disney | The Hunchblog of Notre Dame

05Sep 2011

The Music of the Disneyâ€™s Hunchback of Notre Dame â€“ Heaven’s Light

by jess

Quasimodo's figurines from "Heaven's Light"

Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Hellfire Disney picture image

Frollo and an illusion of Esmeralda during Hellfire

Heaven’s Light and Hellfire are meant to be listened together. Both parts represent the basic nature of The Hunchback of Notre Dame; how feelings can be internalized and twisted according to the individual. However I’m going to look at Heaven’s Light and Hellfire separately, because of the intensity of Hellfire and the simplicity of Heaven’s Light.

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Heaven’s Light is the second ballad in the film and is Quasimodo’s final song though it is reprise later in the movie. It’s the only romantic song to make into movie. In this song Quasimodo equivalents love to being heavenly. Since Quasimodo believes himself to be hideous, he thinks he not meant for love. However since Esmeralda gave him a peak on the cheek without fear, he calls her an angel and he’s hopeful that she could love him. This hopefulness is gestalt of song.

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

There is lot going on in this song: Quasimodo explains what love is like, he feel he’s not meant for it but then not a beat goes by and he turns his hopeful-o-meter up to max, as he hopes that Esmeralda could love him because she wasn’t afraid of him. The song seems to do a lot. This is because it’s such a short song and that’s it feels kind of ADD. Quasimodo goes from being emo to sappy. Anarkia in Notre Dame de Paris has a similar ADD feel to it.

Victor and Laverne's drawing of Esmeralda Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Hugo draws Djali Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The elements of humor in this song by the gargoyles are actually good. It’s relevant and cute to the song. In the song each gargoyle draws a picture. The pictures reflect their personalities, Laverne and Victor draw Esmeralda and Hugo draws Djali. It’s cute relevant humor. I like Victor’s drawing the best.

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

I have to admit that for me this song gets a little lost because it’s the song that comes right before Hellfire, which is for many people is their favorite song in the film and their favorite villain. However listening to the song in isolation, it’s a sweet, well done song that develops Quaismodo’s character as both hopeful and naive.

Quasimodo reprise Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Phoebus and Esmeralda Kiss Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Quasimodo reprise Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Later when the song is reprised it’s a bittersweet sting to Quaismodo as his heart breaks as he watches Esmeralda and Phoebus kiss.

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

All in all it’s a good song, not terrible but not not fanatic. It’s one flaw is being next to Hellfire.

Next Time – Hellfire.

Frollo singing Hellfire

02Sep 2011

My Little Esmeralda Pony

by jess

I love My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic (friendship is literally magic). So I thought it would fun to make the Hunchback of Notre Dame characters into My Little Pony Friendship is Magic style. This is Disney Esmeralda as a Pony.

If you would like use any of my fan-art I made on your website/blog, all I ask is for a hunchblog credit. Fan-art is meant to be shared and enjoyed. ^_^

01Sep 2011

Some additional observations from God Help the Outcast

by jess

So as I was working on my God Help the Outcast I noticed things that didn’t fit into song content so I’m posting them now. (Beware I run off on a bit of a tangent)

Quasimodo listening to Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Quasimodo watching to Esmeralda during God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

I once agian suspect that the Disney Production team didn’t read the book (well maybe a few did), I say this because in the book Quasimodo is deaf but here in the Disney movie Quasimodo has such a amazing hearing. He can hear a soft ballad in the sanctuary all the way in the bell tower. I don’t think it was necessary to have Quasimodo listening in on Esmeralda. They did it to include Quaismodo since he had not been in the movie for 5 whole minutes. I mean it also worked to get Esmeralda and Quasimodo to reunite and to give them a chance to bond but they couldn’t have thought up another way.

Frollo’s Female Doppelganger singing a line in God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Disney Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Judge Claude Frollo

The Lady who asks for love. Frollo’s twin sister? Could be. Frollo has no back story so he could have a sister. My guess is since they look so much a like and look to be the some age, they’re twins. What else is Frollo hiding in his past? I want back stories, Disney. It’s interesting to learn what pushes a character to doing less than wholesome things. Like;

Ursula Disney The Little Mermaid

Why was Ursula exiled? Many speculate that Ursula is Triton sister but maybe Triton pulled a coup d’Ã©tat and stole the kingdom from the octopus people. That makes sense but it would make Triton look bad. Really Disney don’t say that Urusala once lived in the palace and was exiled if your not going to into why she was exiled.

Gaston Disney Beauty and the Beast

Why did Gaston like Belle? I mean sure she’s pretty and Gaston is a shallow idiot but she didn’t feed his ego and that’s what he needs. He is governed by outward appearances, but where did this superficiality come from? His upbringing?

Jafar Disney Aladdin

Why was Jafar so stupid? He sent years searching for the Cave of Wonders so he could get the lamp so he get three wishes and the when that plans fails his bird tells him to marry the princess. However, Jafar had military control over the city-state and a mind control ring. My goodness, is Jafar one stupid idiot, it would have taken his less time and energy to pull a coup d’Ã©tat and I’m sure the people of Agrabah wouldn’t have notice a shift in power. The Sultan seems more interested in toys than his people. My guess is Jafar was drop repeatedly as a baby and that him more than a little dense.

But Frollo had a job, control and perhaps an deep emotional connection with a women who prays for love. I have to wonder if Frollo is so tightly wound and his sister wants love, what was their family dynamic like growing up? Assuming that she is his sister, but she looks too much like Frollo for it be coincidental where as the rest of crowds look generic.

Who do you think that lady in Notre Dame is? Think she could be important or just some extra that looks like Frollo and nothing more? Opinions, Thoughts, Anything!

01Sep 2011

The Music of the Disneyâ€™s Hunchback of Notre Dame â€“ God help the Outcasts

by jess

Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcasts Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

God Help The Outcasts is a very different Disney heroine song. Many of the Female Disney Characters sing about wanting something for themselves. While Esmeralda is singing about wanting something that is not for her. She is being selfless which furthers elevates her into the mature sector.

Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcasts Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The song is simple, it’s Esmeralda praying for the welfare of her people. This humble and selfless prayer is shown in contrast to the other parishioners who pray for selfish things like wealth, fame and love. This scene is pretty much lifted from the 1939 version albeit with some differences but the overall scene and content is the same.

Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Unlike in the 1939 version, during the course of the song Esmeralda walks through the sanctuary of Notre Dame. It’s the only time in the Hunchback of Notre Dame where we get to see the interior of Notre Dame other than the bell tower. While it’s nice to see the sanctuary portion of Notre Dame there are more than a few things wrong with how Notre Dame is presented. I’ll go more in depth on that later for now let’s get into the reviewing the song’s content.

Esmeralda Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame singing "God Help the Outcast" picture image

Esmeralda singing “God Help the Outcast” Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The song musically is nice and is pleasant. It’s one of two ballads that made it into the film. It’s the prettiest song in the movie and it’s sung well by Heidi Mollenhauer. However there is an air of condescension with this song. As Esmeralda is trying to sound humble she is saying some really condescending lines. She asks for nothing because she is lucky and better off then most of her people and if God doesn’t help no one will help them. She also reminds Gods that everyone is “children of God” and that Mary should relate to her because she thinks Mary was once an outcast like her. This another fault with the song, she’s in Notre Dame de Paris, in any Notre Dame, Mary is the figure of reverence. However she starts praying to Mary and then instantly switchs to God. Maybe it’s her “outcast” “pagan” ways that she would do this flippantly but my guess is God is more dramatic and fits song meters better, Even though Mary embodies compassion. Then again Frollo prays to Mary to burn Esmeralda, so what is the movie trying to say about Mary? I mean everyone seems to be trying to get out of Notre Dame.

Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcasts Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

There is also all her “I” statements that are kind of off putting. Her lines are “I ask for nothing, I can get by, but I know so many less lucky than I” these lyrics just seem to reek with “I’m better than you” mentality.

Esmeralda looking at the Virgin Mary, Maureen O’Hara 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame

In the spectrum of the “Esmeralda’s Prayer” which isn’t in the book, God Help the Outcast is the worst. Beside this song there are two other prayers, the fore-mention 1939 version and Ave Maria Paien from Notre Dame de Paris. In the 1939 version, Esmeralda (Maureen O’Hara) asks “The mother of God” to help her people, she says that Mary can take all that she has but Esmeralda presents Mary with a Method; she asks to speak to the King as he is a authority figure and can help her and her people, which he does as the end. In the 1939 version, Esmeralda is sincere and humble, and as she not insulting anyone by saying she’s better off. In Ave Maria Paien (The Pagan Ave Maria) Esmeralda is (pending on which version your listening to) asking for a few things, protection from the fools who are in control and the joining of all people. The essence of the song is she wants Ave Maria on her side. Is it humble and selfless? Not really, she does come off as humble and sincere though. Disney Esmeralda is sincere but she seems to have a defeatist attitude, only god can help and no one else can, she’s powerless to do anything. Maybe Esmeralda should have ask God to make Frollo tolerant. At least that would have been proactive.

Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcasts Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The problem with God Help the Outcasts isn’t the music or the singing, it’s the content. While it’s great that Esmeralda is mature and is capable of praying selflessly but in the course of the song she’s pretty much insulting her people, and due to juxtaposition of the her prayer with other parishioners she is making them look bad. So she can’t be selfless and humble without bring others down?

Next Song – Heaven’s Light (I have a little bit more on God Help the Cast, so stay tuned)

Quasimodo’s figurines from “Heaven’s Light”

29Aug 2011

Quasimodo is Ariel from The Little mermaid

by jess

Quasimodo from the Hunchback of Notre Dame is Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Here is the original artwork for Quasimodo that proves that he was meant to be Ariel. This image is rare and very hard to find but here it is,

Quasimodo as Ariel from the Little Mermaid Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Ok I made this image, but you watch Out There and then watch Part of your World and tell there not for the most part idenitcal. I mean these two characters are the same entity. Is it plagiarism if a company copies their own work? I suppose I could do the reverse of this image as well, Ariel’s head on Quasimodo, actually that’s not a bad idea stay tune for that one.

27Aug 2011

Find the Differences â€“ Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Style

by jess

Another Round of Find the Differences! There are Nine.

Esmeralda and Frollo Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Differences

Esmeralda and Frollo Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo gropes Esmeralda Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

25Aug 2011

The Music of the Disneyâ€™s Hunchback of Notre Dame â€“ Topsy Turvy

by jess

Topsy Turvy follows in the path of the big show stopping music numbers of Disney. Other songs like this included (but not limited to) Under the Sea (The Little Mermaid), Be Our Guest (Beauty and the Beast) and A Friend Like Me ( Aladdin). Unlike these, Topsy Turvy is not a show stopper, it doesn’t stop the movie for the sake of a spectacle, but instead Topsy Turvy propels the plot forward.

Clopin during the Feast of Fools Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

There is a lot that happens within the course of the song with regards to story telling. The festive starts and Quasimodo gets caught in the swing of it, Quasimodo meets Esmeralda, Esmeralda dances getting the attention of Quasimodo, Phoebus and Frollo, the King of Fools contest starts, and Quasimodo is crown the king. There so much that happens that the song is broken up into four part essentually. These parts are well connected and the last portation with Quasimodo as the King of Fools features a keynote change to denote the ending of the song.

Clopin Topsy Turvy Disney Hunchback Notre Dame

Quasimodo Topsy Turvy Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Disney Esmeralda Hunchback of Notre Dame Dance picture image

Esmeralda's Dance Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

As far as the song is concerned it’s fun. It’s very celbratory, the lyrics are clever and Paul Kandel does well singing it. It’s the only Disney song to use a word meaning prostitutes. The line “Join the bums and theives and strumpets,” a strumpets is an old fashion word for a prostitute or a harlot. Kind of intresting that the only Dinsey song to use a word for prostitute would also feature a pole dance.

Reversal Topsy Turvy Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Quasimodo reacting to the craziness Topsy Turvy Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Topsy Turvy CG Crowd Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The visuals help make this song memorable. There lots of reversals to help keep the momentum going and the fun up. This visually also give Quasimodo something to react to and since he is seeing all this craziness for the first time, Quasimodo acts as the audience in this song. There is a cast of thousand. The crowds were made using CG and at the time were a feat but the crowd in movie hasn’t aged well.

Clopin Topsy Turvy Disney Hunchback Notre Dame

The song has several reference that harken back to Victor Hugo’s Novel. First the lyrics mention the date a being January 6, which is the day the Feast of Fools took place on. Of course the movie doesn’t seem to take place in winter, then again it could just be unseasonably warm.

Esmeralda's Dance Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Another Reference is Clopin referring to Esmeralda as “La Esmeralda”. Esmeralda in the book is very often referenced to with the article “La.”

Shock the Priest Topsy Turvy Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The last reference and probably the most interesting. Is on the line “shock the priest” Clopin is holding a Frollo puppet. This is a clear reference to Frollo being a priest in the book.

Quasimodo as the King of Fools Topsy Turvy Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The song itself is fine, it big and fun but it’s not my favorite. I would position this song in the middle of the ranking however I can understand why many would like it, it’s a fun song that adds to the movie and alludes to the book very appropriately.

Next Song – God Help the Outcast

Esmeralda singing "God Help the Outcast" Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

19Aug 2011

The Music of the Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame “Out There”

by jess

http://youtu.be/7DCALg2levk

Frollo and Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Out There is for all intended purposes is a solo but its prelude is duet between Frollo and Quasimodo. Frollo sings about how awful the world is as a means for controlling Quasimodo. When Frollo departs the scene, the mood of the song changes into Quasimodo singing about a yearning to venture beyond the tower and go flocking with the normal people.

Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Ariel Disney The Little Mermaid

There is no good way to say it, Out There is a knock off of “Part of your World” from the Little Mermaid. Lots of Disney characters sing this “wanting more” type of song but Out There and Part of that World express the some thought. And it’s interesting that they both point to a direction; up for Ariel and down for Quasimodo and they both mention a desire for the sun and to be with “the people”. They also kind of look alike, red hair and they both wear green.

Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

So how is the song on a music level? Got say, the song it’s self is pretty typical Disney fare. It’s one of the typical songs you’ll hear in a Disney movie, the dreamer’s song. It’s usually the main character singing about wanting something more. This song is just Quasimodo singing about even if just one day he wants to apart of the people. The music is fine, it’s nice and symphomatic. The lyrics are very repetitive: he wants to be to live a day with the regular people, I get. Quasimodo does come off naive to think that just because people live “out there” this qualifies them as normal and he also insinuates that it’s a gift for them to be normal despite the whole issue with gypsies who have to live in catacombs to avoid Frollo’s genocide tendencies.

Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The singing is where this song fails for me. Hulce’s vibrato has too much of a wobble for me. I think this fast vibrato is meant to give Quasimodo an innocence and naivety but it too much wobble. The wobbly vibrato ruins Hulce’s performance for me and do think he a decent enough singer otherwise.

Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Quasimodo singing "Out There" Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney picture image

The best part of the song in the movie is the visuals. I remember the first time I saw it, the part where Quasimodo slid down the buttress was my favorite visual, I thought it looked fun, of course as a kid I thought it was a water slide and not a support structure. I really enjoy Quasimodo interacting with the Notre Dame, he may be dreaming on being on terra firma but Notre Dame is like his private playground.

Belle, Carpet, Pumbaa Disney Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King

Belle, Carpet, and Pumbaa

Frollo in the Square during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Satellite Dish during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

There are a few things that appear in the song that many viewers don’t seem to notice. The first are cameos, which people do notice. The Cameos are Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Pumba (The Lion King) and Carpet (Aladdin). Two other things, is Frollo can be seen in the square as Quasimodo is looking down and a satillite dish can be seen on a house in the bird’s view of Paris or La Cite in this case.

Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

So the song is by no means in the top tier of the songs in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, it by no means is it the worst. It’s just a VERY typical formulaic Disney song.

Next Time –Topsy Turvy

Clopin during the Feast of Fools Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

18Aug 2011

New Stuff 8/18/11

by jess

So I’m stilly working on my writ-up on Out There but I finshed a new lens on Quasimodo al la Notre Dame. Those Notre Dame actors lenses are a lot of work but there worth it. I’ll add to the Squidoo page later.

Garou as Quasimodo Notre Dame de Paris

http://www.squidoo.com/quasimodo_notre_dame_de_paris

Also I made this promaotional “DMV” (Disney Music Video) . It’s basically a summary of the movie to music from the movie. It was made back in June.

http://youtu.be/LyGwmjTWtzk

16Aug 2011

The Music of the Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame – The Bells of Notre Dame

by jess

Clopin Bells Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Clopin with puppet during the Bells of Notre Dame Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Bells of Notre Dame is the opening to the movie. Click Here to get The Bells Of Notre Dame

http://youtu.be/Tv4W0VkoUfM

The Opening Shot of Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame

Paris Bells Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Paris during the Bells of Notre Dame Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Clopin during the Bells of Notre Dame Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Bells of Notre Dame starts off like The 1939 version, very appropriately with Bells and Latin choir (unlike the 1939 version). The bells grow in intensity till the title screen goes away and the opening scene starts and the melody of the refrain from Hellfire is heard. From this you get a major sense of drama before you see a single person. Then tone turns gentle and quite, then intense, then more intense. This song is like a roller coaster.

Clopin with Puppet bells Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Clopin with Puppet during the Bells of Notre Dame Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Quasimodo's Mother Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Frollo Bells Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo during the Bells of Notre Dame Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Bells of Notre Dame does a few things for the movie, it introduces three main character, showcases Notre Dame’s importance as the setting of the film and explains the relationship between Quasimodo and Frollo. Disney had a bit of the problem with nature of Victor Hugo’s Hunchback of Notre Dame, Frollo isn’t the colossal jerk he is in the Book. He takes Quasimodo in after being moved by empathy for him, not by getting scared by a Statue and the Archdeacon because he murder an innocent women in front of the most important spiritual centers in France and fears hell that takes the baby of his victim as an act of contrition. But Disney villains are never ones for charitable act so Frollo is co-forced into looking after Quasimodo. The Bells of Notre Dame also presents the viewers with the moral of the story, “what makes a monster and what makes a man”.

Frollo chases Quasimodo's mother during The Bells of Notre Dame Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Quasimodo's Mother Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Murder of Quasimodo's Mother Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Song also sets up the tone of the movie. Disney boosts that Hunchback is their darkest film, and yes it is, but it is after all a Disney film and there is a lot of “humor” in it. The Bells of Notre Dame present both facets, the humor, light-hearted Disney Flair and the darker aspects. The dark aspect are easy to see, the backstory, Frollo kills a women, tries to kill a baby and saddled into raising it. The humor comes from Clopin regaling the children with his puppet (love the Clopin Puppet). But even Clopin here is delighting in the dark dramatics of the story.

Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame seeing Quasimodo for the 1st time Disney picture image

Frollo seeing Quasimodo for the 1st time Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Well Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Archdeacon Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

But is the song itself successful? Yes, yes it. I would so that it’s one of the best song in the movie right up there with Hellfire. It’s dramatic, epic, and grand. Unlike Hellfire which has a benefits of being more focused, Bells of Notre Dame has to fulfill it’s purpose and has a lot of ground to cover musically. It’s starts with a Latin choir, goes into a more gentle tone and the gets darker as the Gypsies are introduced along with Frollo, The Choir returns but more intense as Frollo chases Quasimodo’s mother. There are so many vignettes in this song that it could have been a mess but it’s handle musically very well and the music intensifies the dramatics of the action.

Frollo in fear for his soul Bells Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo in fear for his soul during the Bells of Notre Dame Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Notre Dame Sees all Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Frollo and Baby Quasimodo bells Disney Hunch back of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo and Baby Quasimodo during the Bells of Notre Dame Disney Hunch back of Notre Dame

Originally this wasn’t even going to be a song, it was going to be spoken dialogue. I’m glad they made it into a song because it’s one of the better songs in the movie. It was the perfect way for the movie to start. Your given a tone, setting, characters, motivation, drama, and some light humor. I would say it’s one the best Disney’s openings. Seriously, Clopin’s crescendo at the end is amazing, it’s probably the single greatest bit of singing in the movie, maybe even Disney History.