Quite a memorable adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel, written more than century before. I've seen it quite a few times over the years. Hugo's main purpose in writing this novel, which he titled simply "Notre Dame de Paris", was to promote preservation of surviving Gothic architecture, such as the Cathedral of Notre Dame, in and around which is the site of action in this film. Some changes were made in the details of the main characters and the plot: most notably the survival of the two main characters: Esmeralda: the beautiful gypsy girl about which all the drama centers, and the grossly deformed Quasimodo, whose very hunched back was but one of several physical deformities, making him generally regarded as a monster, to be shunned. In the book, Esmeralda is hanged as a presumed witch and murderer, and the grief-stricken Quasimodo commits to death at her gravesite. Presumably, this was thought too tragic an ending for a general film audience. Thus, the parting scenes have Esmeralda being carried off, in triumph, along with her poet husband Gringoire, while Quasimodo remains perched on the edge of his bell tower, uttering the line "Why wasn't I made of stone, like thee", talking to a grotesque figurine on the bell tower rim. Of course, he is lamenting his human desire for female companionship, specifically with Esmeralda.
The main characters are nearly all members of one of two groups residing within Paris: the political and clerical elite, or various virtual outcasts, including Quasimodo, the gypsy Esmeralda, residents of the 'Court of Miracles', and the reform-minded poet Gringoire, who forms a loose association with the 'Court of Miracles' and Esmeralda, as possible accomplices in engineering reform. the 'Court of Miracles' was an actual large slum area in the Paris of the 15th century: the lawless abode of beggars, thieves, prostitutes and some students. It was so named because of the many residents who went to other parts of Paris, faking disabilities, returning home daily to discard their 'disability'. Thomas Mitchell plays their unofficial leader: rather like a pirate captain. These two general groups do not always act antagonistically in unison. For example, at one point, a group from the 'Court of Miracles' is preparing to hang Gringoire, saved only by Esmeralda's reluctant agreement to marry him, although she didn't then love him. By the end of the film, she claimed to love him as her husband. In the meanwhile, two members of the power elite have found themselves lusting after her: Captain Phoebus, who saved her from the clutches of the abducting Quasimodo, and Jehan Frollo, the sinister Archdeacon of Notre Dame. She fancies she's in love with the dashing Phoebus, who is already betrothed to the beautiful and wealthy Fleur-de-Lys de Gondelaurier. Presumably, his idea is that Esmeralda will be his secrete mistress. However, Jehan soon murders him from jealousy, then spitefully accuses Esmeralda of this deed, as well as being a witch in causing himself to lust for her. She is sentenced to be hung.
Now comes a series of quite implausible actions by Quasimodo, trying to save Esmeralda from being killed. First, he swings down, Tarzan-like, on a rope from a scaffolding outside the Cathedral(a bell rope, in the book!), to grab Esmeralda off her hangman's scaffolding, and swing back up to the higher scaffolding! They then climb up to the bell tower for safety. However, Jehan has the sanctuary right of the Cathedral nullified. Thus, a crowd of 'citizens of Paris', apparently composed of artisans and merchants, gather outside the cathedral to protest the sanctuary nullification. But they are soon overwhelmed by a much larger mob from the 'Court of Miracles', who say they doubt the intentions of the first group. According to an excerpt from the book, this rabble was probably more interested in stealing valuables from within the Cathedral, should they succeed in breaking in. Unfortunately, Quasimodo gets the mistaken impression that the mob has come to hang Esmeralda. Thus, he maneuvers a series of loose stone beams or other heavy stone objects to the edge of the bell tower, to be dropped on the mob(Why were these loose stone objects present?). Then he tips a huge cauldron of boiling liquid(soup?), which runs out the mouths of the grotesque gargoyles, onto the crowd, scalding some to death.(Why was this cauldron present, and how did he heat it so??). Meanwhile, the mob is using one of the dropped beams as a battering ram to punch through the cathedral door, while Jehan is chasing Esmeralda around the bell tower, with the presumed intention of raping her, then taking her to be hanged. Quasimodo now joins this chase, as the king's soldiers arrive to disperse the mob. He catches Jehan and hurls him to the plaza. Gringoire now arrives with the news that the king has pardoned Esmeralda as innocent of crimes, and has decreed the end of gypsy persecution throughout France(with contemporary relevance to the persecution of Jews and gypsies by the Nazis and other groups in Europe).
Charles Laughton is superb in eliciting a combination of repulsion and pity in the audience. Ironically, Quasimodo's lifelong guardian, Jehan, is a psychological monster, in some respects, complementing Quasimodo's physical monstrosities. The film doesn't bring out the fact that, in the book, Quasimodo was an abandoned gypsy, while Esmeralda was stolen by gypsies as an infant, thus explaining her non-gypsy appearance.
The main characters are nearly all members of one of two groups residing within Paris: the political and clerical elite, or various virtual outcasts, including Quasimodo, the gypsy Esmeralda, residents of the 'Court of Miracles', and the reform-minded poet Gringoire, who forms a loose association with the 'Court of Miracles' and Esmeralda, as possible accomplices in engineering reform. the 'Court of Miracles' was an actual large slum area in the Paris of the 15th century: the lawless abode of beggars, thieves, prostitutes and some students. It was so named because of the many residents who went to other parts of Paris, faking disabilities, returning home daily to discard their 'disability'. Thomas Mitchell plays their unofficial leader: rather like a pirate captain. These two general groups do not always act antagonistically in unison. For example, at one point, a group from the 'Court of Miracles' is preparing to hang Gringoire, saved only by Esmeralda's reluctant agreement to marry him, although she didn't then love him. By the end of the film, she claimed to love him as her husband. In the meanwhile, two members of the power elite have found themselves lusting after her: Captain Phoebus, who saved her from the clutches of the abducting Quasimodo, and Jehan Frollo, the sinister Archdeacon of Notre Dame. She fancies she's in love with the dashing Phoebus, who is already betrothed to the beautiful and wealthy Fleur-de-Lys de Gondelaurier. Presumably, his idea is that Esmeralda will be his secrete mistress. However, Jehan soon murders him from jealousy, then spitefully accuses Esmeralda of this deed, as well as being a witch in causing himself to lust for her. She is sentenced to be hung.
Now comes a series of quite implausible actions by Quasimodo, trying to save Esmeralda from being killed. First, he swings down, Tarzan-like, on a rope from a scaffolding outside the Cathedral(a bell rope, in the book!), to grab Esmeralda off her hangman's scaffolding, and swing back up to the higher scaffolding! They then climb up to the bell tower for safety. However, Jehan has the sanctuary right of the Cathedral nullified. Thus, a crowd of 'citizens of Paris', apparently composed of artisans and merchants, gather outside the cathedral to protest the sanctuary nullification. But they are soon overwhelmed by a much larger mob from the 'Court of Miracles', who say they doubt the intentions of the first group. According to an excerpt from the book, this rabble was probably more interested in stealing valuables from within the Cathedral, should they succeed in breaking in. Unfortunately, Quasimodo gets the mistaken impression that the mob has come to hang Esmeralda. Thus, he maneuvers a series of loose stone beams or other heavy stone objects to the edge of the bell tower, to be dropped on the mob(Why were these loose stone objects present?). Then he tips a huge cauldron of boiling liquid(soup?), which runs out the mouths of the grotesque gargoyles, onto the crowd, scalding some to death.(Why was this cauldron present, and how did he heat it so??). Meanwhile, the mob is using one of the dropped beams as a battering ram to punch through the cathedral door, while Jehan is chasing Esmeralda around the bell tower, with the presumed intention of raping her, then taking her to be hanged. Quasimodo now joins this chase, as the king's soldiers arrive to disperse the mob. He catches Jehan and hurls him to the plaza. Gringoire now arrives with the news that the king has pardoned Esmeralda as innocent of crimes, and has decreed the end of gypsy persecution throughout France(with contemporary relevance to the persecution of Jews and gypsies by the Nazis and other groups in Europe).
Charles Laughton is superb in eliciting a combination of repulsion and pity in the audience. Ironically, Quasimodo's lifelong guardian, Jehan, is a psychological monster, in some respects, complementing Quasimodo's physical monstrosities. The film doesn't bring out the fact that, in the book, Quasimodo was an abandoned gypsy, while Esmeralda was stolen by gypsies as an infant, thus explaining her non-gypsy appearance.