The classic Disney animated film Beauty and the Beast has probably inspired more fan theories and critiques than any other movie in the catalog, and a new one just joined the ranks. A viral post by podcast host Bobbi suggested that Belle (Paige O’Hara) was not exactly smitten with the Beast (Robby Benson) when he first transformed back into a human, and a surprising number of people chimed in to say they got the same impression. The conversation evolved on social media as people began to unpack this interpretation and how it changed their perspective on the movie.
Beauty and the Beast is a difficult story to begin with for modern audiences, especially if you try to take it literally. Set in 18th Century France, it centers around Belle – a book-loving, kind young woman who dreams of adventure and rejects the expectations of society. She encounters the Beast – an arrogant prince transformed into a monster by a curse, and forced to live that way until he can learn to love and be loved. The Beast holds Belle prisoner so she won’t reveal his existence to the outside world, but she learns to understand him and love him anyway, while he is gradually softened by her kindness and patience. Commenters have often called this a glorification of Stockholm Syndrome and an implicit justification of domestic violence, but this weekend they brought something even more unexpected to the discourse.
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It started with an image of Belle taking the Beast’s hand in his beastly form, with a quip about the size difference. Bobbi added the caption: “Personally, Belle was not fooling me or anyone. When the Beast changed into a human, I saw that look on her face. That was DISAPPOINTMENT.”
Many commenters admitted they had the same thought, and began picking that transformation scene apart. Here’s a look at that conversation as it played out.
Expression
Belle’s reaction to the Beast’s transformation was fully animated, and it played out over a few seconds. At first, she took her hands away from her mouth and squinted, furrowing her eyebrows. Many fans read this as disappointment, distaste or even disgust.
Context
Looking at the full scene, some fans sympathized with Belle, feeling that the Beast was not animated very handsomely in his human form.
Gradual
Some fans thought that the point was to show Belle’s surprise at the transformation. They felt that the whole scene showed her coming around the Beast’s new appearance.
Confusion
Many fans actually remembered being confused by Belle’s expression when they first saw this movie as children. They didn’t think she looked happy, but since the dialogue didn’t address it they forgot about the issue.
Memes
Fans dug up memes and videos showing that this wasn’t the first time someone had mocked the Beast’s human form.
Furry
Fans joked that Belle and the Beast were pioneers in the “Furry” subculture.
Size Jokes
Naturally, many fans played along with the jokes about the Beast’s change in overall size as he turned back into a human. Some of those punchlines got very explicit.
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