Beauty and the Beast

Plot synopsis:
A widower merchant lives in a mansion with his six children, three sons and three daughters. All his daughters are very beautiful, but the youngest, Beauty, is the most lovely, as well as kind, well-read, and pure of heart; while the two elder sisters, in contrast, are wicked, selfish, vain, and spoiled. They secretly taunt Beauty and treat her more like a servant than a sister. The merchant eventually loses all of his wealth in a tempest at sea which sinks most of his merchant fleet. He and his children are consequently forced to live in a small farmhouse and work for their living.
Some years later, the merchant hears that one of the trade ships he had sent off has arrived back in port, having escaped the destruction of its compatriots. Before leaving, he asks his children if they wish for him to bring any gifts back for them. The sons ask for weaponry and horses to hunt with, whereas his oldest daughters ask for clothing, jewels, and the finest dresses possible as they think his wealth has returned. Beauty is satisfied with the promise of a rose as none grow in their part of the country. The merchant, to his dismay, finds that his ship's cargo has been seized to pay his debts, leaving him penniless and unable to buy his children's presents.
During his return, the merchant becomes lost during a storm. Seeking shelter, he enters a dazzling palace. A hidden figure opens the giant doors and silently invites him in. The merchant finds tables inside laden with food and drink, which seem to have been left for him by the palace's invisible owner. The merchant accepts this gift and spends the night there. The next morning, as the merchant is about to leave, he sees a rose garden and recalls that Beauty had desired a rose. Upon picking the loveliest rose he can find, the merchant is confronted by a hideous "Beast" which tells him that for taking his most precious possession after accepting his hospitality, the merchant must die. The merchant begs to be set free, arguing that he had only picked the rose as a gift for his youngest daughter. The Beast agrees to let him give the rose to Beauty, but only if the merchant or one of his daughters will return.
The merchant is upset but accepts this condition. The Beast sends him on his way, with wealth, jewels and fine clothes for his sons and daughters, and stresses that Beauty must never know about his deal. The merchant, upon arriving home, tries to hide the secret from Beauty, but she pries it from him. Her brothers say they will go to the castle and fight the Beast, but the merchant dissuades them, saying they will stand no chance against the monster. Beauty then agrees to go to the Beast's castle. The Beast receives her graciously and informs her that she is now mistress of the castle, and he is her servant. He gives her lavish clothing and food and carries on lengthy conversations with her. Every night, the Beast asks Beauty to marry him, only to be refused each time. After each refusal, Beauty dreams of a handsome prince who pleads with her to answer why she keeps refusing him, to which she replies that she cannot marry the Beast because she loves him only as a friend. Beauty does not make the connection between the handsome prince and the Beast and becomes convinced that the Beast is holding the prince captive somewhere in the castle. She searches and discovers multiple enchanted rooms, but never the prince from her dreams.
For several months, Beauty lives a life of luxury at the Beast's palace, having every whim catered to by invisible servants, with no end of riches to amuse her and an endless supply of exquisite finery to wear. Eventually, she becomes homesick and begs the Beast to allow her to go see her family. He allows it on the condition that she returns exactly a week later. Beauty agrees to this and sets off for home with an enchanted mirror and ring. The mirror allows her to see what is going on back at the Beast's castle, and the ring allows her to return to the castle in an instant when turned three times around her finger. Her older sisters are surprised to find her well fed and dressed in finery. Beauty tries to share the magnificent gowns and jewels the Beast gave her with her sisters, but they turn into rags at her sisters' touch, and are restored to their splendour when returned to Beauty, as the Beast meant them only for her. Her sisters are envious when they hear of her happy life at the castle, and, hearing that she must return to the Beast on a certain day, beg her to stay another day, even putting onion in their eyes to make it appear as though they are weeping. They hope that the Beast will be angry with Beauty for breaking her promise and eat her alive. Beauty's heart is moved by her sisters' false show of love, and she agrees to stay.
Beauty begins to feel guilty about breaking her promise to the Beast and uses the mirror to see him back at the castle. She is horrified to discover that the Beast is lying half-dead from heartbreak near the rose bushes from which her father plucked the rose, and she immediately uses the ring to return to the Beast.
Beauty weeps over the Beast, saying that she loves him. When her tears strike him, the Beast is transformed into the handsome prince from Beauty's dreams. The Prince informs her that long ago a fairy turned him into a hideous beast after he refused to let her in from the rain and that only by finding true love, despite his ugliness, could the curse be broken. He and Beauty are married and they live happily ever after together.

Tags: romantic, fantasy

Review:
Charles Perrault's classic French fairy tale "Beauty And The Beast" has been filmed several times.
The well-known French version with Jean Marias and Josette Day, was filmed in 1946.
But Cannon Films beat them to the punch, producing their live-action musical rendition in 1987.
Starring Rebecca De Mornay as Beauty, and John Savage as The Beast/Prince, this is another good example in their "Movie Tales" series.
Unlike some of their other titles which do NOT cry out for cinematic translation ("The Emperor's New Clothes" jumps to mind), this fairy tale is perfect for visual dramatization.
Cannon's version stays relatively close to the original story, which is more than Disney's did (very little besides the title was retained) and it has great atmospheric photography, especially the scenes in the Beast's garden, which are all the more impressive considering the film's low budget.
Both De Mornay and Savage bring depth to their roles, and, considering neither is a singer, they handle the best songs in the movie ("If You See With Your Heart" and "Wish For The Moon") very well, indeed.
The film is rather slow paced, but, then, so is the original story.
But the climax is packed with traditional emotion, and this is a movie which seems to get better every time I see it.
A wonderful live action rendition of a classic Fairy Tale..
I adored this movie the first time I saw it when I was 16.
I love fairy tales and especially like movies that try to stick to the original story.
These stories have been around for hundreds of years before Disney and there are different versions of each in different countries.
The sets and costuming of this version are beautiful.
(All though some obviously date the film to the late eighties) Rebecca De Mornay is fantastic as the gracious loving creature that can love even a beast.
The way that this is filmed it almost feels as though you are the proverbial fly on the wall, or the statue with eyes.
I think it is a wonderful way to get kids interested in something besides cartoons..
I have always loved Farie Tales, and this is my all time favorite, and I have them all.
With Rebecca de Mornay singing, I never would have imagined she could btw, it's astounding.
John Savage is the most terrific beast I could imagine...
other than in the French movie "Beaute et Le Bete" or whatever it's called *lol*.
It's an even better version than the Disney Cartoon, which is also one of my favorites.
True, it was low budget and John Savage never has appealed to me as a male romantic lead, but scenes of it were always so beautiful, taking inspiration from the 1946 classic La Belle et la bête.
Not to sound like a sap, but there is a part in this movie that I always thought was wonderfully done.
During one of the songs, Beauty is pretending to dance with her dream prince, meanwhile, in another room, Beast (who is actually her dream prince unbeknownst to her)is pretending to dance with Beauty.
For a B-Children's movie, I thought that was cool..
Beautiful Movie.
This was mine and my sister's favorite movie growing up.
We used to watch it all the time and sing along and even act the scenes out sometimes.
The sets and costumes are beautiful.
I've always had a soft spot for Rebecca DeMorney since seeing this movie.
She was perfect as Beauty and has a gorgeous singing voice.
I'm twenty now and I still put the movie in now and then and am surprised that I still enjoy it as much as I did as a little girl.
Colorful European setting and beautiful Rebecca De Mornay.
Good live action adaptation of the classic story.
Rebecca De Mornay is perfect as the wholesome kind-hearted Beauty who lives with her wealthy father and grown brothers and sisters.
She is not unhappy and is able to tend to her family's needs with little effort, however she does wish to have some time of her own.
The family goes broke, moves to the country, and Beauty is just as happy poor as rich.
Her father stumbles across the Beast's castle and escapes imprisonment by having Beauty stay in his place.
The Beast and castle are not unlike the Disney stage version, however there are no dancing silverware or clocks here, but the statues come to life.
Ultimately the film is saved by a wonderful performance by Rebecca De Mornay who simply melts hearts, sings like an angel, and warms the cold corners of any castle..
This movie had a huge impact on me as a kid.
I was about 10 when I first saw it..and since then I've watched it countless times.
I would watch it everyday as a kid, memorised the entire script and lyrics and recite them, sing before while I lie in bed at night before sleeping.
Rebecca has really surpassed being a great actress...being able to sing beautifully.
She was the MAGIC in the entire movie.
The songs are sweet and suited for this musical..it's no Mary Poppins, but it sure showed Rebecca's singing talent.
Forget Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
Watch Cannon's Beauty and the Beast for a real treat..
If you have watched Beauty and the Beast animation and think you will going to see the same story, think again.
Maybe this is a fair adaptation of the classical story but the problem is that it is pretty boring.
You see Beauty walking around in the castle and having dreams about a prince.
In the evening she has dinner with Beast who really doesn't look that scary or does not come across as mean (which he is supposed to be in the beginning).
I can understand that Beauty does say no as he never spends time with her during daytime.
Unlike other Cannon movie Tales I didn't like this one at all.
Okay, DeMornay is quite nice to look at, but the prince looks like a cheap body builder from a cheap advertisement.Yeah, the costumes were nice.
In the end you just don't understand why she stayed with the prince and fell in love with him cause the dude is boring as hell and delivers one stupid line after another.Never before have I felt less while watching a movie.I guess the two best adaptions of this tale are still the Disney one and the one by Jean Cocteau, with Jean Marais playing the prince / the beast.
Go watch those instead and save your time on this empty flick..
Beauty (Rebecca De Mornay) is a dutiful considerate girl who takes care of her four frivolous siblings.
News arrive that their ship survived and father goes off to retrieve the ship promising to bring back gifts for everyone and a rose for Beauty.
On the way back, he seeks shelter in the castle of the Beast (John Savage).
The Beast allows him to go home and retrieve one of his daughters to take his place willingly.
Beauty goes back with his father and takes his place at the castle.
In return, the Beast gives father 2 chests filled with treasures to take back.The Golan-Globus production is pretty cheesy.
It's a poor production that rests solely on the talents and beauty of Rebecca De Mornay.
The look of the beast is reasonable if a little stiff.
Beauty (Rebecca De Mornay, young and very, very lovely) lives with her father, sisters and brothers in ye olden times.
Beauty is the unspoken "caretaker" of the family, the one who makes their lives easier with her devoted attention to their needs.
The father, a merchant, has been struggling but he hears that a ship of his has come in.
Terribly distraught, he runs into a storm on the journey home and finds shelter in a large mansion with beautiful grounds.
After a night of comfort, and without meeting the home owner, father is exiting the gardens when a rose catches his eye and he picks it for Beauty.
Immediately, a man-beast (John Savage) rushes into view and snarls the bad news.
But, once back home, the whole story tumbles out and Beauty agrees to take his place and spend the rest of her days at the distant mansion.
Since she won't take "no" for an answer, Beauty soon is installed in her new surroundings.
She receives beautiful new clothing and lovely rooms.
But, reality soon comes calling with the entrance of the beast.
This is a lovely, long-ago musical adaption of the classic story but not, of course, in the same category as the brilliant animated version.
De Mornay makes a beautiful beauty while Savage does a fine, sympathetic turn as the spellbound beast.
The music, while pleasant, is not very memorable but the costumes and sets are more than adequate.
Best of all, the film is a very "family-friendly" flick.
Therefore, if you want to show a nice romantic film to a crowd of young females, this is a wonderful choice, for it has no objectionable material or themes.
If you want to watch a true work of cinematic art, then watch this movie.
This movie is good because of the acting of the two leads, Rebecca De Mornay and John Savage.
Their excellent acting ensures that this movie does not become just another corny Hollywood contrivance or another twisted and distorted interpretation of a classic story.
Mr. Savage's interpretation of the Beast is endearing for both children and adults and along with Ms. De Mornay's portrayal of Beauty makes this movie something that all can enjoy..
I caught this on a Saturday morning movie slot on my television, and was amazed and appalled by the blatant lifting of almost all the design elements from Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast.
Christian Berard did the sets and costumes for the 1947 French classic version of the fairy tale, and no one could touch it for richness of nuance and detail.
And it makes me a bit mad that the producers of the G/G version tried to simply make a colorized version of it, down to the make-up on the Beast, some of Beauty's hairstyles, the arms in the hallway holding the lamps and even quite a number of the camera angles.
Nice fable with light, but too little music.
This musical film of "Beauty and the Beast" is a good rendition of the 1740 French fairy tale by novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve.
It's a more contemporary version of the fable, but with very good sets, camera work and performances overall.
The costuming is especially good for Beast.
The movie was filmed entirely in Israel.
It's a decent family film that most children should enjoy..
and this is the necessary virtue of an adaptation of a fairy tale.
Rebecca de Mornay and Yossi Graber and John Savage are perfect choices for theirs roles and the atmosphere and dialogues impress for the define the precise target of film - the children.
but this version of Beauty and the Beast is impeccable.
and almost a model for the right manner to translate in image the heart of a story about love, sacrifice and happiness.
the delicacy , the air of the late "80's, the slow and careful exposure of events are inspired options for recreate a form of magic who open the doors to a real lovely fairy tale..
Once upon a time and what seems like eons ago...
I had quite the collection of children's movies at the time.
Some of those movies were viewed so very many times then and over the years by many children, including my own.
This is one of those movies that all the children begged to see over and over again.
Now all but one of my children have grown and will soon leave the nest (I pray :-) Not all of the movies I acquired over the years have stood the test of time.
Alas we come to those that are worn, torn and tattered and exceedingly loved.
She is a fan of fairy tales and has always liked the story of Beauty and the Beast, so we pick it up.
Now, the costumes ware great, and the sets were nice.
Unfortunately, the rest of the movie lacked somewhat.
I don't think the father could have looked any less interested in his part if he'd have tried.
The brothers and sisters tried looking pompous, but came off as looking like they needed a few more acting lessons.
The only actor to come even close to deMornay was Beast/Prince, and he still looked like he studied at the Shatner School.
The acting quality and the way scenes were framed had me constantly thinking that we had accidentally picked up a porn movie.
I can see that they tried to put on a good show, and for what it's worth, this makes for a good couple hours of quality time with the kids.
I happened to catch this movie on the Disney channel one night when I was about 12.
I absolutely adored it as I am I huge John Savage fan.
While the 1946 Jean Cocteau and 1991 Disney versions are superior films of the timeless fairy tales, Cannon Movie Tales' 1987 adaptation is very worthy and one of the better Cannon Movie Tale films.Beauty and the Beast (1987) is one of their best-looking films, Cannon's films were always made on a low budget but Beauty and the Beast is one of the few where it is not so painfully obvious.
The film's very beautifully photographed, the sets are surprisingly lavish and atmospheric, especially the gardens and the castle is like a magisterial character in itself and from personal opinion Beauty and the Beast is the Cannon Movie Tale film with the best costume design, here being one of the highlights rather than a flaw.
The music is quite good, not as memorable as the score and songs in Disney's version but they stand just fine on their own and fit well into the film.
The incidental music is charmingly whimsical, and while only If You See With Your Heart stands out as truly great out of the songs (Wish for the Moon is also lovely, but not quite as emotion-filled) they're all listenable and do nothing to hinder the story.The story of Beauty and the Beast is a timeless one, and while there are changes the basic details are intact structured faithfully and the enchanting spirit is too.
Pacing is steady and controlled, very like the pacing of the fairy tale's story itself, the film doesn't suffer at all from trying to make a short story seem longer (a problem that The Frog Prince and especially The Emperor's New Clothes had) and the ending is very emotional.
Beauty and the Beast's chemistry has a subtle intensity and a real poignancy too.
Rebecca De Mornay radiates innocence and beauty, and plays Beauty charmingly and touchingly, showing herself to be a quite decent singer too.
John Savage shows very good chemistry with her, and is similarly very good as the Beast, giving off a scary but also tragically tormented figure and aided by good make-up.While there is not a lot here actually that is wrong in Cannon Movie Tales' version of Beauty and the Beast, there are a couple of not-so-good areas.
The two leads come off very well but the supporting roles are stockly written and overplayed, the siblings resort to quite embarrassing mugging and Beauty's father has rarely if ever been more unsympathetically portrayed.
While Savage really impresses as the Beast, he is rather wooden as the Prince, which is not entirely his fault actually because Beast has always been a juicier and more interesting character which gives more scope to do much with the role.
The writing does avoid being too cheesy and cloying and it is decent writing for a Cannon Movie Tale film, but can get a bit stiff in places especially in the early parts before Beast appears and when Beauty and the Beast are not on screen together.All in all, there are some really beautiful things here, and of the Cannon Movie Tale films their version of Beauty and the Beast is one of their best.
was a good price and having loved a few of the diff beauty and the beast movies was interested to see what It was like I liked it a lot ...
was a lil diff from the other versions as in they didn't interact as much with outsiders (when they got together) but Loved how he came to her every night and had their talks ...
would have been nice to see a version like the story/ cartoon where she has to race against the rose in the jar to save him ..
but the twist instead of the rose here was lovely :) a nice old fashioned romance / movie and would recommend to anyone ....
I grew up with the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast.
I was hesitant to watch this film, but ended up enjoying it.
The music is a bit annoying at times, but its sweet as well.
The costumes were exquisite and beautiful.
The only real problem I had with this movie was some of the minor inconsistencies, but other than that I had fun watching it.
This obviously isn't Oscar worthy, but when I show my kids movies, I think I'll show this one every once in a while.
The acting was good, and I enjoyed it overall.
a delightful musical tale.
This movie is a delightful live action musical rendition of the beauty & the beast tale.
My family throughly enjoyed it, despite the obvious low budget production.
Rebecca De Mornay does a great job as beauty (although I personally don't care for her singing voice) and John Savage is wonderful as Beast.Possible spoiler**** I was especially impressed with the scene when Beauty dances with the statues.