The Most Beautiful Story Ever Told

Rating: 10/10 (4 June 2009)

I saw this movie as a child, and liked it OK.
As the years passed, the VHS sat in the corner of my room and collected dust. We moved, and my family lost the copy of it. Strangely, one day, while opening an unopened box, I stumbled across some old Disney movies, and a beat up VHS player. So I hooked it up, and put in Beauty and the Beast on a whim.
The only word I could use to describe the experience is: stunning.
From the low drone of the tuba at the start of the movie accompanying the enchanting story of a selfish heart, to the triumphant end with some of the most beautiful animation I have ever seen... I was astounded.
The artists from the movie were brilliant. The beast was Perfectly scary enough to still be human, and Belle was normal enough to be beautiful. The colors used throughout the movie are perfect. The use of warm, dark colors moved with the story, creating a very atmospheric setting, relaxing enough to lull one into a dream.
Aside from the art, the music is impeccable. Every catchy tune repeatedly pops into my head just thinking about the movie. The orchestration flows smoothly throughout the movie, blending remarkably with the art, and the story.
Finally.... The story. The story is one of the most beautiful love stories of all time. The idea that a beautiful (stubborn) girl could ever fall in love with a hideous, but troubled beast- even with an evil man trying to split true (yet, perhaps, undiscovered) love apart- is so pleasing and encouraging to everyone with a heart. Whole, broken, or mended.
So, whether you watch the movie every day, or just remembered that it was in a box in the attic, you can surely appreciate the beautiful art, music, and message which is presented in this masterpiece.