The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a severely underappreciated movie. It took a gruesome story by Victor Hugo and jazzed it up to a family-friendly nature. If you know the movie, you know. If you don't know the movie, here is a little background:
A gypsy family is attempting to escape a blood-thirsty self-righteous judge when they were ambushed. The gypsy woman then fled to save her infant child. Unable to find sanctuary, she was struck down by Judge Frollo on the steps of Notre Dame. The archdeacon came out in time to stop Frollo from also killing the infant child, charging him with the task of caring for the disfigured, orphan child. While he followed the instruction to raise the child, he did so cruelly and locked him away in the belltower.
Well, come many years later, Quasimodo is now a grown man who wants to go to the Festival of Fools, so he sneaks out and meets the lovely and sassy gypsy, Esmeralda. He is discovered and he is crowned King of Fools for having the ugliest face in Paris. The scene quickly turns to disaster as the people started jeering and throwing food at Quasi. Esmeralda saves him and takes him back into the church. This angers Frollo who then sets his heart on killing the gypsy. He posts guards at the doors, and Quasi makes the choice to sneak her out. She gives him a necklace with a pendant in exchange.
When Frollo realizes Esmeralda has escaped, he sends his soldiers to search all the villagers' houses for the girl. The captain of the guard, Phoebus, could not stand by when Frollo ordered the burning of a village home with the family inside, becoming an outlaw himself for saving the family. Esmeralda takes Phoebus to Quasi to care for him. Frollo tells Quasi that he knows where the gypsies live, a place called the Court of Miracles, and that they were going to raid them in the morning. Quasi and Phoebus seek out the Court of Miracles, only to realize that Frollo followed them.
Frollo has Esmeralda tied to a post to burn her alive, but Quasi cannot stand by. He swoops in, grabs Esmeralda and climbs back up the side of the church. He turns and holds her up over his head, crying "Sanctuary." Frollo comes and attempts to kill Quasi, who is tending to Esmeralda. Quasi turns on him, but they fall over the edge of the parapet. Esmeralda catches Quasi, while Frollo attempted to climb back up and kill Esmeralda, before the stone under him gives way. Esmeralda cannot hold Quasi and he slips, only to be caught by Phoebus. Suddenly the villagers see Quasi as a hero... Blah Blah Blah happily ever after.
This year we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of this movie coming out, although the early reviews were mixed at best, some have grown to appreciate it for the dark and intriguing adaptation that it is. My sisters and I definitely watched this one a couple times. I even bought a pin at Touch of Disney to commemorate my appreciation for this lesser Disney movie. Speaking of commemoration, shopDisney is releasing a limited-edition Esmeralda doll(Barbie style) tomorrow morning, July 10th at 7am!
Thanks for reading!
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