Phoebus
As par for the course with this unholy shit of a Hunchback version, Phoebus is just boring and nice. This does set him apart from the 1939 version where Phoebus was slut who wanted to bone Esmeralda before Frollo actually killed him. Alas, the only traits of Phoebus that this version has is his looks and his occupation. If you want to get a little more technical, this Phoebus does meet Esmeralda at a party like in the 1923 version but that scene was just get Esmeralda arrested.
Phoebus with La Petition
Phoebus in this version is a combination of Phoebus and Gringoire. It’s a bit like the Disney version but far less subtle. Phoebus basically takes Gringoire’s role from the 1939 version where he makes a pamphlet thing to free her. This only makes sense in the simplification of the story and character as the movie gives no reason or logic as to why a rich soldier would come to this method of political defiance. Was he modern in his thinking? If he is, the movie gives no examples of it like in a line of dialogue or some action. He tries to arrange an appeal and that it till he is shown leaving the print shop with the pamphlet/leaflet thing. They couldn’t even have had a scene of him writing it because the movie needed a scene of Quasimodo shouting “No” awkwardly. Nope becomes from having a plan to having it printed along with a long petition with signatures. How much time took place? No sense in asking for logic now.
Esmeralda meets Phoebus
Basically this version of Phoebus could have been slightly interesting in that it would have been a scholarly Phoebus but the intent of Phoebus was expedience for lazy narrative, nothing more.
He also speaks with a fake French accent.
Is it bad that I got so nit-picky, that I looked to make sure “La” was the correct form of “the” before the word “petition”? This is just a generalization, so there are some exceptions…but in the French language, when a word ends in “ion” it’s feminine. So, at least that’s one thing this adaptation has going for it.
That is not at all nitpicky. I’m glad they got the right article. They also got the right name for King that reign in year the movie takes place too bad it’s the wrong year from actual book.