Jean Cocteau Beauty and the Beast

(aka 'Beauty and the Beast')

directed by Jean Cocteau
France 1946

Once upon a time, in a world of magic and wonder, the true love of a beautiful girl may finally dispel the torment of a feral but gentle-hearted beast. Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la Bête) is a landmark feat of cinematic fantasy in which master filmmaker Jean Cocteau conjures spectacular visions of enchantment, desire, and death that have never been equaled.

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DVD Comparison:

Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC vs. RE-RELEASE Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC

(Criterion R0 - NTSC-Left vs. Criterion RE-RELEASE - NTSC-Right)

DVD Box Covers	CLICK to Enlarge	CLICK to Enlarge
Dist.	Criterion Region 0 - NTSC	Criterion Region 1 - NTSC
(click titles for DVDBeaver reviews) Also available in The Essential Art House - 50 Years of Janus Films (without the extras) is a 50-disc celebration of international films collected under the auspices of the groundbreaking theatrical distributor. It contains Alexander Nevsky (1938), Ashes And Diamonds (1958), L'avventura (1960), Ballad Of A Soldier (1959), Beauty And The Beast (1946), Black Orpheus (1959), Brief Encounter (1945), The Fallen Idol (1948), Fires On The Plain (1959), Fists In The Pocket (1965), Floating Weeds (1959), Forbidden Games (1952), The 400 Blows (1959), Grand Illusion (1937), Häxan (1922), Ikiru (1952), The Importance Of Being Earnest (1952), Ivan The Terrible, Part II (1958), Le Jour Se Lève (1939), Jules And Jim (1962), Kind Hearts And Coronets (1949), Knife In The Water (1962), The Lady Vanishes (1938), The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp (1943), Loves Of A Blonde (1965), M (1931), M. Hulot's Holiday (1953), Miss Julie (1951), Pandora's Box (1929), Pépé Le Moko (1937), Il Posto (1961), Pygmalion (1938), Rashomon (1950), Richard III (1955), The Rules Of The Game (1939), Seven Samurai (1954), The Seventh Seal (1957), The Spirit Of The Beehive (1973), La Strada (1954), Summertime (1955), The Third Man (1949), The 39 Steps (1935), Ugetsu (1953), Umberto D. (1952), The Virgin Spring (1960), Viridiana (1961), The Wages Of Fear (1953), The White Sheik (1952), Wild Strawberries (1957), Three Documentaries By Saul J. Turell plus the hardcover, full color 240-page book.
Runtime	1:32:48	1:33:42
Video	1.37:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 4.89 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.37:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.60 NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Criterion - old
Bitrate: Criterion re-release
Audio	French (Dolby Digital 1.0)	French (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
Subtitles	English and none	English and none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Home Vision Entertainment Theatrical Release Date: December 23, 1947 Aspect Ratio(s): Full Screen (Standard) - 1.37:1 Edition Details: • Region 0 encoding • Black & White • Commentary by critic Arthur Knight • A documentary on the movie and the fable • The original fable translated into English DVD Release Date: June 2, 1998 Keep Case Chapters 32	Release Information: Studio: Home Vision Entertai Theatrical Release Date: December 23, 1947 Aspect Ratio(s): Full Screen (Standard) - 1.37:1 Edition Details: • Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only) • Black & White, Dolby • Commentary by writer/cultural historian Sir Christopher Frayling • Commentary by film historian Arthur Knight • Stills Gallery ( 150 static screens ) • New high-definition transfer • Original opera written for the film by renowned composer Philip Glass • Screening at the Majestic, 1995 documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew (26:40) • Interview with cinematographer Henri Alekan (9:12) • Rare behind-the-scenes and publicity stills • Original 1945 trailer narrated and directed by Cocteau (4:03) • A note about the film by Cocteau • Film restoration demonstration (4:07) • 1995 restoration trailer (1:55) • A reprint of Mme. Leprince de Beaumont's original fable translated from the French • Notes by Francis Steegmuller, from the definitive book Cocteau: A Biography • New and improved English subtitle translation DVD Release Date: February 11th, 2003 Keep Case Chapters 19

Comments:

Initially I am surprised Criterion redid this one. I would have thought that the original DVD was about as good as a 50+ year old film could look considering the slight damage. Now after saying that you can sure tell the difference between the 'old' and the 'new'. The black and white image on the new version is much more true with no faded sepia-ish coloring and the contrast is distinctly improved. Sound has also been bumped up to a choice between 5.1 and mono. MANY more extras. The new version also has a cute opening with the major players wiping their names off a blackboard. Superb Criterion! Full marks for this one!

P.S. The 'Glass Opera' sounds awesome !

- Gary W. Tooze

Recommended Reading in French Cinema (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)


The Films in My Life by Francois Truffaut, Leonard Mayhew	French Cinema: A Student's Guide by Philip Powrie, Keith Reader	Agnes Varda by Alison Smith	Godard on Godard : Critical Writings by Jean-Luc Godard	Notes on the Cinematographer by Robert Bresson	Robert Bresson (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs, No. 2) by James Quandt	The Art of Cinema by Jean Cocteau	Truffaut: A Biography by Antoine do Baecque and Serge Toubiana