Come a feeling worth feeling

[sovay]

In a 1947 essay reprinted with the Criterion DVD of Jean Cocteau's La Belle et la Bête (1946), which rushthatspeaks and I watched this afternoon, Cocteau wrote, "To fairyland as people usually see it, I would bring a kind of realism to banish the vague and misty nonsense now so completely outworn . . . My aim would be to make the Beast so human, so sympathetic, so superior to men, that his transformation into Prince Charming would come as a terrible blow to Beauty, condemning her to a humdrum marriage and a future that I summed up in that last sentence of all fairy tales: 'And they had many children.'" Which is nicely subversive, but what really interests me is that I think he only half succeeded. The Beast is monstrous, sympathetic, and infinitely more attractive than Jean Marais' mirror-role of Belle's suitor Avenant, so that the audience is as taken aback as Belle to find her familiar Beast changed physically for a man she seems to describe as that jerkass friend of my brother's I thought was hot, but the film manages its happy ending nonetheless because it requires its characters to discuss the Beast's transformation, not just accept it as the natural reward of a fairy tale. It works because Belle is dismayed, needing to look past the prince's almost absurd handsomeness to find the feral, vulnerable kindred spirit she discovered under his first, snarling mask: "It's almost as if you miss my ugliness." It works because of how suddenly uncertain Marais' prince looks as he asks, "Are you disappointed that I look like your brother's friend?" Her answer is smilingly given, but telling: "I'll have to get used to it." And whether Cocteau meant to leave the possibility of happiness in that ambiguity or whether it slipped in despite his best efforts, it works for me because the film is full of appearances that can and cannot be trusted. Magic in this world is literally smoke and mirrors. The simplest tricks of cinema are the most uncanny: candles light themselves because they are snuffed out in reverse. (I'm wondering just now if Peter Greenaway took the runaround statue of The Draughtsman's Contract (1982) or the naked elementals of Prospero's Books (1991) from the human arms that hold the candelabra, the way every statue in this movie is living-actor alive. He certainly knew how to stage a film like a Dutch painting, as Cocteau designed the interiors of Belle's father's house.) The Beast's spell-broken beauty is no more a guide to his true self than his enchanted beastliness. And I have no idea if they'll have children at all.

Also, that scene where the Beast drinks out of Belle's cupped hands, his muzzle against her palm and his tongue, lapping, sounds as strong and rough as a cat's: that is ridiculously hot. I'm not sure I noticed when I saw the film in high school. I should re-read Angela Carter's "The Tiger's Bride."

Otherwise it was a very good evening: for dinner we made twice-cooked coriander tofu out of Andrea Nguyen's amazing Asian Tofu (2012), substituting ginger for galangal, amchur for tamarind, and serving the whole thing over egg noodles instead of rice, and onde onde with palm sugar and coconut out of her equally amazing Asian Dumplings (2009) without needing to substitute anything for the pandan extract, because I had found it in Rush's spice cupboard while double-checking the coriander. There was a terrific thunderstorm going on the whole time; we are fairly certain the house was struck by lightning, because just as we were starting with the deep-frying of the previously marinade-simmered tofu there was an almighty bang and every window in the house shook. It was louder than any strike I can remember hearing, including the time the telephone pole on the corner was vaporized during a snowstorm. My ears were still ringing slightly as we were kneading (with great skepticism, because glutinous rice flour turns into elementary-school oobleck when you add water, especially if you are flavoring it with pandan, which is the iconic shade of green) the dough for the dumplings. I guess lightning rods do something after all.

And gaudior came home without having disappeared in the storm and liked the food and talked to me about Bent, which I am thinking of seeing if I really want to cheer myself up. And it had mostly stopped raining by the time Rush gave me a ride home. And I should really be asleep by now.

So, yes. Success.

Comments

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Guess what song I have in my head now. Thank you, Sovay's subject line.

It works because Belle is dismayed, needing to look past the prince's almost absurd handsomeness to find the feral, vulnerable kindred spirit she discovered under his first, snarling mask: "It's almost as if you miss my ugliness." It works because of how suddenly uncertain Marais' prince looks as he asks, "Are you disappointed that I look like your brother's friend?" Her answer is smilingly given, but telling: "I'll have to get used to it."

*very* nice. Okay, I will find a way to see it.

And whether Cocteau meant to leave the possibility of happiness in that ambiguity or whether it slipped in despite his best efforts, it works for me because the film is full of appearances that can and cannot be trusted. Magic in this world is literally smoke and mirrors.

I am glad the possibility slipped in, because it saves Cocteau from the arrogant trap of asserting something is an ineluctable necessity. Appearances can never be trusted and nothing is ever certain, and that is true in about unhappily ever after as much as it is for happily ever after.

I love that Rush has in her spice cabinet pandan extract--a thing I've never heard of before. Must go look it up.

[sovay]

Guess what song I have in my head now. Thank you, Sovay's subject line.

I have no apologies.

Okay, I will find a way to see it.

It should be readily available; it's legendary. I don't love it more than Orphée (1949), but it probably is the best version of the fairy tale on film. Disney swiped several clearly trackable elements.

I am glad the possibility slipped in, because it saves Cocteau from the arrogant trap of asserting something is an ineluctable necessity.

I don't disagree with this statement, but I also kind of want a post on it.

Appearances can never be trusted and nothing is ever certain, and that is true in about unhappily ever after as much as it is for happily ever after.

Same.

I love that Rush has in her spice cabinet pandan extract--a thing I've never heard of before. Must go look it up.

You will almost certainly recognize it by flavor. Nguyen suggests substituting vanilla if you don't have (or don't like) pandan, but they really don't taste anything alike. I'm not even sure how I'd describe pandan, because if I say it's greener in the way that pistachios are creamy and tastes like the steam off sweet rice, I think we have only resorted to synesthesia. But it's very distinctive.

[strange-selkie.livejournal.com]

Where did you get the pandan extract? I checked Penzeys, Kalustyans, and Fancy Flours, where I get my Seville orange extract and my bitteralmond, and they didn't have it and I want it. One must make pandan frozen custard, although the dumplings did sound amazing. Boil in sugar is not an instruction it is often safe to follow in our household, though.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I don't disagree with this statement, but I also kind of want a post on it.

Well, I wrote a poem about it, sort of.

[houseboatonstyx.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear. That sounds a lot like my impression of Disney's BatB.

[sovay]

Oh, dear. That sounds a lot like my impression of Disney's BatB.

My description or Cocteau's thoughts on his own film?

[moon-custafer.livejournal.com]

Also, that scene where the Beast drinks out of Belle's cupped hands, his muzzle against her palm and his tongue, lapping, sounds as strong and rough as a cat's: that is ridiculously hot.

I consider that the hottest scene in all film. The only thing I can bring to mind that come close is, weirdly, the moment in It's a Wonderful Life when George and Mary have been dragged to a long-distance phone call from an old friend who's nattering on about some investment opportunity; and with their faces close together over the receiver, they try for a while to keep up "oh that's interesting" noises to the guy on the other end, until they give in and kiss.

RE: It's a Wonderful Life

[kenjari.livejournal.com]

The film score also drops out at that point - the whole thing occurs with no other soundtrack than Sam's voice coming out of the telephone and the small, quiet noises of George and Mary's breathing and moving. The resulting relative silence ratchets up the sexual tension beautifully, because there is no music to emotionally orient the viewer.

[sovay]

The resulting relative silence ratchets up the sexual tension beautifully, because there is no music to emotionally orient the viewer.

I can see I will need to re-watch It's a Wonderful Life.

[sovay]

I consider that the hottest scene in all film.

I'm wondering now what my hottest scenes in film would be. I'll have to think about this; I'm not sure I ever have. The kiss in Notorious (1946) is famous, but there's that scene with Sean Bean and Tilda Swinton in Derek Jarman's Caravaggio (1986) where rushthatspeaks and I actually stopped the film to have sex. And the way I was shown Greenaway's The Pillow Book (1996) without anyone warning me it was porn. And one of my primary takeaways from The Lady Eve (1941) is Barbara Stanwyck quite deliberately causing Henry Fonda's brain to melt. Hm.

[kenjari.livejournal.com]

Philip Glass wrote an opera that is synced to Cocteau's film. I saw it presented live, by Glass and his ensemble back in 1994 or 1995, in New London, CT of all places. It's one of Glass' more successful works, and the whole experience was like having a very beautiful dream.

[selidor]

Philip Glass wrote an opera that is synced to Cocteau's film.
!!!!
That sounds ridiculously perfect. Particularly given this review.

[sovay]

It's one of Glass' more successful works, and the whole experience was like having a very beautiful dream.

Okay! A recording is included on the Criterion DVD: we didn't listen because we were extremely skeptical. If you recommend, we'll give it a try when we go back for the commentaries.

[selidor]

and a future that I summed up in that last sentence of all fairy tales: 'And they had many children.'"

Which is terrifying in itself: that having children dooms one to being beyond fairy tales.
...That needs a deep and qualitative subversion as well.
surely by Disney! *mind explodes*

[sovay]

...That needs a deep and qualitative subversion as well.

Agreed. I've seen it done, but rarely.

Do you do novels?

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Andrea Nguyen's amazing Asian Tofu

...So I should treat this as a recommendation, I'm guessing? I have the Dumplings (which sounds utterly eighteenth-century medical, like having the marthambles, but you know what I mean), but tofu ... has never been an area of interest for me. I'm very willing to have my mind changed for me and my horizons expanded.

[sovay]

...So I should treat this as a recommendation, I'm guessing?

In the strongest possible terms. Outside of inarizushi (which I adore), I have never had much to say to tofu beyond "No, thanks," but this book is full of things I didn't realize I needed to learn how to do to soy. The tofu isn't standing in sheepishly for anything else. It's the point of the recipes. And if the rest of the recipes are as good as the twice-cooked coriander, I foresee a lot more tofu in my future than I would ever have thought. rushthatspeaks and I have already figured out we need to learn how to make our own yuba and okara. Also, we should stop renting this book from the library unless we want it to go back edible.

[three-magpies.livejournal.com]

Cocteau's film sounds beautiful. Will add to queue.

Also, I may need to purchase said cookbook. We keep vegetarian, and tofu is a delight in this house. When cooked right, of course, otherwise it's a soggy goo.

Segue, on topic: I have not tried making Inari tofu, but should, given my propensity towards that kami and the dear kitsune. Foxes are great fans of tofu.

[sovay]

We keep vegetarian, and tofu is a delight in this house. When cooked right, of course, otherwise it's a soggy goo.

You want this book. It is all about cooking tofu right. I can also recommend the dumpling book with equal praise. It's worth it for the char siu bao alone.

Segue, on topic: I have not tried making Inari tofu, but should, given my propensity towards that kami and the dear kitsune. Foxes are great fans of tofu.

There's a recipe in the tofu book called kitsune udon: noodle soup with soy-simmered fried tofu. I want to make that one.

Midnight Feast

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

This post is a beautiful set of variations on that song.

Thank you.

Nine

[sovay]

Thank you.

You are very welcome. I like that it worked out that way!

[gwynnega]

Now I need to re-watch that Cocteau film. I do remember it being an odd, jarring moment when the Beast turns into the Avenant lookalike.

[sovay]

I do remember it being an odd, jarring moment when the Beast turns into the Avenant lookalike.

And Cocteau uses the same camera trick as in Orphée, reversing a death-collapse so that the prince rises to his feet against gravity: it's like watching someone else entirely come to life.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

So, yes. Success.

I'm glad for this.

I'Also, that scene where the Beast drinks out of Belle's cupped hands, his muzzle against her palm and his tongue, lapping, sounds as strong and rough as a cat's: that is ridiculously hot. I'm not sure I noticed when I saw the film in high school

I had thought I'd seen La Belle et la Bête in middle school, myself, but now I'm really wondering if I truly did, or if it was perhaps a drastically edited-down version, because so much of what you're describing (including this scene) I don't recollect at all. Or perhaps I didn't notice, either.

Any road, it sounds as if I should do something about that.

I hope you found some sleep. I'm glad nobody disappeared in the storm or was harmed by lightning strikes. Here's to lighting rods that do something.

[sovay]

I had thought I'd seen La Belle et la Bête in middle school, myself, but now I'm really wondering if I truly did, or if it was perhaps a drastically edited-down version, because so much of what you're describing (including this scene) I don't recollect at all. Or perhaps I didn't notice, either.

Either way, it's worth your watching now.

I'm glad nobody disappeared in the storm or was harmed by lightning strikes. Here's to lighting rods that do something.

I thought of Ray Bradbury:

"Why?" said the man. "Why the Egyptian, Arabic, Abyssinian, Choctaw? Well, what tongue does the wind talk? What nationality is a storm? What country do rains come from? What color is lightning? Where does thunder go when it dies? Boys, you got to be ready in every dialect with every shape and form to hex the St. Elmo's fires, the balls of blue light that prowl the earth like sizzling cats. I got the only lightning rods in the world that hear, feel, know, and sass back any storm, no matter what tongue, voice, or sign. No foreign thunder so loud this rod can't soft-talk it! . . . Lightning needs channels, like rivers, to run in. One of those attics is a dry river bottom, itching to let lightning pour through! Tonight!"

—Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962)