Disney Movie Review: 34/52 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Ryan Dosier - Perhaps the most underrated Disney animated feature I’ve
watched yet is The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). Without a doubt it is one of
the darkest features in Disney’s oeuvre, Hunchback succeeds in being haunting,
hilarious, and heartfelt all at once. The film is gorgeous with its Parisian
backgrounds and outstanding animation and it succeeds in adapting a powerful, dark
story and not losing any of its emotional points.
One of the first things that stand out in The Hunchback of
Notre Dame is its striking, distinct music. Alan Menken truly outdid himself
with the score and soundtrack for this wonderful film. Stephen Schwartz, who
proves himself extremely capable, wrote lyrics for the songs. After already
tackling so many different musical styles, Menken perfected an operatic score
for Hunchback. The opening song, “The Bells of Notre Dame,” is powerful and
outstanding, immediately letting the audience know they’re in for a different
sort of Disney fare.
Quasimodo’s song “Out There” is truly one of Menken’s many
masterpieces and deserves to rank alongside any song from his previous Disney
works. Tom Hulce gave Quasimodo his voice and his performance in this song is
just breathtaking. Dynamic is one of many words I would use to describe the
song and Hulce’s performance. Scwartz’s lyrics are phenomenal throughout the
film, but they stand out most in “Out There.”
The other songs, such as “God Help the Outcasts” and
“Heaven’s Light/Hellfire” tackle heavy, sometimes dark subjects that one
wouldn’t normally find in a Disney feature. It is moments and songs like these
that make Hunchback such a distinct film. “Hellfire” is the darkest of any
Disney song and it is positively stunning. The animation during the song is
unbelievably good and Frollo’s voice (Tony Jay) is magnificent.
Quasimodo is the film’s strongest character and he is simply
excellent. His plight is real and emotional and can be felt by the audience.
Quasimodo is put in some truly cruel, horrible situations and still is able to
walk into the sun with his head held high by the end. Although he is mistreated
by almost everyone, he still sees that the world is not evil. It is a
resounding, impressive message that really connects. Quasimodo is a truly
lovely character and one of the great Disney protagonists.
The other characters are all really well done also.
Frollo, the villain, is one of the most evil characters Disney has ever
created. His verbal abuse of Quasimodo and sexual abuse of Esmerelda make him
the slimiest, most hateful Disney villain, in my eyes. Esmerelda is very modern
and a fun, strong character. She is one of the better female characters in a
Disney movie. Phoebas is also enjoyable and quite funny. He gets so many
sarcastic asides and sassy dialogue. The Gargoyles are also entertaining,
though somewhat crude when compared to the rest of the film.
Though the love story between Esmerelda and Phoebas feels a
little forced and the payoff a little weak, The Hunchback of Notre Dame still
delivers one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking climaxes in a Disney film.
It is completely riveting to watch all of Paris turn against Frollo and his men
and fight for justice. When Quasimodo has heroic realizations, you want to
stand up and cheer. When he is lifted onto the shoulders of the people of
Paris, you actually might stand up and cheer.
With excellent music, fantastic animation, strong
storytelling, and wonderful characters, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of
my favorite Disney animated features. No, it doesn’t work as well as Beauty and
the Beast or The Lion King, but it is still outstanding. As a Disney film, it
is more adult-oriented and mature than ever before. Yet somehow it all works as
an entertaining, engrossing, exciting movie-watching experience. The Hunchback
of Notre Dame is a magnificent treat in Disney’s second golden age.
No comments:
Post a Comment