The Case for Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame
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- Опубликовано: 30 окт 2017
- Hunchback is the metaphorical Quasimodo of the disney animated feature film canon--weird, hidden away, and relegated to its master's hairshirt. Some common and consistent criticisms of the film have cropped up over the years, but they often miss crucial context and the original goal of Victor Hugo's dark tale of human brutality.
But don't worry everyone. We're here to fix colonialism, y'all.
Wait, wrong video.
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Sources:
1. Callow, Simon. "Laughton as Quasimodo: Epic Agony." Editorial. The New York Times [New York] 14 May 1988: n. pag. 14 May 1988. Web.
2. Dretzka, Gary. "`Hunchback' For The '90s." Tribune Digital. Chicago Tribune, 16 June 1996. Web.
3. Hugo, Victor. Notre-Dame De Paris. N.p.: Gosselin, 1831. Print. www.bartleby.com/ebook/adobe/3...
4. Hugo, Victor. "War on the Demolishers!" Editorial. Oeuvres Complètes De Victor Hugo 1825: n. pag. Print. courseworks2.columbia.edu/cou...
5. "`Hunchback' For The '90s." Tribune Digital. Chicago Tribune, 16 June 1996. Web.
6. King, Susan. "The Hunchback From Hope." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 1997. Web.
7. Rebello, Stephen. The Art of The Hunchback of Notre Dame: A Disney Miniature. N.p.: Hyperion, 1997. Print.
8. ""U" Making "Notre Dame"." The Film Daily 12 Aug. 1922: 1. Print. archive.org/stream/filmdaily2...
9. Animation Guild. "The Animation Guild Interviews: Gary Trousdale" 23 Oct. 2012 • TAGInterview GaryTrous...
10. Karger, Dave, and Anne Thompson. “Disney's ''Hunchback'' Has Murder, Lust, and Corruption.” EW.com, Time Inc, 21 June 1996, ew.com/article/1996/06/21/disneys-hunchback-has-murder-lust-and-corruption/ 
Развлечения
Frollo saw Esmeralda as a demon, Quasi saw her as an angel, and Phoebus saw her as a woman. Her ending up with Phoebus made sense.
christina1986ify So basically both "if she breaths she's a thot" and "all women are queens" lost the war
@@maxxvii2037 Plays duel of the fates
MaxxVII: Like in reality.
Also Phoebus needs to develop as a love interest because Esmeralda in the Disney version is way too mature and self aware to fall for a Gaston like character in the book. So it's a good choice for adaptation.
Huh... when you put it like that I'm mad if YOU'RE mad of who she ended up with
"Notre Dame Cathedral might not even be there today" That aged interestingly.
Why? The Cathedral is still there...
@ the cathedral burned last year
@@branenchanter153 But it didn't burn down, it's still there lol
ICK BRR lol I didn’t say it burned down, just that it was set on fire😂
Ouch.
I think what sets apart Esmeralda being sexualised compared to Pocahontas or Jasmine is that the latter were sexualised for no real reason. They just wanted some babes thrown in there to appeal the masses.
Esmeralda, however, is different: the movie introduces her in a way that makes the characters and the audience go "what a woman!", only to slap us in the face soon after by showing us how disgusting and scary it feels like to be an object of lust. She's not just sexualised, she is a commentary on sexualisation, and so much more.
To be fair, Pocahontas and Jasmine were princesses. They were historically inaccurate, but marriageable princesses have always been expected to be as attractive as possible. How many ugly princesses do you know in the world today? Is Princess Diane not a real person?
@@justjoe4390 The problem is not that they were attractive, but that they were heavily sexualised for no real reason: Jasmine during the final fight where she’s wearing provocative red clothes and is forced to act sexual to distract Jafar; and why was Pocahontas wearing such revealing clothes too? That’s not what native tribes wore. Plus, the real Pocahontas was just a little girl in real life when she was taken by the colonisers, so that adds another layer of wtf-factor.
@@hummus_exual If I remember correctly, in the original story that Aladdin is based on the princess in the story does that and the plan actually works. The sorcerer is killed while distracted. So at least in Aladdin, Jasmine doing that is a part of the original source material and story. Pocahontas on the other hand just kinda sexualizes her for the sake of sexualizing her, so yeah that's kinda fucked.
@katalina2567
Your recollection was indeed well done, as she not only seduces him but even tempts him to the very cup with which he would poison his lips.
Pocahontas is _especially_ worse due to both the colonial aspect and how she was actually 12 when she met Smith.
Also he literally kidnapped her IRL, so...
@@justjoe4390Pocahontas wasn’t a princess
I can never get over how gutsy it was to make the villain's song a literal prayer
ballsy but SO worth it
Actually to me that seemed an easy blow.
The lazy attitude that religion = bad.
Making it an awesome song was ballsy
@@odiedodieuk I feel like you're severely misunderstanding the story of the song. It's not saying "religion = bad" it's saying "your own sins/temptations are not someone else's fault". Frollo doesn't repent for breaking the spirit of his vow of chastity, he redirects the shame and hatred into calling esmeralda a devil. This kind of scenario of a religious man blaming a woman for making them have Illegal Feelings is very much taken from reality. Ever heard of Petrarco? The same shit.
@@harayaalirak4040 nah I don’t think so. If you ask me, he’s disagreeing more to the comment about it being “gutsy” to associate villany with Christianity, rather than making a particular misunderstanding of the artistic choice itself
How so?
the random guy stashing what appears to be a bag of cocaine is still just. the funniest thing.
That mess was wild.
He had no idea he was on camera and would be watched over a million times 😂
It wasn’t cocaine. It was powdered sugar because of pastries because of France because.
i was surprised by the guy with a big ass gun
I think its a diaper. Based on living in the middle east. I've seen them thrown into the sea.......
_"Literacy killed the architect star."_ -Victor Hugo
Brilliant. And now I want to eat pasta in the wind because of your username lol
Anyone else read this in a very specific voice >.
@@guccifer764 We can't flip back, we turned too far
that song literally has been in my head bc of this video.
@@guccifer764 put the blame on renaissance
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing to a pigeon.
This is gold
*UNDERRATED* COMMENT
Criminally underrated
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻topklass
😂
"Foreigners? You came yesterday,we come today"
I love that line
It's a shockingly tolerant line for a film that's older than most humans. Carries just as much weight now.
It shocked me at how simple but real and truthful that statement was
Makes complete sense that it was a movie directed by a person who fled the nazis with a scene like that
I want to highlight something that someone else pointed out to me about the Hellfire scene.
When Frollo does his "It's not my fault!" bit, and ethereal red-robed monks start Gregorian chanting at him, those monks aren't just chanting any old nonsense. What they are singing is the "Mea Culpa" prayer, which is translated roughly as "By my fault, by my fault, by more grievous fault". It's a prayer wherein the speaker owns up to their transgressions - acknowledges that they done fucked up, and it's entirely their own fault - and asks God for forgiveness.
But while the monks in the scene are reiterating the proper Catholic attitude of contriteness and humility - of taking ownership of one's sins - Frollo is beat for beat making excuses for his actions and deflecting responsibility. Saying that he was ensorceled by Esmerelda, and that he can't possibly be expected to _not_ lust for her. After all, _God_ made the Devil stronger than a man, so _obviously_ Frollo isn't blameworthy.
So this section of his song frames this contrast between what Frollo _should_ be doing - owning his transgressions and working to correct his own sinful behavior - and what he _does_ out of stubborn pride and an unwillingness to let the object of his obsession go. Even when Frollo is told that Esmerelda left the cathedral - in effect, God answered his prayers to remove the temptation from his path by getting her to leave - he cannot just let it be. He is given an out by God, essentially, and instead of taking it he doubles down. Swearing to hunt her and either claim her as his own or destroy her, even if it means burning the city down to do it. Hellfire culminates with Frollo refusing his opportunity for redemption, and his embrace of his vile, selfish obsession.
Bluecho4 nice catch!
I was raised Catholic, so I caught onto that pretty quickly. It's really fucking effective.
Bravo!
I always took it to mean that for all his excuses, he really does feel guilt... or rather, he knows he's done wrong and fears God's wrath, deep down. That's why, far from being a monster, I think Frollo is a very human character.
Hakajin , you're right. If you listen closely to the ending, you can hear Frollo say , " God have mercy on her...God have mercy on ME." So he definitely knows he is in the wrong.
Hellfire, to this day, will be the most bone-chilling villain song ever produced. Ever.
Still the most messed-up! But major credit to Menken & Schwartz for writing such a creepy song
It still gives me goose bumps!
Just letting you know I'm your 1,000th like lmao 😂😂😂 also, I agree. I forgot how dark this movie was
Tony jay, rip
*cough cough* Johanna (mea culpa) sung by judge turpin in sweeney todd
When Lindsay said the phrase "getting a sexy lamp as a reward" my wife in the next room yelled "It's a major award!".
“My major award!!”
A woman of class and exquisite culture, I see.
Just dun shoot your eye out getting it though
HUZZAH A WOMAN OF QUALITY!!!
Fra-gil-e
Ya know something I like about both Esmerelda and Jasmine is that while both of them were the "brown sexy lady" archetype, both of them were very up front about when they found those pursuing them distasteful. Both of them reciprocated the affections of the men they were attracted to and were quick to enforce their boundaries when someone they weren't attracted to (Jafar and Frollo) made advances on them, and both were really good about standing up for themselves.
And neither of them felt like the "spitfire" trope to me, both were pretty chill and liberated and mildly snarky, only getting venomous with those who treated them poorly.
Yeah :D that's true. Both of them are very strong and brave for saying their opinions and how they feel about men treating them bad. Frollo and Jafar are gross so I"m happy that both Jasmine and Esmeralda are so brave :D
see, I absolutely agree- it's reflecting real life, where women of colour, particularly black and Hispanic, are sexualized a preyed upon. natural curves become big asses and breasts and we're meant to pretend to be oblivious, or hide ourselves so we don't tempt them. I've always loved how Esmeralda in particular isn't afraid to dance in public, even when frollo becomes more and more lecherous. instead, she refuses him and despite the clear attraction quasi shows, she remains respectful for his kindness while gently rebutting him and like you said, pursuing someone she does want. I personally adore her.
Anita Franklin sang it to a perfect pitch..... They wanted Respect.
@@Sonichero151*Aretha
I definitely agree with this. While I think there is some ground for criticizing The Hunchback of Notre Dame for making use of the “sexy brown woman” trope, I think I’m mostly willing to accept it here because it plays a large role in the story. Esmeralda is undeniably sexualized, but that sexualization serves to make a larger point about how women are often forced into sexualizing themselves out of economic desperation. It also rightly criticizes how some men hate the women they covet for the very sexualization they encourage. Frollo is a sexually repressed creep (with the disclaimer added that not having sex in and of itself does not make you a creep), and the movie makes no attempts to excuse him for that fact at all.
I LOVE how much you HATE that losing to a bird scene.
I’m losin TO A BIRD
is she wrong tho? XD
Oh hell no. She's right to hate it.
So loving hate is the new cool now? Wowo
wouldn’t you like to know? Don’t do that shit.
Was just thinking, the fact that Quazimodo gets over it that he "didn't" get the girl" and still values her friendship anyways is what separates him from the InCel community, or the sub-category of the "Nice Guy InCel" community.
Fundamental incel truth. It doesn't matter how much personality you have, how artistic you are, how much of a superhero you are-the woman will pick the handsome middle manager over you, even if he made a career of persecuting your people.
G D I’m confused over whether this is satire or you’re an incel ahaha
Yeah, right? He had it til the very end there
@@AnonYmous-ew4ll Not quite. All incels should be happy with being rejected by women because it means those women will then find someone they feel happier with. If they actually care about those women, then finding someone else is a good thing. And if they DON'T care, well then they shouldn't be with them anyway.
Quasimodo is an example of an actual nice guy in the film because instead getting angry that HE didn't find companionship, he focuses on being happy that two of his friends did.
@@AnonYmous-ew4ll incels don't need to be happy about being rejected. But incels shouldn't act as though women owe them anything and that they're being done some sort of grave wrong by them not hopping on their dick. Maybe if they don't act this way then they can find a partner as well, or if not at least be happier and a better person overall.
The whole "gypsy female protagonist turns out to be a white stolen baby" is actually a very common trope in European literature, going as far as the XV century at last. It banks on the idea that nobility is something you're born with, that where you're born in terms of family dictates your personality and beauty (because outer beauty was a reflection of inner beauty). That's why Cinderella grows up as a noblewoman with a genteel disposition even though she lives as a servant from infancy, for example. It's the mark of a estates society where people do not move socially, so to speak, but rather are born where they are MEANT to be and stay, by the will of God.
This was unfortunately an incredibly standard trope all the way up to the end of the 19th century. It comes up in Victorian literature all the time.
"You're not like other gypsies! They're...evil."
Just shows how much Frollo manipulated him, because his own mother, who died trying to save him, was, in fact, a Romani.
Dont take this the wrong way, you probably didnt know but it has to be said: its okay to use the word when you're quoting the movie itself and when the movie says it because its actively about how racism is bad and accurately portraying the racism, but when out of the quote bubble and character and it's your own words don't say the G-slur. You probably didn't know, but for the future the proper term is roma or romani. Like "that man is a romani man", or "the romani people
@@cantthinkofaname5046, any Spanish Gypsy would laugh at your comment
@@LluviadeOrugas I’m glad they could reclaim it for themselves, but it’s the same issue with ‘Indians’ vs Native Americans. Some use it to identify themselves in spite of its past and some vehemently hate it.
@@cantthinkofaname5046 , they have, and the Portuguese as well. I don’t know about the rest of Europe, and I’ve only heard about them finding it offensive from American media.
@@LluviadeOrugas fair enough, but the Roma people I know in my personal life do consider it a slur, I guess the limit is up to the individual
Now 1.8 million people know where the coccaine is hidden.
2.1 million now!
And me
@@TheGameCritc yes, and you.
@@technopoptart yay! me!
@Jacob Weissflog hey, and me.
Anyone wanna hear a sob story?
I have an eye condition called bileteral microphthalmia. What that means is that both my eyes are underdeveloped with tiny pupils, a very thin iris, and the entire eyeball is much smaller than a regular eye. I wear these heavy glasses with very strong and thick lenses, which pretty much just highlights my deformity. Because of this, I was an outcast for my entire childhood, and for most of my teenage years too. I was targeted by bullies who were often physically violent. Y'all ever gotten a swirlie? Yeah, I got those, but the assholes would piss in the toilet before shoving my head in it, so 7 year old me had to wash pee off his face before going home from school. It was pretty depressing.
This movie is one of the few movies that, in my opinion, really captures what it feels like to look different and be demonized for it. The festival of fools scene where everyone throws fruit at Quasimodo always makes me sob, especially when he breaks free of the ropes and lets himself be angry at these people who are treating him like an animal, just because he looks different.
Disabled people rarely get to be the heroes of their own stories, we're usually reduced to sidekicks or manic pixie dream handicapped people who exist to make the main able-bodied character see how /magical/ and /beautiful/ life truly is. We're props to aid the able-bodied protagonists.
This movie, despite its flaws, will always be my favourite Disney movie because it was the first movie I ever saw that had a disabled hero. As a kid, this movie told me that I didn't deserve the shit people gave me for my disability. It filled my little heart with hope. And I think it helped inspire much of my life's philosophy today. It's important to value empathy, to see past physical and cultural differences, to look past country borders and see the people standing on the other side. Especially now, with so many people fleeing from war and needing places to stay. The world needs empathy and compassion. It sounds kinda stupid and it might be naive, but I'd rather be naive than some nihilistic edgelord.
Alexander Gregersen wow I'm so sorry people were that awful to you
Your amazing personality and strong heart really shine through your story. Thank you for sharing and I'm sorry that you had to face such cruelty. I'm glad it didn't change you for the worse, but that you endured and are still able to have hope and love in your heart. It's good that we can find rolemodels, hope and meaning in stories, and if this film was the one that you found them in, it's good that it exists. I wish you good luck and lot's of love in your life, and let's all work together towards a more compassionate world.
Of course, there is always a possibility of someone lying on the internet, but just assuming that his story is something people "fall for" is really disrespectful.
Dear Lord! I'm so sorry for what happened to you! it's absolutely despicable that teenagers can be so cruel to people, especially if they're different.
I was bullied as well, but more verbally than physically, however, words can hurt harder than punches. I was bullied because of my feminine appearance and gentle nature, and was called a faggot multiple times. One time in my 7th grade, because I had a crush on a girl in my class, I took a few pictures of her. As a result, everyone called me some sort of pervert, and looked at me like I was a rapist. The reason I did that is because I was young and didn't really knew how these relationships worked exactly. I was so depressed after that I didn't want to go into class. And when I got home, and took off my casual clothes, I stopped halfway to listen to "God Help the Outcasts", because I felt like an outcast. I'm a peace-loving person, and I wouldn't harm anyone. I was crying because it felt like I didn't belong here.
Another instance happened in my 6th grade, when their bulling got to the point of me crying my eyes out and spewing saliva from my mouth. I said that I was a human being, not an animal. I was so depressed that I wanted to kill myself.
Not only that, but I was, and still suffer from anger issues, and I was constantly afraid that if I let loose, I'll hurt someone. But these dumbasses constantly provoked me.
One time in my 8th grade, the guy who was sitting behind me put garbage and crumpled up paper in my backpack. It was incredibly humiliating.
Much as I love Quasimodo and this movie as whole, it's Elsa from Frozen whom I related to. I understood her situation of feeling lonely, depressed and afraid all the time. As well as people constantly making fun of you, or treating you like a monster because you look or act different. There were instances where I wished she was real to comfort me whenever I felt sad from another mocking or bullying.
While my bullying wasn't as severe as yours, I do understand and know what it's like to be bullied just because you're different than most people, and feeling so lonely that nobody can help you. I'm trying to gain any sympathy, I just wanted you to know that I was bullied as well, just in different ways.
Thanks to everyone who left such wonderful replies to my comment
Favorite parts of watching this in 2020:
- The guy walking by in full army getup AND gun while Lindsey rants about Robert Moses
- The coke guy
- The happenings of 2019
-I’m loosing to a bird
The guy in full army set up isn't exactly funny since he's here as a part of a national anti-terrorism plan because we've had countless terrorist attacks in the recent years, and most note worthy 2 in a row in the two last month notably a 70yo granny litteraly having her throat slit while she was at chruch...
@@DameMitHermelin typical of a racist to blame people of color for religious extremists.... shut the fuck up. Skin color and terrorism have nothing in common.
@@Bitume5 man Americans really don’t hear shit about anything going on in other countries. This didn’t come up one time over here :/
@@Lucifersfursona I think we've had around 30 terrorist attacks since 2015 if i remember well. It's on a "small scale" with "only 4-5 victims" so maybe that's why they didn't talk about it... It's starting to feel like one of your shootings in school.... Just regular bs...
Funny how this was such a dark Disney movie (and one of my favorites!), yet Frollo's horse is canonically named "Snowball." Yes, you read that right. A black Friesian horse named Snowball. Guess a horse was the one thing Frollo loved the most.
I'm like 99 percent sure that was made by the creators fucking around
"don't harm the horse!"
of the two horses of the film, this is the one we focus on, not the one named just for the "Achilles, heel" bit lol, to each their own, but yes silly is as silly does
Even Frollos horse is evil looking like facial expression n all 😂
ha ha ha I laughed at that! FROLLO‘s horses name is snowball! I guess he likes horses. Although I don’t think Frolo’s Horse or Quasimodo would get along. Snowball would bang Quasimodo against the wall and maybe try to abuse him! Then he will try to tell FROLLO. Who probably would say bad horse! And punish him. The horse Will want to attack Quasimodo again!
Just realized two of the gargoyles were named *Victor* and *Hugo*
ah kkaebsong Ho. Lee. Shet. (Facepalm)
I feel so stupid right now...
I love that your profile pic perfectly matches your comment lol 😂
ah kkaebsong good grief I did not notice that
Omg 🤦🏻♂️ never saw that
There's something...ahead of it's time about the IT'S FINE scene. Quasi, while enamoured with Esmerelda and broken up by her rejection, doesn't feel ENTITLED to her. He does let her go and finds self worth in his own life despite his flaws and pains. It's like a hand written letter to every Nice Guy who would come after: "HEY, SOMETIMES YOU CAN BE A LITERAL FUCKING ANGEL AND YOU DON'T GET LAID. DEAL WITH IT, MOVE ON."
It's unfortunate that it could easily be framed as 'Uggos Don't Deserve Love', but the film doesn't seem spiteful, just a bit confused in places. And, to be fair, you only get that moral if you think love is a reward for good deeds and not just something that happens without much rhyme or reason.
I always interpreted Quasi's affections for her as "She's like, the first person who wasn't made up in my head to show me some sort of positive emotion in God knows how many years, and Im so affection-starved that I can't help but have fallen for her, wouldn't it be kinda swell if she also loves me" and I agree with you and Lindsey that the change Disney made where he accepts that she is a human being who can make her own choices and instead values her friendship with her is one of the better changes they made.
yeah I actually perceive the relationship between these two as kind of a brother-sister relationship, with Esmeralda as the older one. Quasi's little thing for her was cute in a crush-on-the-babysitter kind of way, but delightful though he is, he's just nowhere near mentally mature enough to be a good partner for Esmeralda. Honestly, watching that movie, I just can't even really comprehend the idea of thinking they'd be a good match, not because of Quasimodo's looks, but because honestly, I don't think he was ever in any way prepared to handle the reality of Esmeralda in such an intimate capacity.
GioTheVax Yes, exactly. I kind of experienced something similar. Growing up I never had many male friends because I was so impossibly effeminate and just had more in common with the girls, so when I did eventually come out in high school and the one straight male person in my life (a boy I carpooled with) was so incredibly nice and kind to me (and he was kinda a "cool boy" and compared to the other "cool boys" it was such a departure they treated me like the plague) that, for a brief moment, I fell for him because I was "affection-starved" as you said.
Kind of relates to the message in Frozen about not marrying literally the first person you have a crush on. A good departure for Disney whenever it happens.
I mean he has the moment in the movie where he is angry and hurt because of her rejection and hides away and refuses to help her but realizes that saving her life is more important than hurt feelings. He has a totally human reaction and he should be allowed to be hurt but he still knows what's *right*
Looking back on it, I think this movie is another example of how Disney has branded itself into a corner. Even Walt himself noticed it when he was alive. So here’s a group of artists who wanted to tell a more serious story, but had to make compromises and the marketing pushed the tone imbalance even further.
When did Walt notice it? That sounds interesting to read.
@@isaiahwilliams2642 I think Walt once said he wanted to make serious films like To Kill A Mocking Bird, but he had to keep the Disney family-friendly image.
Disney did tell much more serious stories in the past. Disney did Dragonslayer together with Paramount. Disney produced The Black Hole.
@@evashogoki8703
Lindsay Ellis’ video about Pocahontas goes into that, actually.
Really is as shame they couldn't have brand-laundered this movie through Touchstone Pictures
It could be argued that this version actually stays true to one idea of the novel that the others have not, which is the architectural aspect. Notre Dame feels like an actual character in this one, and not just a setting or a background object. It has a personality behind it, a mysticism, something about it that makes it actually feel like it's part of dialogue, each scene, as compared to just being there for visuals and visuals alone
In a way, Esmeralda is a narrative personification of Notre Dame itself. A grand, angelic symbol of judgement and life that ends up saving Quasimodo, and that Frollo wants to control. Esmeralda never claims sanctuary herself but is always granted upon her, and Notre Dame is even referred to as a "her" by Phoebus in the final act.
"Look at that disgusting display!"
"Yes sir!"
I don't care if it makes me an awful person; I love that line.
well, if it does make you a bad person, at least now your comment has an accurate number of likes below it because of me.
It's one of the best lines in the film XD
how would that make you an awful person?
@@Bradlyeon Because sex reasons. That's why.
That one exchange characterizes both of them so much lol
"Who cares about her race, she's pretty" DID THIS MAN JUST SOLVE RACISM!?
Dylan Davis he solved racism, but contributed to sexism
It depends. If he said so because she's a woman, then no. That's sexism (as in "race does not matter because her body can be used regardless"). Solving racism would mean to acknowledge her beauty because she is a human being, not a woman, as in "race does not matter because she is a human being and so she is beautiful as a whole because of it".
It's not a serious question, geniuses.
And no, it's not sexist either.
@@AstroTibs We know. But most of the time, we just leave the joke right there and we don't really think about what makes us laugh.
@@AstroTibs it's not serious, but it does imply sexism.
I think the gargoyles could have turned out well if they kept them as "figments of Quasi's imagination." Their light hearted, jovial nature being a coping method for the decades of abuse that Quasi only subconsciously realizes. But as they are depicted they function in this weird nebulous gray area. None of the other named characters interact with them, but there are still interactions between them and the goat or the soldiers attacking Notre Dame. We shouldn't even see them interacting with each other if Quasi isn't there.
I recently rewatched this movie with my boyfriend and parents, none of whom remembered anything about it at all. We got to the scene with Frollo smelling Esmeralda’s hair in the cathedral and my dad quietly went, “This ... really isn’t a kids movie, is it?”
But goddamn, that music. I live for the soundtrack. I was lucky enough to go to a Disney performance by a local orchestra and hearing them perform the opening song gave me chills.
I like how the French version of "I'm losing to a bird" is an actual good joke that became kind of cult over time. I'm glad to know that sometimes, the translation can actually better the original product! For those who speak French he says "Je me fais pigeonner". It's a standard expression which roughly translates to "I'm getting scammed" or "he's making me lose a great deal of money" but with the word "pigeon" in it. So it's a pun that actually works in context.
Petite Galadrielle That explains a joke I read in a Japanese comic, thanks.
Sort of like the English 'Getting pigeon-holed' ?
Reminds me of that scene where Phil from Hercules tells him "2 words. I AM RETIRED" which Hercules counts as three but in Greek "I am retired" are actually 2 words
No, that means you're getting labelled.
382 283 My mind is blown
"Getting the girl at the end should never be a goal."
Random Harem anime: Hold my beer
*cough, cough* yeah, Titan!!!
if it a relationship flourishes by the end of the story, that's great. If it doesn't that's life.
She is not a prize to be won
@Josh Lee Because Esmeralda is not a prize to be won. If she doesn't have romantic feelings for him, despite that Quasimodo saved her life, then that's the way it is, she doesn't owe him anything. A "romantic interest" or just to get the girl, is a pretty stupid, selflish and shallow motive for a character. Despite the fact that in this story, if Quasimodo wouldn't be able to see the value in just being friends with Esmeralda, he would be just as bad and selflish as Frollo, who sees Esmeralda as nothing but an sexual object that he is entitled to own, which is dehumanizing Esmeralda.
I love the angle that Quasi not ending up with Esmarelda is a pretty enlightening and simplifying want vs need idea. Quasi WANTS to be with Esmarelda, but really the more stable and deeply healing experience for him is the one he originally wanted; to be welcomed and loved by his whole community 🤷♀️
So it's more than okay that he's ""alone"" at the end of the film, because it wasn't the only way for his core wound to be addressed.
Ugh, this movie is one of my favorites from Disney. Yeah, the tone is not always good, I mean, the gargoyles are there so it doesn't feel heavy AF for the kids and they can have some comedic relief, but they're really annoying.
The characters are good. I've said this in a lot of videos about the movie and I'll say it again: Frollo is the scariest Disney villain because he is a very real guy, he's not magic, he's just a creepy religious guy in a position of power.
I really like the different perspectives of the three guys who want Esmeralda: Frollo sees her as a whore, a temptress; Quasimodo sees her as an angel, something pure (these two perspectives are pretty clear in the songs); and Phoebus, unlike the book counterpart, sees her as a person, a three-dimensional character.
Frollo: 🎶 Be MINE or you will BURRRRRN! 🎶
Hugo: 🎶I’m LOSING to a BIIIRRRRRD! 🎶
oh god, it fits the rhythm...
This is too much for my brain to handle this early in the morning
Gosh I can’t decide wether to chuckle or to dry heave in sorrow that this will be at my subconscious whenever I listen to hellfire
Damn, you beat me to the joke.
STOP 🤣🤣🤣
Frollo took the burning too far...
Drinking game: every time she plays the clip of the Jason Alexander gargoyle losing to a bird, take a shot.
I died of alcohol poisoning.
Well I’m fukin rekt now
Are you trying to fucking kill me?
Can be applied to all lindsay Ellis videos lol
Am shit. ....that's ...what I am doing
I love that you highlight that Quasimodo accepts Esmerelda's agency as a human, which is 100% opposite Frollo... even if it hurts him.
Oh boy...I don’t think that Ansel Elgort version is coming, Lindsay....
Out of all the things to age poorly in this video that one has definitely aged the worst
Lmaooo
@@gennybaratta2460 I kind a disagree. What aged the worst is the line of Notre Dame being around or at least not busted up nowadays.
You can say "oh, but Quasi doesn't get the girl" but...that's not what he wanted.
He just wanted to be loved, and accepted, and to have friends.
And he got all of those by the end.
Not every hero needs a romantic and/or sexual partner.
Platonic love is just as important, if not more so.
He did "want the girl." But he also respected her as a person. Instead of complaining about being "friendzoned," he lets her go and is happy for her instead of forcing his wants on her
I conquer.
That's the aroace spirit.
Something I really like about "Hellfire" is that it goes deep into the the villain's internal conflict BUT this is used to make him more villainous and more hated by the audience.
Most of the time when fiction shows us a conflicted or internally tormented villain it's doing so to humanise them and make them more sympathetic. The idea being that the audience understands them more as a person and has the opportunity to empathise with their motivation, even if you still want them to fail and know they're doing something really wrong.
This can make for some very compelling villains but sometimes the villain can be compelling because the audience doesn't want to empathise with them at all... With those villains we hate them even more when we see how their warped minds turn everything into fuel for evil actions.
Frollo has some genuine feelings for Esmerelda but instead of that becoming motivation to help her or maybe even make him start to question his irrational hatred of Gypsies, he ends up deciding that she deserves eternal punishment for making him have feelings that confuse him.
Sometimes you can look deeper into someone's heart and not find a tiny shred of humanity but instead realise that they're actually even worse than they appear. Irredeemable villains are often non-characters in Disney stories but Frollo becomes more irredeemable the more character he gets.
What you just tried to describe as "more interesting" is literally every other generic Disney villain lol
@@MelodyMecato6156 Every other generic disney villain... has internal conflict? Yeah I certainly remember Ursulas monologue about the turmoil her schemes cause her or how Scar really fought with himself over the pain of killing his own brother.
@@windwaker407 I was referring to how Frollo is still a dehumanized black and white "total evil villain" like every other Disney bad guy as opposed to being sympathetic or understandable, therefore more complex and compelling. Schaffrillas Production's video on the character goes into more detail on this topic.
Good point!
@Krista Star Yeah, but it would make them more compelling if they were
This has aged in a lot of weird ways. My first reaction was "TRAVELING?! DURING A PANDEMIC?!" and then "Wait! Notre Dame is still there!" I'm worried that someone in a year will add something to that..
Well, it has been a year, so: "Wait, Lindsay Ellis is still making videos?"
What do you mean "still there", it isn't gone, it didn't like burn down entirely, it was just damaged.
@@suranumitu7734 True but it doesn't look like it does in this footage anymore. Things that she shows in this video, like the spire, are just totally gone now and have yet to be rebuilt. Also I doubt you can get close enough to stash crack in a bush anymore
It has been five years
And I am still not over
The cocaine-bush man
~ An original haiku
Like did he NOT see the camera crew and the woman in Red right in front of him?
I love him
Who is he
Is he still hiding cocaine in the background of media discourse videos
You might want to rework that first line if you want a haiku. It-has-been-four-years would be five syllables
@@iggykidd the first and last line should be 5 syllables
Whether you do or don't like this film, Hellfire is one of Disney's most powerful pieces to this day. The whole dark, gothic themes of the story including religion, mental illness and oppression all set to a background of gregorian chanting and bells ringing, is still very unique.
Not to mention IT'S THE CONFITEOR. (The Latin being sung in the background translates to, "I confess to almighty God, to blessed Mary ever-virgin, blessed Michael the archangel, sainted apostles, and all the saints, that I have sinned, in thought, word, and deed, through my own fault, through my own fault, through my own most grievous fault" - these last lining up when Frollo is literally singing, "It's not my fault." Disney did its homework!)
You are made of Win. I always wondered what they were saying but was never able to figure out how to go about searching for the answer as a kid. Then I completely forgot about it as I got older. You have answered one of my childhood curiosities. Thank you~
I only know the French version, but the lyrics are damn powerful, perfect for that kind of score. I think Disney would never ok it if it came out now.
@@serenityq26 How dense are you
How is it about mental illness or oppression? He’s singing about his lust for Esmeralda
I once read somewhere that the reason Esmeralda ending up with Phoebus works is because
Quasi saw her as an angel, this otherworldly being, which is unhealthy in itself.
Frollo saw her as a sinful creature akin to a demoness.
Phoebus just saw the human in her, and that's what he wanted. He didn't make her out to be more than she was.
That's beautiful. I always liked it because I saw an immense friendship between the two. And the moment when Quasi clasps their hands together, he realized if he was to try to demand her love without consent, he's the same as Frollo. Frollo is selfish love. Quasi is selfless love. They're both the sides of the religious coin. Religion can cure or curse, and the "half-formed" man forged himself in his pure faith, instead of the twisted self-serving kind his father figure raised him with. It highlights how our parentage forms us and how we can use our own autonomy to change that form
And when you think about it, there are not many cartoons that show you how to react to rejection. This one did. Yes it hurts, by all gods it hurts ! But still, you should let her/him go.
Huh...that’s a really cool reinterpretation
Love this!! That's how I've always felt.
ill give the movie credit it was interesting to see the main protagonisit not grt the girl.... whch is a very real part of life ... sometimes
Will miss you Lindsay. “I’m losing to a bird” is always a part of my vocabulary because of this video
“Now your kids can get all 4 puppets”
“Take them from her”
“SHE RAAAN”
oh that made me belly laugh 🤣
Lost it at: "Christian mom groups were more on the Frollo side of things.".
Which is hella ironic, 'cause he REALLY wanted to tap that but he had to kill her because REASONS and it drives him bugfuck crazy.
Yes, it’s very telling of the way that contemporary church culture is at odds with anything resembling healthy sexuality... it’s not just “make safe choices” but “OMG it’s evil and if you have a fluttery feeling you should CRUSH it! Don’t do any sex you guys”
@@emilysmith3594 It is sure a problem for the moderate views in many churches and in everything really. There is the misconception of so many groups (Most groups, some are as bad as they are thought to be), because of ignorance and they way others package the ideals of any group of people. Furies, Muslims, Bronys, Christianity, and so many more that have bad reputations with some people, all because of a minority that is loud by the tragedies that happen or the ways interpretation can make things look. That is why we should make our education system better to make people think of things beyond face value more.
@Smash 456 That never happend.
Yeah, I was lucky I had a mom who understood stuff. Taught me to balance my beliefs with the world we live in. I think a lot of people could learn from that.
I love how casual the guy is while he's hiding his stash. He doesn't even care that everyone can see him. He doesn't even notice the camera. Incredible
_high demand_
He's most probably hiding his stash only from the police. Many street vendors do that: their merch isn't valuable nor illegal to care about ordinary people seeing where they hide it+ they are always around and keep an eye on it.
Surprising considering he was kinda middle-eastern looking and there were all these heavily armed police and soldiers patrolling around. In America, they would have shot him on the assumption he was planting a bomb.
In america police don't normally patrol with semi-automatics and shotguns. Additionally, what you wrote was the most ignorant dribble I have read in weeks.
+MrReded69 Yeah, I doubt that anyone would have assumed that small package to be a bomb, particularly when it's placed in the bushes so casually.
Bombs are kinda dangerous, and people handling them know that.
The gargoyles only speak when Quasimodo is alone. I have always thought them speaking is a representation of Quasimodo’s psychological need for friendly companionship.
That would have solved the tone problem a little. But during the final battle, they played a role in fighting off Frollo’s men, so they are real. 🤦♀️
@@mhawang8204Ah, but we technically don't see them interact with Frollo's Men. We see them do a thing, and then we *cut* to Frollo's men being affected. It muddies and makes things more ambiguous, but it doesn't say 100% they're real.
The only other characters gargoyles interact with is Djali and Frollo, and with Djali is just a quick gag and with Frollo it's not THE gargoyles, it's a seperate spout head. This to me signifies not that "the gargoyles are real", but that there is a real spirit to Notre Dame that manifests differently to different people.
Man I miss Lindsey…RUclips just isn’t the same without her 😭
What happened ?
@@gabymerman9005 she got mobbed off :(
@@thescreamingelfwillcry409 what does that mean?
@@geomancer6371 she basically got cancelled for dumb stuff she made a video about it
@@thescreamingweaselswillcrywhat video was it ?/gq
"Foreigners? You came yesterday - we come today."
Wow. Prescient.
I think that's the ultimate slam on nationalism.
TheHoratiosvetlana: Huh. And here my thoughts went immediately to colonies. Funny how a perspective can change things.
Sky Castrum You are comparing kicking someone out of their home with trying to move next door
A Gonzalez: Actually neither. I was comparing a quote to a situation, not a situation to a situation.
Meanwhile, you are comparing the moralities of people in a very different situation to the morality of modern day. Our life experiences are strongly tied to what we believe as truth and justice. Do you think that you would have been any different from those whom you accuse? Do you believe that those who come years later would view you as a paragon of virtue in whatever shape their morality takes? People presume too much.
And said like 100 years ago
Hugo: I swear, I was JUST gonna start writing the book, but... Revolution...?
Hugo: Look, I would, but there's this cat with a baseball bat outside and it's really distracting.
@@Lawnie LOL. Victor Hugo getting distracted by Tabby is now canon.
Made sense.
haha jk... unless?
@@Kidomaru222 omg yes lol
Regarding the concept of historical preservation, Hugo was fully a man of his time when he wrote about the preservation of Notre-Dame. In France, it was during the Revolution that the idea was instutionalised. The first occurence of "monument historique" (roughly translated "heritage") came in 1790. The destruction of royal statues and churches led to a processus of museification: some parts of the statues were exposed in museums to show how big and tyrannic kings were, French national museums in the major cities were in fact created in the wake of the French revolution. And that's why we still have parts of the medieval statues of the kings of Israel from Notre-Dame.
During the first half of the 19th century, the idea of heritage emerged in France. A part of the royal budget was dedicated to heritage starting in 1819, and in 1830 one year before the publishing of Notre-Dame de Paris, the position of Inspector General of Historical Monuments was created. This institution had the goal to survey monuments in peril throughout France. Of course, Hugo's novel, inscribed in the romantic sensitivity and interest for the past and the Middle Ages helped spark the public opinion's interest in the matter.
Modern historical preservation in France takes its roots in the revolutionary time and evolved quickly during the 19th century. After Napoléon was thrown out from power, France even had to give all the stolen artworks. To European nations only, they didn't really bother about the egyptian artworks and the Ottoman empire. Notre-Dame de Paris had a HUGE impact on popular culture since the 1830s, merch was made out of it in the 19th century, from fancy statues to affordable fans. And also, the stage adaptation of 1998 sparked the new golden age of French musicals of the late 90s. And Belle is still a standard in 2020 ruclips.net/video/rGe0PdW2ozw/видео.html
And yes, I think all the public emotion about the fire that occured in 2019 is also an heritage from Hugo and his views on architecture. Some French people really cried of distress when the spire fell, there were a commemoration on TV in April... Would it be Le Mans or Soissons cathedral that would have burned, the public opinion would have talked less about it and the donations would have been waaaaay lower.
ok this is really well put together also KIKUCHIYO!!!!!!!!!!
Almost three years later and I still want to hear the Robert Moses tangent.
Same! He sucked so bad!
I remember my dumb ass reading through the entirety of Hugo's original work in fifth grade. I truly cannot remember 98 percent of the story because, well, I was a ten year old reading a book far beyond my skill level, but I do remember the a r c h i t e c h t u r e. God, I remember fucking crying in my room trying to get through the entire chapter (i think the 2nd) that was just about the FUCKING BUILDING. The ceiling, the pillars, the steps, all written about in excruciating detail. Moral of the story: don't read Notre Dame until your emotionally and psychologically mature enough.
@Betty I relate to this sooooo much. I was trying to read through it but thE whOle 2 chapTers were entirely about the b u i l d i n g aAAAA
Lmaooo
Rina so never then?
"He's fine... It's fine... This is fine..."
We're fine.
It's fine.
It's fine. That's fine. It's fine.
meta527II it’s in real-time to match the scene.
I thought it was fine
hiya, Gypsy here. i know this video is 5+ years old, but it's actually closer to 1.5 million of us killed. We were almost entirely wiped out by the porrajmos, not only a few hundred thousand
it's estimated at this level because they didn't know how to class us. Some as political prisoners, some as "workshy", but the majority of us were killed on-sight, with no paperwork to follow
Most underrated disney film of all time. It’s got an incredibly dark theme with an important message about piety; a good number of side characters who break up that darkness with humor so it’s not overbearing; a love triangle that actually resolves somewhat meaningfully; main characters motivated by things that aren’t stupid; and to top it all off, a freaking amazing soundtrack that you could listen to on repeat for hours.
i’m VERY late but as someone who’s listened to the soundtrack for hours on end: yes! 👍👍👍👍
Nobody:
Lindsey: "see how I glittah" clip
Honestly, it's one of my favorite parts of her and her crew's work.
That was his mistake!...Wait, wrong video essayist.
@@liveangel93 That was his *S T E A K*
@@visionofsolace8961 She doesn't have a crew
Story of my life.
The best reason I've ever seen for why Phoebus makes the most sense as Esmerelda's love interest vs Quasi or Frollo is in how they all describe her. Quasi calls her an angel, Frollo calls her a witch, Phoebus calls her a woman. He's the only one to really see her for what she is
I think what people need to be reminded of is the fact that Esmeralda was one of the first people to judge Quasimodo by his personality rather than his appearance, unlike Frollo, or the guards. The only character who is likely to have been nice to Quasimodo before Esmeralda is the Archdeacon, and seeing as there are no scenes of conversation between the Archdeacon and Quasimodo, it can be considered unlikely. Quasimodo views Esmeralda as an angel because, in his eyes, she is his rescuer.
This is a fact I see many gloss over Imogen. Agreed.
Honestly I completely agree with this statement. And I do believe that they are meant to be together because I felt Phoebus saw her in a realistic way as Quasi thought too high of her while Frollo thought to low of her. He just saw her as who she is. Strong, cunning but a kind and smart woman.
Imogen Howard true, but that explains why Quasimodo would choose Esmerelda, not the other way around
Well, looks also play a role, of course. Whilst you can judge people by their character and love them beyond their outer appearance, having a romantic relationship is a whole different matter. Looks do play an important role there. It would have been super unlikely for a beauty like Esmeralda to choose a kind deformed hunchback over a kind handsome man. Even if there were no Phoebus it would have been highly unlikely for her to end up with Quasimodo. Disney chose to be realistic here.
Growing up with pshyologial/emotional abuse this movie made helped teach me (along with Tamora Pierce) that the action of the abuser isn't the fault of the person being abused. And made me start to wonder about the "normalcy" of my situation.
I actually really liked that Quasimodo and Esmeralda did not end up together because poor Quasi has had literally no healthy relationships his entire life. Esmeralda is literally his first ever friend. If that were to escalate into romance immediately, that would not be healthy for either of them. Especially since Esmeralda is an adult who has lived her life in the outside world. She has had many relationships with family and friends and her community. It makes sense that she would fall for Phoebus who also is an adjusted adult who has had normal socialization. For this story, Quasi didn’t need a girlfriend before he had ever even had a friend. And starting a romance when the only relationship has ever had was abusive? That’s a recipe for disaster.
Theres also an argument to be made that Quasi’s love for Esmeralda was always plutonic. He had seen her for weeks from the bell tower and never listed over her. It was only after she was kind to him and defended him bravely that he started to get heart eyes. And when all you’ve known was isolation and abuse, it’s hard not to fall for the first person who is nice to you. I love the relationship between quasi and Esmeralda. I think it’s beautiful
But it only proved that looks do matter
@@bubbles4897 did you not read the comment?
@@missanthropy6174 yeah. And I still say….it says looks do matter in terms or romantic relationships
@@bubbles4897 so you DIDNT read my comment. How about you quit replying until you do?
He saves the goat.
Iconic.
I'm just thinking about it now. It does seem like something a (actually) brilliant writer would do with their autobiographical character. If you consider the alternative, how douchey would it be to write a story where the character that represents yourself saves the heroine at the end.
Honestly. Truly.
To be fair, book Esmeralda never appreciated him and he got on quite well with Djali.
"pierre said he would save the goat over esmarelda and he did it! the absolute madman!"
"So typical of your kind to twist the truth; to cloud the mind with unholy *thots* " (Frollo, 1996)
BEG0NE TH0T
frollo uses reddit
@@literallyglados Frollo is an incel
@@askatuproductions “all gurlz r qween”-le smooooth brains
“If she breathes she’s a THOOOOOT”.
-le big pp and brainer
So that's where that word for unwanted female characters came from.
"Let's get Tony Jay, a voice actor with a level of menacing baritone normally reserved for a villainous opera, and combine his performance with Jason Alexander making fart jokes!"
-someone somewhere, apparently
One other point in favor of the Disney adaptation is that it reintroduces the cathedral of Notre Dame as an essential element to the story. Its architecture impacts the lives and decisions of all the major characters. It is both a cage and a sanctuary for Quasimodo, a place of holy judgement for Frollo, and a sacred space of divine acceptance for Esmerelda, and through her, the Romani people. It literally gives Quasimodo his world view. The structure and interior themselves are beautifully rendered and presented in wide shots that give the viewer the same sense of awe that cathedrals were originally built to inspire. Musically, the film is bookended by the song "The Bells of Notre Dame", which introduces the cathedral as a major presence in the lives of ordinary people. And the movie's central idea, "who is the monster and who is the man?" is sung out by "the bells of Notre Dame." The only other version of the story I seen is the 1939 film, but based on this video, Disney's version recentralizes Hugo's original theme in a way that other reproductions have not.
You left the possible cocaine drop in the video. Remarkable.
it was so bloody surreal
I loved that part!
It's fine, it's fine, this is fine.... it's fine
lol
only two and a half minutes in and we've already gotten an "i'm losing to a bird" AND a "see how i glitter"
Chloe Can Kind of Sing I wouldn’t have it any other way
makes my heart happy
This is my favorite disney film, partially because my musician parents only bought films for us with scores they considered actually good, so this was one of the only animated films we had, but I think it's big, dark, heavy moments are some of the best moments in any disney film. The gargoyles are silly, but with the themes and visuals and that score to back them up? Whew, even just the hellfire scene...when it hits it goes hard
I admire your parents haha. I mean since kids watch their favorite movies over and over and over again, if they had to listen to bad musical numbers so much they probably would've lost it. :P And honestly...those gargoyles were a hoot when you're a kid. It's a solid movie for both kids and adults.
Basically this asks the question
"What version of the story did Disney adapt?"
and answers with a "Yes"
This could be wrong, but I remember reading somewhere that one of the makers of the film said that the reason Quasi couldn't end up with Esmeralda is because while Frollo saw her as this sinful, unholy seductress, Quasi saw her as an impossibly perfect, beautiful angel. So Pheobus was the only one who saw her and loved her for who she truly was, a wonderful, but ultimately flawed and human woman.
LexofGotham wow, that perspective really resolves a lot for me
Well put--wow...
Eh, I don't really like that way of looking at it. Quasimodo's love feels just as genuine as Phoebus, to me.
I thought Quazi's love was the most genuine of the three.. well, as genuine as a love can be in a few days.
Thats actually a pretty good perspective as well. Heck, this one scene where Esmeralda talks to Quasi pretty much shows it. She asks him if he thinks he is evil and without fully knowing her he straight up claims that he does not believe that she can be evil in any way or form.
"Did he just hide a stash of cocaine?" still cracks me up, I come back to to this now and then.
Pun intended?
@@hayatnehad6134 Was actually a happy coincidence, I can't take cred! 😄
What happened to the coke?
I wonder what happened to it..
@@eliasmg9144 Legend says it’s still there.
"Getting a sexy lamp as a reward." This is a lesson in men being better at seeing women as people, not as possessions.
The one thing in this movie that really impacted me as a kid was how Frollo and Quasi's duet in the beginning was a pitch-perfect - heh - representation of an abusive parent-child dynamic, in particular how your abuser can manufacture your consent towards your own abuse. "You are deformed" "I am deformed" "Be grateful to me" "I'm grateful" etc. You can literally hear it in the song, where normally the higher voice would be singing the melody, instead Frollo is leading, forcing Quasimodo's angelic high tenor into a harmonizing descant. The conversation around child abuse was a lot less nuanced when Hunchback came out, and the movie made me feel seen in a way that I wouldn't experience again for decades.
Great critique!
"Alan Menken's best score for a Disney movie" YOU'RE RIGHT AND YOU SHOULD SAY IT
It's Alan Menken's favorite of his Disney scores, too!
I completely agree except for one song on the list, "A Guy Like You." Good song, wrong theme (also not needed at all in the story).
Luke Johnson *everyone like that*
I'm glad I came to the TedTalk. lol 10000% Agree.
Yes it is!!!
And that soundtrack makes me actually look forward to a live action remake
I'll still argue that the comedy gargoyles would work if they were more clearly painted as the objects of a lonely Quasimodo's imagination.
i agree they aren't ever portrayed as figments of his imagination to help him cope with his loneliness. Now that we are older we could infer that but as children we just thought of it as Disney magic
i like to think he was just tyler durden-ing, it eases the pain somewhat
That is exactly what they are. Hugo describes just how bonkers Quasimodo is in the novel. He is often seen by parishioners perched next to the statuary and blabbing away with them. The man is insane, and so the Disney reading is quite valid.
"The angelic voice of human flower crown Tom Hulce"
Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. ;P
French Notre Dame musical is fantastic, and it was a sensation in Europe. I was in middle school when it came to my country, and everyone were humming (and parodying) the songs. My school library ran out of the book's copies because kids were actually picking it up to read. And the musical still holds up, although it is flawed. They managed to create a relatively loyal book adaptation and still make it relevant.
Love the video, though. I'm coming to rewatch it from time to time.
"Shrek looks like 90% of stand-up comedians"
Have some mercy, Lindsay
Calling a cartoon hunchback as an uggo is bad and mean, but calling real people ugly..."gotta make em laugh!"
Lol, nope. Absolutely no mercy.
Shrek does kinda look like Joe Rogan in a way
I also wanted to say, Phoebus in the entire film never made a single comment about Quasimodos appearance.
Now that you mention it.
Tammy’s Forehead productions Phoebus woke confirmed
I always thought that was instrumental to the film explaining Esmeralda's attraction to him. He was another person who didnt judge looks -- neither of the racially oppressed Romani nor of a disabled or disfigured person. They always made the white boys who brown girls fell for be superior morally almost to the point of angelhood.
Esmeralda is just a mary sue. In the novel she falls in love with phoebus because he is beautiful, even though he is a scoundrel. It would be much better for him to be a scoundrel and showing that everyone is making mistakes.
In the man who laughs by Victor Hugo, the protagonist had a girlfriend, he fell in love with a beautiful girl who was cruel, just because of her appearance and almost had cheating. but he remained faithful. We all have failures.
Why couldn't Esmeralda have her flaws? She's just a mary sue.
Gwynplaine fought for justice, but it had its flaws, but Esmeralda in the film did not. She is a one-dimensional character.
@@josiane9193 maybe because not all female characters have to be paragons of ultimate feminism. Male roles are usually Mary sues, or marty sues if you will, so why cannot a woman have those too? Men are allowed to like women for superficial reasons, why not also let a woman do the same? If you want women to have equality in media then let them have real characters too, both flawed and not. Not every woman needs to be a messianic figure that raises all other woman to higher standards. Let them be real too.
Also if you think Esmeralda in this version only liked Phoebus because he was pretty then not only did not pay attention, but you CRIMINALLY missed one of the biggest messages present through the whole movie.
You know what, I agree the gargoyles are kind of annoying and out of place, but I think it's worth mentioning that I and all of my friends loved them when we were kids, and I think they serve an important function as a less grim part of an otherwise very dark story for children. It's jarring to adults, but to children it's a bit of needed levity. The fact that they function as implied figments of the imagination of an extremely lonely man also makes them feel a bit less out of place, in my opinion, because all the nonsense they do is essentially just something Quasimodo imagines to stave off his boredom and loneliness.
Watching this in 2020 and it seems even more relevant now. This is one of my favorite of this era of Disney films, mostly because of the music, the anti-racism and anti-ablism message and the awesome trip sequence with the fire place.
"See how I glittah" and "I am losing to a BIRD" are slowly getting engraved into my skull. I like it.
As much as people like to shit on Esmeralda's character because of the somewhat sexualised depiction of a minorty group, which I won't deny, I think she's still a positive character, as far as female representations go. Most female Disney characters have a somewhat docile nature that is sweet and acommodating, and Esmeralda is nothing like this. Yes, she's nice, but she talks back to every other (male) character as if they were equals. She questions authority and she stands up for what she believes. Not only that, but she saves Phoebus and Quasimodo (twice!). We never see her giving up or retreating in fear, or crying (not that crying is bad, but for female characters is kinda expected). At the same time, she's not a character with no humour or soft spots, like we see in many "strong independent woman" character these days - female characters that are so "strong", they end up being boring and impossible to connect to.
I don't know, I don't think there's ever been a Disney character written like Esmeralda
She even spits in Frollo's face when she's on the pyre as he's about to sentence her to death. Iconic as hell.
God help the outcasts showcases her as one of the most selfless empathetic Disney heroines. Her actions are motivated by her care for others not herself like other Disney heroines
BishtrainerTai16 why would they lose points for THAT who cares about her looks or skin your making a big deal out of nothing
I think the issue is that female characters of color are often given "sassiness" as part of an "exotic" and "sexy" personality. They aren't allowed the innocence that white female characters get, and even though the "sassiness" can allow their characters to have more agency, it also can reinforce harmful narratives about women of color being violent and sinful. This is not to say that Esmeralda, in a vacuum, is a bad character. Only that she is part of a trend of showing female characters of color in ways that can be used to excuse violence against real women of color.
asyouwish141 no one with half a brain would use a g rated movie as a use for violence your overexagerating here
I completely agree that it serves the story and adds to his character that he didn't "get the girl", but I always hated that the one time Disney decides to actually resolve a romance realistically in terms of character growth and have the MC not get the girl is the one time the MC has a physical deformity, or really am unconventional body type of any kind. It feels like it sends the wrong message
You know, it's interesting that Esmeralda was like literally the only notable Romany representation I saw when I was a kid. Not shocking, but certainly worthy of note.
Oddly enough, the fact that it's animated allowed Disney to be faithful to Hugo's original intentions... in a different way. While the story and characters are the focus, the way they SHOT Notre Dame is absolutely BREATHTAKING -- it's almost a character, itself. So, in it's own way, the animated movie still manages to capture a significant part of the spirit of the book (attention to the cathedral) by how it shows off the architecture.
phastinemoon Notre Dame IS a character. It's the main character of the book. That's why it's called "Notre Dame de Paris".
Our Lady of Paris is the main set for much of what happens in the novel and is Quasimodo's Universe. He loves her like a Lady and she in turn loves him.
couldnt agree more! Even the very first sequence of the movie follows the very first chapter of the novel, that "plan sequence" which starts with Clopin and the city surrounding the cathedral, then up to its architecture and quasimodo acrobaties, THEN the first action scene with the "fête des fous" (i'm sorry i guess a lot of those french terms translate somehow)
@@midgetwthahacksaw I was specifically referring to the Disney musical.
Yes, the cathedral is a character (perhaps, even The main character) in the novel, but film adaptations tended to NOT give her that treatment.
Except for the Disney version.
God, Lindsay talking about the building "outliving and outlasting" in Hugo's original novel with the spire framed right in the centre of the shot is heartbreaking in light of today's events.
And, yet, the building has survived, true to Hugo's words.
I hope they rebuild it. I think it's the best thing to do. Seeing as the cathedral has been the heart of Paris for so long...
@@cjsyblik3296 They will. Whilst it's perfectly understandable to be shocked and upset at the sight of such an iconic historic building up in flames, if it is any consolation, it is a common thing to happen throughout history. I'm a historian who works in an archival centre that exists purely because the old building (a one time church, one time jail, had been many things in its time...) that housed those relics and documents burned down in the 90s. It happens often. We are constantly improving ways to rescue and preserve historical treasures.
But people have the will to preserve it and restore it. That is what he wanted.
@@Shaestel I wonder if they're replacing the wooden frames completely thogh.....
The musical might not be the best adaptation, but Patrick Page, Ciara Renee Harper, and Michael Arden are amazing.
I absolutely love the soundtrack from the stage musical! The vocals are spectacular.
Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame was my introduction to Notre Dame as a kid. And now that I've grown I will openly admit that I'm a big Notre Dame fan.
I have literally never made it through "Hellfire" without getting goosebumps and a mild case of existentialism.
I think I legit orgasm every time I watch it
I never get through ‘Hellfire’ without having flashbacks of my childhood being scared by a terrifying song and even more terrifying animation. So basically the same.
Well, clearly you didn't do what I did: listening to it for about 200 times over the last 2 weeks (no exaggeration).
"Shrek looks like 90% of stand-up comedians" is ARGUABLEY the single best line in this video.
I'm watching this review in 2020, in the midst of all the riots and protests. Everything that you talked about are even more relevant now then a few years ago. It's still one of my favorite video essays you've done.
i love how now that i’m binge watching her videos i see how frequently she uses the “see how i glitter” clip- it’s great
The stark contrast between the titles of Heaven’s Light and Hellfire (heaven vs hell, light vs fire) and the fact that they’re in one medley and blended together by the same church bell melody is absolutely genius. Wow. So underappreciated.
yea on the official soundtrack, they're literally the same song, not separated ("Heaven's Light/Hellfire")
Also everything Claude Frollo is singing in Hellfire in English is contradicted in Latin by the other singers. For example, he sings "It's not my fault", the other singers sing "mea culpa." It's brilliant!
Also, what you said is not an exaggeration. The main theme in the score is literally the same melody as Hellfire--but Hellfire is done in a minor key, instead of major!
This movie taught me as a kid that toxic parents are a thing and that it is ok to break away from them to be a better person. My parents always let me watch it thinking I loved Esmeralda, but really I loved the themes, even as a kid of what it means to be a good human.
@Xenomorph Captain Vex Ghost of the brony community One would assume that, had Dracorien's parents been toxic, their toxicity would have taught him that toxic parents were a thing.
Because he learned it elsewhere, it's implied that his parents weren't toxic.
@@zexionthefirst6767 It's also possible that dracorien just didn't know what toxic parents were, because maybe the toxicity at home had been ingrained as "the norm" in their mind.
This does happen.
"Industry has replaced art."
~Victor Hugo
Well damn, he would be amazed by today that's for sure.
Fun little thing in my past, circa like.. 2008 or so when youtube was wild and free, and i was like 13, I wanted to show Hunchback of Notre Dame by Disney to my friend who had never seen it. She didn't have a copy of it and I didn't want to wait to grab my copy and come back, so we tried to find it on youtube, in ten minute segments as is tradition. And we found someone who had uploaded the entire movie on youtube.... minus the gargoyles. They had simply edited out every shot with them in. With no more complete copy available, we watched it and frankly, at least to my memory? It held up perfectly fine in that edit. There were a few scenes that were cut off awkwardly and some very weird cuts in the final fight sequence, but that was about it. thank you, random person who fucking hated the gargoyles in 2008
So what you're saying is: it's fine. He's fine.
William Blake Hall This is fine.
It's fine.
But is he really?
09yulstube
HE'S FINE.
It’s fine. He’s fine. This is fine
"Human flower crown" that's literally the best description of Tom Hulce I've ever heard poor guy he doesn't get enough credit for how talented he is
I've always personally been a fan of "literally Mozart", but human flower crown is pretty great as well.
"Get Bent Today"--people really forget how insanely brilliant "The Critic" was at times.
"Notre Dame might not even be here today!"
Welp. That didn't age well.