BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
1946. 93 min. Directed by Jean Cocteau
Tickets here: https://www.ifccenter.com/films/beauty-and-the-beast-2/
Jean Cocteau, a French poet, novelist, filmmaker, and director of the 1946 rendition of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, uses magical realism and queer nuance to illustrate the many forms in which beauty manifests itself. A major figure in the Surrealist and Dada art movements, Cocteau’s dreamy special effects create a mise-en-scene that is so lush with Freudian symbolism and homoeroticism, like the wall of muscular arms holding candelabras, that the set feels like another character in the poetic and haunting love story between Belle and The Beast. Jean Marais, Cocteau’s muse and lover, plays the monstrous beast as well as three other roles in this film, while Josette Day, as Belle, plays a convincingly horrified and orgasmic damsel. Richard Haines, our guest presenter, will talk about how this film not only shaped his life but also his love of art, design, fashion and all things queer.
Richard Haines on BEAUTY AND THE BEAST:
“As a queer kid, there was nothing harsher than the reality of daylight. I felt exposed, seen in a dangerous way...getting through the day was an accomplishment that was rewarded by the night. The play of light and dark in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is one of its many appeals. The precision of a Vermeer painting vs the darkness of Gustave Dore, the 'hand' of Jean Cocteau and Christian Bèrard, the pain and loneliness of The Beast: all these fantastic and relatable elements make it one of my favorite films. I'm so excited to see it on the big screen and to share it with my QueerIArtlFilm community.”
To Richard Haines, New York City is an endless runway. He first moved to the city to pursue illustration and instead found a successful career as a fashion designer. Through fashion design, working for such brands as Calvin Klein, Perry Ellis and Bill Blass, he developed a keen eye for the often overlooked details of form, fabric and how a garment falls on the body. This laid a foundation for his illustration work and after years in the world of fashion design, his career has now come full circle allowing him to emerge as one of today’s most sought after fashion illustrators.
Image Credit: Manu Rodriguez
Queer|Art|Film is supported by HBO and presented in partnership with IFC.