Overview
A tale of sacrifice and transformation unfolds in a magical castle.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- dreamy
- eerie
- romantic
- classic film night
- fairy tale night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Cocteau's adaptation as a richly characterized, visually ingenious, and enduring cinematic fairy tale.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The enchanted castle, living candelabras, rose motif, and dreamlike staging transform the source material into an authored visual world.
Belle gradually looks beyond the Beast's grotesque exterior toward his kindness and suffering.
The castle corridors, shadowy forest, and supernatural household objects create a darkly theatrical atmosphere.
Belle's spoiled sisters, protective brother, opportunistic suitor, and conflicted father receive substantial dramatic definition.
Films like Beauty and the Beast, and why
The Scarlet Empress
shared cinematic fairy-tale atmosphere, romantic transformation, and expressionistic fantasy imagery
The Phantom of the Opera
shared gothic fairy-tale romance, heightened visual design, and psychologically charged melodrama
Orpheus
shared poetic fantasy, archetypal lovers, and dreamlike art direction rooted in folklore
The Shape of Water
shared black-and-white fantasy romance, monstrous outsider themes, and emotional transformation
Movie Details
- Director
- Jean Cocteau
- Release Date
- 1946-10-29
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (691)
Cast
- Jean Marais
- Josette Day
- Marcel André
- Mila Parély
- Nane Germon
- Michel Auclair
- Raoul Marco
- Jean Cocteau
- Noël Blin
- Christian Marquand
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Kanopy, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Beauty and the Beast about?
- Jean Cocteau transforms a classic tale of a cursed creature and a self-sacrificing daughter into an exquisitely strange meditation on love, appearance, and moral imagination.
- What is Beauty and the Beast like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Beauty and the Beast as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Beauty and the Beast violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Beauty and the Beast as mild.
- What did critics think of Beauty and the Beast?
- Critics broadly regard Cocteau's adaptation as a richly characterized, visually ingenious, and enduring cinematic fairy tale.
- Which films are like Beauty and the Beast?
- Films with a similar feel include The Scarlet Empress, The Phantom of the Opera, Orpheus, and The Shape of Water.
- How long is Beauty and the Beast?
- Beauty and the Beast runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch Beauty and the Beast?
- In United States, Beauty and the Beast streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Kanopy, HBO Max.
