On 2/29/96 Emily Zants wrote:
 
>I agree regarding the ending of Beauty and the Beast; the preference of
>the Beast over Avenant has nothing to do with sexuality but rather with
>the "beauty" of the character.  The Beast is a loving, feeling character;
>Avenant is selfish, egotistical, in short -- not lovable.
 
Just a clarification.  The Beast does not turn into Avenant; he merely
looks like him when he takes on human form.  It's Avenant's (Jean Marais)
good looks combined with the Beast's poetry and soul.  Disney at least
avoids confusion in the animated feature by having the Beast take on human
features we haven't seen on another character; Gaston, Disney's Avenant
analog, plunges to his death and entirely out of the picture.
 
--Richard J. Leskosky
 
Richard J. Leskosky                     office phone: (217) 244-2704
Assistant Director                      FAX: (217) 244-2223
Unit for Cinema Studies                 University of Illinois
 
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