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Beauty and the Beast (re-release)
Metascore
92 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 7 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
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  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    100
    Cocteau, a poet and surrealist, was not making a "children's film" but was adapting a classic French tale that he felt had a special message after the suffering of World War II: Anyone who has an unhappy childhood may grow up to be a Beast.
  2. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Wilmington
    100
    Beautifully remastered and containing Cocteau's long-unseen special prologue and credits -- is as much a feat of feverish delight as it was in the dark days of Vichy and WWII.
  3. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    100
    The timeless fairy tale about a young woman who agrees to dwell with a mysterious monster, as interpreted in 1946 by one of cinema's most brilliant visual stylists and mythmakers.
  4. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not credited)
    100
    A masterpiece. It is a credit to Cocteau's genius (and to that of his collaborators) that he has taken the unreal world of a fairy tale and made it as real as the world around us.
  5. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    100
    One of the great marvels of the medium, a film that you cannot miss if you hope to be literate in cinema -- or, indeed, if you seek acquaintance with the great works of modern times.
  6. Dallas Observer
    Reviewed by: Jean Oppenheimer
    100
    So enchanting it takes your breath away.
  7. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Michael Miller
    40
    Viewers must get in touch with their inner child to fall for Belle's eventual love for Beast. The film seems somewhat aware of this, casting an ambiguous hue on its happily-ever-after conclusion.
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User Reviews

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User Score
9.0 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 11 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. monkeybrainspit
    10
    “Il était une fois . . .” Belle (Josette Day), one of four siblings, slaves away in her home day and night while her two older sisters happily spend their father’s remaining fortune. Having lost his merchant ships at sea, the father (played by Marcel Andre) is on the brink of losing it all. In learning of an opportunity to repair the damage, Belle’s father takes to the road but not before being requested for a rose by his over-worked daughter. On his journey, Belle’s father stumbles upon a hidden castle and takes a rose. Unhappy with this act the castle's owner, a beast, provides him with an unusual ultimatum. It’s the little things that get me excited about watching this classic. Cocteau’s message in the introduction; the politeness to ask of the audience ‘. . . a little of this childlike simplicity’, referring to his belief that ‘children believe what we tell them’. Also, the subtle pans on a passing subject like an eye being momentarily distracted from its main focus. Everybody knows the tale of Beauty & the Beast, but Cocteau’s interpretation brings with it a sincere beauty very rarely seen in cinema. To describe it as anything less than perfection would be to do it injustice. Direction: 10/10 (Jean Cocteau is truly a master of cinema. His work speaks for itself) Cinematography: 10/10 (Henri Alekan truly captured Cocteau’s vision with confidence) Editing: 10/10 (Claude Iberia merges the imagery seamlessly) Acting: 10/10 (Jean Marais’ captures the beast’s fragility and Josette Day nurtures it) Dialogue: 10/10 (Beautifully poetic, as was common with many European films at the time) Sound: 10/10 (The well balanced sound creates a divine ambience) Effects: 10/10 (Easily ahead of its time and executed with such accuracy) Art Direction: 10/10 (The castles aesthetic is hard to dislike. Every set is painstakingly perfect) Costumes: 10/10 (The team naturally encompass the Beast’s powerfulness and Belle’s purity) Music and/or Score: 10/10 (Auric’s work is mesmerising to say the least. A perfect accompaniment to this lovely fairy tale) Total Score: 100/100 I really could write several pages on the real beauty – this film. Cinema lovers beware, you will fall in love with the beauty.… Full Review »
  2. JeffK
    10
    Magical film.
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