The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Written by Tab Murphy, et al.
Directed by Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise

Hunchback has always been one of my favorite Disney films. Not because it’s great; it has some very real problems (well, just one, really). It’s been one of my favorites because it dares to tackle themes you wouldn’t think Disney would come close to touching.

God, lust, even social diffusion...all of these are tightly wound throughout the story. Yes, they’re obviously toned down, but it’s still amazing that what IS in there still allows for a G rating.

This is a Disney film

Obviously, the biggest, and most talked about, example is the song Hellfire, in which villain Frollo sees visions of the gypsy Esmeralda dancing enticingly within his fireplace, and he sings of his burning desire for her. This song caused a lot of controversy for the film, but I’ve always loved it. Not only is it an excellent song, and an excellent example of how to move your plot AND explore character all at the same time (with music!), but it shows a maturity on the part of the Studio, and a willingness of the Studio to challenge its viewers. It tells them, the world is not always a great place; there are shades of grey that everyone must confront. Where I talked about not pandering to children in Pocahontas, Hunchback encourages them to think about life, both the light and the dark.

Yes, really, a Disney film!

My main issue with the film has always been about tone. The film is, obviously, very serious, and it can get quite dark. This tone is ruined by three characters: the gargoyles, Victor, Hugo (I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE), and Laverne. These three crack wise at every opportunity, and are essentially the stone version of every Disney Princess’ animal sidekick. I’ve read many theories online, talking about the gargoyles being just figments of Quasimodo’s imagination, personalities he created due to being a shut in. I love that. I think it’s great. That interpretation allows me to enjoy their presence in the film (except the number “A Guy Like You”. Nothing justifies that). Except, the climatic battle happens. And the gargoyles get involved. And, their actions have real, physical, tangible results against people who aren’t Quasimodo. And it happens again and again and again. Those moments kill that theory, because it shows that the gargoyles aren’t just figments of someone’s imagination, they are real beings within this universe. It’s unfortunate, because now you’re left with a film that wants desperately to be taken seriously as a big, dark, epic, but afraid to be so mature that it scares off a target audience (and, let’s face it, with a Disney film, everyone is a target audience).

The gargoyles…AKA, the worst things about the movie

Like the other movies of the Disney Renaissance, this film has its share of great musical moments, although in this film they’re all skewed to the front half of the film. The opening number, “Bells of Notre Dame” is a narrative triumph, covering a TON of exposition in a very short amount of time. It took me years to appreciate “Topsy Turvy”, but it’s a fun, big production number.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with an animated film challenging its audience with more-mature content. Indeed, I get annoyed more when it can’t own up to what it’s trying to do. Hunchback suffers from that here, but at least it tried to take the risk in the first place.

Also, the film is almost nothing like the book. NOTHING.

FINAL GRADE: A-