The Transformation of Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Notre Dame de Paris)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame has taken on several forms since the publication of Victor Hugo's novel Notre Dame de Paris in 1831. Quasimodo, the name itself meaning "half-formed," is the misshapen, misunderstood hunch-backed bell ringer of the Notre Dame Cathedral in 15th Century France. The character has been brought to life on the movie screen many different times from the 1930's through to the 1990's. Charles Laughten played the disfigured character in a 1939 Pandro S. Berman production of Hugo's novel, Anthony Hopkins gave us his version in the 1980's, and Don Hahn produced Walt Disney's version of Quasimodo in 1996, to name a few. From the 1930's to the 1990's, the character incurred many alterations to satisfy current audiences. Berman's Quasimodo underwent many changes to become a Walt Disney character in the 1990's, all of which followed a general trend. Quasimodo was moulded and transformed into a character with whom young children everywhere could relate.
The history of Quasimodo was rewritten in the fast paced Disney version to invoke sympathy from the audience and allow them to relate to him. In the 1939 version, the baby Quasimodo was abandoned on the doorstep of the Cathedral, to be found and raised alone in the bell tower by Judge John Frollo, the cold and heartless brother of the Archdeacon. Quasimodo was not wanted from the beginning and his lack of family, beyond his master, distances him from the viewers. The modern cartoon rewrites this unhappy beginning by introducing Quasimodo's mother as a beautiful young gypsy woman who died at the hands of Frollo to save her son's life. The fac...
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...an's 1939 black and white rendition of Victor Hugo's Notre Dame de Paris to make Quasimodo a character with whom the audience could sympathize and relate. This was done by rewriting Quasimodo's past, giving him hearing, intelligence, and social skills, making him the lead character and the hero, and finishing the story with his acceptance by the masses. Quasimodo is transformed from a grotesque, unloved, misunderstood "monster" to a likeable hero for whom we feel compassion and a connection.
WORKS CITED
Berman, Pandro S., Producer. The Hunchback of Notre Dame. William Dieterle, Director. RKO Radio Picture Incorporated, 1939.
Hahn, Don, Producer. The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, Directors. Disney Enterprises Incorporated, 1996.
Hugo, Victor. Notre Dame de Paris. Paris, France. (publisher unknown). 1831.
Wizard of Oz, The. Dir. Victor Fleming. Perf. Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, and Ray Bolger. Warner Bros., 1939.
Grave and somewhat solid in his tone, he is overflowing with purpose. The danger he takes in disclosing his contention's potential defects and testing the readers judgments will yield the uneasiness that penetrates his exposition, as well as additionally individuals' personalities. His dialect and tone, withdrawing from the scholastic investigation of monsters, exhibits a genuine yet energetically inciting demeanor to the group of onlookers. We see the modest, unexpected comical inclination that he has well covered up under the earnestness and details of a
Lydon, Susan, ‘Bronte Studies’, Abandoning and Re-inhabiting Domestic Space in Jane Eyre, Villette and Wide Sargasso Sea, Volume 35 Issue 1 (01 March 2010), pp. 23-29
Van Sant, G. and Bender, L. (1997). Good Will Hunting. New York City: Miramax Films.
"The Count of Monte Cristo" is a movie that has piracy, Napoleon in exile, betrayal, prison, secret messages, escape tunnels, comic relief, a treasure map, and sweet revenge, and brings it in at under two hours, with performances by good actors who are well known in the acting community. Jim Caviezel stars, as Edmund Dantes, a very poor second mate on a supply ship owned by his best friend, Fernand Mondego (played by Guy Pearce) and his family. This film is based in France during 1815 before Napoleon returns from exile to invade Europe. This Action, Adventure, and Drama film will keep you on the edge of your seats as you go through all the mixed emotions of Edmund Dantes. The film is directed by Kevin Reynolds who has also directed movies such as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Waterworld and most recently on the History Channel, Hatfields and McCoys. It’s strange with this director that we don’t see Kevin Costner in this film, but I’m glad they kept him out. Jim Caviezel does a great job with his role.
"Charlotte Bronte as a 'Freak Genius'", David Cecil in Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyreand Villette (A Casebook Series) ed. Miriam Allot.
I chose “The Martyrdom of St. Matthew” as the painting that best illustrates the baroque period. The reasons surrounding my decision are clear in Caravaggio’s painting. Here Caravaggio uses the entire canvas to illustrate complexity, flow, and chiaroscuro. The painting depicts the source of lighting to be coming from the left side of the plane. The brightest light focuses directly on Matthew’s executioner who intends to strike Matthew with an old balcanic hand weapon. Caravaggio masterfully illustrates the use of lighting by casting believable shadows. As an example, the shadow of the handle on balcanic hand weapon reflects on the executioner’s left thigh and knee. Another shadow appears on the executioner’s right inner thigh. The lighting source to the left of the executioner, the executioner, St. Matthews, the boy, the 2 observer’s bottom, right, and the fainter lighting upper left of the canvas illustrates the technique of visual movement. The lighting is placed strategically, causing visual movement within the piece. For example, the illumination of the executioner’s forearm directs my attention to the angel who appears to be handing St. Matthew a palm leaf. As a result, my eyes then focuses on the body of St. Matthew, lying on the bottom of the altar, then my eyes shifts up toward the Angle’s arm. The lighting on the angel's arm contrasted with the darkness of the palm leaf forces the viewer to look at the hand to see what St. Matthew is reaching for. The boy fleeing the scene further draws in the viewer. The two adult observers at the bottom right of the painting are illuminated but not as bright as the two main characters. Next, my attention is drawn to the man lying on the bottom steps, left side of the canv...
Blade Runner. Dir. James Riddley-Scott. Perf. Harrison Ford, Joe Turkel, Sean Young, Rutger Hauer, Daryl Hannah, Joanna Cassidy, Brion James, William Sanderson, M. Emmett Walsh, Edward James Olmos, Morgan Paull, Columbia Tri-Star, 1982
Inherit the Wind. Dir. Stanley Kramer. With Spencer Tracy, Fredrick March, and Gene Kelly. MGM. 1960.
The book goes into greater detail regarding the monster’s hardships, has a more eloquent and persuasive monster and has a more heartbreaking ending. As a result a reader feels greater sympathy towards the monster in the novel rather than in the play. The monster begins his journey a purely innocent and kind being, but because he has to suffer the misfortune of having such a monstrous appearance he is condemned by society. Frankenstein tells the story of a benevolent being persecuted by man, and has the reader questioning who the real monster is.
...most readers tend to sympathize with Frankenstein because of the way in which he is mentally and physically harmed by his creation. However, one must also realize that while Frankenstein is a victim in the novel, he also exhibits features that make him a monster. These monstrous qualities, however, stem from his passion for science and his desire to create life. Not only does the reader criticize and pity Frankenstein, but the reader also empathizes with Frankenstein’s creation. He was unjustly shunned by society because of his physical appearance. On the other hand, the reader realizes that like Frankenstein, the creation can not be sympathized with entirely. He too exhibits traits that make him appear villainous. It is the duality of these two characters that make Frankenstein and his creation two of the most appealing characters of the nineteenth century.
Mary Shelley’s world renowned book, “Frankenstein”, is a narrative of how Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant chemist, succeeds in creating a living being. Although Frankenstein’s creation is benevolent to begin with, he soon turns murderous after being mistreated by humans. His anger turns towards Frankenstein, as he was the one who brought him into the world that shuns him. The Monster then spends the rest of the story trying to make his creator’s life as miserable as his own. This novel is an excellent example of the Gothic Romantic style of literature, as it features some core Gothic Romantic elements such as remote and desolate settings, a metonymy of gloom and horror, and women in distress.
1980. Warner Bros. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Music by Wendy Carlos and Rcachel Elkind. Cinematography by John Alcott. Editing by Ray Lovejoy. With Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd.
Ernest Hemingway has the tendency to use his heroes in some unheroic ways. At first the hero may seem obvious, but later on it is discovered that the true hero is not who it seems to be. In A Farewell to Arms Hemingway uses the true hero to guide the main character into becoming a hero, but fails miserably.
Gill, L. (2007). The Princess in the Tower: Gender and Art in Charlotte Brontë's "Jane Eyre"