Film Forum

France, 1946
Directed by Jean Cocteau
Starring Jean Marias, Josette Day
In French with English subtitles
Approx. 96 min. 35mm

Cocteau's treatment of the folktale of the village beauty who gives herself up to a fearsome beast as sacrifice for her father's taboo transgression has long been a classic in its own right, using live action and wonderful special effects to achieve a "realism of the unreal." Set in the 17th century of the folk tale's first telling, the magnificent sets and costumes evoke both Vermeer and Doré, while the subtle fast and slow motion camera effects reinforce a truly magical atmosphere.

A brand new edition of Jean Cocteau’s DIARY OF A FILM (Film Desk Books), will be available for purchase at our concession. 

Beginning on August 26, 1945, the day before shooting began, until June 1, 1946, the day after the film was first screened, Jean Cocteau kept a diary of the making of his masterpiece BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Throughout he details every stage of production, as he faces and surmounts numerous obstacles including severe problems with his health, and ultimately the great pleasures of camaraderie with his remarkable collaborators: Jean Marais, Henri Alekan, and Christian Bérard, amongst others. New English translation by Nicholas Elliott.

A JANUS FILMS RELEASE

Reviews

“SUMPTUOUS AND SUBLIME!”
– Dave Kehr

“ONE OF THE MOST MAGICAL OF ALL FILMS!”
– Roger Ebert

“ONE OF THE GREATEST OF ALL CINEMATIC FAIRY TALES!”
– Chicago Tribune  

“PURE JOY!”
– Time Out (London)

“A self-conscious but never precious attempt to revisit childhood fantasies and half-remembered dreams.”
– Tom Huddleston, Time Out

“Before the days of computer effects and modern creature makeup, here is a fantasy alive with trick shots and astonishing effects, giving us a Beast who is lonely like a man and misunderstood like an animal. 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.”
– Roger Ebert

“The influence of Snow White is again obvious, but Cocteau employed Christian Bérard, a designer of genius, whose contribution he warmly acknowledges in his diary. Also unforgettable is the château, with the flambeaux held by magical arms, and the caryatids of the chimney with their moving eyes. Alekan suggested slowing down or increasing the camera speed, which had not been done since the Silent days. Yet the guiding hand was always that of Cocteau: he wrote the screenplay, and as the credited director became the new golden boy of French cinema.”
– David Shipman