An explanation of what the source material is exploring in relation to our course concepts (ie what cultural fears/anxieties are being explored through the creation of monsters/misfits/horror). Do you want to try to emulate that in your adaptation, or emphasize something else? In the movie Beauty and the Beast, the arrogant prince got a visit from an ugly peasant asking to come inside his castle to escape the storm. Because this peasant was poor and ugly the prince laughed in her face and said no. The peasant transformed into a beautiful women and the prince changed his mind and begged her to come in. The peasant said no to the prince and said he only changed his mind because her looks changed. So she casted a spell on the prince making him into an ugly beast and all his guests into furniture. She gave him a rose in a glass case and said if he doesn’t find true love before the last peddle falls off the rose he will be a beast forever. Ashamed in how he looks the beast never left his castle. One day an old locksmith wondered into the castle to ascape wolves. The beast took him hostage. Belle, the locksmiths daughter went out to find him and found him in the castle prision. She demanded her father be released in exachange she will be the prisioner. The beast and Belle ended up bonding and falling in love. A prince from another land however had his eye on Belle and went to the castle to “save her” and kill the beast, but he ends up dying instead. The beast turns back to man and him and Belle live hapily ever after. I’m exploring what would have happened if the Beast had allowed the ugly witch to come into his castle rather than sending her away because she is ugly. In class we have explored cultural fears/anxieties, so I will be researching why people judge people by their covers more than not.
What do you like about the work? What do you dislike? Can you change those things? Why should or shouldn’t you? I like the different forms of monsters in the film. Beast visually is a monster and his arrogance at the beggining of the film made him monster like as well. The witch is also a monster for turning the prince into a Beast, the towns people are monsterious for judging Belle for reading, the Prince who likes Belle soully for looks is a monster for his own arrogance. I dislike the “cheesyness” of the whole film. Of course the Beast wins the fight and of course him and Belle live hapily ever after even dispite the multiple consent issues. I don’t think I will be changing the cheesyneess of the film because I believe it is what makes it a fairy tale film.
How would changing the setting change this work? Changing the time period? What about changing one or more characters? How would a sequel or prequel add to or change the message? Changing the setting would change this work a lot because the towns people wouldn’t be juding Belle for reading because if its more modern then female education is normal. Belles father would also be in a car instead of on a horse, and probally wouldn’t be chased by wolves. A sequel would be kinda boring, just and update on Belle and the Beasts life, marrige? Kids?
A preliminary reflection on the CENTRAL QUESTION or MESSAGE that you will explore in your adaptation. In what ways will you commenting on contemporary politics, society or culture? What philosophical questions or ideas will propel your creation? What do you hope your audience will wonder or think about? I hope the audience wonders more or realizes how much your decisions matter. How the look of someone is nothing more then their look, it isn’t them, or their personallity, or whole they are as a person. My central question/message is don’t judge a book by its cover.