The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Amazon.com

Of the many film versions of Victor Hugo's novel, this classic from Hollywood's golden year of 1939 remains the best, rivaled only by the 1923 silent version starring Lon Chaney. In his triumphant attempt to create a performance as memorable as Chaney's, Charles Laughton played the lovelorn Parisian hunchback Quasimodo under a disfiguring costume and gruesome makeup that rendered the actor almost unrecognizable. The result is a gripping and heartfelt portrayal of the misshapen bell ringer who falls desperately in love with the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda (played by Maureen O'Hara). The lavish production also greatly benefits from exquisitely moody black-and-white cinematography, brilliant medieval set design, and the atmospheric direction by German expatriate William Dieterle, whose style was heavily influenced by German films of the era. The DVD release includes the original theatrical trailer plus an additional audio track with authoritative commentary by film historian Paul Mandell. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Although the casting & acting ..........2007-09-11

... are flawless, the sets superb, everybody remember Victor Hugo wrote a book, but not so many seem to remember the story he wrote, since a lot of the script (especially the preposterous "happy" ending) come from shameless Hollywood tradition about thinking (are they able to think anyway?) their way of reinventing any story is the best in the world. Anyone who have read the book should forget he did, so one can enjoy the other qualities of this movie. Anyway, I think Victor Hugo stopped quite a while ago worrying about copyright's infringement, which, unfortunately doesn't apply to the Hollywood Factory (ask any author who's been conned, there's no shortage), only to the consumers of their products.

The best Hunchback.......2007-08-26

I was raised watching the Anthony Quinn version of Victor Hugo's classic Hunchback of Notre Dame. I only discovered the 1939 Charles Laughton version in the past year. I was immediately impressed by the care and expense taken with this movie. Laughton and Hardwicke are excellent in the roles of Quasimodo and the evil Frollo. The photography is stunning, with luminous close-ups and chiaroscuro lighting of dramatic scenes. The film shows why this was Hollywood's golden period. The business of creating art was never more successful than at RKO.
My main complaint about this DVD is that the film has not been restored as it truly deserves. While there is dirt and other flaws on the film, it does not degrade the wonderful images of the film. The DVD has good detail and the B&W photography is very revealing of detail and textures. Also, while there is a nice documentary, the film deserves a commentary track as well.

Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939).......2007-06-21

This peerless adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic anti-clerical novel features a triumphant, heart-rending performance by Laughton, who's virtually unrecognizable beneath his grotesque costume and makeup. With its moody atmosphere and expressionistic set design, "Hunchback" rivals the 1923 silent original, which starred Lon Chaney, but it is the superb acting by Laughton, O'Hara, and Hardwicke, as the hate-mongering hierarch, that make it the finest of all screen versions. Dieterle's commanding direction of all the details, from the medieval gloominess to the tragically human storyline, holds it all together. You'll fall hump over heels for "Hunchback," a gothic love story like no other.

One of the best b & w films ever.......2007-02-12

Wow, I watched this today, and can't believe how impressed I am. The acting, by nearly everyone, was excellent, the story was great, the sets were awesome, the costumes were right-on.

This was one of Maureen O'Hara's first films, filmed when she was just 18 years old. She has played all kinds of roles since playing the beautiful gypsy girl Esmerelda, but for some reason, Esmerelda, to me, really stands out from her swashbuckling/Sahara sands movies. Esmerelda is just more realistic than Maureen's roles playing some diplomat's daughter. And more interesting, too.

I have never seen Edmund O'Brien before, and wasn't quite sure what to make of him. He reminded me a bit of Mark Hamill. I have no idea why. Maybe it was his 'brotherly' rather than 'husbandly' role in this movie. I was glad when Esmerelda saw the light & realized he was much better for her than the fellow who was murdered. Poor Quasimodo, left to cuddle up to a gargoyle! Better luck next time, Quasi!

A small masterpiece, projecting love of the fantastic, the mystical, and the grotesque...,.......2007-01-02

The Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris is shrouded in romance, myth, mystery and intrigue... Throughout the ages, poets and writers have drawn inspiration from her splendor... Generations have found both wonder and terror in the gargoyles that appear menacingly from her thin structures...

Hailed by critics as the most important of French Romantic writers, Victor Hugo invented his own version of the historical novel, combining the local color and historical detail of Honoré de Balzac and the spiritual lecture of George Sand..

The film, set in 15th century medieval period, tells a moving story of a Gypsy girl Esmeralda who comes to Paris to intercede with the King Louis XI (Harry Davenport) for her people... While there, she earns her living as a dancer arising passion in the Chief Justice of Paris, Jean Frollo, a sinister priest, who discovers that she favors Captain Phoebus (Alan Marshal).

Frollo sends the deformed bell-ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, Quasimodo, to kidnap her... Esmeralda is rescued by the captain of the guard who is later stabbed by Frollo with the blame being thrust on her...

Under torture, she confesses to the crime and is sentenced to be hung... But she is saved by the hunchback who attempts to shelter her in the cathedral...

Much of the rich atmosphere is concretely seen in this version: The persecution of Gypsies; the happy Festival of the Fools; the conclave of thieves and beggars in the Court of Miracles; the punishment of Quasimodo; the Cathedral and its role as the center of medieval Paris... The highest dramatic moment of the film comes when Clopin (Thomas Mitchell) calls upon his half-starved mob to attack the fortified cathedral and rescue Esmeralda...

Charles Laughton is cast as Quasimodo, Hugo's extremely disfigured man... Quasimodo is a monstrous 'King of Fools' with inner beauty, strength and nobility... He is deaf for the sound of the bells he loves... In this distorted body with ugly face, there is lot of humanity, kindness and gratitude...

Sir Cedric Hardwicke plays the privileged arch villain Jean Frollo, who controls medieval France... He is an ambitious priest who resists the force of political change against the church... He is a man with emotion and passion, blinded by a false light, obsessed, confused and tormented by a lustful desire...

Maureen O'Hara plays the enchanting Esmeralda, a young naive Gypsy dancer, innocent and pure...

Edmond O'Brien (in his film debut) plays an impertinent dreamer who arouses laughter and amusement with his adventures in the Court of Miracles...

Harry Davenport plays a fascinated King, happy to live in an age of great beginnings, determined to take his bath twice a year...

William Dieterle's film is a small masterpiece, projecting deep feeling for the human soul, love of the fantastic, the mystical and the grotesque...

Average customer rating:

A sequel for redemption
A pale shadow of the brilliant original
Not as good as the original, but still good
Certainly Doesn't Compare with the First
A Tour de Force!

The Hunchback of Notre Dame II
Starring: Jason Alexander , Jennifer Love Hewitt , Tom Hulce , Paul Kandel , and Charles Kimbrough
Director: Bradley Raymond
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005T7H3
Release Date: 2002-03-19

Amazon.com

Most of the original characters from Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame--plus a few new ones--return for this animated sequel. Esmeralda (Demi Moore) and Phoebus (Kevin Kline) now have a son named Zephyr (Haley Joel Osment), with whom Quasi (Tom Hulce) has become friends. When the circus comes to town, the hunchback becomes enchanted by a magician's assistant, Madellaine (Jennifer Love Hewitt), but the her boss, the vain Sarousch (Michael McKean), is also a thief with an eye for the cathedral's jeweled bell. He forces Madellaine to woo Quasi while he carries out the theft. Will he get away with it? Will Madellaine learn to see the inner Quasi? And will he be able to trust again when he learns of her deception? Songs and humorous high jinks from the gargoyles, including Jason Alexander's Hugo, illustrate the lesson that--as in the first feature--you can't judge a book by its cover. This sequel is squarely aimed at a younger audience than the original was; children from 5 to 10 should be very entertained. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

Return to the magnificence of Notre Dame in Disney's all-new movie, The Hunchback of Notre Dame II - a fun, romantic adventure told with vibrant animation and music as soaring as its setting. Still the faithful protector of Notre Dame's beloved bells, Quasimodo now rings them with the help of Zephyr, who is Quasi's best friend. Stopping with Zephyr at a traveling circus owned by the evil magician Sarousch, Quasi is captivated by Sarousch's lovely assistant, Madellaine. But greedy Sarousch is about to force Madellaine to help him steal the Cathedral's most famous bell. Encouraged by some laughable romantic advice from his gargoyle pals, Quasi listens to his own heart and discovers that he, too, must look past appearances to find true love.

Customer Reviews:

A sequel for redemption.......2007-05-10

Defiantly not the best sequel in the world, at least this time they strive to give Quasimodo a love interest who is actually interested in him back. Quasimodo stops by a traveling circus and falls for the evil magician's assistant, Madellaine. The evil magician, Sarouch, tries to force Madellaine to help him steal Notre Dame's most famous bell. I guess it is a good thing that Quasimodo now has a love interest but I would think that Disney could come up with a better plot line to achieve that goal than the one that they did.

A pale shadow of the brilliant original.......2007-02-24

I had such high hopes for this one. I consider the first Hunchback of Notre Dame to be THE greatest modern Disney movie, period. It looks fantastic, has memorable music and a grand theatricality that leaves other so-called "children's films" in the dust. But direct-to-video sequels are notorious substandard, and I put off buying this one for several years. But then I thought, "OK, if they managed to get the original voice cast back, MAYBE there's something to this."

But the sad truth is, everything I loved about the first film is missing. The main problem, as many have stated, is that the animation is just plain terrible. It looks cheap, like most made-for-television animation (I know there are exceptions, but they are few and far between). The story is cliched, even for Disney. And even with the impressive vocal talents of Tom Hulce, Jason Alexander, etc., it doesn't really matter if the character aren't given anything interesting to do. I will grant that the music isn't all that bad, which is why I'm giving this a generous 2 stars.

Maybe very young children will like it. Or parents who feel the first film is too intense for the very young (and I would agree with them...the first Hunchback should have been given a PG rating). But for any adults who enjoyed the original, this one's a major letdown.

Not as good as the original, but still good.......2006-08-20

What is wrong with you people? This movie isn't all THAT bad. True, it may not be the same as the original, but I still like it nonetheless. And my dad, who is rather choosy when it comes to movies, also likes this movie. My brothers and sisters, and even my best friend, love this movie as well.

The animation could be slightly better, and the music may not have the same grip on you as the music from the original, but who cares? Who says movies have to be the same all the time?

So come on, people, quit your complaining and cut Disney some slack. There are worse movies out there than this one, you know.

Certainly Doesn't Compare with the First.......2005-11-17

Okay, I love the Hunchback of Notre Dame...one, that is. I rented this movie from my local library, and was so glad that I didn't actually pay money even to rent it. I looked on the back, and it said there was only a runtime of about 68 minutes. That told me something right there. The movie has no plot, no evident storyline, and the animation is just awful. I'm not an expert or anything, but I've noticed that a lot of direct to video sequels share this quality. If you're looking for a villain as good as Frollo, do not expect it from this movie. The first movie is always the best!

A Tour de Force!.......2005-08-11

I read some of these reviews, and I must say, you really don't have an eye to see, an ear to hear, or a heart to feel any of these Disney movies anymore. You gotta look past the technical stuff and focus more on the real stuff, such as the message of the story. This film, like so many other great Disney films, have great messages and themes for all of us to live by. I watched it, and it is really magnifique! The characters are remarkable, the animation is beautiful, and the songs are so fantastic! I can't see any reason why anyone would hate this film.

The story begins on the day before the Parisian festival Le Jour D'Amour, and everyone is preparing for this special day. It's a day full of love and romance for everyone. Quasimodo (Tom Hulce, Amadaeus) wishes he had someone to share this day with, but everyone, including Esmeralda (Demi Moore, Striptease, G.I. Jane), Phoebus (Kevin Kline, The Road to Eldorado, Wild Wild West), and the gargoyles: Hugo (Jason Alexander, Sinfeld, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella), Victor (Charles Kimsborough), and Laverne (Winters), encourage Quasimodo not to give up hope. Just as they are finishing preparations, a huge spectacle comes to Paris. The circus comes to town! Leading the troupe is the evil Sarousch (Michael McKean), who has been stealing treasures all over France without anyone noticing. He hears about a very special bell called La Fidelle ("the faithful one"), which is ordinary on the outside, but on the inside, is filled with jewels. He sends out his slave, Madelline (Jenifer Love Hewitt, Sister Act II, The Tuxedo), to lure the bell ringer away from the towers of Notre Dame so that he could steal it. When Madelline enters the tower, she sees Quasimodo's room and gazes in awe at the numerous bells and his mini city of Paris. Quasimodo is hiding from her because she doesn't want her to see how hideous he looks. But it is too late. Madelline sees him and runs away, horrified by the way he looks. Quasimodo is sad, but doesn't give up hoping that he will fall in love. He just needs an "ordinary miracle". Will Quasimodo fall in love with Madelline? Will Saroucsh steal the bell? Will Madelline see past Quasimodo's hideous appearance and see the true beauty inside of him?

This film has great songs, including "Le Jour D'Amour", "An Ordinary Miracle", "Fa-La-La-La Fallen in Love", and "I'm Gonna Love You". It's really tres, tres bien!

This film, as I said earlier, has great themes, which are: it's not outside but inside that counts; Stand up for what you believe in; and believe in miracles. Who knows? The ordinary might become the extraordinary!

Please buy this film, and if you watched it before, watch it again, but this time, watch it with your heart, and feel the story talking to you. It's a really true love story for all of us.

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