Creating the Tale as Old as Time

This week is Beauty and the Beast week


Yesterday I read the book, Tale As Old As Time: The Art and making of Beauty and the Beast from cover to cover.
It truly is amazing that the creators of this film went through three different story lines before the making the movie we know today. One of the most difficult challenges in creating a believable story, is creating believable and in their case, up to date characters for the audience to fall in love with. The story would have been completely different if Belle had an aunt or little sister. If the Beast didn't show such expression, or voice subtle perspectives, the audience might not feel enough empathy for him. Of all the amazing facts in the book, I was amazed to discover that Walt Disney himself wanted to create this movie in the 1930s, but the stories always clashed with the message Disney wanted.
Beauty and the Beast, the fairy tale has been around for ages through many versions which vary from culture to culture. This was part of the challenge that Disney ran into. When a story has many different versions, telling a new or modernized version could be difficult. The animators went over the top, as they always do, to grab each and every detail for the beautiful country of France. I really enjoyed all the character sketches and the artwork was amazing! I stared at the painting of the ballroom for a long time.
Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale, so it's no surprise that this is my favorite Disney movie. (Princess and the Frog being a close second) I recommend this book to anyone who loves the movie and fairytale as well.
I rate this book five out of five rose petals. It's amazing to watch all those situations come together and form "The most Beautiful Love Story Ever Told".