The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Classic Victor Hugo story set in 15th Century Paris. Quasimodo, the deaf, ugly and hunchbacked bell ringer of Notre Dame cathedral, falls in love with young gypsy girl Esmeralda. She is accused of witchcraft and he gives her sanctuary in the bell tower. I have seen several movie adaptations but this was my first time watching this made for TV (by the BBC) version, thanks to the wonderful Talking Pictures TV (UK) channel. And this one is certainly very different! Shot entirely indoors the few external shots of the whole cathedral come in the form of drawings (which are pretty good). The acting is fine though it comes across as a stage play as opposed to a movie, which is alright. The sets, costumes, music and make-up are all of a good standard however there is barely a French accent to be heard. There is some mild violence and cruel language, for example Quasi is called words such as "ugly", "creature" and "monster". One of my favourite lines has a jealous woman say of Esmeralda "She is charming, she hardly smells at all!" The only face that I instantly recognised in the cast was the brilliant John Savident, sadly passed away but a very familiar face on British TV for many years. Warren Clarke is quite good as Quasi though his hunchback could have been more prominent. One of my favourite parts of the film is when Esmeralda and her pet goat(!) are accused of witchcraft, they stand trial, she is tortured and finally convicted. Given the obvious low budget and different style of production I felt that the BBC did a good enough job making this. I found it to be a fairly enjoyable watch though I wouldn't give it a second viewing.

As far as I know, this has only shown on television in the US once (summer of '77), and has never been on video. I remember this TV movie obviously had a much lower budget that the three previous theatrical versions. However, I found it fascinating because it is at least as true to the book as the Anthony Quinn version. Like Victor Hugo's book, it has dark humor mixed with tragedy, and does not seem very concerned about offending the church. They did something similar in the 1982 TV movie with Anthony Hopkins, but that felt like more of an adaptation of the Charles Laughton version than like a new adaptation of the book. The versions I enjoy watching the most are those from 1939 and 1996, but I'll be grateful if anyone can tell me where I can get a copy of this one on DVD or VHS.

The book is a classic, it is very powerfully and vividly written and it moves me to tears too, Frollo is also a very interesting character. Of all the adaptations of Notre Dame De Paris, apart from the Golden Films and Burbanks Animation Studios low-budget animated versions while not all are faithful(though that has never been a necessity from personal opinion regarding film adaptations) to the book none of them are bad. This version is very good, that it is the truest to the book along with the Anthony Quinn version(also good, although Quasimodo's rescue of Esmeralda is done the most underwhelmingly in that version) helps though it doesn't quite give me the power and emotional poignancy that the Laughton, Disney, Chaney and Hopkins versions did. Michelle Newell is age-appropriate and beautiful but not quite sexy- agreed about her awkward dancing- or compassionate enough, sometimes almost too naive, and Frollo's psychological struggle has been done better in other adaptations(especially Hopkins and even Disney, if not quite to the extent of the book) with some moments happening too suddenly. Although the picture quality is ragged, the film is very evocatively made with settings that are beautiful and very architecturally Medieval and it is well shot. The costumes are appropriate and Quasimodo's make-up while not "grotesque" would make you feel some degrees of initial repulsion if you were to come across him personally. The music is hauntingly beautiful, loved the Medieval chants that were included. The script is meaningful and literate with a lot of parts like the narrative of the book come to life so much its fidelity. And the story is enthralling, the ending is very powerful stuff(one of the few adaptations where it's not a happy one) and it doesn't restrain itself too much. The acting is fine, especially from Christopher Gable's definitive Gringoire and Warren Clarke's genuinely affecting Quasimodo. Kenneth Haigh does a very good job as Frollo, true what he is given to do is not as juicy as one would like but Haigh's Frollo is sympathetic, menacing and above all tortured with a real sense that what isn't right he thinks it is. Djali is very cute as well. All in all, the most underrated Hunchback of Notre Dame adaptation and there is a lot to like outside of its fidelity to the book(which fans will appreciate, as said before if even there is an adaptation that isn't true to the book it still should be seen for what it is on its own instead of being immediately dismissed). 8/10 Bethany Cox