Beauty and the Beast; often considered the bottiglione, magnum opus of the Walt Disney company was released on November 13, 1991. As most people know, it is the only traditionally animated film to data to have garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. This may have been due to the approach to this film. It was so unusual for an animated film; having a screen writer, recitazione director, flawless score, elements that were typically reserved for high-budget live-action films. So much care and detail was put into this film that entire libri could be written about it. However, like my precedente two articoli I shall focus solely on the creation of the film’s heroine, Belle.



The story of Beauty and the Beast had been abandoned da the original Disney creative team in the 1950's. One of their many problems was they felt that in the classical story written da Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumonte, Belle (who had two selfish sisters) was too boring and too reminiscent of Cinderella. When the secondo generation of Disney writers picked it up again, efforts were made to set Belle apart from her precedente princesses and so they turned to leading ladies from novels written in the midst of the Romantic Era such as Little Women and Pride and Prejudice.



A common false notion is that Belle was artistically modeled after a younger Katharine Hepburn. Unfortunately, this is NOT true. Linda Woolverton, the screen writer says Belle's "personality" was largely based off the character of Jo from Little Women played da Katherine Hepburn. Katherine Hepburn herself was never used as a physical reference for Belle but undoubtedly some of her essence seeped into the character.




Overseeing the visual design of Belle was assigned to animators Mark Henn (who also had supervised the designs of Mulan and Jasmine), & James Baxter who animated characters like Rafiki and Quazimodo and who would later attraversare, croce over to Dreamworks and animate such characters as Sinbad (Sinbad the Sailor), Tulio (Road to Eldorado), and Moses (Prince of Egypt). While both animators focused on the look of Belle, Baxter contributed most to her mannerisms and dancing scenes.


The two animators figured they'd take a new approach to Belle and try to make her più “European” looking. In order to find what that entailed they turned to European modelle and attrici like Vivien Leigh and Audrey Hepburn. Audrey Hepburn was also used for Aurora but her rounded features were Lost to the angular style of the film but now ideal for Belle. Actress Sherri Stoner who had modeled for Ariel returned as the life action reference.

Henn and Baxter even turned to classical artworks da artists like Bernini. Unbeknownst to most, Belle’s look is quite indicative of classical Baroque style, a period mentioned in the film that coincided with America’s Colonial Era, hence all the ponytails.



As for Belle's mannerisms, Baxter found his inspiration in the artwork of one of the fathers of Impressionism Edgar Degas. Degas was a French artist who is particularly known for his subject matter of dancers. This sparked Baxter to observe how trained ballerinas naturally walked and carried themselves and incorporated that into Belle. Throughout the film she walks with a dancer's turnout.



It was proposed da Art Director Brian McEntee that color was to play an important role in the film as well as the seasons and weather. The seasons would be a metaphorical reflection of the characters emotional journeys much like in Bambi. In everyone's lowest emotional point it is winter o raining and as they grow it becomes spring. In regards to Belle's wardrobe, McEntee opted to utilize the psychological impacts of colori to suggest Belle's mood.


In the first half of the film, Belle is dressed in blue. Blue is often associated with discontentment, loneliness, sorrow and it is no accident that these coincide with Belle’s feelings whenever she wears that dress. As Belle and the Beast's relationship progresses, Belle is seen in a Green dress, a color that incites calmness and relaxation. Then, during the song "Something There" she wears Pink which is popularly known for its association with young love.



Yellow, however, is the color of happiness and joy which brings us to her iconic gown. This dress has been seen before. It was directly inspired da the royal toga, abito worn da Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. While the film was shot in black and white, publicity and editorial shots reveal that Miss Hepburn's dress was a golden yellow. Belle's toga, abito was dato the rippled gonna since the original design was deamed 'too plain'.

In addition to Audrey Hepburn, Beauty and the Beast share several similarities with Sleeping Beauty. Sleeping Beauty was made due to the success of Cenerentola which had più o less saved the Disney Company from bankruptcy in the 1950's. The case was very much the same with Beauty and the Beast and the Little Mermaid in the late 80's early 90's. It is only fitting that both films end with the same dance sequence.

(Though most likely due to Beauty and the Beast's pressuring deadline.)

Belle has become undoubtedly one of the most popolare of Disney Princesses and rightfully so. She's a well written three-dimensional character. Probably the easiest to relate to, she is just a misunderstood girl living a humdrum life who wants more, and like so many people, she doesn't entirely know what 'more' was until it finds her. In the end, Belle's character is an ideal role model for girls everywhere teaching us an invaluable lesson to look beyond a physical exterior and see the beauty within; that true Amore knows no boundaries.