There's Something There That Wasn't There Before... or Be Our Grist
Okay, a big confession out of the gate: I didn't like it. Now, big back-pedal: I'm a huge, huge fan of Disney's animated version of Beauty and the Beast, thinking it a near-perfect movie and a damn near perfect musical—you can't argue with the wit and artistry of song-writers Alan Menken and Howard Ashman in their prime, and the two men had a strong hand in the production of the film, the construction of it, and the Disney animators, emboldened by their work on The Little Mermaid, stretched their imaginations and the medium's potential, creating what was literally the strongest animated film of that golden era of Disney's resurgence as the preeminent producer of animation in the world. So...I kinda liked the original, as you can tell. So, my ambivalence to the live-action of it—even the idea of it—has nothing to do with the material. It is entirely due to presentation.
For example, compare the animated version of "Little Town" ("Belle")...
...with the "live" version:
Now, my impression when I watched the film on the big screen was that the song had been slowed down. You look at the two together here and they're actually close to the same tempo...but the presentation is slowed down, parsed, and robbed of momentum in the live-action version. The cartoon version pranced. This one kinda ambles. It feels longer than its 129 minutes (by contrast, the animated version zips by at 84 minutes). It costs more to create a minute of animation as opposed to a minute of film, even in this CGI-laden production world. So, it was to the animation team's advantage to make things quick, quick, quick. But, the pace helped the film, as well.
Emma Watson "Julie Andrews" it as Belle
But, Bill Condon's direction of the live action version is a bit leaden (it works for Gods and Monsters and the "Twilight" films, but destroys musicals like Dreamgirls), as if he wanted you to notice all the ornateness that went into the making of the film. That's nice when it comes to Technical Oscar-time, but it sure makes Beauty and the Beast a little turgid. Early on, I began to worry that the "Beauty and the Beast" sequence, the weakest part of Disney's animated version, would be interminable in this one...and it is...but there were some other changes not to the film's betterment.
1. Padding: Some songs are streamlined, some are shortened or have replaced lyrics ("And every last inch of me's covered in hair!" is Naired out of "Gaston"). But, there are new songs, the most significant of which is "Days in the Sun," by Menken and lyricist Tim Rice, an "I Want" song sung by the ensemble in which the transformed castle staff remember what life was like as humans (which, story-wise, replaces the Menken-Ashman song cut out of the original—"Human Again" which is too bad). The thing about this and the other new songs is that you can immediately tell it's not Menken and Ashman because Rice's lyrics are so godawful uninspired. Where Ashman took chances with humor, subject matter, and a complexity of vocabulary, Rice's libretto is as bland as vanilla. In "Gaston," Ashman ended lines with "intimidating," expectorating," "decorating," and "anticipating," Rice stops at single syllable words, the most egregious song of which is an uninspired "Farewell" song sung by the Beast, "Evermore," where the title is the most complex word of the piece. Other new songs include: "Aria"—an unnecessary performance piece for a ball sequence in an equally unnecessary prelude showing the Prince's pre-Beast narcissism; a song for Belle's father "How Does a Moment Last Forever?"; "Home" for a diversion to see Belle's house growing up; and that "Days in the Sun" thing, which adds a good sub-text to the story, but brings up story issues that we'll get to later.
2. The Beast: Here's where the animated Beast has it all over the CGI Beast—expression. Disney animators, especially Glen Keane, gave the transformed Prince a bullish bear look that had a malleable range of expressions from rage to gob-smacked delight. The CGI folks must have been trying to concentrate on realism and making the thing look fearsome because the "live-action" Beast barely cracks a smile.
When he does, it's a wan thing that reminds me more of George C. Scott (who actually played The Beast in a 1976 Hallmark Hall of Fame version with his wife Trish van Devere) when he wanted to smile charmingly without exposing his teeth (which could be pretty frightening). Perhaps that's the way Dan Stevens played it in his motion capture suit, but it makes The Beast a bit "johnny-one-note" and, more than that, makes you wonder what Belle would see in this glum mountebank. I mean, geez, let's see what might appeal to her, so she doesn't seem like someone who'd "settle."
As it is, this Beast has none of the range of the animated one. It is hard to see his potential, and, frankly, hard to see what Belle sees in him, so dour and morbid he is. In fact, the only reason she might think him beyond appearances is his decision to let her escape to try and save her father (Kevin Kline), who is also a little down in the dumps the whole movie. Hm. Maybe that's what she sees in him. "Daddy issues."
3. Gaston:The villain of the piece in Beauty of the Beast is a piece of work, a boorish, uber-male who's an exaggerated portrait of the worst tendencies of the male animal: vain-glorious, destructive, clueless, and not thinking too many inches away from his own needs. He's what Tom Wolfe called a "Master of the Universe" in his "The Bonfire of the Vanities" and he's just some degrees separation from the standard square-jawed "hero" type—"He's such a tall, dark, strong, and handsome brute." It's just that the only "love-interest" for him is himself, as he sings of "Belle" "Here in town, there's only she/Who is beautiful as me...", missing her passing-by due to his gazing at himself in a mirror.
It's hard to think of any actor who might be able to play such a cartoon without injecting him with some ballooning steroids. Henry Cavill,the current "Superman," maybe, but that causes a problem because you want Gaston to, at least, be entertaining. Luke Evans has the attitude (if a bit more petulant), but not the girth to play Gaston and he's a light bass at best, when Gaston's voice should be as deep as Tony the Tiger's. Gaston is such a victim of high-T and 'roid rage, it's hard to see him as anything but a buffoon. But, Luke Evans just won't go there, treating Gaston as relatably human instead of a figure so ridiculous, he's dangerous. And, speaking of Gaston...
4. The "Gay" Thing:Anybody above the age of 12 knows that the character of Lefou is such a fawning victim of his bro-mance with Gaston that there must be something more than friendship going on. It's such a dysfunctional relationship it reminds one of the abuse-fest between Harley Quinn and The Joker...or Abbott and Costello. Gay? Yeah, and the way Josh Gad plays him, well, denial's not just a river in Egypt, honey. Unless you're in Alabama, where denial's a bloody flood-plane. Because Gad would be in traction if he did the slapstick of the animated version, Lefou's swishy behavior in the live version is the replacement for the comedy. I don't know what Alabama is worried about, you'd think the LGBTQ community would be the one's protesting. The whole made-up "controversy" is a bunch of hooey, blown up out of promotion by a bunch of bigots who claim to be doing it "for the children." Nah, they're doing it for themselves, and the publicity will only help this movie and may damage them. Live by the sword...
5. The Furniture:The one aspect of the "live" Beauty and the Beast that really complicates things is the supporting players. Trapped in The Beast's castle, consigned to their fate as knick-knack's, kitchen utensils, tchotchkes, and anything common in a Bed, Bath and Beyond, they are tied to his curse if he fails to find or give love. Lumiere (a candlestick), Cogsworth (a mantel clock), Mrs. Potts (a teapot) and the rest are played by name-celebrities who are surprising to see once they take on human form (although I guessed one of them, a veteran of a couple Condon films, and was glad to see the writers didn't give him an in-joke-line "YOU shall not...PASS!"). In this version, they are re-united with their loved ones in the village. This light-bulbs a question: Didn't anyone realize they were missing...for years? I didn't see any flyers posted...or pictures on milk cartons. It's nice for these characters to have a more complex history than as indentured servants, but it doesn't make any sense at all if one thinks about it.
And that may be the biggest problem with this Beauty and the Beast—the makers know it is what it is, one of the best products of "The Disney Version." As they're doing these live-action versions of their past features—Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Jungle Book, Maleficent (can't wait for what they're going to do with Dumbo and Song of the South and, yes, that is sarcasm)—it might be a bit too soon at 25 years, to go back to this well. But nothing can stop Disney once they get dollar-signs in their eye like Scrooge McDuck. It makes you realize that everything, every childhood memory is merely grist for the Disney mill—maybe they should have that as their corporate symbol rather than a castle.
The Set-Up: It's a bit like a western--the cocky kid taking on the old pro for a show-down. And the stakes in The Hustler are the same: life. But the difference is the story in between the two pool-games between Eddie—"Fast Eddie"—Felson and "Minnesota" Fats. Eddie's ambition, for which he willingly subjugates himself to the crooked gambler, Bert, dooms his girl-friend Sarah as well. When he comes back, nothing has changed for Fats or Bert. Everything's changed for Eddie. And the life lessons that he's racked up, make him a more focused, determined player.
But Rossen makes this final confrontation between Eddie and Bert triangulated, as important for "Minnesota" Fats as the particulars. Rossen keeps cutting back to Fats for a reaction to the drama unfolding. Perhaps, it's because he had Jackie Gleason ("The Great One") on set and didn't want to waste him. But, the set-up is different for a critical shot, after Bert, in a rare moment of sympathy, lets Eddie go (while simultaneously threatening him, of course). Eddie looks over at Fats, and in the shot, the Big Man is no longer the most prominent thing in the shot—the pool-hall is, weighing down on him, the upper level looking a bit like a prison. Rossen wanted that shot, as he took pains to shoot it, different from the other coverage of Gleason.
That shot is important because it shows that "Minnesota" Fats obviously made his choices, too. And he lives with them, covering them up in fine suits, and a genial, business-like air.
This is a Great Scene. Scott and Newman are young turks, finding their moments to underplay, and then to take the material and make it theirs forever. Scott's "You owe me money!!" probably made the studio lights ring. And when Newman is center-stage talking about Sarah—he won't even mention her name in this scene in front of Bert—you can almost hear the enamel in his teeth grind.
All four main actors, Newman, Laurie, Gleason and Scott, were nominated for Academy awards for their performances. Newman won later, playing the same part—older, wiser...maybe—in Martin Scorsese's follow-up, The Color of Money...when "Fast Eddie" finally walks into "a big-time pool-hall" again. Maybe it was the Academy paying penance.
Paul Newman once expressed the fear that his tombstone would read: "One of America's most respected actors...until his eyes turned brown." The Story: "Fast" Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) is a pool hustler who's his own worst enemy in a hall. In a show-down with his idol, "Minnesota" Fats (Jackie Gleason), he drinks too much and loses control of the game. He's told by a gambler, Bert (George C. Scott), that it's "character" that defeated him, but Bert takes Eddie on as client, anyway. Bert takes him around the country hustling pigeons that Bert has lined up. But then the girl, Sarah, (Piper Laurie) enters the picture, and for Bert, louses everything up. While Eddie is knocking down a rich pigeon, Bert works on Sarah's weaknesses, plying her with booze and seducing her. Ultimately, Sarah kills herself, leaving Eddie broken. At the end of the film, having learned too much about "character," Eddie returns to the pool-hall where it all began to take on his hero one more time. The scene opens at 6 am. It's dawn. For a whole lot of things. Action!
Minnesota Fats: I quit, Eddie. I can't beat you. Willie,* give him the stake (To Bert) You've got yourself a pool player. Eddie: Preacher, gimme my coat, will ya? Bert: Where d'ya think you're goin'? Bert: Eddie? Bert: You owe me MONEY! Eddie: And just how do you figure that, Bert? What do you figure I owe you? Bert: Half. Eddie: In Louisville,it was 75%. Bert: Well, here it's half. Eddie: What if I don't pay ya, Bert? Bert: (Laughs) You don't pay me? Bert: You're gonna get your thumbs broken again. Bert: And your fingers. If I want 'em to, they're gonna break your right arm in three or four places. Minnesota Fats: You better pay him, Eddie. Eddie: So you figure you're still my manager,huh? Bert: I'm a businessman, kid. Eddie: Why, you gotta lotta games lined up for me? Bert: We'll make a lot of money. Eddie: 50%. Bert: Nah, it doesn't have to be 50. It could be 30, 25. Eddie: We really stuck the knife in her, didn't we, Bert? Bert: Aaah... Eddie: Oh, we really gave it to her good. Bert: And if it didn't happen in Louisville, it'd happen someplace else. If it didn't happen now, it'd happen in six months. That's the kind of dame she was! Eddie: But we twisted it, didn't we, Bert? 'Course, maybe that doesn't stick in your throat... Eddie: ...'cause ya spit it out just the way you spit out everything else! But it sticks in mine. Eddie: I loved her, Bert. I traded her in on a pool game. Eddie: But that wouldn't mean anything to you, because who did you ever care about? Just win. "Win", you said. You don't know what winning is, Bert. Eddie: You're a loser! 'Cause you're dead inside. And ya can't live unless you make everything else dead around ya! Eddie: Too high, Bert. Eddie: The price is too high. If I take it, she never lived, she never died. We both know that's not true, Bert, don't we, huh? She lived. She died. Eddie: Boy, you better...you tell your boys they better kill me, Bert. They better go all the way with me. Eddie: 'Cause if they just bust me up, I'll put all those pieces back together, and then, so help me, God, Bert, I'll come back here and I'll kill you. (Bert's bulls get nervous and advance, but Bert waves them off) Bert: No, no. Bert: All right. All right. Bert: Only, uh...don't ever walk into a big-time pool hall again. Eddie: Fat man... Eddie: ....you shoot a great game of pool. Minnesota Fats: So do you, Fast Eddie. (Eddie picks up his cue, then taking one last look, walks out of the pool-hall forever. Bert watches him leave, then returns to his chair in the middle of the room. "Minnesota" Fats is helped into his jacket and coat and exits the hall. Freeze-frame.) The Hustler
Minnesota Fats: I quit, Eddie. I can't beat you. Willie,
Eddie: Preacher, gimme my coat, will ya?
Bert: Where d'ya think you're goin'?
Bert: Eddie?
Bert: You owe me MONEY!
Eddie: And just how do you figure that, Bert? What do you figure I owe you?
Bert: Well, here it's half.
Eddie: What if I don't pay ya, Bert?
Bert: (Laughs) You don't pay me?
Bert: You're gonna get your thumbs broken again.
Bert: And your fingers. If I want 'em to, they're gonna break your right arm in three or four places.
Minnesota Fats: You better pay him, Eddie.
Eddie: So you figure you're still my manager,huh?
Eddie: We really stuck the knife in her, didn't we, Bert?
Bert: And if it didn't happen in Louisville, it'd happen someplace else. If it didn't happen now, it'd happen in six months. That's the kind of dame she was!
Eddie: But we twisted it, didn't we, Bert? 'Course, maybe that doesn't stick in your throat...
Eddie: ...'cause ya spit it out just the way you spit out everything else! But it sticks in mine.
Eddie: I loved her, Bert. I traded her in on a pool game.
Eddie: But that wouldn't mean anything to you, because who did you ever care about? Just win. "Win", you said. You don't know what winning is, Bert.
Eddie: You're a loser! 'Cause you're dead inside. And ya can't live unless you make everything else dead around ya!
Eddie: Too high, Bert.
Eddie: The price is too high. If I take it, she never lived, she never died. We both know that's not true, Bert, don't we, huh? She lived. She died.
Eddie: Boy, you better...you tell your boys they better kill me, Bert. They better go all the way with me.
Eddie: 'Cause if they just bust me up, I'll put all those pieces back together, and then, so help me, God, Bert, I'll come back here and I'll kill you.
(Bert's bulls get nervous and advance, but Bert waves them off)
Bert: All right. All right.
Bert: Only, uh...don't ever walk into a big-time pool hall again.
Eddie: Fat man...
Eddie: ....you shoot a great game of pool.
Minnesota Fats: So do you, Fast Eddie.
(Eddie picks up his cue, then taking one last look, walks out of the pool-hall forever. Bert watches him leave, then returns to his chair in the middle of the room. "Minnesota" Fats is helped into his jacket and coat and exits the hall. Freeze-frame.)
