I was excited to watch this film, with the plot being very familiar to me. I was interested to see other ways in which this tale has been portrayed, and was not disappointed.
The scenic design in this piece was very clever with the Beasts Castle standing out to me. Although I was watching it on a small screen it felt grand and there was a huge sense of atmosphere using lighting and music. The candlesticks, ticking clock and moving statues gave life to the castle creating what was a sense of magic, but it also felt dark and eerie, unnatural which I think is a brilliant way to depict this mysterious castle and it really cleverly built tension before the beast was introduced.
The one thing I did struggle with during this film was the Beast, specifically his introduction. The run up to his introduction was so dark, chilling but I feel his appearance in the garden let this down as he did not appear as threatening and unsettling as the castle setting suggested. However after this scene his approach seemed to totally change as he became chilling when introduced to Belle.
Belle's journey through the castle was a scene that stood out to me as the castle continued to be brought to life through drifting curtains, becoming its own entity in the film. These images that combine beauty and magic with tension and unfamiliarity really work well with the overarching plot creating a piece where the set represents more than just a location but also themes and characters. The design and clever effects in this film really elevated the whole piece for me, bringing atmosphere, tension and magic and giving it an impressive modern feel despite it being over 70 years old.
Overall, although it has its flaws with the ending being confusing and over the top for me, I really enjoyed this picture and was astonished by the effects that were created and the power of the set design.
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