The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film)
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| The Hunchback of Notre Dame | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Directed by | Gary Trousdale Kirk Wise |
| Produced by | Don Hahn |
| Written by | Victor Hugo (novel) |
| Starring | Tom Hulce Demi Moore Tony Jay Kevin Kline Paul Kandel Jason Alexander Charles Kimbrough Mary Wickes |
| Music by | Alan Menken |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Pictures |
| Release date(s) | June 21, 1996 |
| Running time | 87 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $100,000,000 |
| Followed by | The Hunchback of Notre Dame II (2002) |
| IMDb profile | |
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (also known as The Bells of Notre Dame in some countries) is a 1996 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released to theaters on June 21, 1996 by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fourth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, the film is loosely based on Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. While the basic structure remains, the film differs greatly from its source material. The plot centers on the Gypsy dancer, Esmeralda; Claude Frollo, a powerful and ruthless judge who lusts after her; Quasimodo, the protagonist, Notre Dame's kind-hearted but deformed bellringer, who adores her; and Phoebus, the chivalrous if irreverent military captain, who holds affections for her.
Despite the changes from the original literary source material in order to ensure a G rating, the film does manage to address some rather mature themes; i.e. sexual obsession, infanticide, religious hypocrisy, prejudice, and social injustice. It is also the first Disney movie to use the word "damn", although it is used only in the religious sense. In the DVD audio commentary, the filmmakers note that the gargoyles might exist only in Quasimodo's imagination and thus may well be split of pieces of his own identity.
The film was directed by Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale, and produced by Don Hahn, the directing/producing team behind Beauty and the Beast. The songs for the musical film were composed by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz and featured the voices of Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Tony Jay, Kevin Kline, Paul Kandel, Jason Alexander, Charles Kimbrough, Mary Wickes and David Ogden Stiers. A direct-to-video sequel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame II, was released in 2002.
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[edit] Production
The Hunchback of Notre Dame was the second Disney film directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise after the hugely successful Beauty and the Beast in 1991. The duo had read Victor Hugo's novel and were eager to make an adaptation, but made several changes in order to make the storyline more suitable for children. This included making the film's heroes, Quasimodo, Esmeralda and Phoebus, more kind than in the novel, adding three anthropomorphized stone gargoyles in the form of sidekicks, and keeping Quasimodo and Esmeralda alive at the end.
The film's animators visited Notre Dame for a few weeks, taking hundreds of sketches and photos in order to stay fully faithful to the architecture and detail. Some in-jokes were incorporated into this; for example, the murals inside the cathedral are decorated with the names of the animators. Another example can be found when Phoebus and Quasimodo enter the grave leading to the Court of Miracles; the tombstone is inscribed with the names of the members of the Layout Department, and a caricature of Marec Fritzinger, Head of Layout Department, can be found on the coffin.
The film's attention to detail was praised, especially after the controversy regarding past Disney productions and their "stereotypical" depictions of foreign cultures. This was most notable for Aladdin and Pocahontas, which many felt gave typical Western impressions rather than realistic imagery. The film also featured extensive use of the combination of hand-drawn animation and CGI, such as the computer-generated bells of Notre Dame. Indeed, the film features very complicated animation, included long panning shots and landscapes. The opening scene in the film, which features a very long pan-in of nearly forty seconds, caused the animation computer server to crash twice[citation needed].
Several of the film's voice actors had been sighted from past projects Trousdale and Wise attended. For example, Tony Jay, the voice of Judge Claude Frollo, was selected based on his short role as Monsieur D'Arque in Beauty and the Beast. Also, Paul Kandel, the voice of Clopin, was chosen after the directors saw him playing the role of Uncle Ernie in the opera production of Tommy. Also, Demi Moore was chosen for the role of Esmeralda based on her unusual voice, as the directors wanted a non-traditional voice for the film's leading lady.
[edit] Plot
The movie opens in 1482 Paris with Clopin, a gypsy puppeteer, telling a group of children a story about the bellringer of Notre Dame ("The Bells of Notre Dame"): One night long ago, four Gypsies tried to enter Notre Dame but were stopped by Judge Claude Frollo, the Minister of Justice. One gypsy woman, carrying a bundle, attempts to flee, but is caught and killed by Frollo. Frollo then realizes that her bundle is a deformed baby, which he attempts to drown believing it is an unholy demon. He is stopped by the Archdeacon, who tells him to care for the child to save his own soul from going to Hell for killing an innocent woman. He reluctantly agrees, naming the baby Quasimodo, "...which means 'half-formed.'".
Twenty years pass, and Quasimodo's deformities are evident in his face and crooked back. For the past twenty years, Frollo has locked him in the belltower to "protect" him from the cruel and wicked world below. He insists that Quasimodo should not be among people as cruel as his mother whom "abandoned" him, that he obey Frollo's requests to thank him for taking him in and raising him as his son. Quasi is watched over by his three guardian angels, in the form of stone gargyoles: Victor, Hugo (puns off of the name of the author of the original book Victor Hugo) and Laverne. On January 6, the day of the "Festival of Fools", Frollo realizes Quasi's desire to join the crowd. Frollo warns about how the world will reject him, but Quasi dreams of joining them nevertheless ("Out There").
Meanwhile, Phoebus, Captain of the Guard, returns to Paris after helping "the war effort" for many years (the said war never named nor mentioned). He helps save a gypsy dancer, Esmeralda, from being arrested before meeting Frollo. Frollo tells of his plans to kill the Gypsies in Paris by destroying their sanctuary, known as the Court of Miracles, saying, "The real war, Captain, is what you see before you.". As the Festival begins, the two of them head into town to join and patrol the crowd. At the same time, Quasi sneaks out of the tower in disguise and watches the Festival, where Clopin and the gypsies are performing ("Tospy Turvy").
Amidst the festivities, Quasi briefly meets the beautiful Esmeralda and is fascinated by her. When she dances on stage, Phoebus is fascinated as well, and Frollo is seduced yet disgusted. When the time comes to crown the ugliest member of the crowd as the King of Fools, Quasi is chosen and then crowned (the humorous behavior of the crowd leads Quasi to think he is being honored). Moments later, the crowd ties him down and throws food at him. Despite Quasi's appeals for help, Frollo does nothing, much to the disgust of Esmeralda, who saves Quasi from the crowd before disappearing into Notre Dame. Frollo orders a city-wide search for Esmeralda, believing she is a witch, while an ashamed Quasi promises never to disobey Frollo again.
Phoebus flirts with Esmeralda in Notre Dame, although her pet goat Djali doesn't approve. Frollo finds her but is unable to act because she has claimed sanctuary and is supported by the Archdeacon. While alone, Esmeralda sings of a better world for the Gypsies ("God Help the Outcasts"). She then finds Quasi in the bell tower, and Quasi falls in love with her because she is kind to him. He helps her escape Notre Dame before singing of his love for her ("Heaven's Light").
Meanwhile, Frollo is disturbed by his own lust for Esmeralda and fears eternal damnation as a consequence ("Hellfire"). When informed that Esmeralda has escaped, he goes hunting for her in and around the city. He and his guards begin burning down houses and assaulting people who they suspect of harboring Gypsies. Phoebus intervenes during one of these inquisitions and is shot by Frollo's soldiers. Left by Frollo for dead, Phoebus is saved surreptitiously by Esmeralda. Meanwhile, in the cathedral, the gargoyles reassure Quasi that Esmeralda returns his love ("A Guy Like You"). Moments later, Esmeralda arrives and asks Quasi to keep Phoebus safe; he dislikes Phoebus but agrees out of love for Esmeralda. He is then heartbroken at the obvious affection they display toward one another.
That night, Frollo arrives and tells Quasi that he is going to storm the Court of Miracles the next morning with one thousand soldiers. Quasi and Phoebus venture out and find the Court, but are believed to be spies and are captured by Clopin and the gypsy guard ("The Court of Miracles"). Their "trial" and execution is stopped by Esmeralda, but Frollo, having followed Quasi to the Court with soldiers arrives at the same time. Frollo orders Quasi to be locked in the belltower and arrests everyone else, announcing that Esmeralda will be burned at the stake the following day.
The next day, to the seeming disgust of the large crowd, Frollo is preparing to burn Esmeralda in front of the cathedral. Quasi, his determination restored by the encouragement of the gargoyles, breaks free of his chains and snatches her from the pyre, taking her up to the belltower and claiming sanctuary. Phoebus and the arrested Gypsies break free, incite the citizenry against Frollo's unjust rule, and together storm Notre Dame against Frollo's men. Quasi also pours molten lead from above to scare the guards away, but Frollo manages to break into the cathedral where he finds Quasi weeping over the unconscious Esmeralda. Frollo attempts to kill Quasi, promising to "end his pain," but Quasi fights back.
Quasi and the semi-conscious Esmeralda escape onto the balcony, and Frollo follows. During the battle, Frollo tells the truth about Quasi's origins and almost pulls Quasi down from Notre Dame with his cape, but Quasi cacthes himself and pulls Frollo down with him. Esmeralda grabs the hunchback and tries to pull him up, while Frollo is able to swing up and climb onto a gargoyle. The evil judge then prepares to kill Esmeralda while he dramatically shouts "And he shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the firey pit." (The expression sounds vaguely biblical but is not actually from the Bible.) As Frollo raises his sword, the gargoyle begins to come loose. Frollo drops his sword, slips, and is able to catch himself, but when he looks in the face of the gargoyle, it comes to life in his eyes and changes into a devil-like dog and he screams in terror. Then, finally, the gargoyle breaks and a screaming Frollo plummets into the molten lead below. Quasi falls from the tower himself, but is caught and saved by Phoebus. Quasi then "gives his blessing" to Esmeralda and Phoebus's relationship.
The three of them exit the cathedral triumphantly, but the crowd is still wary of Quasi because of his appearance. When a young girl shows no fear of him, the crowd accepts and honors him with a spontaneous parade, while Clopin sings a reprise of "The Bells of Notre Dame."
[edit] Reception
The Hunchback of Notre Dame opened on June 21, 1996 to very mixed and conflicting reviews, and opinions on the film vary greatly even today. On one hand, Roger Ebert awarded the film four stars out of four and hailed it as "the best Disney animated feature since Beauty and the Beast - a whirling, uplifting, thrilling story with a heart-touching message that emerges from the comedy and song." Near the end of his review, Ebert compared the film favorably to other entries in the Disney Renaissance era, such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King and Pocahontas.[1]
On the other hand, critics such as Marjorie Baumgarten of the Austin Chronicle were less kind, writing that the film "ultimately misses its target, as it's more likely to find acceptance with an older-than-average Disney crowd."[2] Indeed, the film's violence and thematic elements were a particular criticism of such critics, arguing that the film was far less kid-friendly than past Disney features. Some even compared the opening scene in this film to the opening scene in Tim Burton's Batman Returns (Quasimodo and The Penguin being both physically deformed). Generally, critics and viewers agree with James Berardinelli, who awarded the film three stars out of four. Berardinelli praised the film for its "stunning visuals and family entertainment value" but noted that it was "the least-enjoyable animated feature to come from the studio since its 1989 rebirth."[3]
Predictably, a large amount of criticism was provided by fans of Victor Hugo’s novel, who were very unhappy with the changes Disney made to the material. Critics such as Arnaud Laster, a leading scholar on Hugo, accused Disney of simplifying, editing and censoring the novel in many aspects, including the personalities of the characters. In his review, Waiting for Hugo, Laster wrote that the animators "don't have enough confidence in their own emotional feeling" and that the film "falls back on clichés."
In its opening weekend, the film opened in second place at the box office, grossing $21 million. The film saw small decline in later weeks and ultimately grossed just over $100 million domestically and over $325 million worldwide. The film failed to outgross its predecessors, Aladdin, The Lion King and Pocahontas but did outgross other Disney Renaissance films, such as The Little Mermaid and Hercules.
[edit] Characters
Quasimodo - the not-so-average hero in The Hunchback of Notre Dame has a heart of gold. He is the bell ringer of the Notre Dame Cathedral and is told by his guardian Judge Claude Frollo that he is a monster who will never be accepted
Esmeralda - a streetwise gypsy girl who befriends Quasimodo and shows him the beauty of his soul. She is tired of being considered an outcast because she is a gypsy and wants justice
Judge Claude Frollo - a ruthless and corrupt judge who is Quasimodo's guardian
Captain Phoebus - he returns to Paris to be Captain of the Guard under Judge Frollo
Clopin - the King of Gypsies who will defend his people at all cost
Hugo, Victor, Laverne - three gargoyle statues who become Quasimodo's close friends
The Archdeacon - a kind old man who helps many characters
[edit] Crew
| Crew Position | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Gary Trousdale Kirk Wise |
| Produced by | Don Hahn |
| Original Story by | Tab Murphy |
| Screenplay by | Tab Murphy Irene Mecchi Bob Tzudiker Noni White Jonathan Roberts |
| Co-Producer | Roy Conli |
| Songs by | Alan Menken Stephen Schwartz |
| Original Score by | Alan Menken |
| Associate Producer | Phillip Lofaro |
| Art Director | David Goetz |
| Film Editor | Ellen Keneshea |
| Artistic Supervisors | Will Finn (Story supervisor) Ed Ghertner (Layout supervisor) Lisa Keene (Background supervisor) Vera Lanpher-Pacheco (Clean-up supervisor) Christopher Jenkins (Effects supervisor) Kiran Bhakta Joshi (Computer Graphics supervisor) |
| Artistic Coordinator | Randy Fullmer |
| Supervising Animators | James Baxter (Quasimodo) Tony Fucile (Esmeralda) Kathy Zielinski (Frollo) Russ Edmonds (Phoebus) Michael Surrey (Clopin) David Pruiksma (Hugo/Victor) Will Finn (Laverne) Ron Husband (Djali) David Burgess (Archdeacon) |
| Production Manager | Patricia Hicks |
[edit] Differences Between the Book and the Film
Characters in the Novel who aren't in the Film
- Gringoire: An impoverished poet and Esmeralda's husband. In the novel, Esmeralda saves him from being hanged in the Court of Miracles.
- Fleur-de-Lys: In the novel, Phoebus' young fiancee of noble descent, and Esmeralda's female rival. Possibly removed to simplify the plot, also possibly because controversy of promoting infidelity could arise.
- Jehan: Frollo's younger brother, who is always begging Frollo for money. Probably left out of the film because he wasn't seen as a relevant character.
Differences of Characters who appear in the Novel and in the Film
- Frollo: In the film, Frollo appears as cold and hating towards Quasimodo. In the novel, Frollo actually took in the orphaned Quasimodo willingly, and later plots with Quasimodo to kidnap Esmeralda. Also, in the novel, while Quasi does not go out in the open on his own, Frollo does nothing to stop him from leaving the cathedral.
- Phoebus: In the film, Phoebus seems to generally love Esmeralda, and sincerely wants to help the Gypsies. In the novel, Phoebus is truthfully as antagonistic as Frollo, perhaps worse than Frollo. In the book, Phoebus is engaged to be married, and only lusts after Esmeralda. He also is not a friend to the outcasts. In the end of the book, he helps drive them out of Paris, and rejects Esmeralda to be with his fiancee.
- Clopin: In the movie, Clopin is portrayed as a clownish, fun-loving Master of the Revels, and a lighthearted leader of the Gypsies. In the novel, Clopin is just the opposite. His humor in the novel is darker, and his isn't a jester, but rather, a father and serious protector of the outcasts, especially Esmeralda.
Other Notable Differences
- In the film, Esmeralda's execution is done by burning her at the stake. In the novel, she is hanged.
- At the Feast of Fools in the film, Clopin is the Master of Ceremonies. In the novel, Gringoire leads the Festival.
- Quasimodo's past is completely changed in the film. In the novel, he was abandoned at the doorstep of Esmeralda's mother, who in turn was repulsed and gave him up to an orphanage, as opposed to the film, where Quasi's mother died trying to save him from Frollo.
- The ending in the film is a happy ending (as befits Disney). In the novel, only Gringoire, Phoebus, and Fleur-de-Lys remain alive at the end of this classic tragedy, Phoebus and Fleur marry.
- In the film, Esmeralda finds sanctuary in the cathedral after insulting Frollo. In the novel, she only finds sanctuary after Quasimodo saves her from her hanging.
- In the film, Frollo is in active pursuit of the mysteriously hidden Court of Miracles, which is seen as a huge underground city. In the book, Frollo shows no interest in finding the Court of Miracles, and the actual 'court' is no more than a tavern in a poor section of town.
- Esmeralda and Phoebus' relationship in the novel is based a lot more on sex than real love.
- In the novel, Esmeralda marries Gringoire to save him from being hung in the Court of Miracles. In the film, she saves Phoebus and Quasimodo only by telling Clopin who they were.
- In the film, Frollo is killing her on a count of merely suggested 'witchcraft.' In the novel, Esmeralda is formerly charged with the attempted murder of Phoebus (she was, of course, framed by Frollo) Also, in the film, Esmeralda has absolutely no trial. The trial is a huge part of the book.
[edit] Trivia
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame received one Oscar nomination for Best Original Score by Alan Menken.
- Soundtrack features the Goofy holler.
- This was Mary Wickes' last film. She died of cancer before she finished all her lines (Jane Withers provided the remaining dialogue).
- The names of the three gargoyles are Victor, Hugo, and Laverne, after Victor Hugo, author of the original novel, and one of the three Andrews Sisters, LaVerne.
- The name of Phoebus' horse in the film is Achilles. During one of the first scenes where we see Phoebus, he beckons his horse to follow by saying, "Achilles, heel." This is an overt reference to the story of the weakness of Achilles, and this same story is briefly told in the immediately following Disney animated feature, Hercules.
- In the song "Out There", Belle from Beauty and the Beast, the Magic Carpet from Aladdin and Pumbaa from The Lion King can all be seen when the camera zooms in on the citizens of Paris.
- In Japan, the title of this movie was changed to The Bells of Notre Dame because the word "hunchback" is seen as discriminating against the physically disabled, and it is listed on the "taboo words for broadcasting" for Japanese television.
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame is Disney's second animated film to have an interracial couple, Phoebus and Esmeralda, preceded only by Pocahontas and John Smith of Pocahontas.
- Phoebus means sun-god in Greek text; not to be confused with Apollo.
- When Quasimodo helps Esmeralda and Djali escape the cathedral, gargoyles of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck can be seen on the building.
- A popular rumor states that, during the final battle, shapes on the cathedral are Mickey Mouse patterns and that a stone gargoyle of Pumbaa can be seen as well. Both of these rumors are false; they are part of the actual architecture.
- While voice actors are rarely in the same recording room while filming their lines, Charles Kimbrough and Jason Alexander were together while recording "A Guy Like You." Mary Wickes, however, was not.
- The names Quasimodo gives to the bells were featured in the novel.[citation needed]
- During the seize on Notre Dame, there is a scene where LaVerne commands a flock of pigeons to fly into Frollo's soldiers, saying "Fly, my pretties, fly!", just as The Wicked Witch of the West did to her flying monkey minions in The Wizard of Oz. She even makes the same arm motions the Witch did, and the background music is also the same.
- Fragments from many traditional Catholic liturgical pieces appear in the score, notably the Dies Irae (The Bells of Notre Dame, Paris Burning, Sanctuary!), the Confiteor (Hellfire), and the Agnus Dei, or Lamb of God (Humiliation). The Kyrie also appears several times; it is Greek, rather than Latin.
- The speech Phoebus yells to rile the crowd near the end of the movie was originally supposed to be said by Clopin, but the directors thought a "rallying the troops" speech would be more approriate for Phoebus.
[edit] Soundtrack Listing
- The Bells Of Notre Dame - Paul Kandel/David Ogden Stiers/Tony Jay/Choir
- Out There - Tony Jay/Tom Hulce
- Topsy Turvy - Paul Kandel/Choir
- Humiliation (Score) - Alan Menken/Choir
- God Help The Outcasts - Heidi Mollenhauer/Choir
- The Bell Tower (Score) - Alan Menken
- Heaven's Light/Hellfire - Tom Hulce/Tony Jay/Choir
- A Guy Like You - Jason Alexander/Charles Kimbrough/Mary Wickes/Mary Stout
- Paris Burning (Score) - Alan Menken
- The Court Of Miracles - Paul Kandel/Choir
- Sanctuary! (Score) - Alan Menken/Choir
- And He Shall Smite The Wicked (Score) - Alan Menken/Choir
- Into The Sunlight (Score) - Alan Menken
- The Bells Of Notre Dame (Reprise) - Paul Kandel/Choir
- Someday - All-4-One / Eternal (UK only)
- God Help The Outcasts - Bette Midler
[edit] Adaptations
The film was adapted into a darker, more gothic musical production, re-written and directed by James Lapine and produced by the Disney theatrical branch, in Berlin, Germany. The musical Der Glöckner von Notre Dame (translated in English as The Bellringer of Notre Dame) was very successful and played from 1999 to 2002, before closing. A cast recording was also recorded in German. More recently, Bellringer has been considered for a live action TV film on ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney (although the project has apparently stalled), as well as a possible Broadway production.
[edit] Credits
[edit] Voice cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Tom Hulce | Quasimodo |
| Demi Moore | Esmeralda |
| Tony Jay | Judge Claude Frollo |
| Kevin Kline | Captain Phoebus |
| Paul Kandel | Clopin |
| Jason Alexander | Hugo |
| Charles Kimbrough | Victor |
| Mary Wickes | Laverne |
| David Ogden Stiers | The Archdeacon |
| Mary Kay Bergman | Quasimodo's mother |
| Jim Cummings | Additional voices |
Singing voices
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Heidi Mollenhauer | Esmeralda |
[edit] External links
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Internet Movie Database
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Big Cartoon DataBase
| Stephen Schwartz |
|---|
| Music and Lyrics: Godspell • Pippin • The Magic Show • The Baker's Wife • Working • Personals • The Trip • Children of Eden • Wicked • Thiruvasagam Lyrics: Mass • Rags Recordings: Reluctant Pilgrim • Uncharted Territory Films: Pocahontas (lyrics) • The Hunchback of Notre Dame (lyrics) • The Prince of Egypt • Enchanted (lyrics) Television: Geppetto |
| Preceded by Pocahontas |
Walt Disney Pictures 1996 |
Succeeded by Hercules |
