Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast is a 1991 American animated musical romantic fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 30th Disney animated feature film and the third released during the Disney Renaissance period, it is based on the French fairy tale of the same name by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont who was uncredited in the English version but credited in the French version, and ideas from the 1946 French film of the same name directed by Jean Cocteau.

Beauty and the Beast focuses on the relationship between the Beast (voice of Robby Benson), a prince who is magically transformed into a monster and his servants into household objects as punishment for his arrogance, and Belle (voice of Paige O’Hara), a young woman whom he imprisons in his castle to become a prince again. To break the curse, Beast must learn to love Belle and earn her love in return before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose or else the Beast will remain a monster forever.

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One winter’s night, an enchantress disguised as a beggar offers a cold-hearted prince a rose in exchange for shelter. When he refuses, she transforms him into a beast and his servants into household objects. She bestows the Beast with a magic mirror before hexing the rose and warning him that, unless he learns to love another and earns their love in return by the time the last petal falls when he turns 21, he and his servants will lose their humanity forever.

Years later, a beautiful young woman named Belle dreams of adventure and brushes off advances from Gaston, a handsome, narcissistic and arrogant hunter. Lost in the forest while traveling to a fair to present his latest invention, Belle’s father Maurice seeks refuge in the Beast’s castle. While the castle’s servants are sympathetic and welcoming of Maurice, the Beast discovers and imprisons him. Belle ventures out in search for him and finds him locked in the castle’s tower. Belle offers to replace her father as the Beast’s prisoner, and the Beast accepts. The Beast takes Maurice outside to the horseless carriage.

Befriending the castle’s servants, Belle is treated to a spectacular dinner. When she wanders into the forbidden West Wing where the rose is kept, the Beast flies into a rage, causing Belle to flee the castle and into the woods. She is attacked by wolves, but the Beast intervenes and gets injured in the process. He begins to develop feelings for her while she nurses his wounds and he delights her by showing his extensive library.

Returning to the village, Maurice tells the townsfolk of Belle’s predicament, but no one believes him. Gaston then bribes Monsieur D’Arque, the warden of the town’s insane asylum to have Maurice locked up if Belle refuses to marry Gaston.

After sharing a romantic dance with the Beast, Belle mentions that she misses her father. The Beast lets her use his magic mirror to check on her father, and she discovers him lying sick in the woods while attempting to rescue her.

The Beast releases her to save Maurice, giving her the mirror to remember him with. Belle rescues Maurice and brings him back to the village where she nurses him back to health. Suddenly, an angry mob led by Gaston comes to Belle’s house and attempts to take Maurice away, thinking his claims of the Beast prove that he is insane. Gaston tries to force Belle to marry him in exchange for her father’s release, but she refuses.

Belle then proves Maurice’s sanity by revealing the Beast to the townsfolk using the magic mirror. Belle angrily confronts Gaston that he is a monster and the Beast is not, enraging Gaston. Realizing that Belle loves the Beast, Gaston has her thrown into the basement with her father and rallies the villagers to follow him to the castle to kill the Beast. Assisted by Chip, who had stowed away in Belle’s bag, Maurice and Belle escape and rush back to the castle.

The Beast’s servants manage to drive the invading villagers out of the castle. Gaston sneaks away to attack the Beast in his tower. The Beast is too depressed to fight back, but regains his will upon seeing Belle return. He overpowers Gaston but spares his life before reuniting with Belle. Gaston stabs the Beast from behind, loses his footing from the Beast’s thrashing and falls to his death. The Beast appears to die from Gaston’s stab before the last petal falls. When Belle tearfully professes her love to him, the curse is broken, repairing the castle and restoring the Beast’s and servants’ human forms. The Prince and Belle host a ball for the kingdom, where they dance happily.