Jean Cocteau's classic fairy tale remains one of the cinema's most enchanting and sensuous excursions into the realm of poetic fantasy. It is the story of a merchant who has three daughters, one of whom, called Beauty, combines goodness with loveliness. One night the merchant becomes lost in a great forest during a storm, and is given shelter and fed by a mysterious host who, by light of day, is revealed to be a hideous monster. The Beast accuses the merchant of ingratitude and sentences him to death. Beauty, deciding to take her father's place, goes to the castle of the Beast, who falls in love with her. Though she does not love him, Beauty agrees to live in his home, and is treated kindly by the Beast. Slowly, she comes to feel some emotion for him, and finally to love him.
Beauty and the Beast stands out as one of Cocteau's great successes with its superb photography, magnificent sets and fantastic make-up creations.