Le Belle et La Bête Film Review

This review will cover French poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau’s Le Belle et La Bête, looking at the
theory of archetypes by Carl Jung and how it links into Le Belle et La Bête and it relates to the
characters in the film and how the characters change in later adaptions. The key sources in this review
are ‘What Are the Jungian Archetypes?’ by Kendra Cherry, which goes over Carl Jung’s theory of
archetypes, Jerry Griswold’s ‘The Meanings of Beauty and the Beast: A Handbook (2004)’, looking at
representative critical approaches in the film and it’s adaptations, and Katy Huynh’s Presentation
‘Archetypal Criticism of Beauty & The Beast’ which looks at the archetypes of the characters. This
review will focus on Jung’s theory of archetypes and how it relates to the two main characters, Belle
and Beast, specifically.

Fig 1; Le Belle et La Bête original Poster

Le Belle et La Bête tells the story of a young lady, Belle, who serves her father, sisters and brother.
Belle’s father gets sentenced to death for picking a rose from Beast's garden after she asks him to
return with one after his trip. Belle offers to take her father’s place. Once she arrives at the castle,
Beast is enticed with her and proposes marriage on a nightly basis which she refuses. When Belle
learns that her father is ill, she pleads with beast to let her go she her father one last time. The Beast
tests her by letting her return home to her family and tells her that if she doesn't return to him within
a week, he will die of grief.

Carl Jung was a swiss psychologist and psychiatrist who founded analytic psychology, in some aspects
to Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis. Jung proposed and developed the concepts of the extraverted and
the introverted personality, archetypes, and the collective unconscious. Jung was an early supporter
of Freud because of their shared interest in the unconscious. However, in 1912 while on a lecture tour
of America, Jung publicly criticized Freud’s theory of the Oedipus complex and his emphasis on
infantile sexuality. The following year this led to an irrevocable split between them and Jung went on
to develop his own version of psychoanalytic theory. Most of Jung's assumptions of his analytical
psychology reflect his theoretical differences with Freud. For example, while Jung agreed with Freud
that a person’s past and childhood experiences determined future behavior, he also believed that we
are shaped by our future aspirations too. One of the most important differences between Jung and
Freud’s is Jung’s take on the collective unconscious, of which Jung claims humans are born with a set
of images known to everyone; ‘The form of the world into which [a person] is born is already inborn
in him, as a virtual image’ (Jung, 1953, p. 188).

Jung believed that Archetypes were models of people, behaviors, or personalities. He suggested that
archetypes were inborn tendencies and are like primordial ideas that play a role in influencing human
behavior. He believes that what makes up the archetypes reside within everyone, and that archetypes
symbolize basic human motivations, values and personalities. Each archetype played a role in a
person’s personality but that most people where dominated by one specific type. The actual way an
archetype expresses itself depends on a few factors, including a person’s cultural influence, upbringing
and personal experiences. There are four main archetypes, however there are many we don’t know
about.

Fig 2; Psyche

In terms of the Characters in Le Belle et La Bête, Belle and Beast, this review will only look at the
shadow, persona and animus, along with some of the small archetypes like the maiden archetype.

The shadow archetype is often described as the darker side of the psyche and is composed of
repressed ideas, weaknesses, desires, instincts, and shortcomings. It contains all the things that are
unacceptable not only to society but also to themselves due to their own personal morals and values.

The shadow archetype is strongly shown in the Beast in the 1946 film as he is ashamed of his
appearance, shown in his hiding away in a castle and the lines he is given ‘Doesn't it revolt you to give
me drink?’ (Beast 1946). In the 1991 adaption, the Beast is still 1 is still ashamed of his appearance
and hides away from everyone in a dark castle. He is fuelled by his anger and takes this anger out on
others, giving into his shadow archetype. ‘Ashamed of his monstrous form, the Beast concealed
himself inside his castle…’ (Narrator 1991 script) said while Beast is shredding his portrait.

Fig 3; Beast in the 1991 adaptation

Belle is also shown to have a shadow archetype as well. “The beast in Beauty and the Beast represents
her own animal nature which she must recognize to overcome the one-sided development &
education as a "good" person.” This quote also relates to the animus of Belle. Belle in both films has
an animus that is affected by the male characters around her.

the animus is the male image in the female psyche. This archetype represents the “true self” rather
than the image we present to others and serves as a source of communication with the collective
unconscious. These images are based what is found in the collective and personal unconscious.

In the original 1946 film Belle’s animus is influenced by her father, brother, and her brothers’ friend
Avenant. Through this Belle gets intrigued with the idea of a ‘bad boy’ an older man that can show her
danger and adventure. This applies to the 1991 adaption, this true desire for adventure is shown in
the song ‘Belle reprise’ were she sings about adventure and getting out of her situation that she’s in.
Going on to wanting a man who’s a leader, and a man of his words both traits are shown within Belle
getting Beasts word to let her help her father for a week in the 1946 film, and Beast giving her his
word that he will release her father, after capturing him in the 1991 adaption. In their interpretation
of “Beauty and the Beast”, then, Jungian critics see the Beast as Beauty’s animus- as part of her
personality that she has denied, and excluded, a part that is animal-like and sexual (Jerry Griswold).

Fig 4; Belle cleaning her sister’s shoes

Both Belle and Beast have a strong persona in both the 1946 film and its 1991 adaption. The persona
archetype is How we present ourselves to the world. It represents all the different social masks we
wear in different situations and acts to shield the ego from negative Images.

In La Belle et la Bête, Belle has a clear sense of self and persona, as she sees herself as the servant of
the house hold and maintains this persona throughout the movie never really changing herself, even
when given jewels and riches. This clean sense of self and persona is still strong in the 1991 adaption
through the song, ‘Belle’ we can see how she contrasts with the rest of the villagers, and does not
disguise or change her persona to fit in with those around her, she accepts who she is, although this
time not a servant but instead accepting that she has dreams and ambitions not common to the rest
of the women, who put on multiple personas to impress others such as the likes of Gaston who is not
in the original 1941 film but could represent her brothers’ friend Avenant as they act slightly similar.

For the Beast in the 1946 original, his persona is shown as submissive and scared, this is shown through
the way he doesn’t want her to look into his eyes, the window to the soul, ‘Beauty, you mustn't look
me in the eyes.’ (Beast - 1946) he wants to mask himself as tougher and more masculine than he is
underneath the pain, constantly putting on a front whereas in the 1991 adaptation, he acts more
aggressive and more dominant mask, mixing his persona and shadow archetype together as in 1991
adaption the Beast never actually asks for Belle to marry him, he never begs for her love like in La Belle
et la Bête. Beast doesn’t try very hard to be a nicer person, he gives into his shadow archetype.

Another archetype that plays into Le Belle et la Bête is the hero archetype. Belle is considered the

Fig 5; Beast and Belle 1946

heroine within La Belle et la Bête, as she sacrifices herself to save her father, from death due to her
request of a rose. Whereas within Disney’s version while the concept of sacrificing herself is still there,
she instead doesn’t know of the consequences that lie when accepting the punishment of her father
from the beast.

In conclusion, archetypes undertones in the movie have been influenced by Jung’s theories about the
unconscious psyche and has played into the characters motivations and personalities in both the
original film and its adaptations. Each archetype shows through to a different degree in each
character, however, Belle shows a strong sense of self and feels comfortable in who she is whereas
the Beast fits strongly in to the shadow archetype before he turns back into a prince.
Illustration Bibliography

Fig 1; original poster. (2018). [image] Available at:

http://www.tcap-loisirs.info/2017/10/cinematographe-film-accessible-belle-bete/labelleetlabete/
[Accessed 6 Nov. 2018].

Fig 2; Psyche. (2018). [image] Available at:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/124533366@N08/17977516542 [Accessed 6 Nov. 2018].

Fig 3; Beast 1991. (2018). [image] Available at:

http://dibblyfresh1.blogspot.com/2010/08/movies-in-minute-beauty-and-beast.html [Accessed 6
Nov. 2018].

Fig 4; Belle 1946. (2018). [image] Available at:

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/screenshot.php?movieid=23142&position=6 [Accessed 6 Nov.

2018].

Fig 5; Beast and Belle 1946. (2018). [image] Available at:

https://drafthouse.com/show/la-belle-et-la-bete-beauty-and-the-beast [Accessed 6 Nov. 2018].

Bibliography:

Aella.com (unknown date), La Belle et la Bête (Beauty and the Beast) Script (1946). At:

http://www.aellea.com/script/qBEAST.htm (Accessed 6 Nov. 2018).

Carl-Jung.net. (2018), Biography. Carl Jung Resources. At: https://www.carl-jung.net/biography.html

(Accessed 6 Nov. 2018).

Cherry, K. (2018). What Are Jung's 4 Major Archetypes? VerywellMind. Available at:

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-jungs-4-major-archetypes-2795439 (Accessed 6 Nov.

2018).

Griswold, J. (2004), The Meanings of Beauty and the Beast: A Handbook. Ontario: Broadview Press.

Huynh, K. (2013), Beauty and the Beast (Archetypal Criticism). At:

https://prezi.com/oocobgeq04i1/beauty-thebeast-archetypal-criticism/ (Accessed 6 Nov 2018).

Hyde, M., McGuinness, M. and Pugh, O. (2004). Introducing Jung. Royston: Iron Books Ltd, pp.pg. 59-
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Fordham, F. and Fordham, M. (2018), Carl Jung. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. At:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Carl-Jung (Accessed 6 Nov. 2018).

Fpx.de (unknown date), Beauty and the Beast Script (1991). At:

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Furby, J., and Hines, C. (2011), Fantasy (Routledge Film Guidebooks). New York: Routledge. Pg 58.
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T. Lawson, T. (2018). Carl Jung, Darwin of the Mind. New York: Routledge, pp.pp 113-177