With exception of the happy ending where Esmeralda and Quasimodo runoff together the plot of the Jetlag version adheres fairly close to the book. It has all the core components of the book, Gringoire, Frollo as a tormented priest, Phoebus is a cad with a fiancée, and Djali does her tricks. Of course they are missing elements that make the story take a more an adult tone like anything dealing with architecture vs the written words, Jehan’s debauchery, Gudule and Ananke to name a few.
All the major parts are streamlined. The movie doesn’t spend much time developing anything and with a narrator major parts are just example and not shown. Esmeralda’s trial and torture for example are just mentioned and not shown. The characters are flat representations of the book. The Jetlag version has the bones of the story but it lacks finer details and the execution doesn’t help it much however with all the other different version messing the story up it’s refreshing to see an adaptation that follow the book.
Next Jetlag Article – The Characters