The hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), although it is a children’s film, has a dark plot and difficult to digest, I do not mean the joyful darkness, like Jack’s Strange World, or the terrifying darkness that occurs in The Magic Cauldron, one of Disney’s great acquaintances. No, the darkness of the Hunchback of Notre Dame has nothing to do with it; it’s a different, real, raw darkness, maybe for the same reason many kids in the ’90s didn’t appreciate it.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is no stranger to a movie, as it has good publicity, good reviews and good recommendations, however, when it was released, many of us were young to understand it, and perhaps that is why the film was not in the film of Disney. Top 10.
- For this reason.
- He was not very well received by the children and placed in the trunk of oblivion.
- On the other hand.
- Although there are few Disney films hiding a confusing plot and analytical context.
- Notre Dame’s Hunchback leaves.
- It departs from Disney’s stereotype and shows us a story full of criticism of society and power.
- Especially that of the Church.
The film is based on Victor Hugo’s book Notre-Dame de Paris, published in 1831, a fact that also led to the rejection of the followers of the French writer, who hoped to find an even darker and more faithful work to the original. Unsurprisingly, Disney has softened a play that has few sweets, so that children don’t get out of the cinema in terror. However, even with this effort, the film proved quite horrific to many of them.
Disney’s adaptation of Hugo’s novel is not the only one, as there are more wefty ones aimed at adult audiences, such as The Emerald Cigana (1936) and Le Bossu de Notre-Dame (1956). perspective, we realize that we are facing a great animated film with fascinating scenarios and a message that surprises us and conquers us.
The main difference with the original work of Victor Hugo is that of the character of Judge Frollo. In the original version, Frollo is the archdeacon of Notre Dame, while in the Disney version he is a judge, which is quite understandable, given that the film is aimed at a child audience.
The image of the Church is quite discredited in the film because, although we present Frollo as a judge, the character is closely related to the cathedral, has strong religious beliefs and sometimes his costumes are very similar to that of the clergyman.
Frollo should be a lawyer, a respectable and just character, but it is the other way around, from the beginning he sees his wickedness, his pride and his contempt for the different, Flolo hates gypsies, hates anyone who does not look like him; but life will play a bad trick on him and eventually experience emotions he never thought he could feel.
Frollo begins to become obsessed with the gypsy Esmeralda; your feelings for him are not unhealthy, Esmeralda becomes a kind of much appreciated and tempting object, at the same time, a sick desire arises in Frollo that will lead him to question his faith, considers his desire for emerald to be a kind of proof of God and that he must avoid sin; but this desire is so obsessive that you’ll even want it to be your property and, if not, you must die.
Frollo’s irrational obsession will lead to one of the most disturbing musical moments in the entire Disney universe, a song whose connotations are evident from the beginning: church choirs, giant crucifixes, Frollo costumes, etc. All this, from the adult point of view, makes us think that, perhaps, Frollo is not only a judge, but that he is related to the Church.
This musical moment seems crucial to deepening the character a little; we are confronted not only by a cruel and ruthless judge who imposes his law condemning a large number of innocents, but someone who hides something else. Flo is a really dark and uncomfortable character; this irrational and obsessive desire for Esmeralda is almost scarier than anything else in the film and I certainly think it was a risk, considering everything involved in the scene. We know a villain who is very scary; Behind this image of Puritan and lord of the law lies a man of very dubious morality.
Victor Hugo’s work shows no compassion, he’s ruthless. On the contrary, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a soft but digestible version for the general public and certainly less controversial. However, through Frollo’s character and, above all, the musical scene, we see what may be a trace of the original work, a trace of this harsh criticism of the Church and its undoubted power.
In addition to criticizing society and the Church, it is a call to differences, to acceptance. Goodness is something alien to the image; thus, we have a cruel judge and an innocent and good character whose image is distasteful to most of the people. Quasimodo cannot be accepted by society because of his appearance; therefore, the only day that dares to leave Notre-Dame is the “Fiesta de los Locos”, a kind of carnival where the grotesque is celebrated.
Quasimodo is fascinated by the public for his “fantasy”, but when they discover that it is not a fantasy, but his face, it is called spectacle. Only one character will show her compassion: Esmeralda, the young gypsy who, because of her origin, is marginalized and persecuted just like Quasimodo. Esmeralda is a warrior; she is the only one who dares to stand up to Judge Frollo and fight for justice and equality for all.
Quasimodo himself, due to his isolation, classifies himself as a monster. Frollo created great insecurity in him. Having no contact with society, Quasimodo made friends with the gargoyles of the cathedral, which would be like a kind of conscience. Esmeralda, along with the gargoyles, is the one who manages to make her open her eyes and see reality as it is. Does Captain Phoebus also play an important role? a soldier who turns his back on Judge Frollo and joins the fight for equality.
Who’s the real Notre-Dame monster? The film shows us the true nature of the monster, a camouflaged monster who walks among us day after day and has respect for society. Finally, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a film to be saved and whose plot is more complex and darker than most children’s films. At the same time, however, it is full of deep values that make it an apology of justice and equality.