Day 17: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Type the title of Victor Hugo's 1831 gothic novel into google and you get the 1996 Disney version. You can guess this film has a happier ending than the novel, even the 1939 film has a happier ending then the novel. It is one of those novels that has been adapted for stage and screen many times. Lon Chaney took on the role in 1923. It has also been turned into a ballet, several times. Practically every type of media has adapted this novel. There have been comics, films, tv series, plays, musicals, radio plays, even a video game.
The main protagonists in the novel are Quasimodo, the hunchback, a 20 year old deformed man who was abandoned as a baby, Archdeacon Claude Frollo, Quasimodo's master who adopted him when he was abandoned and Esmerelda, a 16 year old, beautiful gypsy Quasimodo falls in love with. The whole novel is pretty dark. I don't want to give too much away but Esmerelda's love interest, Phoebus is not a likeable character. In the Disney film he is of course the dashing hero. In the novel he is engaged when he meets Esmerelda and does not love her, as she is beautiful however he has no problem with trying to get her into bed. He still wants to marry his fiancée who is, of course, a noblewoman. Esmerelda is just a fling for him, a bit of fun. Her friendship with Quasimodo begins when she gives him water after he has been flogged in public for attempting to kidnap her (on the orders of Frollo) and develops when he saves her from being hanged on a false charge. In the end four men fall for Esmerelda; Phoebus, Captain of the King's Archers who attempts to seduce her before going back to his fiancée, Quasimodo, the mostly deaf bell ringer to whom she shows kindness and forgiveness, something rare to him, Claude Frollo, who struggles with his lust for Esmerelda and the rules he follows in his job and Pierre Gringoire, a young man who Esmerelda saves from hanging by a group of beggars by agreeing to be his wife for four years. This is following his unintentionally discovering the Court of Miracles where beggars and gypsies live hiding from the law. To preserve the secret he stumbles upon, he must either die or marry one of them. Esmerelda pities him but is infatuated with Phoebus, even though Pierre does truly care for her.
In the novel after trying and failing to win Esmerelda's heart, Frollo ultimately betrays her. Quasimodo is left heartbroken and, without giving too much away, no-one gets their happy ending. Many aspects had to be changed or completely removed for this story to be a suitable Disney film. With clearer villains and heroes than the novel, it had a fairy-tale feel to it and loose ends were tied up in the straight to DVD sequel (or so I hear, I do not plan to watch it, it sounds awful).
The novel itself centres very much on the cathedral of Notre Dame (Notre Dame is French for Our Lady). The gothic design and the beauty of the cathedral was something Victor Hugo was trying to promote. So many beautiful historic buildings were being demolished, replaced and /or changed. He didn't want it to happen to the cathedral. It's design and architecture being so beautiful. Although this has been lost in some adaptations, Disney animators went to Paris and drew the cathedral to ensure they did it justice in the film.
I have no problem with disneyfied stories, I love Disney. I just want people to know a little about the original...I have no regard for people's childhood I really don't. The only reason I haven't said more about the story is that I don't want to ruin it for people who may want to read it in the future. People shouldn't expect a happy ending, it is a gothic novel after all. Of course the Disney version had the moral of appearances not meaning anything and all that, it had to have something of a happy ending, it is Disney after all. Since Snow White awoke to the arms of her prince we have come to accept it. By all means have some family friendly fun and watch it, I will. Starts off with nice bit of murder.
It was strange to some people that the film didn't get a PG rating, it deals with some pretty heavy stuff. Murder, abuse, lust and Esmerelda does essentially pole dance in one scene. Frollo's character was changed to a judge so as not to offend people. Who wants their kids to watch an archdeacon lust after a woman he then tries to kill? For a darker film but still with a happier ending than the novel, watch the 1939 film. l don't know how the 1923 one ends, but by all means have a silent movie night, I totally want to do that but don't think I have any friends who'd be up for it. Whatever you choose, even if you seek out another film, another adaptation or if you just read the book I will tell you something. Watch the 1996 Disney film to catch a couple of cameos. Look out for Belle wandering through the streets of Paris with her nose in a book, a trader shaking out Aladdin's carpet and Pumbaa cooking on a spit. Enjoy!
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