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Phillipe leads Belle to Castle Beast. Again, not so hidden to outsiders. Meanwhile, two servants have a short, but meaningful conversation:
Anyway, Belle is searching the castle, and I noticed something new this time - Lumiere and Cogsworth surreptitiously lead Belle to the tower. They lure her through doorways without revealing themselves.
Meanwhile, the castle grapevine erupts with news that a girl is in the castle. Every Object there knows what that means. A girl is a potential romantic object for the Beast and a lifting of the curse.
A shame the Beast goes and fucks it up.
Belle has found her father, who warns her to get out of the castle right away and to leave him behind. Naturally she doesn't. Before Maurice can describe the nature of the threat, the Beast arrives and spins Belle around. She drops the torch into a puddle, rendering the area dark, except for a single moonlit beam from a skylight (it's movie darkness, so we can still see everything).
This leads to Belle and the Beast's first real interaction. I've removed Maurice's dialog, because both sides basically ignore him. And I've added the subtext as I see it.
The Beast steps into the light, at first hesitatingly (exposing his form to others is something he's avoided for close to ten years), then fully as if to say this is what I am, take it or leave it. Belle focuses on his eyes at first - enough to see he's will keep his word - but then is overwhelmed by his terrifying form (and try to picture what he would look like outside of a cartoon).
The deal is done and Maurice is sent back to town. Belle is heartbroken that she didn't get a chance to say goodbye. Lumiere, ever the suave one, gives the Beast some advice that he, of course, fucks up. Partially, this is because the Beast is bitter, angry, resentful, and in the grips of chronic depression. Also, it's because he's a teenage boy when it comes to dealing with girls. Seriously, cursed at 20, parents are likely dead, most likely going to have an arranged marriage before magic happened. If there was ever anyone who led an existence sheltered from the fairer sex, it's Prince Adam. In this, his curse probably worked in his favour, since he had to actually get to know Belle as a person, rather than as a trophy wife good for producing an heir and nothing else. Still, anger and bitterness on top of total inexperience is not a good combination. He makes a few cursory attempts at being charming, completely forgetting that Belle is in the midst of a traumatic experience. And then he gets resentful when he doesn't get the reaction he hoped for. Finally, he orders her to attend dinner and slams the door. Charming. He's a stereotypical Nice Guy™
And yet, there are glimmers of empathy. We can see it when Belle is crying. He wants to do the right thing, but has no clue how to do it, or what it would be. The Beast is, at heart, still a man, even if he doesn't know how to be. Still a prick though, hopefully he'll get better.
"Couldn't keep quiet, could we? Had to invite him to stay, didn't we? Serve him tea, sit in the master's chair, pet the pooch."Let's not forget what happened the last time they were inhospitable. They both have constant reminders.
"I was trying to be hospitable."
Anyway, Belle is searching the castle, and I noticed something new this time - Lumiere and Cogsworth surreptitiously lead Belle to the tower. They lure her through doorways without revealing themselves.
Meanwhile, the castle grapevine erupts with news that a girl is in the castle. Every Object there knows what that means. A girl is a potential romantic object for the Beast and a lifting of the curse.
A shame the Beast goes and fucks it up.
Belle has found her father, who warns her to get out of the castle right away and to leave him behind. Naturally she doesn't. Before Maurice can describe the nature of the threat, the Beast arrives and spins Belle around. She drops the torch into a puddle, rendering the area dark, except for a single moonlit beam from a skylight (it's movie darkness, so we can still see everything).
This leads to Belle and the Beast's first real interaction. I've removed Maurice's dialog, because both sides basically ignore him. And I've added the subtext as I see it.
"Who's there? Who are you?"Of note, she wants to know who she's dealing with before committing. She knows plenty of untrustworthy *cough* Gaston *cough*
"The master of this castle." I certainly don't want to tell you who, or worse, what, I am.
"I've come for my father. Please let him out! Can't you see he's sick?" Belle is still concerned only with her father's safety.
"Then he shouldn't have trespassed here." and discovered my shame.
"But he could die. Please, I'll do anything!"
"There's nothing you can do. He's my prisoner." If I'm cursed to be a monster, then I might as well embrace it and do monstrous things.
"Oh, there must be some way I can...wait! Take me, instead!"
"You! You would take his place?" This snaps the Beast out of his current mindset, which is good. This is probably the first time anyone has ever done something self-sacrificing in his life.
"If I did, would you let him go?"
"Yes, but you must promise to stay here forever."
"Come into the light.
The Beast steps into the light, at first hesitatingly (exposing his form to others is something he's avoided for close to ten years), then fully as if to say this is what I am, take it or leave it. Belle focuses on his eyes at first - enough to see he's will keep his word - but then is overwhelmed by his terrifying form (and try to picture what he would look like outside of a cartoon).
The deal is done and Maurice is sent back to town. Belle is heartbroken that she didn't get a chance to say goodbye. Lumiere, ever the suave one, gives the Beast some advice that he, of course, fucks up. Partially, this is because the Beast is bitter, angry, resentful, and in the grips of chronic depression. Also, it's because he's a teenage boy when it comes to dealing with girls. Seriously, cursed at 20, parents are likely dead, most likely going to have an arranged marriage before magic happened. If there was ever anyone who led an existence sheltered from the fairer sex, it's Prince Adam. In this, his curse probably worked in his favour, since he had to actually get to know Belle as a person, rather than as a trophy wife good for producing an heir and nothing else. Still, anger and bitterness on top of total inexperience is not a good combination. He makes a few cursory attempts at being charming, completely forgetting that Belle is in the midst of a traumatic experience. And then he gets resentful when he doesn't get the reaction he hoped for. Finally, he orders her to attend dinner and slams the door. Charming. He's a stereotypical Nice Guy™
And yet, there are glimmers of empathy. We can see it when Belle is crying. He wants to do the right thing, but has no clue how to do it, or what it would be. The Beast is, at heart, still a man, even if he doesn't know how to be. Still a prick though, hopefully he'll get better.
