The Music in the Hunchback Sequel is bad but it’s not the worse aspect. The worse aspect is the animation and the art style. Everything is lackluster from the colors, to characters’ movements and looks. Even the in-between animation, which typically isn’t supposed to be anything spectacular, makes the characters either look deformed or derpy (pardon the meme).  It all seems like there was no joy in this project on the part of the animators, like it was something they did because they had.

Sequel in-between frames

Madeline looking scary in a in-between Frame Hunchback of Note Dame II Disney 2 Sequel picture image

Madeline looking scary in a in-between Frame of Hunchback of Note Dame II Disney

In Between Frame of Phoebus Hunchback of Notre Dame Sequel II 2 Disney picture image

In Between Frame of Phoebus Hunchback of Notre Dame II Disney

In Between Frame of Sarousch Hunchback of Notre Dame Sequel II 2 Disney picture image

In Between Frame of Sarousch Hunchback of Notre Dame II Disney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VS.

Original  in-between frame

In Between Frame of Esmeralda Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney picture image

In Between Frame of Esmeralda Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

In Between Frame of the Oafish guard Hunchback of Notre Dame Disneye picture image

In Between Frame of the Oafish guard Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

In Between Frame of Phoebus Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney picture image

In Between Frame of Phoebus Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

 

 

 

 

 

 

The movie was animated by Walt Disney Animation (Japan). And as it happen that Disney Japan expertise lies in there action scenes, which is an odd pairing seeing how the climax of this movie is a woman picking up a child. No battles, no fights. No wonder the animators appear not to interested in this project, they probably wanted to get it over and done with.

Madeline saving Zephyr Sequel Hunchback of Notre Dame II Disney picture image

Madeline saving Zephyr Hunchback of Notre Dame II Disney

I think the animation is one of the biggest problems with this movie along with many of the other Direct to release Disney movies. If a movie is terrible you can forgive it if it’s pretty, but if it lacks any redeemable qualities how can people like it? Actually there is a question, Does the Sequel have any redeemable qualities that makes it enjoyable? People may argue Quasimodo and Madeline finding love, but is the love interesting and good?

 

Next Time -Let’s answer that question. L’histoire d’amour de Quasimodo et de Madeline

Quasimodo Creepy Look Hunchback of Notre Dame Sequel 2 II picture image

Quasimodo Creepy Look Hunchback of Notre Dame II

Madeline looking weird Hunchback of  Notre Dame II  Disney Sequel 2 picture image

Madeline looking weird Hunchback of Notre Dame II Disney

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special Bonus Picture;

This is joke, Yoko and Ono are common Japanese names…just thought it was a little funny that a Yoko Ono worked on the movie.

Sequel Animators Feature one Yoko Ono picture image

Sequel Animators Feature one Yoko Ono

 

 

 

 

 



Notre Dame of Paris Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Notre Dame of Paris Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

I had said in my 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame review on setting, that movies shouldn’t take too much from Notre Dame’s structure as it’s changed a lot from it’s state from the time the story takes place to when Victor Hugo wrote the book to when Disney created the film.

Frollo and Notre Dame Bells Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo stares at Notre Dame during the Bells of Notre Dame FDisney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Satellite Dish during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Satellite Dish during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Disney makes  Notre Dame much taller than it actually is. It’s a flaw but it not something to rage over. It’s just kind of laughable large. Another flaw that can be over looked is the all the exterior sculptures on the Cathedral are shown as plain, natural-colored stone. At the time the story is set, they were polychromatic – painted in colors. Again  it can be overlooked because Notre Dame current look is so iconic that it would have looked strange to audience to have colors associated with the exterior. I can also overlook the square in front of Notre Dame also that wouldn’t have been there in 1400 but you can forgive.

The aspects of the depiction that I have a hard time overlooking is the how the sanctuary is depicted. In the scheme of Hunchback cartoons and movies it’s very accurate, there are some terrible representations of Notre Dame but the way it’s set up in the film is problematic. The Sanctuary is show once in the film during “God Help the Outcast

 

Quasimodo watching to Esmeralda during God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo watching to Esmeralda during God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking at Notre Dame’s set up and structure Notre Dame seems both bigger and smaller. Esmeralda strolls though the layout a a very leisurely pace yet the Cathedral seems more expansive than it is. She also isn’t impeded by the structure. At about at the 2:00 minute mark of the song, Esmeralda is seen walking in the side aisles and to her left there are columns. Then in the very next shot, Esmeralda is against a Fresco, with no columns in the shot. Which means Esmeralda needed to veer to another side of the column but she did not. So I guess the columns magically go away for a better shot. Also if her head in level with the fresco how tall is she? Because her height is really inconsistent and she’s bare foot and those Frescos are pretty high off the ground. Then this could be inconsistency. But do make the inside of the Church not in proper proportion.

Check out this website to see what I mean;

 http://www.fromparis.com/virtual-tour-notre-dame/ click around to get a visual tour of Notre Dame

Quasimodo during Out There with anachronism Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo during Out There with anachronism Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

So getting back to what I said at the beginning of this about being careful not to copy Notre Dame in it current state to much is that after Victor Hugo wrote Notre Dame de Paris, the cathedral when though a massive changes. The statues that can be seen in Out There towards the end when Quasimodo talks “Ordinary Men” where add after the novel was written in 1831. Those statues are 12 apostles that adorned the spire. I don’t think I would mind this but Quasimodo motions to the statues as an examples of “ordinary men” The 12 Apostles are ordinary men Disney? Really? The fact the Disney used the statues as more than just Background but a visual aid is where I find fault.

Next Time – Major Differences between Disney and the Book

Quasimodo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney picture image

Quasimodo's Reveal Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Quasimodo Illustrtion Francois flameng

Illustration of Quasimodo

For the most part Hunchback of Notre Dame has stunning animation and visuals, and isn’t that what Disney is know for… beside songs, and Princesses and Branding the Hell out their movies. Unfortunately Hunchback has one aspect of their visuals that hasn’t aged well; the CG crowds.

 

Topsy Turvy CG Crowds Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Topsy Turvy CG Crowds Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Topsy Turvy CG Crowds Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Topsy Turvy CG Crowds Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hunchback of Notre Dame has had a history of big crowds scenes, they can be seen the the 1923 version, 1939 version and most of the other film versions have scene with a ton of people. So of course Disney had to this to and the opted for computer generate crowds that the could swap out clothing hair and other traits, it was a time saver. The crowds can be seen in Topsy Turvy, the climax and the ending. And My God they stick out against the film’s art style. There just not refined enough to blend in remote to the film. However it is possible to over look it.

Climax CG Crowds Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Climax CG Crowds Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Finale CG Crowds Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Finale CG Crowds Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

 

 

 

 

 

 

But still when the are notice they’re clunky, angular and not very pretty.  They actually bring the visuals down for me, perhaps I’m too harsh  but they look like the come from a cheap and boring video game about peasants who wear a lot of brown.

Beside the Crowds there is another aspect of the that Disney didn’t quite get right

Next Time – Notre Dame de Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame

Notre Dame of Paris Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Notre Dame of Paris Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

This is a little photoshop image I did. It’s essentially Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Esmeralda, Quasimodo, and Phoebus in the costumes of their counterparts from Notre Dame de Paris. The costumes are like Digital Textures.

Disney Hunchback characters cosplaying as Notre Dame de Paris Esmeralda, Quasimodo, Phoebus picture image

Disney Hunchback characters cosplaying as Notre Dame de Paris Esmeralda, Quasimodo, Phoebus

Here are the pictures I used from Notre Dame de Paris for the fan-art;

Helene Segara as Esmeralda Notre Dame de Paris

Helene Segara as Esmeralda from Notre Dame de Paris

Garou as Quasimodo Notre Dame de Paris  picture image

Garou as Quasimodo from Notre Dame de Paris

Patrick Fiori as Phoebus Notre Dame de Paris picture image

Patrick Fiori as Phoebus from Notre Dame de Paris

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Let me first say that I love costumes, I’m a sucker for period films with pretty costumes. With that being said, with one major exception, the costumes in the 1939 version of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” are middle of the road. They help define the setting of the story and characters. But most of the costumes are not recognizable within film nostalgia (save for one).

Walter Plunkett's design for Esmeralda 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image
Plunkett’s design for Esmeralda

The costumes were designed by Walter Plunkett. Walter Plunkett was the costume designer for “Gone with the Wind“. Perhaps designing grandiose Southern Belle/Victorian bustles is a tad more fun than designing costumes for medieval Parisian and nomads.  To the film’s credit it did have a ton of extras to cloth and they all look their parts.

Esmeralda first costume 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image
Esmeralda second costume (Maureen O'Hara) 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image
Movie poster for 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image
Movie poster for 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Esmeralda– Esmeralda gets about three costumes though one is a plain white linen chemise she wears before she’s almost hanged.

Her costumes are stylized and by no means accurate, like most costumes in movies, it’s time’s interpretation of whatever period the film is depicting. Esmeralda’s main dress is a long skirt with some patch work detail, a blouse (I suppose it’s moonlighting as a chemise) it looks like it has a slight sheen and also has fringe detail and a corset with some spangle detail.

As for accessories she has a necklace and bracelet and of course being a gypsy dancer a tambourine. Her second outfit is a blouse with an embroidery detail at the neck and on the sleeves. She sports a long skirt with more embroidery. She also has a belt with a rather large buckle and a head scarf. Both of these design are derived from Plunkett’s design. As for the color of these costumes my guess would be her main one is red (though one movie has it’s a as purple and another movie poster has it as red) and I would guess her performance outfit is a blue skirt and a white blouse (though who can tell through shades of grey but the two costume are different shades of grey. Her costumes do read “nomad” but they’re not overly gimmicky. Though it is hard to speculate what the group would have been wearing in the late 15th France. Paintings from the 16th century depicted Romani wearing a sari-like garment.

Quasimodo make-up Charles Laughton 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image
Close up of Quasimodo’s make-up
Quasimodo on the Pillory Chalres laughton 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image
Quasimodo’s Hunch
King of Fools Quasimodo 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image
The Crown for the King of Fools

Quasimodo – As I mention there was a major exception to the run-of-the-mill-i-ness of the costumes and while technically this applies to make-up it still counts.

The make-up for Laughton’s Quasimodo was masterful. A collaboration between Laughton and Make-up artist Perc Westmore and costed $10,000. Laughton & Westmore went through numerous versions and they were rejected by Laughton. He wanted his face loop-sided, so a mask had to pull the right side of face up and the left side down. A false eye was placed on his cheek and Laughton wore a colored contact in his right eye to make it look cloudy. The hump weighted 4 pounds and made of aluminum scaffold filled with a foam rubber and covered with a thin layer of elastic. Laughton wanted it to be heavy so that he could feel physical pain of walking. He also had an inch added to the sole of his left show so one leg would be shorter that other creating a natural limb. (this information is from Maureen O’Hara’s book “‘Tis Herself“). For Quasimodo the only requirement is the physical look and Notre Dame, Quasimodo can be in Tux and you would know who it is. One more thing on Quasimodo’s get-up, the King of Fool crown is a nice blend of a crown and jester’s hat.

Jehan Frollo  Sir Cedric Hardwicke 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image
Frollo’s costume

Frollo – The villain, he wears all black and has a severe look, straight almost square cut to the hair  (he’s a squareロ ). It looks to me that he wears velvet which is the blackest fabric and there is very little details to break up the costume so it looks like stab of black. He has a hat that has a built in cowl and has a fur trim a round his neck. All black, all severe, all rich fabric, his character is very clear  he’s rich, powerful and EVIL (or just an antagonist).

King Louis XI  Harry Davenport 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image
King Louis’s Costume

Louis– I’m going to mention Louis because he’s a counterpoint for Frollo because Louis also wears all black but he has many details to break it so the black reads as a power color and not evil. He looks like a medieval kings, some regalia but more casual. He also sports a hat with jewelry, more jewelry, and a fur vest. Black but approachable  yet kingly.

 

Gringoire Performing Edmond O'brein 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image
Gringoire as a Harlequin
Clopin with hat Thomas Mitchell 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image
Clopin’s Feather Hat
Phoebus in armor Alan Marshal 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image
Phoebus in armor (on left)
Archdeacon Claude Frollo Walter Hampden 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image
Archdeacon Claude in less than period vestments

The Rest – Gringoire and Clopin wear pretty standard tunics nothing too special except Clopin has a big old feather in his hat. Gringoire also get a harlequin outfit for his performance at the party and it’s pretty standard.  Phoebus a suit of armor and it looks very silly. Phoebus also has some party garb it a cape and tunic basically none special not like his armor.  Claude the Archdeacon’s costumes looks more current(even by modern standards) than what a priest of 1400’s would have wore.

The buckle 1939 Maureen O'hara Hunchback of Notre dame picture image
The Buckle on Esmeralda’s costume
Female Extras 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image
Extras with 30’s hairstyles
Fleur de Lys Helene Whiteney 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image
Fleur in Chiffon

Finally being a film from the late 30’s there are costumes and accessories peppered throughout the movie that look more 30’s than medieval. Claude’s vestment (seen above), Esmeralda’s belt buckle (belts were more for swords not fashion), the extra’s hairstyle (note the length and curls) and Fleur, a glorified extra that gets a name, her dress screams late 30 design so much so that it stands out in my mind despite the fact that you only see it for a moment. The dress is made from what I can guess is a chiffon. Chiffon is not even remotely a fabric that would have been used in the 1400s. Chiffion was invented in the 18th. (Fun fact – Chiffon is french for “rag”).

More on another aspect of Mise-en-secene next time – Acting

The first aspect of Mise-en-Scene of the 1939The Hunchback of Notre Dame”  that I’m going to look at are the Props. Why Props? Well to put it nicely it’s the least impressive aspect of the film. This film has very little in terms of props. Fact is, some definitions of Mise-en-scene lump props and setting together and while some of the “props” in this movie are more like set pieces, the sets of this movie need their own post. So anyway on with the Props.

 

A Bell of Notre Dame 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame  picture image

A Bell of Notre Dame

Quasimodo and the Bells charles laughton 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame  picture image

Quasimodo (Charles Laughton) and the Bells

The film being a period has tons of props to help create the look and feel of Paris in the late 1400’s but only a hand full of these props are actually important for the characters and the story. Two of the most important “props” (I would consider them more like set pieces, but I’ll address them here) are the printing press and the Bells. Being a Hunchback of Notre Dame film there must be Bells. The Bells in this film are very impressive they look like cathedral bells. The bells that Charles Laughton (Quasimodo) had to ring were roughly about 100 pounds (true factoid – the huge bell Emmanuel at Notre Dame is about 13 tons). There not much to say on the Bells in this film they look like huge cathedral bells  the sound like Bells but that’s because the sound recording is bells from Notre Dame..

 

printing press harry davenport 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame  picture image

The Printing Press

Then there is the printing press, the movie symbol for progress, again this thing is so big that it more a set piece than a prop  and again I can’t say to much on it it. Like the bells, it is well executed and looks on point to how Gutenberg’s press looked. The printing press does have a major importance in the film but the film hits you over the head with this fact every chances it gets. So it really does become annoying.

 

 

Aristotle the Goat 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame  picture image

Aristotle the Goat

Esmeralda and Aristotle share a moment   maureen O'hara  1939 Hunchback of Notre dame  picture image

Esmeralda (Maureen O'Hara) and Aristotle share a moment

Now the props that were more than set pieces, the props with purpose. Starting with the Goat, Aristotle or the miracle goat.  Aristotle can perform math much like his counterpart Djali (from the book). Aristotle is the main reason why Esmeralda is on trial for witchcraft. The poor goat gets the short end here, Aristotle is brought in because I guess the script writers forgot that there was a goat and that the goat was a main character in the book and added it at the last second. So Aristotle is brought in and you never see or hear mention of him after Esmeralda is recused. So the purpose of the Goat is to solidify Esmeralda as  potential witch but here the thing, It’s never really clear to whom Aristotle belongs. Gringoire seems to have more to do with Aristotle than Esmeralda. Gringoire introduces him and Gringoire has concern for him (he brings him a cabbage while Aristotle and Esmeralda are in jail). Aristotle just seems to exist to bring trouble to Esmeralda. Aristotle takes off for Esmeralda just before the murder and lingers with her  and during the trial, Aristotle nuzzles her which is further the witchcraft accusation. It also seems like that Gringoire both named Aristotle and more than likely taught him to count. But since Aristotle’s backstory is non existent  the audience is left just to assume Aristotle is Esmeralda’s goat, and since Aristotle comes and goes and his one function is to implicate Esmeralda as witch  for medieval types during the trial. Therefore the goat is a prop and I wish they had gotten a white goat, apart from accuracy to the book, a white goat would have looked better for a black and white film.


Daggers in the "Trial by Ordeal" 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame  picture image

Daggers in the "Trial by Ordeal"

Esmeralda's Clean Dagger maureen o'hara 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame  picture image

Esmeralda's Clean Dagger

Another prop used to showcase Esmeralda’s guilt are the daggers. There are two daggers, Esmeralda’s and Louis’. Esmeralda’s dagger is the “murder weapon” though when Phoebus is found dead and Esmeralda is found with dagger in hand with  Aristotle her Dagger is clean. Louis’ dagger was used during the “Trial by Ordeal” that he subjected Esmeralda to in an effort to clear her of murder but she failed. Unlike the Esmeralda’s dagger, Louis is used to show that he a good king who at least tried to help, but further than that the dagger does nothing.

 

bellboy 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame  picture image

The Bellboy

Gringoire's pamphlet 1939 Hunchback of Notre dame  picture image

Gringoire's pamphlet

Other props in the movie that are featured and slightly important that I’ll mention quickly are Bell Boy, the pamphlet and a whip. The Bell Boy is used in the Court of Miracles to test Gringoire thief skills, he fails to steal from the prop and as a result marries Esmeralda and they fall in love. Paper and books are seen throughout the movie, they go hand-in-hand with the printing press that is a symbol of progress. The big piece of paper is Gringoire’s pamphlet that help pardon Esmeralda (though another piece of paper damned her, the nobels’ petition but they didn’t use the press so their old fashion and therefore they suck) Lastly, the Whip, Quasimodo is whipped on the pillory and when Esmeralda gives him water and pity, he fall in love with her. The whip is symbol for oppression and since this film is about modernization and progress the whip serve as a counterpoint to have crappy the medieval time period was.

More on Mise-en-scene next time – Costumes