'La Belle et La Bête' (1946) - Film Review

Figure 1: La Belle et La Bête (1946) [Poster]

This review analyses Jean Cocteau’s well known romantic fantasy film La Belle et La Bête (1946),  explicitly focusing on the subject of Carl Jung’s theory of Archetypes and how this relates to character of Belle within the film. Referring to the works of  Kendra Cherry’s ‘What Are the Jungian Archetypes?’ exploring the different types of archetypes within Jung’s theory. Jerome Griswold’s book ‘The meanings of "Beauty and the Beast"’ (2004) and how he compares the character of Belle in terms of her animus. Including the work of Katy Huynh and her presentation ‘Beauty and the Beast (Archetypal Criticism)’ looking at the archetypes Belle fits into within the story, and lastly looking into the work of Keith and Marnie Elliott’s ‘Carl Jung: Man & his symbols’ focusing on the development of Belle’s archetype. The review will explain Jung’s theory of Archetypes, using the character of Belle as a prime example of the theory, then seeing how this compares with Disney’s adaptation Beauty and the Beast (1991) and exploring how the representation of Belles archetypes differ.

La Belle et La Bête tells the story of Belle, a young maiden who serves her father, sisters and brother. Belle is known as the most beautiful woman in the village, peaking the interest of her brothers’ friend, Avenant. Belle’s father goes out and stumbles upon a castle he is not aware belongs to the Beast. Belle’s father goes to take a single rose from the garden due to Belle’s request, and in doing so rages the Beast. Instead of facing his punishment, Belle goes in his place to help save her father. Upon her entrance the Beast is enticed with Belle and offers her his hand in marriage, but how could Belle ever come to love a beast?

Jung is a well-known psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, who came up with the theory of Archetypes. Jung theorised around the human psyche, distinguishing different parts of it. He sectioned them into three components. The ego, representing one’s conscious mind.  The personal unconscious, containing the memories that are supressed, and finally the collective unconscious, which Jung believed housed the experiences and knowledge shared as a species. (K. Cherry. (2018))

From within the collective unconscious, Jung derived the ‘persona’, the image of which people present themselves to the world. The ‘shadow’, comprising the repressed thoughts and anxieties a person may feel. The ‘self’ representing the unified unconsciousness and consciousness of an individual, and the ‘anima/animus’. The anima is within the male psyche which is the unconscious feminine side of a man, while woman have the animus which is the masculine side of the woman’s unconscious. These are some of the main archetypes however, there are many more that come from a shared concept that emerge as themes and characters, they could come from myths, legends, paintings, films and stories. (Psychologistworld.com) This can include archetypes from basic ideas such as the Mother, which is stereotyped as kind, loving and caring, along with the hero archetype which is derived from stories, stereotyped as champion, rescuer, defender, and protector.

Figure 2: The Power of the Unconscious Mind. (2018)

In both the original La Belle et La Bête (1946) and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (1991) adaptation, “Belle is the archetypal heroine of Beauty and the Beast” (K. Huynh 2013).  This is shown through her heroic deeds, In La Belle et La Bête (1946) Belle (Josette Day) sacrifices her life for her father, driven by the love she has for him, trying to protect him as he is weak. Whereas within Disney’s version while the concept of sacrificing herself is still evident, she instead doesn’t know of the consequences that lie when accepting the punishment of her father from the Beast.

Figure 3: Belle and the Beast (1946) [Still]

In La Belle et la Bête (1946), Belle has a clear sense of self and persona, she sees herself as the servant of the house hold and maintains this persona throughout the film never really changing, even when the circumstances around her change, and she is given jewels and riches by the Beast she is still true to herself and the persona she displays.

Figure 4: Belle in her dress (1946) [Still]

This same clear sense of self and persona is also shown within Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (1991). This is clearly depicted in the song ‘Belle’. (see figure 5)

Figure 5: Beauty and the Beast "Belle" | Sing-A-Long | Disney (2016)

In the song the villagers sing “But behind that fair façade, I’m afraid she’s rather odd, very different from the rest of us, she’s nothing like the rest of us. Yes, different from the rest of us is Belle!” (Disney’s Beauty and the Beast 1991). Belle (Paige O'Hara) contrasts with the rest of the villagers, and does not disguise or change her persona to fit in with those around her, she accepts who she is, although this time not a servant like in La Belle et la Bête (1946), but instead accepting that she has dreams and ambitions not common to the rest of the women, who put on multiple personas to impress others such as the likes of Gaston who is not in the original in La Belle et la Bête (1946).

Belle also showcases the shadow archetype throughout both films. “The Beast in ‘Beauty & the Beast’ represents her own animal nature which she must recognize to overcome the one-sided development & education as a "good" person”. (K. and M. Elliot.)  The Beast represents that part of her that she hides away from as she is not able to accept it.

However. Some may argue that the Beast instead is a representation of her animus. “In their interpretation of “Beauty and the Beast”, then, Jungian, critics see the Beast as Beauty’s animus- as part of her personality that she has denied, and excluded, a part that is animal-like and sexual. (J. Griswold (2004)). This makes sense as Belle is surrounded by male characters in both films that would affect her animus.

In the original 1946 version Belle’s animus is influenced by her father, brother, and her brothers’ friend Avenant. Due to all these male characters having an influence on her, Belle then builds up her idealised man. Belle gets intrigued with the idea of a ‘bad boy’ an older man that can show her danger and adventure. (Enlighten 2018) Which also applies to the 1991 version.

In Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (1991) Belle signifies her true desire for adventure in the song ‘Belle reprise’ where she sings about adventure and getting out of her situation that she’s in. “I want adventure in the great wide somewhere, I want it more than I can tell! and for once it might be grand, to have someone understand. I want so much more than they've got planned...” (see fig 6)

Figure 6: Belle (Reprise) - Beauty and the Beast (1991)

The animus is said to have women to desire a man who’s a leader, and a man of his words (Enlighten (2018)) both traits are shown within Beast.  In La Belle et la Bête (1946) a specific scene applying to this would be when getting Beast’s word to let her help her father for a week as he is sick in the 1946 version. (see fig 7)

Figure 7: Belle returning to her father (1946) [Still]

This same principle is also shown within Disney’s adaptation. This time Beast giving Belle his word that he will release her father, if she instead stays in his place. (see fig 8)

Figure 8: Belle taking her fathers place (1991) [Still]

To conclude, Jung’s theory of archetypes is clearly expressed both in La Belle et la Bête (1946) and Disney’s adaptation Beauty and the Beast (1991), with Belle representing a heroine character, protecting her father in both films and giving in to her animus with Beast representing the shadow in which lies the part of her personality she shies away from.

Harvard Illustration List

Figure 1 - J. Cocteau. (N/A). shows the beauty and the beast. Available: http://www.tcap-loisirs.info/2017/10/cinematographe-film-accessible-belle-bete/labelleetlabete/  Last accessed 11/10/2018.

Figure 2: The Power of the Unconscious Mind. (2018). [Im age] Available at: http://allpromindset.com/podcast-episode-32-john-goldman-the-power-of-the-unconscious/ Last accessed 11/10/2018

Figure 3: Belle and the Beast. (1946). [Film Still] At: https://brendancultfilms.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/la-belle-et-la-bete1946-jeancocteau/  Last accessed 11/10/2018

Fig. 4: Belle in her dress (1946) [Film Still] At: https://hr19screensnapshots.wordpress.com/2012/05/13/la-belle-et-la-bete-1946/ Last accessed 11/10/2018

Figure 5: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast "Belle" | Sing-A-Long | Disney (2016) [YouTube] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTUZswZHsWQ Last accessed 12/10/2018

Figure 6: Belle (Reprise) - Beauty and the Beast. ForeverTheDisneyKids [YouTube] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Oni8_k5twU Last accessed 12/10/2018

Figure 7: Roy. (2010). La Belle et La Bête. Available: http://legzy-royefe.blogspot.com/2010/10/la-belle-et-la-bete.html  Last accessed 12/10/2018.

Figure 8: N/A. (N/A). Beast. Available: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Beast  Last accessed 12/10/2018.

Bibliography

Enlighten (2018) Jungian Psychology, The Animus Archetype [YouTube] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KOJl1eLO8Y&t=397s Last accessed 12/10/2018

J. Griswold. (2004). Three: Among the Critics. In: N/A ‘The Meanings of "Beauty and the Beast"’: A Handbook. N/A: Broadview Press. 54.

K. Cherry. (2018). What Are Jung's 4 Major Archetypes? [Online] VerywellMind. Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-jungs-4-major-archetypes-2795439  Last accessed 11/10/2018

K. Huynh. (2013), Beauty and the Beast (Archetypal Criticism). [Online] At: https://prezi.com/oocobgeq04i1/beauty-the-beast-archetypal-criticism/ Last accessed 11/10/2018

K. and M. Elliot. (N/A). CARL JUNG: MAN & HIS SYMBOLS. Available: http://home.primus.ca/~remedy3/MAN%20&%20%20HIS%20SYMBOLS%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20(JUNG).htm  Last accessed 11/10/2018.

Psychologistworld.com. (2018). How Carl Jung's Archetypes and Collective Consciousness Affect Our Psyche. [Online] Available at: https://www.psychologistworld.com/cognitive/carl-jung-analytical-psychology  Last accessed 11/10/2018