One element that I found interesting from Cocteau’s “La Belle et La Bête” was the ending of the story when the Beast transforms into the prince, revealing a more sophisticated and chiseled version of Avenant, Belle’s original suitor. What I also found interesting was when Avenant was shot by the statue Diana, he himself turned into the Beast. One reason for this subtle change could have been to showcase the fact that although Belle loved Avenant (as well as the Beast), she could not live with him, therefore transforming the Beast into a Prince Charming hybrid of the Beast’s character with Avenant’s good looks.
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I was confused at the end when Beauty said that she loved Avenant. I got the idea that she actually never did love him as he didn't seem like all that great and virtuous of a guy. Yet she does say this in the end and I wondered if it was only to make the beast happy because he now looked like Avenant.
ReplyDeleteI like your interpretation of the transformations from beast to man and man to beast. However, Cocteau makes a real departure from Beaumont's edition. Does the edit change the story too much? Should he be allowed these liberties?
ReplyDeleteCocteau is free to his own interpretation of the text -- although this ending is slightly unconventional, I believe it gets the viewer thinking.
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