It's not surprising that Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve's classic novel should be adapted into a cinematic form of a harder horror edge; the fairy tale of monsters, sorcery, and dark fantasy is primed for it. What is surprising, perhaps, is that there aren't more such adaptations, and that in 2023 it should be an Icelandic production filmed in English to make that leap. Mind you, it's not that 'Belle' is dripping from top to bottom with crimson and viscera; this remains grounded in dark fantasy more than not. It's just that the violence is more plainly visualized; the tone is darker, more somber, and more subdued than in other versions of de Villeneuve's saga; and there are stronger notes of atmosphere and grim tension. With this in mind, for all the splendor the story has boasted over the years in its various iterations, and for all the potential of one that doesn't shy away from the drearier side of the story, this picture doesn't make a strong first impression, and it may not uniformly be the best answer to one's wishes. Yet it's very smartly written and crafted, and a low-key joy, and well worth exploring on its own merits. More than that, when all is said and done I think it easily turns around and shows that its strength far outweighs any meaningful criticism. To my pleasant surprise, I think this is fantastic!
I'm certainly not familiar with every regional variation on 'Beauty and the beast'; I can only trust, but do not know, that this comports more to a rendition that other viewers around the world would be accustomed to. In the very least, it's safe to say that Max Gold's cinematic interpretation differs significantly from those of many others. 'Belle' strips away all the grandiosity and pretense: there is no castle; the "beast" is but a man with a terrible, deadly curse upon him; the number of characters is reduced to a select few, and it's Belle's own father, saved by her sacrifice, that also wishes to save her from the beast. While marked with (slightly) greater doses of blood and gore, the path to the union between beast and beauty is overall less arduous, but also less romantic as it presents, though the tinges of humor remain intact even through the overarching horror. In every capacity the writing is more bare-faced, sometimes stopping just short of "blunt," and this applies equally to the characterizations, scene writing, narrative, plot development, and not least the dialogue - though within that slant, there is nevertheless a welcome, entrancing flavor of small poetic flourish.
Yet don't take these detached observations of relative simplicity to suggest that the feature isn't still rich and enchanting, because nothing could be further from the truth. The filming locations, landscapes across Iceland, couldn't possibly be more gorgeous, and there is a brilliant, spellbinding quality to these vistas alone that adds to the understated majesty of the presentation. For as much as Gold removed from his screenplay the ornamentation that many folks know best, ever in his direction does he aim to retain the fancifulness of the saga, the innocence and charm of Belle, the hidden good within the beast - the core essence - while also infusing it with a deep, unexpected air of heartfelt sincerity, and tragedy. This rendition is marked with more stark violence, yes, but rather than be the sort of genre piece to glorify the brutality, this is one in which the violence feels appropriate, as if the tale couldn't be told in any other way, and moreover it helps to accentuate the softer and more beautiful moments of the tale. At the outset the approach Gold adopts seems strange and off-putting, yet the movie proves its worth in its own time. This is a version of 'Beauty and the beast' in which the magic isn't so much seen right in front of our eyes as it is simply, earnestly felt. And that makes it at least as impressive as more famous, celebrated versions.
In every other capacity this is wonderfully well made: splendid stunts and effects; lovely costume design, hair, and makeup; terrific art direction, cinematography, editing, and more. The cast shine even through the more reserved bent of the project, and between Andrea Snaedal, Ingi Hrafn Hilmarsson, Gudmundur Thorvaldsson, and Hana Vagnerová, among others, I'm hard-pressed to say any one actor stands out above another in their excellence. While sticking to the background, Matt Orenstein's score lends ably to the mood of any given scene. And for whatever else one might say of Gold's writing, the narrative and scene writing are firm and compelling, and the tenor he took in tackling this title is tremendously fascinating - ultimately somewhat bewitching - and definitely entertaining, satisfying, and rewarding. Truthfully, I had mixed expectations when I sat to watch, just because the world has already seen its fair share of de Villeneuve on celluoid, and the genre labels appended to this iteration didn't necessarily inspire confidence. Doubts remained in the early part of the length as Gold's unique spin on the classic took some time to establish itself, and I needed time to acclimate. When all is said and done, however, I am gratified by just how sharp and thoughtful 'Belle' is, and it has easily beaten whatever assumptions I may have had from the outset. It won't appeal to all, but for fans of the fairy tale and for especially for those who appreciate the more discreet and underhanded side of genre fare, I think this is very much worth seeking out. I, for one, had a fabulous time watching 'Belle,' and I'm of the mind that it deserves far more viewership and recognition. Cheers!
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