Sadly trailblazing ballerina, Michaela DePrince, passed away on September 10th 2024, at the age of 29. In 2021 she joined the Boston Ballet as the second soloist. She was previously the soloist of the Dutch National Ballet. You can read more about her here.
In 2009 at the age of thirteen she performed the La Esmeralda Variation at YAGP Philadelphia, PA semi-finals. This solo is very popular amongst ballerinas and she performed the piece marvelously.
She was truly a talented and inspiring person who made a huge impact in the short time she had on this Earth.
I’m not going to be mean to the actors BUT most other aspects of film are fair game and the higher ups on this movie are the ones to blame.
I’m so over these remakes, I just do not care about them. The last one I watched in its entirety was Cruella and it was only to get sometime out the house, long story. I skipped through parts of Aladdin and I gave up watching The Little Mermaid, I do still sort want to analyze the costumes from that movie because what is happening Disney Live action costumes versions? Let’s put a pin in till a later section because I have thoughts, probably too many thoughts about movie costumes.
Also these are knee-jerk reactions to the teaser ultimately the “feelings” have no impact, I do not really care all that much.
Anyway, Let’s Get into the Snow White Teaser Trailer
Oh boy, trying to make “Whistle while you work” epic doesn’t cut mustard tones of this movie. I think the marketing team was forced to use it because Snow White couldn’t sing “Someday my Prince will come” or “Wishing Well” because those songs are about wanting love and we can’t have that anymore can we? Strong leaders who are female characters can’t want love, men can though, that is fine. The vocalization from that “Wishing Well” COULD have work but it would have reminded the audience of love so probably not at good choice for the music. So that just leaves “Whistle while you work” in that off-kilter Lana Del Rey style that Disney remakes seem to love.
Just no to the Cgi animals and dwarves, especially the dwarves. No, No, A thousands times NO! I wonder why Disney remakes these “live-action” movies when most of are Cgi? I mean the answer is Money but still it likes that Cyrano quote, “I ask for cream. You give me milk and water.”
I hate Snow White’s haircut. Snow White’s hair in the animated movie looks like it’s pinned up which makes it look short, or if not that, is curled to make it looks shorter. If they had WANTED to go with short hair then go for homage to the late 1930s. As it in the teaser, it looks really unflattering. I HATE to bring it up -especially since others have already – but it looks like Lord Farquaad’s hair. Who thought it was a good idea? They test these things during pre-production so who signed off the Lord Farquaad 2.0??? WHO?
I despise “Evil Queen’s” costume. Sure it looks “evil” but more in like a cheesy 80s sci-fi flick way. That is a vibe I could get behind if that was the aesthetic of the film but when you make Regina’s OUAT costumes look subtle then there is a problem. This is a major motion picture for f-sake, they had a budget why do the costumes look cheap? I guess a point for a wimple, I guess. It feel so much worse knowing that Sandy Powell did the costumes, she did the costumes 2015’s Cinderella so what happen here? I don’t dislike Snow White’s “reimagined” costume but it also looks like the most obvious take on the costume one could do for a live-action movie. Also it has the same sleeves as 2012’s Snow White and the Huntsman. Her yellow skirt looks like Powell used the same layer approach as the Cinderella gown but I don’t think the semi sheer fabric over a shimmering under-layer works for this movie as it’s not a magical dress, she wears it to pick wildflowers. From what little I can see of Snow’s maid costume I do not like it. Oh well at least Powell got paid, at least I hope she bank off it.
That cape flip at 0:46 is a straight lift from OG movie and it made me roll my eyes. Also does this Evil Queen have a name?
I feel like Snow White is one of the most misunderstood Disney main characters because her seemingly passivity gets interpretative as weakness and she is not. Snow White displays leadership traits, just on a small scale. She got seven men to obey her in a few minutes and wash their hands. She’s also sassy. Her characterization was from different time, right before WWII. Snow White didn’t need to figure herself out or struggle to be understood, she knew who she was and got the job done with no whinging. She was a character for the late 1930s.
I feel nothing from this teaser aside from minor confusion and major apathy.
Lightening, it can be a small addition to your room decor that can make a huge impact. Here are some lamp recommendations that you can add to your room or dorm design inspired by Hunchback characters.
If you don’t know which character you vibe with you can take this quiz
Esmeralda
Esmeralda Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Go for a Moroccan mosaic light as they are very beautiful, colorful, worldy and a little boho. For a little more of an add boost get a swan necked one to capture her elegance. Fun Fact I have one of these but mine is not a swan necked one. Get the Lamp: Yarra-Decor Turkish Moroccan Lamp with Bronze Base
Quasimodo
Garou as Quasimodo
I would suggest something wooden, rounded, and organic. Something that appears humble but has an artist soul. Maybe even going for something made from driftwood
Phoebus is odd character to pull from as his characterization is very changeable. However no matter the version he is a solider so go for a masculine ultilartarian aesthetic.
The King of Beggers and slang, Clopin is of the people so why a lamp for the people? One of the most popular lamps available right now as like Clopin is at main different functions.
For Fleur-de-Lys one could in a few different directions. You could glam, chic, or classic. I opt for a colorful classic vintage option with a floral ginger jar lamp because they just seem so classic and refined to me.
Notre Dame of Paris Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Honestly anything that is gothic, architectural or even iron would work very well but I thought of going for Stained glass lamp that uses the same colors of the facade.
As part of the opening ceremonies for Paris 2024 Olympics many cultural significant French references were depicted as part of the festivities. One was a lone figure holding on to the spire of Notre Dame with a stylized hunch on their back. Clearly meant to represent the Bell-ringer, Quasimodo.
An homage to Quasimodo, Paris 2024 Olympics, Opening Ceremony
You can a video of it here so you enjoy all the references, like A trip to the Moon, Le Petit Prince and Assassin’s Creed.
This suggestion was left in a comment on the last fan-cast post. I think it’s a crime that Vincent Cassel has NOT played Frollo, like in what reality does this man go through life having never played Frollo?
I don’t think I have seen enough of his movies to peg him for a specific type but I think he could pull off a very intense dramatic depiction of the character if the script called for it. OR he could play it more subdue. The point is I think he could pull off most takes of on Frollo. Preferably a dramatic version but if it’s a comedy, he would still deliver a great performance. He did voice Monsieur Hood in Shrek so he could handle a “humorous” take on Frollo if that is the version that was getting made.
The Look
Black Swan
Cassel also has the exact right look for Frollo. He’s has an angler, triangle shaped face which would work so well for Frollo, no conturing necessary. He also has a intense stare which is also needed.
Seriously how has he never played Frollo?
The Role
Vincent Cassel
There are few actors working today that are as perfect for a role as Vincent Cassel is for Frollo. It is an injustice that he has never played the role in a movie or series.
But What do you think? Would Vincent Cassel make an ideal Frollo? Or can you think of someone better suited to the role?
If you have a casting suggestion, please leave it in the comments, I’d love to read them.
Recently I saw the touring cast of Hadestown. I went into the show blind which I wouldn’t recommend for myself again. I didn’t love the show as I was watching but after ruminating on it and listening to the songs again I’ve come around and I do very much enjoy the show and would defiantly see it again. Also the touring cast was amazing.
Now just because I like it doesn’t mean that Hadestown and Hunchback musicals (The Disney version/Notre Dame de Paris mainly) have much do with each other outside of being musicals and that I like them. However they’re a few similarities and parallels, more than I thought, and some are quite shallow while others are deeper.
Also both shows revolve around religious iconography.
Spoilers for the shows.
An Actor
Patrick Page as Hades & Frollo
The biggest connection between the Hadestown and a Hunchback musical is Patrick Page. Page originated both Frollo in the American version of the Disney musical at La Jolla and PaperMills Playhouse and Hades in Hadestown in both the workshops and in the original Broadway cast.
First he feared the Hellfire and then he become lord of it.
A Song
Amber Gray as Persephone & Helene Segara as Esmeralda
This is more is similarity. The second act of Hadestown opens with a song called “Our Lady of the Underground” which in truth is just a reminder because “Our Lady’ and “Notre Dame” have the same meaning and to have lyrics using “Our Lady” in a musical is a direct route in my mind for a connection.
HOWEVER there is an actual “Our Lady of the Underground” Notre Dame de Sous-Terre, it is a statue at Chartres. So it might be less of Notre Dame thing and more of the connection to that but on that pesky other hand, Anaïs Mitchell was inspired by Les Misérables and wouldn’t you know it, Victor Hugo wrote both Les Misérables and Hunchback of Notre Dame. So maybe it’s not a shallow connection after all.
Both shows also more or less exist because of Les Misérables. One exists in its shadow in North America and the other reveals in its shade, guess which one is which.
A Costume
Esmeralda & Persephone’s Green Costume
Not that Esmeralda has monopoly on green costumes that use velvet and lace but if I see a green musical costume that uses those fabric I’m going to think of the original version of Esmeralda’s green dress & the Italian version of the green dress.
This is more of a reminder though an actual connection. Also in BOTH cases both green costumes are the act one costume and the Act 2 costume is more subdue and reflects the characters’ circumstances. For Esmeralda it is her being a prisoner and for Persephone it’s being in the Underworld/Hadestown as well as a strain of her marriage which is also messing everything up. Both characters are “trapped” so to speak.
Again this isn’t not a strong connection either, characters get costumes changes that reflect their mood/plot all the time but it’s at a “hmm that’s sort of interesting” similarity.
Swinging Set Pieces
Performer during Les Cloches & A worker during Wait for Me
Impressive set pieces in musicals is nothing new, it’s part of medium which adds spectacle and draws the audience into the experience.
Hadestown and Notre Dame de Paris both have swinging elements. Both are conical swinging metal pieces however I do think Hadestown does this better. In Notre Dame de Paris during “Les Cloches” there are three swinging bells over the stage that goes from side to side over the stage and are raised and lowered with a performer hanging from each them. This all done over the stage. It’s interesting and impressive but since it just exists over the stage space it doesn’t allow for the audience to participate, it’s spectacle.
In Hadestown during “Wait for Me,” as Orpheus goes into the underworld there are swinging lights that extend out across the stage over the audience, stage size and positing willing. There is some about shining lights into the audience from the stage that is intriguing. The swinging lights are very evocative especially since “Wait for Me” is one of the stand out songs of the show.
A Tragic Heroine
Eva Noblezada as Eurydice & Helene Segara as Esmeralda
One to one, Esmeralda and Eurydice are very different in personality and temperament. However both ladies are worldly in that they have traveled widely without being able to lay down roots. For Eurydice she is lonely, hungry and homeless and goes from place to place to eke some kind of existence till she meets and marries Orpheus. Esmeralda is a traveler and she goes around Europe with her group led by Clopin until they reach Paris, hoping for that asylum.
In either case both ladies meet a tragic end. In Esmeralda’s case her death is more concrete and Eurydice’s is more debated. Did she die in the storm or the snake like the myth? What was the deal she made with Hades? All in all it doesn’t matter as the optics are both ladies meet a tragic end and the one who loves them the most follows them into the afterlife.
Also both ladies are likened to birds, Eurydice to a songbird and Esmeralda, in Notre Dame de Paris, to a swallow.
Also as a side tangent, in the original myth Eurydice dances through a meadow and Esmeralda is a dancer.
A Bard
Reeve Carney as Orpheus & Bruno Pelletier as Gringoire
Both Gringoire and Orpheus are poets. Orpheus is more of singer-songwriter but Hades does refers to him as a poet in “Hey, Little Songbird.” They are both poor and both marry the tragic heroine though Esmeralda does not love him.
Social Messages
The Workers & Jay as Clopin
As the story has evolved from the original book, Hunchback narratives tends to lean heavily toward social commentary. Many themes can be employed but the big one is social inequality for marginalized peoples. Notre Dame de Paris leaned into issues of its day with asylum seekers seeking “sanctuary” which is a part of the original story.
Hadestown also takes into account social issues into the narrative as well. The show also goes for the blight marginalized poor peoples who are very much exploited by the powerful, in this case literal Gods, as well as Global warming. One thing that is addressed a lot is that seasons are all wrong because of the Gods. Orpheus could be seen as tiring to fix the climate by fixing Hades and Persephone’s marriage as well as saving Eurydice who was taken to Hadestown because she was caught in a storm.
Thirteen Years
Belle, Notre Dame de Paris & Wait for me, Hadestown
It took Anaïs Mitchell thirteen years to develop Hadestown from initial conception to the show opening on Broadway in 2019. Richard Cocciante had Belle as a melody thirteen years prior to the Notre Dame de Paris’ premier in Paris. I think I misunderstood the special that stated this information and wrongly thought the show was in development for thirteen years but from the subtitles it was more like five with just melody of existing thirteen years prior the show’s premier.
The Cruel Hand of the Fates
Jewelle Blackman, Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer, & Kay Trinidad as The Fates & “Anarkia” on a wall
In Greek Mythology The Fates are three sisters: Clotho (the Spinner), Lachesis (the Allotter), and Atropos (the Inevitable). They are also called Moirai, personification of destiny.
In Hadestown the Fates are a greek chorus who are symbolize conscience, doubt and anxiety. They also hyper-fixate on Eurydice. They are antagonize her and defiantly seem to delight in her suffering. They also plague Orpheus at the climax with the song “Doubt Comes In” as the lovers walk out the underworld. These three ladies are very much personified intrusive thoughts.
The Fates in Hadestown act more like concept of Ananke which is a conceptual force in The Hunchback of Notre Dame however the connection is deeper. Ananke, in Orphic tradition,* is a Goddess and the mother of the Fates. She is the personification of inevitability, compulsion and necessity. Her Roman named is Necessitas.
So it does seem that the Fates in Hadestown act more like Ananke but “The Fates” are more accessible to a general audience plus the all harmonies they sings are sublime.
Then there is Notre Dame de Paris. As previously stated Ananke is a big aspect in the novel. It is the word that inspired Frollo and why Esmeralda didn’t fight back when Frollo dragged to the gibbet at the end of the novel for his final crazed ultimatum.
Notre Dame de Paris has two songs that apply to Ananke and Fate. One is called “Anarkia,” which is a short song that fills in some plot points. Basically “Anarkia” which is just written on a wall, like in the novel, Gringoire asks what the word means and Frollo exclaims it means “Fatality.” Which comes from the latin “fatalis” which means “decreed by fate,” so technically correct. Weird fact: the English version changes the word to “Anarchy” and Frollo says it means “Destiny” which is just wrong.
The second song involving the subject fate closes Act I and is aptly named “Fatalité.” It’s a very dramatic yet simple song that boils down to the point that fate/destiny doesn’t care if you’re a noble or a peasant; all life is her hands. Fate is said to be the “Mistress of our destinies” so it does harkens back to greek mythology.
Despite Ananke being an omnipotent atmospheric force in novel it’s relegated to only two songs and that is more than it gets in most other versions.
I do think that it would interesting to have a Notre Dame stage musical that leans into the concept of Ananke as a character, as in a combination of The Fates and Death from the Roméo + Juliet musical.
And finally Dennis DeYoung, a founding member of Styx, wrote a Hunchback musical. Styx is the river of the underworld which is a in Hadestown. (perhaps this should be the next version for review)
I suppose there could be more connections and similarities between the musicals but that’s all for now.
Esmeralda & Djali, Dingo Pictures, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Unequivocally Dingo Pictures made a fairly faithful adaptation of Hunchback that was very badly executed. It’s only enjoyable in an ironic way.
If Ickert and Haas’ intentions were that they wanted to created animated works with limited resources and skill sets because they just wanted to create animated works with no intention of a global audience than whatever. It’s still doesn’t change the fact that work was poorly done but if they were doing to please themselves without any thought to monetary gain or fame than the Dingo Pictures’ filmography is inoffensive. It’s just a story creative people living out their dreams.
On that Pesky Other Hand
Frollo, Dingo Pictures, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
One can not rule out the little fact that most of Dingo Pictures’ movies, Hunchback very much included, were mockbusters of Disney movies that were released the same year as the Disney movie. So there is most likely was an element of monetary gains from their movies which were produced very cheaply and quickly to capitalize on name recognition.
While it’s a romantic idea that Dingo Pictures were just a ragtag group of creative friends making animated movies for the sheer passion of the art form, I very much doubt it. Plus there is all the weirdness surrounding the company and the shady yet humorous dubs in many languages.
Esmeralda and Quasimodo
All in all Dingo’s Hunchback is bad, not fully devoid of enjoyment but not at all a rewatchable version of the work. Watch only if curiosity gets the better of you OR you’re a adaptation/Dingo completeionist
To answer so the subject’s question about Dingo being the worst version? No, I’d still 2023 Quasi is worst but that one is also barely a version.
If you have eyes and at least one working brain cell you can tell that the visuals of Dingo’s pictures are subpar.
Notre Dame, Dingo Pictures, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The details of the inner workings of the company are mucky however the company was led by Ludwig Ickert and Roswitha Haas with other members rumored to be a small group of their friends and family along with Simone Greiss. There some indication that Greiss was one of the lead animators at Dingo Pictures though she is not credited on Hunchback. If IMDB is much to go off of Ickert is listed as an uncredited animator with Haas as the director.
The films were animated with Deluxe Paint for the Commodore Amiga. According to the mockbuster wiki, the animated processed involved recording the backgrounds, and then syncing up the animation up with a camera. This process lead to several very notable issues across Dingo’s filmography.
In Hunchback one notable issue is from phone interference. This could be the result of the dub but the technicals issue are abound through the company’s filmography such as a fly making a cameo in Pocahontas.
Esmeralda, Dingo Pictures, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Speaking of Pocahontas, if you just look at the model it’s very clear that Esmeralda’s design is recycled from the previous movie’s character designs. Gringoire’s design is also repurposed as well. It’s not hard to guess why, it was lower effort and cost effective.
The Crowd, Dingo Pictures, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Also given the styles of dress for the extra it safe to assume they too are recycled designs from other Dingo projects. No shades it’s just very obvious if you have eyes and watching the movie. Also a double whammy if you look at the picture above, you see the extra in bustle gown is repeated with a different color palette and a slightly wider anachronistic skirt.
2d Bell Tower with watercolor showing underneath, Dingo Pictures, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The backgrounds are a combination of watercolor and 2d ones which do not mesh mesh well with each other. It is very jarring to go from amorphous soft watercolors to lacking 2-d backgrounds. Almost as though the one backgrounds done in the 2-d style were an after thought.
Esmeralda dancing, Dingo Pictures, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
There is also the “animation” itself. It’s very stilted and done very odd. Weird zooming on faces for screams, reversing the image with some foot lifts to make it look as though Esmeralda is dancing or the very long time it take for a coin to land in Djali basket. Mostly the animation is downright amateurish with seemingly low-effort or perhaps it’s their signature style.
Quasimodo ringing a Bell and being cut-off, Dingo Pictures, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
One more weird aspect of the visual that must be addressed is the issue of overscan. Overscan is a feature of CRT televisions which causes the margins of the picture to be hidden beyond the borders of the screen. This why it looks like the animation cuts-off and disappears before the edge of the frame. This does look like bad execution but it seems to be an issue with limitations of the tech and was fixed in at least one of Dingo’s later projects. However it’s everywhere Hunchback and very noticeable
The Music
Esmeralda & Djali, Dingo Pictures, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The music for the Dingo films was done by Ludwig Ickert himself. Ickert actually had a music background and was a band called The Rangers in the 60s.
In the English dub you can hear a little bit of background music but if you go to the German version there is a lot more music. The music is not the worse, it’s vaguely generic medieval sounding with lutes, accordions, guitars etc. It doesn’t sound as grand or well-orchestrated as Disney’s Hunchback, though few scores do, but Dingo’s just sounds like one person playing one instrument at a time.
The English Dub
Esmeralda and Quasimodo
There is some speculation that the English Dub was done for pennies by a third-party company, East West Entertainment but it was also published on a gaming consoles as “games” under Midas Interactive Entertainment. The dub was done without much, or any involvement from Dingo Pictures.
While the German Dub has few voice actors credited, the English dub does not.
There are like two actors doing all the voices. Between the man’s voice and the woman they spilt all the voice work. Sometimes the man will do a female as in one of the nuns and sometimes the female voice will do a male character like judge’s voice. Once you can hear that they’re just two people doing all the voices you can’t unheard it and it makes the whole thing that much more silly and frustrating.
Frollo, Dingo Pictures, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The dub did give us the line “YOU IS THE POPE OF FOOLS!” That line of Frollo’s dialogue is the most memorable quote from the dub, so take that has you will.
The sum total of the parts of this adaptation make for a weird stilted not scary fever-dream. It’s weird and uncanny and at times torturous with briefs moments of bizarre enjoyment. It’s bad but it possible to enjoy because it’s so bad in all areas of its technicals and story telling.
Esmeralda & Djali, Dingo Pictures, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
I can’t get my head around this version. To get to the point, yes the Dingo Pictures version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is very bad. Anything that is “enjoyable” about it is because it crosses the line to so bad that it’s at least somewhat funny. Yet this version had someone, somewhere along the line who read the book and recalled enough of it to make an oddly fairly faithful adaptation.
Quasimodo, Dingo Pictures, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
So yes, it’s bad but they kept to the book, so one whole point, I guess, if fidelity matters. Now they most likely kept to the book because adapting to a different medium does require a lot of thought and effort and that was not so much the aim of Dingo Pictures. I would say cheap expediency was the name of the game. So they followed the book with little to no thought to how the story worked in animation.
Some key differences between the book and this adaptation
Frollo, Dingo Pictures, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The first key difference is Frollo is not lusting after Esmeralda. He hates her because she’s pretty, popular and distracting. This change could be a way to simplify the story and the character. It easier if his hate can be explain is a few lines of dialogue and zero visuals. And maybe this solely in the English dub and is different in the original German. I do not speak German so I do not know. Also Frollo is an Abbé which is just a low-ranking priest and not the Archdeacon.
Another difference is Quasimodo’s arrest. He is arrested when a random lady accuses him of attacking her. Which is really ridiculous because of limits of the animation, the lady in question and Quasimodo never even share the same frame. Again this just a simplification.
Esmeralda giving Quasimodo water, Dingo Pictures, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
There are a few notable characters missing. First off there is not Phoebus. There is a blond solider but he’s a nameless extra. Since there is no Phoebus there is not Fleur de Lys unless Fleur de Lys is the name of the old lady that accused Quasimodo of attacking her.
And another big different is the ending. Esmeralda leaves Paris with Gringoire after reuniting with her mother. Quasimodo is arrested this time for killing Frollo and is left to rot in jail. It’s a downer ending even though Esmeralda gets away, Quasimodo is left alone to die in a jail cell.
The Story is more or less there
Esmeralda and Quasimodo
If I’m being nice, this is more like animated storybook. It steam rolls through the story without any subtly, nuance or characterization. Characters will just exposit information and when they can’t the narrator does it.
This expositing of information does make Esmeralda seem level-headed as she says that she is not in love with Gringoire as she doesn’t know him and he doesn’t know her. Her saying this just an excuse to artlessly say her backstory. This version of the few versions to have Gudule a.k.a. Sachette and the only version that Esmeralda knows of her mother’s existence. It doesn’t really factor into any character moments it’s just there because it’s easier that way.
Ultimately what we have here is a “more or less” version of the Hunchback.
