THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: sensuality, thematic elements

Rated:

Only twenty-eight years of age when The Hunchback of Notre Dame was first published, Victor Hugo credited his masterpiece to a single thought conceived while visiting the cathedral, which was in danger of being torn down for its gothic architecture. The hunchbacked Quasimodo, the beautiful Esmerelda, and the evil Claude Frollo was born, and has become one of the greatest gothic stories of horror, romance, and tragedy ever to be penned. Those looking for the same tunes of melancholy to be found in Hugo's work will find the Disney version, not surprisingly, much-altered in many ways. But if one wants a decidedly happier ending, this film very well may suit.

The year is 1487 and the heart of the city of Paris is the magnificent cathedral of Notre Dame. As we learn from the prologue by the gypsy king Clopin, the mysterious bell ringer is a misshapen and deformed creature by name of Quasimodo, who was cast as a burden on the cruel shoulders of the local magistrate Frollo after, in his insane hatred to rid Paris of the gypsies, he was singularly responsible for the child's gypsy mother's death. In penance, and in part "save his soul" from damnation, Frollo has taken care of the boy, but banished him to the highest tower of Notre Dame, to be "locked away where no one else can see. For who knows? Our Lord works in mysterious ways... this misshapen child may one day be of use to me."

Twenty years have passed and Quasi has never set foot out of the cathedral, although he yearns to be a part of the "Festival of Fools" in the town square. Frollo has forbidden him from ever leaving the church's walls by crediting the people of Paris as cruel and heartless toward those who are different. Nevertheless, encouraged on by his three imaginary gargoyle pals Victor, Hugo, and Laverne, Quasi slips out of the church unknown to his master and into the square. Once there he makes the brief acquaintance of a gypsy dancer, Esmerelda, as well as Clopin, who seems to haunt his every move.

A highly decorated war hero, Captain Phoebus has been called back from the wars to aid Judge Frollo in his expulsion of the gypsies from Paris. They are the root of evil in the city, Frollo explains, and he has been tracking them for twenty years. But they are so cleverly concealed, in a mysterious place known only as "The Court of Miracles," that he has as of yet been unable to unearth their hiding place. But public duty calls for the moment, and Frollo is due to appear at the Festival, if only to keep up appearances. Once there, he and the rest of the crowd are enchanted by a dancing gypsy girl.

Quasi's plan to observe the festivities unnoticed unravels when he is crowned the "King of Fools." When Frollo's guards recognize him as the bell ringer, their treatment of him turns decidedly cruel and he becomes a target for abuse. Phoebus demands to be allowed to stop it, but Frollo coldly replies that his ward has a lesson to learn first. He is therefore enraged when Esmerelda defies him in setting the poor creature free, and demands her arrest. More clever than his guards, she slips into Notre Dame and claims sanctuary. But she can only remain within those cold stone walls for a limited time... and little imagines the obsession that Claude Frollo has for her. 

She has awakened in him great desire and his resolution is that if he might not claim her, no man would. But his captain of the guard has fallen in love with her, and will become torn between duty and love when asked to hunt her down at all costs. And Quasi, too, has been enchanted under her spell. She is the first human that has ever shown him true kindness. But can he find the inner strength to defy the only father he has ever known? Or will he betray them all? By the end, all will have risked their life -- and their cathedral -- to learn the truth to the riddle which Clopin has thrown toward us in the opening score -- "which is the man, and which the monster?"

This is by most standards a great achievement for Disney; they've cleared the hurdle of first-class animation (Notre Dame and the streets of Paris are utterly breathtaking) and have come up with an enthralling musical score. The dialogue is wrought with wit, satire, and subtle humor as well as several meaningful conversations. The characters are engaging and the villain probably the best (worst?) ever brought to animation. Probably in order to avoid religious concerns, Disney has also transformed the sinister Claude Frollo into a government official rather than the archdeacon of the church as he was in Hugo's original work. This allows for some artistic license; he is a pious man, truly evil in all of his intentions, and his lust is a bit easier to swallow.

Despite the annoying gargoyles and previews that directly aim the film toward young audiences, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is clearly not child-fare. It would be like animating Les Misérables and marketing it for kids... it simply cannot be done. Probably most of it will go over younger audiences' heads, but it's obvious to everyone else that Frollo's desire is to bed Esmerelda or kill her. What evokes this passion is her sensuous dance in the square. Disney has kept it fairly low-key and in actuality the dance isn't all that sexy; still, it manages to attract a lot of attention, from the two heroes as well as the villain.

Although it takes care in dealing with a highly controversial work, and pleases the majority by remaining flavored with the happy Disney ending and the expulsion of the villain, this is a decidedly adult-flavored film. The lessons it teaches should be well heeded by both genders; Esmerelda has brought this upon herself, in dressing and dancing immodestly; in reality, by causing Frollo to sin by carelessly leading him astray without even meaning to. And we are also given the effects of lust when it takes control of Frollo and he nearly burns the city to the ground in his hunt to claim her. His life is ruined, his reputation destroyed, his soul sold to Satan... all because he refused to fight his carnal nature.

There are several memorable songs: Esmerelda's God Help the Outcasts is particularly touching, and the opening and closing ballads are almost Phantom of the Opera in caliber. Frollo's Hellfire, while being exceptionally well-written, pushes the envelope. As he sees a dancing Esmerelda in the flames of his fireplace, he sings of his obsession for her, credits God with having made the devil "so much stronger than man," (an obvious choice to reject God's word which tells us we are able to withstand any temptation in His name) and concludes, "Hellfire... dark fire... this fire in my skin... this burning desire is turning me to sin." 

This, in addition to dark scenes of violence, beginning with the opening few minutes and ending with a violent assault upon Notre Dame, as well as some emotional cruelty toward Quasi (when he's attacked in the square, demeaned in song by his master, and has his hopes built up by his friends only to have them dashed a moment later), make the film entirely unsuitable for children. But older teens and young adults will probably enjoy Hunchback as a psychological study of evil