Following the success of Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, Disney decided that they would continue to venture into darker, more mature stories. Pocahontas was one such attempt and whilst it tried to comment on the colonisation of the America’s by the British, it ultimately lacked the same kind of impact or nuance seen in some of Disney’s earlier works. But this didn’t dissuade the studio from wanting to branch out into something more mature and that had some actual commentary on various social issues.
Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame had been on the cards for a while at Disney, and with the studio wanting to tackle something not quite as child friendly then it seemed like the perfect time to do so. But, as always, money was the main focus for the executives. So, whilst the studio was allowed to adapt Hugo’s novel, it needed to pass through the MPAA censors with a G rating. Quite how they were going to do this is another story, but the proof is in the pudding, and they did it. But does Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame manage to achieve the darker tone the studio wanted to achieve, but also maintain the company’s family friendly appearance?
In 1462 a Gypsy woman is chased through the streets of Paris and murdered on the steps of the Notre Dame Cathedral by Judge Frollo (Tony Jay), her baby is spared by the archdeacon’s arrival and a deal is struck between Frollo and he that the child will be raised in the bell tower of the Cathedral and never to mingle amongst the people due to its deformed features.
Twenty years later and that baby has grown to become Quasimodo (Tom Hulce), a young man who desperately wants to be one of the people he watches over as they go about their daily business. He is regularly visited by Frollo, who has led Quasimodo to believe that he took him in after his mother abandoned him due to his deformities, and that the world is an evil place, so he must stay in the bell tower to remain good and pure in the eyes of God.
When Quasimodo decides to try and sneak into the annual Festival of Fools, he meets Esmerelda (Demi Moore), a Gypsy woman who shows him kindness. In the process though he is mocked by the people of Paris, and Frollo is made aware of his departure from the tower and also pursues Esmerelda for her Gypsy heritage.
Claiming sanctuary in the Cathedral thanks to the help of Captain Phoebus (Kevin Kline), Esmerelda must escape Paris with the help of Quasimodo in order to escape the murderous wrath of Frollo.
Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame had been on the cards for a while at Disney, and with the studio wanting to tackle something not quite as child friendly then it seemed like the perfect time to do so. But, as always, money was the main focus for the executives. So, whilst the studio was allowed to adapt Hugo’s novel, it needed to pass through the MPAA censors with a G rating. Quite how they were going to do this is another story, but the proof is in the pudding, and they did it. But does Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame manage to achieve the darker tone the studio wanted to achieve, but also maintain the company’s family friendly appearance?
In 1462 a Gypsy woman is chased through the streets of Paris and murdered on the steps of the Notre Dame Cathedral by Judge Frollo (Tony Jay), her baby is spared by the archdeacon’s arrival and a deal is struck between Frollo and he that the child will be raised in the bell tower of the Cathedral and never to mingle amongst the people due to its deformed features.
Twenty years later and that baby has grown to become Quasimodo (Tom Hulce), a young man who desperately wants to be one of the people he watches over as they go about their daily business. He is regularly visited by Frollo, who has led Quasimodo to believe that he took him in after his mother abandoned him due to his deformities, and that the world is an evil place, so he must stay in the bell tower to remain good and pure in the eyes of God.
When Quasimodo decides to try and sneak into the annual Festival of Fools, he meets Esmerelda (Demi Moore), a Gypsy woman who shows him kindness. In the process though he is mocked by the people of Paris, and Frollo is made aware of his departure from the tower and also pursues Esmerelda for her Gypsy heritage.
Claiming sanctuary in the Cathedral thanks to the help of Captain Phoebus (Kevin Kline), Esmerelda must escape Paris with the help of Quasimodo in order to escape the murderous wrath of Frollo.
When Disney wanted to go dark, they really meant it. Whilst The Black Cauldron could still be considered Disney’s most visually distressing film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame definitely takes the prize for the most mature subject matter. The story concerns itself with matters of religious and racial persecution, using religion as justification for acts of destruction or depravity, disabilities, and social class structures. As much as this film passed censors to state that it is fine for kids to watch, this is absolutely not a film for kids. This was made with an adult audience in mind, and sure whilst it has some comic relief characters and gags designed to keep the kiddies amused, the story is something I would think a child’s mind would struggle to fully comprehend.
I only watched Hunchback for the first time a few years ago, and a lot of people I have spoken to about the film who did watch it as kids all say how they had such a rude awakening when they realised what actually happens in the film, and just how dark and disturbing it gets.
The characters of Quasimodo and Esmerelda work so well as a pair because they’re both societal outcasts because of the way they look. Phoebus is a well-travelled man who understands that just because people don’t look like him doesn’t make them bad people; and this in opposition to Frollo’s twisted sense of religious duty to ensure that the common folk persecute anyone that isn’t ‘normal’ or desirable sets the stage for a truly excellent story.
Disney pack in some excellent messages for kids that tell them to not judge people on how they look, accept people for who they are, and don’t let your prejudices overpower you; all lessons a lot of adults could probably do with taking on board a lot more too. So, whilst Hunchback is certainly more a film for adults, it’s got plenty of good stuff for kids to learn from it.
I only watched Hunchback for the first time a few years ago, and a lot of people I have spoken to about the film who did watch it as kids all say how they had such a rude awakening when they realised what actually happens in the film, and just how dark and disturbing it gets.
The characters of Quasimodo and Esmerelda work so well as a pair because they’re both societal outcasts because of the way they look. Phoebus is a well-travelled man who understands that just because people don’t look like him doesn’t make them bad people; and this in opposition to Frollo’s twisted sense of religious duty to ensure that the common folk persecute anyone that isn’t ‘normal’ or desirable sets the stage for a truly excellent story.
Disney pack in some excellent messages for kids that tell them to not judge people on how they look, accept people for who they are, and don’t let your prejudices overpower you; all lessons a lot of adults could probably do with taking on board a lot more too. So, whilst Hunchback is certainly more a film for adults, it’s got plenty of good stuff for kids to learn from it.
The animation is gorgeous too with the first truly seamless integration of 2D and 3D animation, where 3D objects regularly coexist in the same space as 2D drawings, and the two interact with each other without it being immediately obvious that the 3D object is actually computer generated. The city skylines shown from the top of the Cathedral can be breath-taking to behold and Hunchback tries to make the whole of Paris as visually engaging as possible, despite the majority of the film happening either inside or just outside the walls of the Cathedral. Add to this some enjoyable musical numbers and it’s another example of a high-quality Renaissance Era Disney film.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a film I find difficult to recommend to families, but that’s probably because I never saw the film through a child’s eyes. But it is certainly one of the studios most ambitious films, and it’s great to see them flexing their storytelling muscles in more complex and mature ways.
In a lot of ways Hunchback was ahead of its time and is arguably more relevant now that it ever has been before, so if you’ve never seen it then I cannot recommend it enough!
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a film I find difficult to recommend to families, but that’s probably because I never saw the film through a child’s eyes. But it is certainly one of the studios most ambitious films, and it’s great to see them flexing their storytelling muscles in more complex and mature ways.
In a lot of ways Hunchback was ahead of its time and is arguably more relevant now that it ever has been before, so if you’ve never seen it then I cannot recommend it enough!