For as long as I can remember, Disney has been preaching simple morals to their huge audiences in extremely simple ways. Sure, that’s the way to reach six year olds, but not anybody much older than that. “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” however, changes that.
“The Hunchback,” the movie, is much like George Orwell’s book “Animal Farm,” in the sense that both can be appreciated on several levels. On the most basic level, “the Hunchback” is a great children’s story with the inevitable happy ending. But there are several deeper themes to be found in this film.
For instance, in the first scene of the movie, Judge Frollo, the film’s antagonist, is said to “see corruption everywhere but within.” Talk about a timeless statement! Just look any of several presidential administrations. That single line has more meaning than most entire movies I’ve seen lately.
The conflict of “the Hunchback” is as follows: Frollo wants to capture and kill Esmerelda, a beautiful gypsy girl who is not only loved by Quasimodo, the hunchback, but also by Frollo’s captain of the guard, creating, obviously, another problem.
That is just about as complex as the plot gets, so the rest of this film is devoted to developing the various characters. We find that Frollo is torn since he thinks he also loves Esmerelda, a feeling that doesn’t quite mesh with his good Christian values. There is an incredible scene where Frollo confronts his feeling in the church itself, with brilliant and breathtaking animation reminiscent of “Fantasia.”
Also through the Frollo character, Disney introduces a new star. Tony Jay, providing the voice and subsequent singing voice of the judge, is fabulous. He manages to steal the scenes intended to focus on Quasimodo. Not an easy task for someone who has to act using nothing more than his voice.
The obvious moral of “the Hunchback” is not to judge a book by its cover - the ugly Quasimodo is the hero of the film. But the film also shows how hypocritical man can be. All through the film, we watch Frollo order his men to kill innocent people and unnecessarily destroy sacred property, all to bring justice to a so-called “sinner.”
Last, but not least, I must speak of the score. Beyond the All-4-One song that will be on the top ten for the next six months, “the Hunchback,” like most other original Disney films, has an exceptional orchestral score that sends a chill up your spine over and over again. If you’re not going to see the movie, at least buy the soundtrack. It’s worth it.
If you have an aversion to Disney films only because of their over-simplification of complex themes, “the Hunchback” may be for you. It truly does cater to all audiences. Just remember to go with an open mind - you might leave a better person for it.
Grade: A