(Re)discover “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, the 34th animated classic from Disney studios which masterfully revisits the famous novel by Victor Hugo.
In 1482, in the heart of the city of Paris, and at the foot of the monumental walls of Notre-Dame Cathedral, a gypsy puppeteer named Clopin asks a few children to tell them the story of the mysterious bell ringer, who lives up there and whom no one has ever seen.
He then explains to them that around twenty years earlier, a group of bohemians found themselves confronted by the terrible judge Claude Frollo when they landed on the banks of the Seine. Accidentally killing one of the gypsies while pursuing her, the vile character was then forced to raise his baby, suffering from a malformation, himself. To prevent anyone from laying eyes on him, the magistrate then forced the child to remain at the top of the cathedral, and never to come down.
As the years passed, Quasimodo always obeyed his master’s injunctions, but observing from afar the joyful existence of the people below, his heart often pushed him to leave his sanctuary.
In the middle of a golden age…
We can never say it enough: the 90s undoubtedly represent one of the most prosperous and prosperous periods in Disney history. Between The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King, the enchanted studios, driven by new inspiration, have managed to produce a series of commercial triumphs, but also major films.
Adapted from Victor Hugo’s famous novel, rooted in 15th-century medieval France, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame undoubtedly falls into both categories. Featuring an ambitious storyline, driven by powerful characters, the studio’s 34th animated classic is quite possibly one of the richest, most adult and most accomplished films in Disney history.
Walt Disney Animation Studios
…an ingot!
Entrusted to the directors of Beauty and the Beast, the film does not hesitate to address its young audience seriously and to tackle such delicate themes as ostracization, disability, jealousy or persecution, taking the gamble that it can address children as well as future adults, but without ever falling into the macabre.
Better yet, The Hunchback of Notre Dame uses each of these seemingly risky elements as pedestals to climb to the top. In this, it manages to preserve (and sometimes even sublimate) the traditional magic of the Disney studios to become one of the studio’s most majestic feature films, right from its masterful introductory sequence.
Of course, it is impossible not to mention the extraordinary soundtrack by an ever-inspired Alan Menken, and the quality of the animation, which wonderfully integrates the digital prowess of Pixar artists with the famous sensitivity of Disney artisans. The result: one of the most beautiful feature films from the enchanted studio, quite simply.
Walt Disney Animation Studios
What they will like…
- The unforgettable songs from the film. Special mentions for the poignancy Just one dayfor the overwhelming The Banished have the right to love and for the catchy one Charivari.
- The secondary characters, and in particular the friendly gargoyles who keep Quasimodo company at the top of his tower.
What might worry them…
- The villain of the film, Claude Frollo, masterfully played by Jean Piat (who also lent his voice to Scar) in the French version, and whose motivations can raise some complicated questions among the youngest, his hatred for Esmeralda competing with his desire for her. gypsy.
- The shocking sequence during which Quasimodo finds himself tied up in a public square and humiliated by the inhabitants of Paris.
(Re)discover all the hidden details of the “Hunchback of Notre-Dame”…
