Beauty and the Beast (1946) | Blu-ray Review | Criterion Collection
By thisguyoverhere | July 19, 2011
Spine #6
Cast: Jean Marais, Josette Day, Marcel André
Directed by: Jean Cocteau
Written by: Jean Cocteau
Genre: Fantasy
Rating:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Value:
Review:
Video:
This is a darkly lit film to begin with, so there are some inherent contrast issues. After decades and decades of continuous theatrical showings, the image quality of this film was severely jeopardized, which was rectified by creating a brand-new restoration in 1995 taking the best elements from numerous prints throughout the world to create a suitable print for archival purposes. This is the print that the Criterion Collection has brought to us in 1080 high resolution quality. Despite the best efforts of the restoration team, there still remains a few, albeit very few, shots with jitter and low contrast. The remainder of the picture quality presents the darkest of blacks, the whitest of whites, and all the range in-between. Presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio, and tenderly restored, this version is the belle of the ball.
Audio:
Since the monaural audio tracks are stored along the side of the film print, it’s usually one of the first thing to show signs of aging. Any mildew, warping, or general debris will cause the audio to crackle, hiss, hum, or otherwise just sound muddled. While this audio isn’t as pristine as, say, films from even the fifties, the effort to preserve the audio here is quite commendable. The hiss is very minimal, and although present, it’s very consistent so as to never draw too much attention to itself. There are no crackles, pops, or distortion in any other way, shape, or form making this uncompressed monaural track entirely acceptable and enjoyable, though nothing to show off to friends. (Compare the audio of the film to the Philip Glass Opera, which is presented in stereophonic sound for a massive sonic comparison.)
Extras:
Audio Commentary with Arthur Knight
This commentary from 1991 has film historian Arthur Knight explaining his thoughts on Jean Cocteau and the filming of La belle et la bête. He provides thoughtful insights from material he obviously prepared before the recording session. His expertise lends an integral understanding to the magic and appreciation of this film.
Audio Commentary with Sir Christopher Frayling
Recorded in 2001, this track has cultural historian Christopher Frayling also gives background context on Jean Cocteau and his place in twentieth-century art. His commentary is at best when he reflects directly with the images on screen as he provides great depth of knowledge. This track loses steam near the end, but for anyone enamored with Beauty and the Beast, it’s worth a listen.
Philip Glass’s Opera
This alternate audio track is presented to us in awesome stereo sound. Philip Glass’s Opera is based not only upon the original fable, but is greatly influenced by Cocteau’s film. There’s a detailed introduction included in the accompanying booklet. This is a very neat feature to include with a “talkie” film, to see how picture, dialogue, and music can have such a profound effect on one another.
Screening at the Majestic (HD, 26:51)
An interesting documentary that pieces together recent interviews with Jean Marais (the Beast), Mila Parély (one of Belle’s sisters), and director of photography Henri Alekan as well as narration from Cocteau’s private journals which briefly touches on the production of Beauty and the Beast.
Interview with Henri Alekan (HD, 09:15)
This television interview with cinematographer Henri Alekan mostly gives the impact of his experience lighting the film and capturing the magical imagery. He comments on a few shots as they are shown by the reporters.
Secrets Professionnels: Tête-à-Tête (HD, 08:49)
Translated to “Professional Secrets: Face to Face” this segment focuses on Hagop Arakelian, the makeup artist on Beauty and the Beast. It demonstrates his skill and deftness at transforming actors into the characters they portray – however it does not tread into the process for La Belle et la bête.
Original Trailer (HD, 04:04)
Restoration Trailer (HD, 01:56)
Film Restoration (HD, 04:07)
An video piece following the 1995 restoration of the film. What’s even more interesting is how some of the restoration tactics are outdated at this point, making this historically interesting on two accounts.
Stills Gallery
Value:
Upgrading shouldn’t be too hard for consumers to convince themselves of, especially if you own the Essential Art House version. The special features here are pretty comprehensive, the audio commentaries are informative, and of course the accompanying booklet is filled with all kinds of great analysis. Cocteau’s masterpiece is a grand example of the magic of cinema, as well as the magic in cinema. Treat your inner-child and pick this release up immediately, and live happily ever after.
