The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) - Wonderful, thematically vivid and compelling Disney animation

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+ Best Big Hit Movie of the Year + Best Family Movie of the Year + Best Paris Movie of the Year + Best Religious Movie of the Year  

 

A splendid, packed, wonderfully vivid poster for Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise's The Hunchback of Notre Dame

As a child Quasimodo is nearly killed by judge Claude Frollo, but instead of suffering death, Quasimodo grows to become the hunchbacked resident of Paris' Notre Dame cathedral, with Frollo his master. But he is a hypocritical tyrant, and Quasimodo's urge to be free is undeniable.

 

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is written by Tab Murphy (Brother Bear (2003)), Irene Mecchi (Fantasia 2000 (1999, segment)), Bob Tzudiker (Anastasia (1997)), Noni White (102 Dalmatians (2000)) and Jonathan Roberts (The Lion King (1994)), with 19 (!) more individuals contributing story elements, and directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise (Beauty and the Beast (1991), both). It is an adaptation of Victor Hugo's (Bug-Jargal (1826)) classic novel Notre-Dame de Paris (1831).

A strong plot and compelling story, - one also unusual for a Disney animation, featuring quite a bit of Christian themes, - make The Hunchback of Notre Dame very worthwhile. CGI is blended seamlessly with the delightful animation. The songs are not among the best from Disney musicals, but The Hunchback of Notre Dame is still a mighty fine film.

Related post:

1996 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 70 mil. $

Box office: 325.3 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 4.64 times its cost)

[The Hunchback of Notre Dame premiered 19 June (New Orleans) and runs 91 minutes. The idea to adapt Hugo's old novel came to Disney development executive David Stainton in 1993. Production took place in California from June 1993 - November 1995. The novel's controversial elements presented many challenges for the filmmakers, and the film is considered one of the darkest and most adult in themes and nature, among the Disney films. (Themes include infanticide, racism, genocide, Christianity, lust, damnation and sin.) The film opened #2, behind fellow new release Eraser, to a 21 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it stayed in the top 5 for another 2 weekends (#3-#4) and grossed 100.1 mil. $ (30.8 % of the total gross). It was the 5th highest-grossing film of the year. Disney spent 40 mil. $ marketing the film, and spin-off marketing products reportedly racked in 500 mil. $ for the Mouse House. The VHS was also wildly profitable: By 1998 it had made more than 200 mil. $ on North-American video sales and rentals alone. The film was nominated for the Best Score (Comedy/Musical) Oscar (Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz), lost to Rachel Portman for Emma. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 4/4 star review, translating to 2 notches over this one. Direct-to-video sequel The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2: The Secret of the Bell (2002) was produced, along with video games and a stage musical version, and a live-action remake is now in the works. Trousdale and Wise returned with Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). Tom Hulce (Slam Dance (1987)), who voices Quasimodo, returned in The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2: The Secret of the Bell (2002); Tony Jay (Beauty and the Beast (1991)), who voices Frollo, in Superman: The Last Son of Krypton (1996, TV movie)). The Hunchback of Notre Dame is fresh at 71 % with a 7.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Hunchback of Notre Dame?

Amadeus (1984) or, The Fool Genius and his Cursed Teacher

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A frightening, mythical figure looms over the drawing of a city on this classical poster for Milos Forman's Amadeus

 

Amadeus tells the story of the wunderkind Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who created the world's most beautiful classical music and operas for the emperor in Vienna, - and for the rest of the world.

 
It is play and script writer Peter Shaffer's (Equus (1977)) stroke of genius, (the film is based on his same-titled 1979 play, with Zdenek Mahler (My Pragues Understand Me/Mí Prazané mi Rozumeji (1991)) making uncredited contributions), to let the story be told from the viewpoint of Mozart's tutor Salieri, 'the guardian angel of mediocrity.' In the story, of which much is wholly fictional, Salieri an eternally bitter figure standing behind the master, portrayed perfectly by F. Murray Abraham (The Knights of the Quest (2001)) in a part that is among the most memorable in cinema history. This dramatic ploy of rearing up on the subject through his nefarious, older guide makes the story's greatness more interesting and comical, because the young prodigy Mozart in many ways is a divinely gifted buffoon as portrayed here in a divine turn by Tom Hulce (The Inner Circle (1991)).
The film is picturesque in every way, (cinematography by Miroslav Ondrícek (Loves of a Blonde/Lásky Jedné Plavovlásky (1965)); lighted so you can practically hear the angels sing, and brimming with gaudy hair and flamboyant costumes that are out of this world. Czech master filmmaker Milos Forman (Black Peter/Cerný Petr (1964)) created his definitive masterpiece away from home with Amadeus, which is a brave, captivating and truly unique film.

 

Related posts:

Milos Forman: Goya's Ghosts (2006) - Forman's under-appreciated last major picture

Top 10: The best biopic movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Top 10: The best big hit movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) - Forman's 1970s gold-rimmed classic

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 18 mil. $
Box office: In excess of 90 mil. $
= Big hit (returned at least 5 times its cost)

[Amadeus premiered 6 September (California) and runs 161 minutes (the director's cut runs 180 minutes). Kenneth Branagh and Mark Hamill were considered for the part of Mozart. Shooting took place from January - July 1983 in France, Italy, Vienna, Austria and in what was then Czechoslovakia, including Prague. The film opened #13 to a 505k $ first weekend in 25 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #6 and in 802 theaters, grossing 51.5 mil. $ (57.2 % of the total gross). The foreign gross numbers are regrettably not released, and the 90 mil. $ total gross is not certain; only it was reported in a November 1985 Variety article that the film crossed 90 mil. $ worldwide. The 2002 director's cut release added at least 500k $ to the film's gross total. It was nominated for 11 Oscars, winning 8: For Best Picture, Director, Actor (Abraham), Adapted Screenplay, Art/Set Decoration, Costume Design, Sound and Makeup. It lost Actor (Hulce) to Abraham in the same film, Cinematography to Chris Menges for The Killing Fields and Editing also to The Killing Fields. Laurence Olivier presented the Best Picture Oscar, but due to suffering from mild dementia at the time forgot to name the fellow nominees, which producer Saul Zaents righted in his acceptance speech. The film also won 4/6 Golden Globe nominations, 4/9 BAFTA noms, a César award, 3 David di Donatello awards and several other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 4/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Forman had participated willingly in the original cut of the film, which was shortened to improve the film's popular and commercial chances. The film is currently rated in at #84 on IMDb's user-generated Top 250 list, sitting between High and Low (1963) and Inglorious Basterds (2009). Forman returned with Valmont (1989). Hulce returned in Echo Park (1985); Abraham in Dream West (1986, miniseries) and theatrically in The Name of the Rose (1986); Elizabeth Berridge (Broke Even (2000)) in Silence of the Heart (1984, TV movie) and theatrically in Smooth Talk (1985). Amadeus is certified fresh at 93 % with an 8.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Amadeus?