"Beauty and the Beast"
Jun. 3rd, 2004 08:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stoutfellowThis evening I watched Cocteau's version of Beauty and the Beast. It's quite a film; it isn't flashy like, er, certain other versions, but it packs considerably more emotional punch. There's really a clear sense of the Beast's suffering as a result of his attachment to Belle, for example. There's also a scene in which Belle sees the Beast lapping water from a pool; a bit later, she offers him water from her own hands, and he drinks. It's a distinctly intimate scene, and lends credibility to the idea of her growing affection for him. The special effects are quite good, as well.
I've been leafing through the Encyclopedia of Fantasy. It's recent enough to mention the film version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but not the series; Hercules and Xena are likewise absent. (It's rather odd; there is an entry for Achilles, but none for Hercules - not even for the animated series, ca. 1970. Surely Hercules is a more significant figure in the history of fantasy than Achilles?) There is no entry for George Meredith, which is a shame; The Shaving of Shagpat has nearly as good a claim to appear as any of the versions of the Aladdin story, I should think. (Heck, if Dumbo deserves an entry...) Not to say that it's a bad book; I've enjoyed what is there, but I wish some of what isn't were.
I've been leafing through the Encyclopedia of Fantasy. It's recent enough to mention the film version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but not the series; Hercules and Xena are likewise absent. (It's rather odd; there is an entry for Achilles, but none for Hercules - not even for the animated series, ca. 1970. Surely Hercules is a more significant figure in the history of fantasy than Achilles?) There is no entry for George Meredith, which is a shame; The Shaving of Shagpat has nearly as good a claim to appear as any of the versions of the Aladdin story, I should think. (Heck, if Dumbo deserves an entry...) Not to say that it's a bad book; I've enjoyed what is there, but I wish some of what isn't were.
