Beauty and the Beast
1946 · Movie · Not Rated · 96 min · ★ 7.5 · 94% critics
A gentle merchant’s life is upended when he takes shelter in a mysterious chateau and picks a rose. The chateau’s owner, a repellent but strangely fascinating beast, demands a terrible bargain—pushing a young woman to choose between her family and the beast’s fate, under a haunting sense of magic and consequence.
Based on La Belle et la Bête
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Watch free on Kanopy, Hoopla, Shout! Factory TV +3 more — also streaming on HBO Max, The Criterion Channel and TCM.
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Details
- Original title
- La Belle et la Bête
- Years
- 1946
- Release date
- 1946-10-29
- Language
- French
- Rated
- Not Rated
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 94/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.5/10 (666 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this surreal, grown-up fairy tale if you want haunting charm and dreamlike visuals without Disney musical expectations; Not for you if you prefer lighter, more straightforward romance like Edward Scissorhands or Last Year at Marienbad.
Pros: haunting fairy-tale atmosphere; gorgeous black-and-white visuals; mesmerizing fantasy sets | Cons: dialogue can feel heavy; romance may feel rushed; some effects feel dated
Themes
- underdog
- daughter
- monster
- beauty
- rose
- black and white
- romantic
Awards & recognition
- Louis Delluc Prize · 1946
Cast & crew
Jean Marais
as La Bête / Le Prince / Avenant
Josette Day
as Belle
Marcel André
as Belle's Father
Mila Parély
as Félicie
Nane Germon
as Adélaïde
Michel Auclair
as Ludovic
Raoul Marco
as The Insurer
Jean Cocteau
as The Voice of Magic (uncredited)
- NB
Noël Blin
as Footman (uncredited)
Christian Marquand
as Footman (uncredited)
Directed by Jean Cocteau