Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast is one of the most symbolic films Disney has ever produced. Disney movies are always filled with color, and these colors are usually symbolizing something significant. When Belle wears a yellow dress, the color symbolizes her and the Beasts’ growing love for each other, youth, and strength. Later When Belle’s father first stumbles upon the Beast’s castle, it is a dark and stormy night with lightning across the sky, which represents the terror Belle’s father is feeling when he is looking for the castle. The west wing in the castle is full of old rubbish and dust, which symbolizes feelings of desolation and neglect, as well as the frustration and rage the Beast feels. Windows usually symbolize enlightenment and open mindedness but in this movie the windows grow progressively larger until they fill the entire walls as Belle and the Beast get to know each other. This symbolizes that they are becoming enlightened about the other’s character instead of themselves.  A candle flame can also symbolize hope, and when Belle runs away from the castle for the first time, she slams a door and extinguishes Lumiere’s flame, which symbolizes hope, because without her there is no hope for the enchantment to end. Books are a repeated symbol in this movie. For Belle, they symbolize a way of escape from a life she does not want, and they are her only source of adventure and romance. Each time there is a room full of books in this movie, there is also a globe, symbolizing the way books allow Belle to travel and have experiences she would never have otherwise. Mirrors and reflections are also a repeated symbol in this movie, and they symbolize the action of seeing oneself as others do. However, the Beast shatters a mirror in his rooms, which shows that he is aware of how others see him.