Anti Hypothetical Casting – Kristen Stewart as Esmeralda

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Kristen Stewart picture image

Kristen Stewart

Kristen Stewart is a weird actress. Some people think she is ok and others say she is terrible. She confused Hollywood that she was bankable because for some reason that I will never understand Twilight was popular.

Kristen Stewart as Snow White in Snow White and the Huntsman picture image

Kristen Stewart as Snow White in Snow White and the Huntsman

I have seen most of the Twilight movies because I like to torment myself and Twilight is not a good measure for any actor’s ability. Sir Laurence Olivier could not save that movie franchise. I did try to watch Snow White and the Huntsman . I’m one those people who tries to finish movies even if they are awful. I made it as far as the Miyazaki deer before turing it off. But what I can say is this, Kristen Stewart should not be in period films.

Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan Twilight picture image

Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan Twilight

She would make a miserable Esmeralda. She is pretty enough but I can’t see her trying to be naive or sensual. I guess if someone was high enough to cast her she would be the justice type Esmeralda. But Kristen Stewart is better at that incredulous style of acting which would not work with Esmeralda at all.

Kristen Stewart picture image

Kristen Stewart

I won’t say she doesn’t have the right look for Esmeralda. I mean she could pull of Esmeralda’s look more than Snow White since movies ignore Esmeralda’s description from the novel. Kristen Stewart would breath no life into the role, she would stand there with wide eyes and her mouth hang open. If she ever was considered for Esmeralda, I would worry about the sanity of the people in charge.

Hunchback, Accuracy and Popularity

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Here’s a question, why hasn’t there been a well executed and accurate version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame outside of France? Is it because it just a hard book to adapted into a film? The answer is yes and no. First, the book doesn’t have a traditional happy ending. It ends with pretty much everyone either dead or unhappy in some capacity.

Louis Boulanger's Illustration of Frollo, Esmeralda and Sachette picture image

Louis Boulanger’s Illustration of Frollo, Esmeralda and Sachette

Typically when characters die in movie it’s for one of two reasons, either they die for someone’s else sake like Jack in Titanic or they get punished for for being bad like any number of movie villains. In Hunchback we have these death with Frollo and Quasimodo but Esmeralda’s death is the tricky one. She is neither punished nor scarified for anything. She dies because she didn’t want Frollo and no one was capable of saving her. Her death is very hard to accept which is why typically she lives in film versions. There have only been two movies where she dies, neither of them are American. However if a movie did want to be true to the book and have the same ending the audience could get over it and if the movie was well executed the audience might enjoy it as well.

Gina Lollobrigida 1956 as Esmeralda picture image

Gina Lollobrigida as Esmeralda (1956)

But there is more to it than filmmakers not wanting to deal with the death of the leading lady as the reason. Classic literature has often been tweaked by screenwriters since it allows for them to use established characters and plots but their is no pressure from the filmgoers to make the movie in line with book. Perhaps if the Hunchback of Notre Dame had the same die-hard fan-base as Twilight , The Hunger Games or even Gone with the Wind maybe we would get an accurate version.

Twilight picture image

Twilight

The Hunger Games picture image

The Hunger Games

Gone with the Wind picture image

Gone with the Wind

 

 

 

 

 

These three movies based on popular literature more or less capture the original book or series of books whereas Hunchback movies never do. Although Hunchback does have more complexity to plot and tone than Twilight, The Hunger Games and Gone with the Wind. But if Hunchback did have the same levels of popularity within popular culture as a book screenwriters would be less compelled to be creative with the story like making Esmeralda a champion for equality, have her pray, Frollo as a judge and a cat lover, singing semi-imaginary gargoyles who tell fart jokes etc.

The Gargoyles; Hugo Laverne, Victor Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

The Gargoyles; Hugo Laverne, Victor Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Perhaps one day there will be a version that is well executed and accurate or at the very least captures the original mood of the book. Till then we have the “jazzy” Brolin movie to look forward to.

Josh Brolin picture image

Josh Brolin