directed by Jean Cocteau (1946)
Jean Cocteau‘s masterful La Belle et la Bete (Beauty and the Beast) is a highly influential and romantically fantastic visual feast. Coppola drew inspiration for his schlocky but fun Dracula and I personally was highly inspired when I made my very first film project in college (which, sadly, I no longer have a copy of).
Taking the classic fairy tale and adding the intrigue of a villainous suitor (a story update which was taken on in the Disney animation), the film is still a fairly faithful adaptation that has remained a beloved gem (Stevie Nicks is a huge fan) for decades. The costumes, which drip with jewels and drape dreamily are exquisite and the sets are surreal and dreamlike.
Fans of film making should put this to the top of their lists if they’ve never seen it. See a gallery below/after the jump.
But what do you think?