Undervalued Classics: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Some Disney movies get way more credit than they deserve. Like Frozen, for example.

Sure, it's not bad, but to quote a lyric from my own little parody, "It's not Disney's finest work anyway!" It doesn't help that my little sister and my niece are die-hard fans; once they hear that song, they're doomed.

Other movies, on the other hand, don't get half the credit they deserve. In my not-so-humble opinion, possibly Disney's most woefully unappreciated film has to be The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

I remember seeing this at the theaters with my mom and big sister in 1996, and this was long before I ever heard of the original book by Victor Hugo. And yes, I've heard time and again that the Disney movie is "nothing like the book." I've even stolen a few peeks at the book myself and found at least some minor similarities.

Even so, despite what the literary purists say, I say this ranks among Disney's absolute finest movies, and good luck trying to convince me otherwise! If anything, I say they should make more movies just like this.

In Disney's defense, I believe I would have been crippled for life (or traumatized for a very, very long time) if they had showed the story the way Victor Hugo penned it. The book, along with many of the original tales that Disney has taken a lot of flak for "sanitizing," is really quite dark. I seriously doubt I could have handled seeing Ariel committing suicide, or Cinderella's stepsisters slicing up their feet, or Pinocchio dangling from a tree by his neck, or Esmeralda dying for real, or Quasimodo killing Frollo on purpose before crawling away to make his own grave with Esmeralda.

I think Disney deserves a little more respect for giving kids a "taste test." The kids can watch the Disney movies, then later read the real stories for themselves and make up their own minds which version they prefer. After all, like I said, it was because of Disney that I was introduced to Victor Hugo in the first place, along with Hans Christian Andersen, Sherlock Holmes, and general fairy tales and mythology.

Anyway, it's hard to pinpoint the reason why Disney's version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is so special to me. I guess you could say it's a multitude of reasons.

For one thing, the animation, even by today's standards, is nothing short of superb. Just the attention and care devoted to the Notre Dame cathedral is simply dazzling. 

The way the characters are animated is truly noteworthy, too. I still harbor a little crush on Clopin, and I always thought Quasimodo looked rather handsome for someone who's supposed to be "hideous." Of course, I can never fail to mention Frollo's striking design and the way he moves about, and Tony Jay (may he rest in peace) brings it all together seamlessly.

For another thing, the music is absolutely powerful. Besides the flawless score, "The Bells of Notre Dame" gave me sheer goosebumps when I first heard it (and it still does, to this day), and you can't find purer lyrics than in "God Help the Outcasts," "Someday," and the infamous "Hellfire."

Many folks say that "Hellfire" is the ultimate villain song, and I'm quite inclined to agree. You name me one song sung by a bad guy or girl that packs a stronger punch than this.

And, of course, even if it does deviate from Hugo's work, Disney still manages to tell a compelling, heartfelt story that's every bit as applicable today as it was back then, if not more so. Besides the obvious moral of not judging people simply by their looks, Disney dares to delve into religion and expose the grim underbelly of those who claim to be God's devoted servants but have absolutely nothing pertaining to God.

This is why Frollo is probably my most favorite Disney villain. He's living proof (so to speak) that you don't need supernatural abilities to be a cruel, sinister menace. When comparing him with Quasimodo, it's not hard at all to tell "who is the monster, and who is the man."

And Quasimodo nails it square on the head when he tells Frollo to his face, "All my life, you have told me the world is a dark, cruel place. But now I see that the only thing dark and cruel about it is people like you!"

Whoo! Even for Frollo, that's a pretty nasty way to go!

In stark contrast, Quasimodo is about the biggest sweetheart you'll find anywhere. You really can't help but love him and empathize with him. His hopes are our hopes, his sorrows are our sorrows, his frustrations are our frustrations, and his victories are our victories.

It used to bother me that he and Esmeralda didn't get together at the end, but in hindsight, I think this ending is much better. It once again highlights the difference between him and Frollo. While Frollo takes the "if I can't have you, nobody can" approach, Quasimodo, though initially hurt by the (unintentional) rejection, has the maturity and selflessness to let Esmeralda go. And he still gets a happy ending by having the entire town embrace him as a hero.

While I'm kind of lukewarm about the sequel (it doesn't hold a candle to its predecessor, but it's sure not the worst of the sequels; Mulan II is far, far worse), I do appreciate the fact that Quasimodo, in time, finds a love to call his own. If I had my way, I would still keep Madellaine but make her and Quasimodo's story less corny and a lot more dramatic.

(Screencaps courtesy of Disney Screencaps.)

Just the other day, I had the privilege of drawing Quasimodo for a little Disney homage, and it's kind of lit a spark in me.

Now I feel inclined to do more HoND drawings...if I can transfer them properly from my imagination to the paper. But in the meantime, I can still pay my own homage to this gorgeous cinematographic gem whose value too few people recognize.

If you took the time to read this blog all the way through, thank you a hundred times over, and a thousand more times, God bless.

Bye for now!