Beauty and the Beast: Diary of a Film by Jean Cocteau
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Book Reviews of Beauty and the Beast: Diary of a Film
Book Review: A great book!
Summary: 5 Stars
I highly recommend this book to anyone who has seen Jean Cocteau's fil version of "Beauty and the Beast" The book is the diary of the film. There are some great photos in it as well.Book Review: Daughter Loves This Film
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this as a Christmas present for my daughter. She loves French and wanted this movie badly. She has watched it several times and seems to love it.Book Review: Making Beauty from Beastly Conditions
Summary: 4 Stars
Cocteau's diary on the making of his most famous film - "La Belle et la Bête" (1946) - recounts an almost endless series of obstacles that he encountered during its production. From illnesses (everyone involved seemed to suffer some significant ailment or injury during production) to production problems (bad film stock, unworkable cameras) to union disputes, the film was almost plagued from the start. At times this litany of woe and frustration can be quite tedious - when Cocteau goes into a detailed discussion of his ezcema and other physical maladies, I tuned out. But it's still a fascinating look at not only how he pulled all the elements together (although his entries for the editing process are rather short) but also what filmmaking was like during a difficult time in French history. His depictions of his stars, Jean Marais and Josette Day, are quite interesting too. And the book shows perhaps better than many textbooks how the different talents on a film set contribute to the final result.
The book probably won't be enjoyable to those who haven't seen the movie (at least a few times) but for those who really admire this film, this behind-the-scenes look is a real treat.
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