The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Twisted Genius

Whenever I hear the opening song of this movie, I get chills down my spine. It is my personal all-time, hands-down favorite Disney movie to date. The music is fantastic, the animation is on point, and the story is told in a way that incorporates a surprising amount of darkness found in the classic Victor Hugo novel. 

The animation is gorgeous!

The plot is simple: Quasimodo (the titular hunchback) was locked in the bell tower of the cathedral Notre Dame where he is cared for by the religious Judge Claude Frollo. Frollo is given this responsibility by the arch deacon after killing Quasimodo's mother on the cathedral steps. He treats the deformed child horribly and hides him from the world. He then meets and befriends a young gypsy woman named Esmeralda who treats him as a normal person. Frollo, being a religious zealot, disapproves of the gypsies and vows to exterminate them. Quasimodo is thus thrust into the middle of this conflict and tries to save Esmeralda from Frollo's wrath.

 This movie is a timeless classic and is likely to remain so for a very long time. The things that work in this movie really, really work. However, it is not a perfect film. There are some drawbacks to even this masterpiece. Yes, there are things that aren't perfect, I will explain what I mean by this so you don't smash a hole in your computer screen. Your wallet will thank me later.

What Works:

Esmeralda

The majority of the characters are stunningly complex and well-developed especially for a Disney film. Characters have always been, in my opinion, the weakest aspect of most Disney films since they tend to be somewhat simplistic. However, in the Hunchback of Notre Dame, there is darkness in the good characters and a misplaced sense of righteousness in the villain. 

There are several scenes completely dripping in emotional weight. A good example of this is a scene where Quasimodo was dreaming of being in love with the gypsy Esmeralda because she treated him kindly. He sings a touching song called Heaven's Light that not only shows how lonely and starving for affection Quasimodo is, but how a little kindness can bring heaven's light to those around you. It is a very touching moment. The film is littered with these moments; it makes the film a very human and poignant story.

Judge Frollo makes an excellent villain. He is cunning, ruthless, and tortured. A religious man who can't abide the thought of gypsies running amok around Paris, he seeks their destruction. He has a position of power and isn't afraid to use it. However, his religious convictions are corrupted by his lust for Esmeralda. He lusts after something he hates and finds contemptible. It slowly destroys his sanity and inhibitions until he becomes one of the, if not the most, evil villain in Disney canon. It is a very dark turn for Disney.

The psychotic Judge Claude Frollo

The music is stunning. There is no other way to describe it. It has the soaring epic choir scores, the calm soft solos, and roaring tormented cries in the form of music. Every bit of music in the movie has a reason for being there, with the notable exception of A Guy Like You. (I'll explain later.) The music has a certain weight to it that many other Disney films don't have. Saying more about it is superfluous. I'll leave a video of the first song here so you can see what I mean:

What Doesn't Work:

There is really only one thing that annoys the crap out of me about this movie. The gargoyles. I hate the gargoyles. I think it throws off the pacing of the movie and inserts meaningless, cheap comic relief where it really isn't needed. They sing the only song I really dislike in the movie (A Guy Like You) which sounds like a major departure from the film's tone and pace. I wouldn't mind if the gargoyles were entirely cut from the movie. 

The hated Gargoyles

Conclusion:

I don't want to spoil the movie for you if you haven't seen it, so I won't give away the ending or plot twists. I want you to see it, no, I COMMAND YOU TO SEE IT. It is a powerful film that will uplift, horrify, make you sad, make you happy, and make you think. You will love it. I guarantee it. Go watch it. Seriously go!

~H. Logan Christensen