wrong - these new films are brilliant and all, but I feel as though they're lacking that special something that the classic hand-drawn animations embodied. Of course, as you can infer from the title of this post, I am here to elaborate on a movie that, in my opinion, is the most under-appreciated animated motion picture Disney has ever made. The Hunchback of Notre Dame in itself is vibrantly detailed, and is cleverly made up of the most complex themes I've witnessed in a Disney film. It's animated storytelling at its finest.
If you were to have asked me what I thought of this movie when I was six years old, I'm sure my answer wouldn’t fall short of saying how much I loved singing along to the music, laughing at the gargoyles, or how I was convinced that I was as beautiful and clever as Esmeralda. What I may not have been able to tell you, however, was what issues and ideas the dark story dealt with. I’ve had the idea about writing a post like this ever since I had re-watched it about a month ago, and I’m finally coming around to it now.
If you were to have asked me what I thought of this movie when I was six years old, I'm sure my answer wouldn’t fall short of saying how much I loved singing along to the music, laughing at the gargoyles, or how I was convinced that I was as beautiful and clever as Esmeralda. What I may not have been able to tell you, however, was what issues and ideas the dark story dealt with. I’ve had the idea about writing a post like this ever since I had re-watched it about a month ago, and I’m finally coming around to it now.
Where do I even start? I will say that this film had me in tears toward the end - I mean, between the wave of nostalgia and my ability to finally comprehend the true meaning of the film, how could I not? One scene in particular I may recall being utterly appalled by is that of Frollo’s vile and not-so-romantic “Hellfire” serenade about his conflicting attraction and hatred for the tempting gypsy Esmeralda. That portion of the film had always scared me as a child, but for me to finally understand the drive and meaning behind a tormenting scene such as that has really opened my eyes to the beauty and complexity of this film. Disney, you little rebel, you.