The Hunchback of Notre Dame (a.k.a. Notre Dame de Paris), 1956

[Sir Masksalot]

It was on TV over the weekend, in French with English subtitles.
The only name I recognized in the crew credits was composer
Georges Auric's who had also scored Cocteau's La Belle et la Bete
ten years earlier.

In the opening minutes, we meet poet Gringoire and Clopin (King of the
Beggars) at the Feast of Fools where dusky sensuous Esmeralda
sings and dances. One spectator comments "What good is a bed
without her?" All the familiar scenes unfold from then on: the
Court of Miracles, Esmeralda's wedding to save Gringoire from
execution, her subsequent trial and torture for knifing Captain
Phoebus. In her delirious confession, she even manages to implicate
her new husband! Quasimodo clumsily rings her death knell as she's
led to the gallows, then rescues her to the sanctuary of Notre Dame.
It's here that we begin to see the brutish hunchback's romantic
side as he performs death-defying acrobatics just to gather a
bouquet of flowers for her. Unlike in other versions, King Louis XI
is totally unsympathetic to Esmeralda and his royal guard soon
massacre the populace who have rallied to her cause. The movie
ends very much as Victor Hugo's original novel did in 1831.

Dom Frollo is a singularly morose and detestable character
throughout the movie. We first encounter him carving a portentous
graffito on the walls of Notre Dame. The subject of his obsession,
Esmeralda, only has eyes for Phoebus while mercilessly teasing
every other peasant who bothers to fancy her.

Having been weaned on the 1923 and '39 versions, it was a bit
jarring to watch the medieval saga play out in glorious
EastmanColor with a few musical interludes unexpectedly added.

Let me know your thoughts on this seldom discussed title.



 

[Mike Scott]

Seldom seen is right! I don't ever remember seeing it listed to view on the TV box. I don't even think it is available on home video. Where did you see it?

[Sir Masksalot]

Where did you see it?

TurnerClassicMovies aired it as part of their Saturday tribute
to Italian sensation Gina Lollobrigida.

[Gaira]

Miramax released it on DVD back in 2002.  It would be nice if it got the Blu-ray treatment.

[Mike Scott]

Miramax released it on DVD back in 2002.

Snooze to me!