The Disaster Artist
Recently, I read The Disaster Artist
Tommy Wiseau
Fairly early in the book authors Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell liken The Room’s mastermind Tommy Wiseau to Quaismodo saying that Wiseau looks like “the Hunchback of Notre Dame following corrective surgery.” This is allegory is almost too true. Could you imagine Tommy Wiseau playing Quasimodo? That would amazing!
I mentioned Disney’s Mix and Match Villains Book
The book is a game where you flip segments of a pictures and words to form absurdities.
Frollo’s page
So for example the Hunchback page features Frollo holding a book with Quasimodo and Hugo off to the side and the text reads “Frollo sneered, I’m very disappointed in you Quasimodo.
With a few flips I can change it to this.
Ursula demands that only love’s first kiss will awaken Quasimodo
Oh such fun. Though I confessed as child I loved using Alice’s Head in the mix.
Frollo wants to marry Alice’s Head
(sorry for the bad pictures)
The Art of the Hunchback of Notre Dame
One of the best companion pieces to the Disney version of the Hunchback of Notre Dame is The Art of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney Miniature)
Concept art of Quasimodo saving Esmeralda from the Art of the Hunchback
It’s for all intended purpose thisis an art book. It has tons of concept art, production stills, sketches, illustrations from the novel, and art by Victor Hugo. (Hugo’s own art work is gorgeous). However the major flaw with it is its size. It’s tiny for something that is an art book. Here’s a picture of it compare to my Final Fantasy IX art book (I had this book for a while).
Size comparison of The Art of the Hunchback of Notre to The Art of Final Fantasy IX
The Hunchback art book is 5.6 inches by 4.3 inches compare to the art Final Fantasy IX which is 11.8 inches by 9.3 inches. However I think this isn’t suppose to be a true art book as much a more in depth look behind movie’s creation.
Concept Art for Esmeralda Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
The book has a ton of information about the background on the book, characters and a lot of how the movie art plays with light and shadows. It’s a very interesting read although Stephen Rebello does make one big generalization. In the Quasimodo chapter page 57, he writes ” Victor Hugo probably never imagined his malformed, melancholy creation breaking forth into song.” Hugo himself wrote a libretto for Louise Bertin’s opera La Esmeralda 
Concept Art of Quasimodo from the Art of the Hunchback of Notre Dame
Anyway despite that generalization it is well researched and an interesting read with lots of great artwork. I would highly recommend it for fans of the Disney movie.
This is a video for the new Notre Dame de Paris Graphic Novel by Robin Recht and Jean Bastide Book 1
Esmeralda is once again in red, does anyone else think this a cliche that should die? Because I’m getting annoyed by it, (future article*). But other than that I like the artwork it’s fairly simple yet effective.
To order it from Amazon Canada Please Click HERE
March 29 is apparently Ananke Day according to the good people at The Frollo Forum. Ananke was the original inspiration for the character of Frollo. Victor Hugo say the word carved into a wall in Notre Dame and wonder about the person who carved it. It’s a greek concept that means roughly (very, very very roughly) “Death Destiny”.
So in honor Ananke Day here’s a video of “Anarkia” from Notre Dame de Paris peformed by Daniel Lavoie (Frollo) and Bruno Pelletier (Grongoire) Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0sGpSBzuLg
Also I know I put this song as number 7 in the worst song list of Notre Dame de Paris but I really do enjoy it. So many subject changes for such a short song, I think Gringoire has ADD.
Today’s Fan-Art was created by MimiStriped. It’s base on a scene from the book where Frollo shows Esmeralda his wounds he gave himself in reaction to her being tortured. This scene is during his confession to her in Jail and it’s my favorite scene from the book. And this is a lovely rendering.
…voi che’ntrate by mimistriped
Benjamin Lacombe is a French artist who has illustrated several books his latest is Notre Dame de Paris which was released November 30th 2011. His work has a gothic anime feel that I find appealing but I’m not sure why. I’ve seen stuff akin to it but there is something about his work that I find appealing maybe it’s the use of color or the composition. Currently the book is only available in French. Other work by Benjamin Lacombe
Click the link to buy Benjamin Lacombe’s Notre-Dame de Paris Part 1
And now some pictures;
Benjamin Lacombe' s Cover of Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame and Paris by Benjamin Lacombe Notre Dame de Paris
Esmeralda by Benjamin Lacombe Notre Dame de Paris
Quasimodo by Benjamin Lacombe Notre Dame de Paris
Esmeralda and Djali by Benjamin Lacombe Notre Dame de Paris
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Given how every facet of Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Good Guys lives.
Yeah, this isn’t a big differences. Most film adaptations let the leads live. It is interesting that Esmeralda is really only spared because she is sentence to burn instead of hanging. If she had hanged the scene would have been less dramtic. So another minor difference is all the fire imagery including Esmeralda on the stake.
Also in letting the character live it takes away the theme of “Ananke” (simply meaning Death Destiny) Ananke is the word that book is based off of. However it’s only been features in like two adaptations and beside this movie is about how we “not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within” no wait that’s Beauty and the Beast…. no it’s the same in Hunchback of the Notre Dame. Stupid Disney morals ruining their movies.
(2026 edit many versions skip Ananke, it shouldn’t be a point against it. If anyting it shoud be a point against version who introduce the concept and do nothing with it. So no Disney having a happy ending isn’t a bad thing it’s just a difference and many version have the characters live. )
Another minor difference is the lack of Gringoire.
Gringoire in the book was a cowardly poet who runs off with Djali. He also acts like a story teller and the voice of author. In Disney, Gringoire is divided between Clopin and Phoebus. It’s a minor difference because when it comes to cutting characters out Gringoire is seldom cut from other version. Phoebus is the one to get diminished over Gringoire.
There is just so many differences between Disney and the book that to write these posts has been mind boggling. I could just have an entire blog about the differences and it would probably last a good long time.
Because let’s face Disney didn’t re-tell Hugo’s story they retold the 1939 version
If you read the book and then watch the Disney you would know that this movie has very little in common with book. The only things that are correct are names and the settings*. That’s it but in regards to the setting Disney may have got the place right but Notre Dame role in this movie is very much twisted.
(*2026 – Again I was being harsh, no excuse the 2011 version of me, I’m remorse for my lack of inflexibility on book to movie adaptation decisions when I wrote I reviews this movie. The Disney version is a adaptation that is suitable for a general audience they had to make changes. However I do think the concept of three men’s different perspectives of one woman, which is the crux of the novel, is handle well by this movie. Possibly better than the 1939 version.)
Next Time -Disney’s Norte Dame Prison or Sanctuary?
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In all seriousness Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame
In making Frollo a judge and not a priest we loss his turmoil which makes Frollo an interesting and complex character.
I really don’t care as much about his lust and obsession for Esmeralda just because he hate the Romani people. Also in the book, his obsession occurs slowly. He sees her and is instantly taken by her youthful beauty. After that he begins stalking her and by kidnapping her he forces the the plot to take action.
In the Disney movie, Quasimodo doesn’t have the some loyalty and Frollo abuses him by telling him he’s a monster and keeps him locked in the tower. In the book Frollo did no such thing and Quasimodo could leave Notre Dame if he wished.
Quasimodo in the Disney movie is very much like Ariel. He wants to live with the normal people. He is very naive, kind and gentle.
In the book, Quasimodo is kind and loyal to those who have been kind to him i.e Frollo and Esmeralda. However, Quasimodo is also angry and doesn’t really like people. He would never want to leave Notre Dame as Notre Dame is his universe. He loves Notre Dame so much that he is very much a part of it and his lovers are bells. The relationship between Quasimodo and Notre Dame is destroyed in the Disney version as Notre Dame is not so much a sanctuary but a prison.
Also in the movie Disney he briefly mentions the bells but you don’t get the sense that he loves the bells. I also don’t see this Quasimodo killing Frollo in fit of rage or lying down next to Esmeralda to die.
Esmeralda is the polar opposition between Disney movie and the book.
In the book she is at least part French and is young, beautiful, naive, shallow and, childish.
In the Disney movie, while she is beautiful, she has none of the other traits, though the youth is debatable. She is confident and is in control of her sexual appeal. In the Disney version she is a full Romani and we are never given any sense of her backstory.
In the book she was unaware of her beauty and she lacks any worldliness. This naivety is what gets her into trouble in the book and ultimately is what kills her and not a passion for social justice.
Phoebus in the book is a jerk who is kind of dumb and just wants to sleep with pretty girls.
Also he is two-timing cheat, who despite being engaged he tries sleeps with every good-looking girl he can.
In the Disney version is he is noble, moral and likes to crack bad jokes. Not like book Phoebus at all.
Clopin in the book in the leader of the Court of Miracles, not the Romani. The Leader of the Romani in the book was the Duke of Egypt. Typically, the leader of the Court of Miracles and the Leader of the Romani get fused into one which is Clopin. That’s a minor issue. Compared to Frollo, Quasimodo, Esmeralda and Phoebus; Disney Clopin’s differences are not so bad. He tells stories like Gringoire (a character in book) and is the leader of the Court of Miracles; he’s two characters in one, or three.
Djali in the Disney movie is a pretty minor character who doesn’t do anything other than add some charm and humor.
In the book however Djali is pretty essential to the plot. Djali is the prime evidence for why Esmeralda is convicted of being a witch. Goats were considered to be representational of the devil and the tricks innocence tricks Djali performed like spelling and telling the time were thought to be the work of witchcraft by the judges in the book.
Of course, since the plot veers so far the book it doesn’t really matter. Djali’s main function in the movie is a cute sidekick who sells toys to children
The Gargoyles do not count, they’re not in the book.
It really does seems like someone early in production took the cliff notes of Hugo’s book, throw them into a blender, strained, added water and poured out the Disney Plot. Then that got re-written by those people who didn’t read. And the differences in the characters in proof that.
(2026 edit – Kind of mean but the inspiration for the movie was based on a graphic novel by Classics Illustrated. The Hunchback of Notre Dame was Volume #18 publish in March 1944.
The production was up-front about the graphic novel adaptation of the book as the inspiration for this movie. There is also enough similarities between the Disney version and the 1939 to draw a conclusion that it was also used an inspiration for the Disney movie. Especially since in the 1039 version Quasimodo does say his iconic line “Why wasn’t made of stone like three” to a gargoyles which inspiraed a gargoyles as characters in this movie. So I do think the book wasn’t reference all that much HOWEVER “Hellfire” does have a lyric that is pretty much a line from the book so at the very least Stephen Schwartz read the book.)
Next time – Minor Differences,
