The other Characters from the 1956 version of Hunchback

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Maurice Sarfati as Jehan, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image

Maurice Sarfati as Jehan, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame

Jehan – The 1956 version is the first time Jehan is the irresponsible mooch younger brother of Frollo. He doesn’t do that much of interests. He makes a few comments, some goofy faces and interacts with everyone except Esmeralda.

Jehan’s overall point in the book was to show Frollo’s fatherly compassion and he doesn’t really do that in this version, in fact when Jehan dies we get no reaction from Frollo, it’s like “Oh my brother die, oh well”.

If Jehan wasn’t in the movie it would have made no difference except for the length would have been slighty shorter.

Jean Tissier as King Louis, 1956 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Jean Tissier as King Louis, 1956 Hunchback of Notre Dame

King Louis– This movie has the scene from the book where King Louis visits Frollo. He also rubs Quasimodo getting punishment in Frollo face. Had that been the all he did that would have been fine but King Louis is convinced by Frollo to suspend Sanctuary for a day. So King Louis asks a prisoner if this has ever been done before. This scene seems so unnecessary and Louis acts really callous to this prisoner.

I mean, I know he is suppose to be callous but there was no other way to show that? King Louis has to asks a prisoner who has been lock up in a cage for 14 years for advice? Who wrote this? Who thought this scene was a good idea? There is no precedence for this scene. Maybe if there was I could accept it but no. I wish they had kept this part like book.

Valentine Tessier as Aloyse de Gondelaurier, 1956 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Valentine Tessier as Aloyse de Gondelaurier, 1956 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Aloyse de Gondelaurier a.k.a Fleur’s mother – She has has two roles in this movie. Role number #1 to act as the representative for the upper class. As she remarks on how people hang witches all the time and evil Esmeralda is in Notre Dame.

And role number #2 to talk about Fleur de Lys. That’s it. she is not very interesting and she is sort of annoying. Though I find her less annoying than Jehan.

She probably has the funniest line in the movie. After Phoebus makes his date with Esmeralda in guise of making her leave the square to show Fleur that he loves her. Fleur de Lys says “he loves me as I love me” to which Fleur’s Mother says “and as your father loved me.”

We’re done looking at the character stay tune for the next article on the 1956 version

Hunchback Spotting; Jean de Florette

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For a while I have been thinking about films that has similar character types to The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Like movies that feature Hunchbacks, Gypsies, Obsessed creepy guys, etc.

One famous movie to feature a Hunchback in it is called Jean De Florette.

Gérard Depardieu and Yves Montand inJean De Florette picture image

Gérard Depardieu and Yves Montand inJean De Florette

It stars Gérard Depardieu as Jean de Florette who is a hunchback. Unlike Quasimodo he is not ugly, Daniel Auteuil’s character, Ugolin covers that as well as creepy romantic obsession in the second part Manon of the Spring (more on this in another post). The two films make up one story.

Gérard Depardieu as Jean with his wife Aimee (Elisabeth Depardieu) and Daughter Manon (Ernestine Mazurowna), Jean de Florette picture image

Gérard Depardieu as Jean with his wife Aimee (Elisabeth Depardieu) and Daughter Manon (Ernestine Mazurowna), Jean de Florette

So what is the movie about? Basically, a greedy landowner, Cesar Soubeyran (Yves Montand) and his nephew Ugolin want the property next to them. When the owner is killed in a fight his nephew Jean Cadoret, a tax collector and a hunchback, inherits the property. He moves in with his wife Aimee and young daughter Manon and tries to live off the land. But Cesar and Ugolin’s designs on getting Jean’s property push them to ruin Jean.

Gérard Depardieu as Jean De Florette picture image

Gérard Depardieu as Jean De Florette

The sequel Manon of the Spring picks off where Jean de Florette left off and it gives a reason for why Jean was a Hunchback that could be applied to Quasimodo. I won’t say what it is but it’s fun to think about what caused Quasimodo’s deformity.

 

Ad for the 2013 Concerts

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfIyr03BM94

So these concerts have been in happening in Kiev, Moscow, and St Petersburg for the past 3 years. They have only happen outside these cities twice, in Paris and Beirut.  And while is this great, I think it’s unfair they keep occurring in mostly the same three cities. I know it comes down to the person organizing and to get it other locationa mean someone has to make it happen. But still Notre Dame de Paris seem to be popular world-wide and it’s unfair to the fan who can’t make it to those locations. I hope there more concerts in other places,  hopefully in either Montreal or New York City (both are “close” to me ^_~).

But where would like you to see the Notre Dame de Paris Concert Tour?

A Real Flower; The 1956 Version of Fleur de Lys

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Danielle Dumont as Fleur de Lys, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image

Danielle Dumont as Fleur de Lys, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame

Fleur de Lys in the 1956 version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame doesn’t have a big part, in fact she has a very small part as she in only in one scene and is only discussed in another. So she appears less in this movie than she does in the 1923 version. So why is she getting her own post?

Because I think she might be the most interesting and complex character in this movie. Which is a little sad.

Jean Danet as Phoebus & Danielle Dumont as Fleur de Lys, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image

Jean Danet as Phoebus & Danielle Dumont as Fleur de Lys, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame

At first glance, Fleur de Lys might be consider a bitch. She baits Phoebus into recognizing Esmeralda and then orders him to make her leave the public square to prove that he loves her. Of course he uses that chance to arrange a meeting with Esmeralda so the joke is on Fleur de Lys.

Jean Danet as Phoebus & Danielle Dumont as Fleur de Lys, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image

Jean Danet as Phoebus & Danielle Dumont as Fleur de Lys, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame

In her brief scene we know a few things about her, she loves Phoebus but is insecure and masks it but acting haughty, which I think is relatable. This also makes it believable when her mother says that she was deeply hurt by Phoebus‘ wanton behavior but that she also longs to see him. She is self-realized enough to know she is jealous but instead of letting it consume her, she confronts Phoebus. This make her not passive . Though her affections for Phoebus are a bit naive as she does believe that he chased Esmeralda as proof of his love and not used it as arranging a meeting.

Danielle Dumont as Fleur de Lys, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image

Danielle Dumont as Fleur de Lys, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame

Perhaps being surrounded by characters that are less than 3-dimensional makes her seems more relatable and interesting than she is meant to be. Though maybe the beauty of her characterization is that she is only one scene so the film couldn’t muddle it. However for me she is most likable and the most real character in the movie.

Danielle Dumont as Fleur de Lys, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image

Danielle Dumont as Fleur de Lys, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame

Next 1956 Article – The other characters that are there

Maurice Sarfati as Jehan, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image

Maurice Sarfati as Jehan, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame