Beauty and the Beast

France, late 1700s. Leon Dalville is a prince who has it all - good looks, love and wealth. One mysterious night, however, he loses everything. His young wife passes away in a fire and the prince’s face is permanently marred. To hide his disfigurement, he wears a silver mask that only partially covers his face, turning him into a mysterious and cruel man who is tormented by his past and hated and feared by all. Innocent and naive Bella Dubois comes to Leon’s castle to offer her services as a maid, to pay back the debts her father has with the prince. Leon’s cousin Helene, who has always been in love with him, challenges the prince: he must seduce and abandon Bella. But, despite Helene’s cruel and deceitful tricks, Leon falls in love with Bella.

Beauty and the Beast (2014) is an Italian period romance miniseries broadcast on Rai 1, a two-part fairy tale retelling of the classic story. Set in late eighteenth century France, it follows Leon Dalville (Alessandro Preziosi), a prince whose wealth and love are stripped away when a fire disfigures him and kills his young wife. Hidden behind a silver mask, he becomes a cruel, feared recluse. Innocent and naive Bella Dubois (Blanca Suárez) arrives at his castle as a maid to work off her father Maurice Dubois's (Massimo Wertmüller) debts. Leon's scheming cousin Helene, who has long loved him, wagers that he will seduce and abandon the girl, and her deceitful tricks drive much of the tension. The engine is a slow, tender push and pull between a wounded man's pride and a young woman's stubborn kindness, with the household intrigue and class divide pressing against their growing bond. Because the run is a single self-contained miniseries of two roughly hundred-minute episodes, the story moves with the deliberate pace of a classic period piece. Its tone is wistful and romantic, with gothic melancholy and lush costume atmosphere. Fans of Beauty and the Beast (1987), Pride and Prejudice and Outlander will find resonance in its blend of fairy tale longing and period melodrama.

Audience reception is mixed, with viewers appreciating the romantic reimagining of the fairy tale and its lavish period look while finding the adaptation uneven.

• Beauty and the Beast (1987)shared fairy tale romance retold with a cursed aristocrat and a devoted commoner, period drama tone
• Pride and Prejudiceshared period romance with a tormented nobleman and a sharp-tongued heroine, lavish costume drama
• Outlandershared lavish European historical romance with scheming rivals and gothic melodrama

Release Date

2014-12-29

Episode runtime

100 min

Rating

6.8 / 10 (125)

What is Beauty and the Beast about?

A cursed French prince hides his scarred face behind a silver mask until a debt-bound maid challenges his cruelty.

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 moderate and its storytelling as simple.

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?

Audience reception is mixed, with viewers appreciating the romantic reimagining of the fairy tale and its lavish period look while finding the adaptation uneven.

Which shows are like Beauty and the Beast?

Shows with a similar feel include Beauty and the Beast (1987), Pride and Prejudice, and Outlander.

How long is Beauty and the Beast?

Beauty and the Beast: 1 season, 2 episodes.

Is Beauty and the Beast still running?

No, Beauty and the Beast has ended.

Where can I watch Beauty and the Beast?

In United States, Beauty and the Beast streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Cineverse Amazon Channel.