1939 hunchback movie
Rating: 15/20
Plot: Sigh. . .
If I knew I was going to have to watch my second adaptation of this story in 2019, I would never have decided to make a "favorites of" list for 1939. Of course, I think I've decided that I have a thing for dancing gypsy girls after seeing this and the silent version and being enamored by a pair of dreamy Esmeralda's both times. So there's that.
Wait, am I even allowed to use the word "gypsy" anymore? Now that I've typed it, I'm fairly positive it's not appropriate.
https://now.org/blog/the-g-word-isnt-for-you-how-gypsy-erases-romani-women/
There's my answer. I'm going to go ahead and leave my use of the word up there for all to see because I want to model learning and open-mindedness and growth.
Anyway, who do you think is the hottest Esmeralda? I'm only looking for answers from hunchbacked men, by the way.
Laughton's Quasimodo is quite the charmer here. He reminded me a little of Anthony Hopkins' "elephant man." That line he uses on Esmeralda about how he noticed he's ugly because she's so beautiful is something I'm going to try out if I ever meet an Esmeralda in real life. You know, like if I'm at a Disney theme park and decide to fork over the money to run off to the designated area to have my way with a Disney character. They do have that, right? If not, they're missing a real goldmine of an opportunity. I always figured it would be Dopey with whom I'd want to enjoy time in the secret "Sex with a Disney Character" part of the theme park, but after two Hunchbacks this year, I'm thinking Esmeralda.
But I digress. Laughton's caked in pounds of make-up, and it's either the actual visible discomfort that helps sell the performance or he's just really good as the titular hunchback. His "I'm going away so you don't have to see my ugly face when you're eating" is actually something I have said on multiple dates, by the way.
There's some stuffiness here, but there's also some humor that I liked. The doctor watching the proceedings at the Carnival of Fools or whatever that festival is called (Festival of Fools? Festival of Carnivals? Carnival of Festive Fools) who kept intervening with an "It's flat" like Donnie in Lebowski made me laugh, and I liked the idea of people from Marseilles and Paris fighting over who's got the best whippers.
If nothing else, 1939 movies had some good screams. A climactic scream in this one is another worthy of becoming a Wilhelm-esque bellow.
My favorite scene: the one with beggars scaring the poet. That's probably only because it reminded me of a scene in Gymkata though.
Now I'm going away so that you don't have to see my ugly words while you're eating.
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