Garou as Quasimodo Notre Dame de Paris image picture

Garou as Quasimodo Notre Dame de Paris

A question that comes up a lot is about Quasimodo’s hair. Why does he have red hair? I recently saw this asked on http://notredamedeparisfans.tumblr.com/. Quasimodo in both Notre Dame de Paris and Disney version is depicted as having red hair. Other version also have him with red hair.  And the answer is very simple, it’s in the original novel. Quasimodo has red hair in the book. In Book 1 chapter 5 entitled “Quasimodo” It says “…..A huge head, bristling with red hair….” as part of Quasimodo description. It’s on page 50 for those who have the Barnes Nobel version.

Quasimodo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney picture image

Quasimodo’s Reveal Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

So why did Hugo pick red for Quasimodo’s hair color? Well the reason could be that there was a medieval belief that red hair marked a beastly sexual desire and moral degeneration. Or it makes him more of a social outcast than if he had a blond, black or brown hair.

Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo from the 1982 version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, picture image

Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo from the 1982 version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Though why Esmeralda in Notre Dame de Paris sometimes has red hair is a different question. I mean I the first person cast had black hair (Noa), Helene Segera has brown but against the red light looks reddish. Then when Julie Zenatti was cast she got the red hair as well as France D’Amour. Since then of the more than a few other opted for red hair.

Frances d'Amour as Esmeralda in Notre Dame de Paris picture image

Frances d’Amour as Esmeralda in Notre Dame de Paris

I saw this on Twolionss’ Tumblr site (She has another page up click here to see it )and had to post it. It’s A Page from Tim Conrad’s Hunchback of Notre Dame Grpahic Novel

An Page from Tim Conrad's graphic novel version of Hunchback of Notre dame from Book 9  Chapter 1 Delirium picture image

An Page from Tim Conrad's graphic novel version of Hunchback of Notre dame from Book 9 Chapter 1 Delirium

This scene is from Book 9 Chapter 1 Delirium of the novel where Frollo, in his guilt and growing insanity, finds Esmeralda in Notre Dame and think she is specter.

 

Curious that Esmeralda’s hair is red in this huh? The only other time I’ve seen her with red has been in certain casts of Notre Dame de Paris  and Maureen O’Hara in the 1939 version but that doesn’t really count as it’s a black & white movie.

Frances d'Amour as  Esmeralda in Notre Dame de Paris picture image

Frances d'Amour as Esmeralda in Notre Dame de Paris

Esmeralda Smiling, Maureen O'Hara 1939 HUnchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda Smiling, Maureen O'Hara 1939 HUnchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not sure about the art  it’s simplistic and the color are muted. It might work better in context  full of the work.

Tim Conrad’s Graphic Novel of The Hunchback is going to be out  July 31 2012 but you can preorder, Click here to preorder it