Mick Zeni as Frollo, Roland Petit Notre Dame de Paris
Given this version characterization of Esmeralda and Quasimodo it’s not surprising that there is very little to this Frollo outside of what the plot demands.
He is a priest who lusts after Esmeralda. He doesn’t feel any guilt over feeling lust towards Esmeralda versus his lofty opinion of himself because of his position as a priest. He could have been spurned jealous lover of hers who happened to be a priest and it wouldn’t have changed anything as the ballet presents his character.
Basically there is not much here outside of Frollo slapping Esmeralda during his assault on her that is different. Not sure how I feel about that but he did attack her in the book so the slap was a clear visual for the ballet, so it’s at least understandable and the action does make Frollo more contemptible as a villain.
And a villain is what he is. It’s very black and white with no shades of gray. It’s a boring rendering of the character.
Unless this ballet is super-coded and there is more expressed in the characterization and I don’t understand it because I don’t understand the language and gestures of ballet. But, if that was true then the bitch slap would not have been necessary, so this is just boring yet oddly violent version of Frollo.
Again I should just say that for the medium of ballet this type of characterization is fine. It does what it needs to.
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I actually liked the ballet version, and yes, it’s simplified to fit the dance moves, but it has a certain charm, but it can get confusing if you don’t know the storyline.
I have a suggestion, you could review the 2011 Jane Eyre movie. Mia is a great actress and so is Michael, Mia when blonde could even pass as Fleur de Lys, but that is besides the point. I like your reviews and Jane Eyre is my suggestion, if you are into that kind of movie.