Beauty and the Beast - Disney's Masterpiece
I'll start this blog off by saying that recently I've been trying to stop over intellectualising things and allow them to remain in their non articulated state more than I have been. Temporary blip, but I've needed to write this blog for a while because it's just incredible how much is packed into this film.
In its essence the film tells the story of female mate choice and what they are looking for in a partner, but there's a catch which we'll get to later.
Women have a difficult choice to make when it comes to mate selection, they need a man who is capable of violence but controlled enough so that she is safe in his presence. As the film progresses it becomes clear that The Beast perfectly fulfills these requirements, hence Belles ultimate attraction to him. However, Belle could choose Gaston, he has physical prowess, status and looks and is clearly interested in her. So why doesn't she find him attractive? Gaston is a persona, he's not the real thing. He represents the narcissistic type that many young women fall for and end up getting heartbroken and left confused by.
Beast starts out as an obnoxious character who acts in a volatile and aggressive manner around Belle, he even traps her in his castle which is very interesting. This demonstrates his capacity for aggression as well as his wild temperament. The first act climaxes with Belle discovering the enchanted rose and fleeing the castle in distress. The Beast then saves Belle from the wolves and gets injured in the process, showcasing his ability to protect Belle, something that all women look for in a man even if they won't admit it.
This is where their relationship begins, after saving Belle and her attending to his wounds, we see the more vulnerable side of The Beast. It has been hinted at earlier in the film, specifically in relation to his longing to be human again. The fact that he displays vulnerability is integral to Belle becoming attracted to him as it creates an emotional connection, something that most women need. But effectively what we see here is the beginning of the woman taming the beast into someone more civilised, this is depicted in detail in the following montage.
The living household ornaments represent many things, they are the unregulated and unincorporated parts of our psyche and they are also the foolish social group that young men often find themselves in. The notion of 'losing' a friend to their new partner is an all too common phenomena.
By the end of the film The Beast sacrifices his future and allows Belle to save her father, giving up the one chance he had of being human again. What a thing to do for love. But in the end it works out for him. The castle is attacked by the mob and Gaston in his rage of being rejected attempts to "kill the beast". This is also interesting as it mimics modern societies attack on masculinity, yet unintentionally promoting the dark forces in men, Gaston, to propagate even more as a result.
One of the pivotal differences between The Beast and Gaston is that when Beast has the opportunity to kill Gaston, he doesn't, and we see Gaston's true cowardly character appear. It was Belle's reemergence that sparked The Beasts energy and led him to fight Gaston, another intriguing insight into male motivation.
The film ends with Belle confessing her love to The Beast and the spell being lifted, we are then reintroduced to the paradise that once was, emphasising that the path to paradise is the successful union of masculinity and femininity in the individual's psyche. Belle has successfully tamed the wild Beast into a civilised man, who might I add is a prince and clearly incredibly rich... Ultimately what was once unconscious is now conscious and has been integrated into one another, that's what relationships are about. The other person highlights parts of yourself that you were unaware of, this one of the reasons you were drawn to them.
There are so many more aspects of the film that can be discussed, that could be explored in greater detail. It's cinema at its finest. Not only that but it is hard to articulate what is taking place, that's the beauty of art. It's ineffability is why we love it so much, it speaks more words than we could conceivably fathom and impacts us on a level deeper than we are aware of.
On a practical level, any men out there who are struggling to attract a woman I would recommend watching this film and studying the interactions between the two characters. You can probably learn more from doing this then most Pick up artists could ever teach you. And for women who have been struggling with men and are experiencing repeated heartbreaks, watch out for false competence and strength being disguised as narcissism. Don't date weak men, date men who you can see the strength in but are also kind and deep.
I hope you have enjoyed this blog, it's not as well written as others because I'm trying to be more literal but it gets the point across.
Until next time,
Gracias