Soteriology of Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Popular culture is prevalent in the ability of citizens to conceptualize complex issues and situations within society. Several religious scholars, including John Lyden, propose that elements of popular culture relate to and interact with sociopolitical anomalies in a way that mirrors and mobilizes patterns of religion. As such, these scholars conclude that certain popular culture phenomena act as a kind of religion in and of themselves. Drawing from the work of several such scholars and the concept of soteriology in narrative, I analyze the similarities between two Disney animated films, Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame and their overall interaction with the sociopolitical landscape of the 1990s. Both Beauty and Hunchback provide a lens of commentary, criticism, and guidance in light of the now infamous events that took place during President Bill Clinton's administration. Scientia et Humanitas: A Journal of Student Research 36 Spring 2019 Disney and Theories of Salvation Among the four canonical gospels of the Christian scriptures, the Gospel of Saint John is unique as it seems oddly numinous regarding content. Furthermore, John 3:161 has become one of the most important, influential, and important scriptures in modern day Christendom. This text which tells us that "God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life" would seem to suggest that the crucifixion of Jesus was a freely given act of love to save all people and bring them back to the love of God. While this understanding of salvation is present in certain theological traditions, this idea is incredibly new, emerging only in the past century or two. Historically, soteriology theories of salvation has been defined and characterized by dogma and dominance of power. It states that rather than the crucifixion as a gracious act of love, Jesus submitted to the will and power of God, His father. These two narratives salvation as a product of love and salvation as dominance of the will of God can be found in two of the most popular and critically acclaimed films of the Walt Disney Corporation's "Renaissance" of the 1990's: 1991's Beauty and the Beast, and 1996's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, respectively. In the span of only five years, we can see a very marked shift in the tones and narratives of these films, from love and acceptance to dominance and submission. This is important, because the Walt Disney Corporation occupies a unique position in modern American culture, holding a prominent role in forming culture while simultaneously acting as a massive mirror being held up to the culture itself. Furthermore, as evident with the term "cult following," it is clear in popular imagination that films can often function and act in parareligious capacities. In essence, these films combine aspects of religion with secularized cultural productions. This drastic shift in the salvation narratives of these two films reflects the turbulent socio political landscape of the 1990's, coinciding with the rise and fall of President Bill Clinton and his administration. Furthermore, Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame serve religious functions and interact with politics in a way similar to that of well established religious traditions. Drawing from the work of Gary Kessler, John Lyden, Elizabeth Johnson as well as the findings of Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr and Catherine Lofton, this paper analyses the ways in which Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame convey religious narratives such as soteriology, acting in a way that is analogous to religion. Disney and these films excerpt influence, playing a unique, nuanced role in both the creation and reflection of society. Relevant Scene Descriptions: Conflict to Salvation An analysis of several tableaux from each movie work to elucidate the interplay Soteriology of Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame Middle Tennessee State University 37 between politics and religion. In Beauty and the Beast, one significant scene depicts a mob from the village storming the Beast's castle. Gaston the film's antagonist finds the Beast and fights him. The confrontation takes on ever dramatic overtones as rain starts to pelt both combatants. Belle arrives just as the Beast is about to deliver a final blow to Gaston. When he sees Belle, with whom he has fallen deeply in love by this point in the film, he turns to Gaston and growls, "Get out, and never come back." He lets Gaston go and begins to climb up the castle roof to the balcony where Belle is waiting for him. At the last moment, Gaston comes from behind and stabs the Beast in the back; this, of course, insinuates the cowardice of the film's villain and his characterization as the narrative's true "beast." Gaston then loses his balance, and skulls flash across his eyes as he falls to his death in the gorge below the castle. The Beast collapses onto the balcony and Belle runs to him as the servants watch from the doorway. She tries to coax him from losing consciousness, saying; "Please don't leave me; I love you."2 The Beast stops breathing, and Belle starts sobbing into his lifeless chest; the castle servants bow their heads in the first throws of mourning. The shot then pans back to show Belle and the Beast; colorful sparks of light begin falling from the sky, eventually replacing the rain. The Beast then rises into the sky as a smoke like fog clouds the scene, and he emanates light from his limbs as they transform from paws into hands and feet, eventually suspended in the air, and emanating light. His legs remain extended straight down while his hands and arms fully outstretch at his side. The former Beast then floats down to the floor, inspecting his transformed appendages before looking at the astonished Belle. Likewise, in The Hunchback of Notre Dame3 after Quasimodo saves Esmeralda from the lit pyre on which she was to be burned alive, he carries her up the walls of Notre Dame as the orchestra, choir, and organ thunder the strains of the "Sanctus." Quasimodo lifts Esmeralda high above his head, framing her with the cathedral's famed Rose Window, and cries out in a loud voice "Sanctuary! Sanctuary!" As the wicked Judge Claude Frollo realizes what's happening, he lays siege on the cathedral, leading Quasimodo to throw a series of massive rocks and beams. He also pours molten lead down on the streets of Paris to defend the cathedral and the girl he loves, who is one of the only people who purely returns his affections. While the assault is mostly successful, Quasimodo's master still finds his way inside the cathedral, and Quasimodo confronts Frollo's misguided attempts of achieving "righteousness." Frollo then pulls a knife on the pair, and Quasimodo picks up Esmeralda and runs while Frollo pursues them across the roof. The two eventually hide on one of the gargoyles on the cathedral's exterior walls, and Frollo attempts to climb down to reach them. He stands up on another gargoyle, lifts his sword high over his head, and says "And he shall smite the wicked, and cast them into the fiery pit."4 The garScientia et Humanitas: A Journal of Student Research 38 Spring 2019 goyle on which he is standing cracks, causing Frollo to lose his balance. In a final miasma of nightmarish symbolism, Frollo ends up face to face with the gargoyle, clinging onto the underside of the statue. It comes to life eyes and mouth glowing orange and growls, completely breaking off from the cathedral's walls. This sends the judge plummeting to his death in the lake of molten lead below. By mobilizing these scenes, it becomes possible to apply theoretical frameworks, beginning with the underpinning foundation that these films use to function in ways analogous to religion. In Studying Religion, Gary Kessler proposes that the term "religion" is difficult to accurately pin down.5 He draws from the work of Catherine Albanese6 and proposes a four tiered definition of how we may engage with this concept: "Creed," consisting of proclaimed beliefs; "Code," which consists of rules and regulations which the followers are expected to adhere to; "Cultus," which consists of the ways by which religion is established as an organized group; and "Community," which are the interactions the adherents have within and without their group. In the analysis of these two films, I have found that both exhibit these four criteria in different ways, respective to the type of soteriology present in their narratives. For Beauty and the Beast: "Creed" consists of the soteriological idea that love leads to salvation; "Code" consists of the means by which one is saved, because "If [the Beast] could learn to love another, and earn their love in return the spell would be broken"7 "Cultus" which, for the purposes of this analysis, refers to the thing which drives these narratives forward and moves toward the realization of their soteriological functions is the curse which the Beast must break; and "Community" here functioning as the impact on culture as a whole refers to the immense popularity of the film, often regarded as one of the best films of the Disney Renaissance of the 1990s, which won an Academy Award8 and was nominated9 for five more. Likewise, The Hunchback of Notre Dame's "Creed" is that salvation is found through dogma and as a product of the dominance of God's will; "Code" takes the form of Quasimodo's submission to Frollo's dominance, as seen in a line from the song "Out There," where Frollo says "Remember Quasimodo, this is your sanctuary" (Trousdale and Wise, 1996) "Cultus" takes the form of Frollo and his dominance; and "Community" takes the form of the underwhelming reaction of the film, especially when compared to Beauty and the Beast.10 Now, to see the ways in which film can function as religion, we turn to the work of John Lyden, as proposed in Film as Religion. In Film as Rel