In 1810, a ruined merchant is forced into exile in the countryside with
his six children. These include Belle, the youngest of his
daughters, a joyful and kind-hearted child. In the course of an
arduous journey, the merchant comes across a magical realm inhabited by
the Beast, who condemns him to death for stealing one of his precious
roses. To save her father, Belle offers herself up as a
sacrifice. In the Beast's castle, it is not death that awaits
Belle but a strange fairytale existence in the company of a tortured
soul. Only Belle has the power to rescue the Beast from the
terrible curse that has been placed upon him...
In the 1920s French cinema was at its most varied and stylish - witness the achievements of Abel Gance, Marcel L'Herbier, Jean Epstein and Jacques Feyder.
The cinema of Japan is noteworthy for its purity, subtlety and visual impact. The films of Ozu, Mizoguchi and Kurosawa are sublime masterpieces of film poetry.
A wave of fresh talent in the late 1950s, early 1960s brought about a dramatic renaissance in French cinema, placing the auteur at the core of France's 7th art.