Jean Cocteau’s Camera Use in La belle et la be

Jean Cocteau combines the many different types of camera angles, shots, and movement to emphasize the different spheres. The use of high and low angles Beauty in the two different spheres. In Beauty’s world, her sisters are shot from a low angle indicating their dominance in the family, while her father and herself are shot at high angles. The unique use of angles in the different spheres allows Cocteau to indicate to the audience wh

o is the governing self in that sphere. Because the sisters are shot from the low angles, this indicated their distance from not only their family, but also animalism. Beauty, on the other hand, is often shot close to the ground and to animalism. When Beauty travels to the Beast’s world, she is filmed from a low angle, indicating her growth in dominance. In the Beast’s world, Beauty is treated as though she is a princess versus being treated like a servant in her own home. She is still close to animalism, but at the same time she has power over it. Another camera trick Cocteau uses is the use of tight-framed shots in Beauty’s world versus the open, establishing shots in the Beast’s world. Beauty’s sisters are often viewed through frames, indicating their close-mindedness and inability to “go outside of the box.” Beauty’s family is never really viewed outside of their house, with the exception of Beauty and the father when he goes to town. They are content in their civilized world and they are content with living inside the confines of that world. When the camera moves into the Beast’s world, there are more open, establishing shots rather than the tight-shots. This indicates how nature is not judgmental and the freedom found within this environment. The Beast’s world consists of endless hallways and boundless fields, whereas Beauty’s world is full of closed doors and gates. Cocteau also makes good use of the close-up shot to separate Beauty from the two different worlds. In one scene, Cocteau zooms in on a candelabra sitting on the table. When he does this he separates Beauty from Avenant signifying her separation from her world. Cocteau, later, zooms in on a statue of a deer that separates beauty from the Beast. This is also indicative of her separation from the Beast’s world. It is as though she is caught between what could be real—the Beast’s world—and what she knows is real—her home. Cocteau also uses a soft focus close up of Beauty’s face throughout the film to indicate her dreamlike quality. Never once is there a shot of the Beast in this matter. The overall movement of the film is very slow, but if examined closely, one would notice that there is a considerable difference in the way Cocteau filmed Beauty’s sphere and the way he filmed the Beast’s sphere

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