If you ever want to listen to the stage version of hunchback, the music is 10 times richer and the story is darker, it would be incredible to watch you react to it!
Loved your reactions, I lost my ever loving shit 🤣, And the song of Hellfire is about his deep desire to have Esmerelda as his, which given the time, and place of this movie wasn't uncommon for women to be viewed as property. He's still a psychopath, but that's Claude Frollo for ya.
Esmeralda, non-Christian character, singing "God Help the Outcasts" in what's probably one of the most iconic Christian cathedrals is just amazing and powerful.
It's also the most "Christian" moment. What I mean is, the Bible is full of stories of outcasts and underdogs. Jesus, being the son of God, was literally an outcast to his own people and was crucified because of it. The Bible states that everyone is a sinner and believers are no different in that respect, yet hypocrisy and pride has plagued churches since the beginning. People like Judge Frollo are exactly the ones Jesus would've flipped tables over and Esmeralda was the perfect demonstration of faith and humility.
Everything about that song and the animation around it are absolutely perfect. Her praying for others instead of herself. Her asking if God is so good, why doesn't he help those who most need it. And yet she is still willing to believe and ask for others. The beauty of the music, almost a lullaby but with the power of a full orchestra behind it and soaring choral voices. And beauty of the most well known cathedral in all of the world. The stained glass, the architecture. Disney really outdid themselves on this movie. The extremely dark undertones of religious extremism, theocratic power in politics, lust, vice, sin, what is really righteous, who deserves blessings and who doesn't, torture, etc.
The line of "she will be mine or she will burn" has a double meaning kinda because you guessed the whole "Hellfire" meaning burning in hell part but he also means to burn her at the stake if she refuses him.
@@em5522I'd like to claim I figured it out on my own... but no. Saw a comment on another reaction. :D But it's why I love this movie so much, so much depth to it and meanings layered together.
He's shown Pride, Wrath, Lust, Greed, you could argue Sloth for shoving the responsibility of housing Quasi onto the priest, think he's just missing Envy and Gluttony to complete the set 😂
to be fair, it always confuses me in regards of translation, because in slavic languages we have different word for "sinful pride" comparing to normal pride, so being "proud of something" and "prideful" is two different words. So for me taking pride in something is never seen as sin in itself
One thing I read about Quasimodo that has stuck with me for years, is that when he is around other people and speaks to them, he stutters and his words break, but when he is alone he speaks fluently and strong. (This might be more from the musical than from the movie) You can see this as he speaks to the gargoyles, it is all in his head, they aren’t real, but it’s his internal dialogue. He doesn’t struggle to speak with them and you can see how intelligent he truly is and internally he doesn’t struggle with his disabilities. His singing is beautiful and powerful, because it is in his head where is isn’t limited. People judge him for his outward appearance without realizing how intelligent, talented, and caring he is.
they take it even further in musical plays he's supposed to be hard of deaf/hard of hearing and have a speech impediment. he has a slurred speech around others, but he sings and speaks flawlessly on his own/with the gargoyles becauss it acts like an inner monologue
Hellfire is the quintessential song from this movie, it's not only damn good but it really shows you the blackness of Frollo's soul. Also keep in mind that in the book, Frollo is much younger and even a tragic character of sorts, Disney were the ones who made him into this monster you see before you. 19:46 Yes, he wants her so bad that he is willing to BURN DOWN ALL OF PARIS to get her. Truly, the boner that burnt down a city
@@Nevertoleave Around 36 years old, yeah. Man does not age gracefully. Also keep in mind that in the original novel, Frollo was much more sympathetic and even a tragic character. It was Disney who made him a monster
@@Ashurman666If I remember correctly, they took Frollo's character from the book and split him into the Frollo in the movie and the Archdeacon. So Frollo that we see in the movie is basically the evil half of book Frollo.
That man is NOT 36, cause that would imply that when he was about to kill baby quasimodo 20 years ago he was 16. In the disney version he's actually 66.
I think a lot of confusion could've been avoided if you listened to "Heaven's Light" before listening to "Hellfire". They're meant to be listened to back-to-back, to show the difference between how Frollo sees Esmerelda, and how Quasimodo sees her.
The melodic melt between the two song and switch of bells from tiny to big and bellowing, the camera pan from Quasi high up to him on the ground 👌🏾ART ❤️
They are in fact one whole song, and ngl it always frustrates me that ppl treat them like 2 separate songs. Like, I get that it's a common misconception, but there's a reason why, on the official soundtrack for the movie, it's designated as "Heaven's Light/Hellfire"! XD
Yeah, Hellfire is considered the best Disney villain song ever, if not the best villain song period. It's really good, as is all the music from this movie. It is a flawed masterpiece of a film, but a masterpiece nonetheless Also 20:36 the very next thing we see in the movie is the next morning and him being cranky. His captain of the guard asks "are you alright, sir?" and he responds "I had a little trouble with the fireplace"
@@MarcelJ. True. Really, it's just deciding who's god among kings, right? Like Be Prepared, Friends on the Other Side, Poor Unfortunate Souls. There's a reason Disney villain songs are so popular
Hilariously, toward the end of Hellfire, Frollo begs for god to remove the temptation so that he will no longer be tempted to sin. Then a guard comes in and tells him that Esmeralda has disappeared from the cathedral. Which means that she is no longer there to take his time and tempt him and he could just let her vanish into the night. He instead decides to burn down the city to get her back because she's HIS! Dude actually got his prayer answered exactly as asked and rejected the mercy.
And I LOVE that about that scene. Like, his prayer was literally answered. That's his chance to fix himself, to become a decent person. But he doesn't see it. Kinda like that story about a dude during a flood. Staying in his house praying to be saved, says no to people in rowboats, and speedboats, and a helicopter trying to help, cause god will save him. And then he dies and is like "wtf god?" and god is like, "dude I sent SO many people to save your dumb ass"
Some context if you never had any: basically Frollo started to lust for Esmerelda, but because he’s extremely religious, that would mean that he is technically sinning. This movie took place in the 1500s, where “gypsies” (Roma people) were widely hated on and even hunted down. Esmerelda is Roma. So that made him even more vexed. At the beginning of Hellfire, Frollo was begging saint Mary to send Esmerelda away and make her burn in hell, however by the end of the song, Frollo switched to swearing that he’ll burn Esmerelda (at the stake) himself. The giant red figures in the song represent his conscience; constantly repeating the phrase “mea culpa” which means “my fault” which shows at the beginning, he was feeling guilty but tried to shift that guilt and say it was Esmerelda, or the devil’s fault. At the end of the song, you can actually hear his conscience syncing in with his actual voice, meaning he confidently chose to burn Esmerelda. When the song was interrupted by the church worker who informed Frollo that Esmerelda escaped, this actually represented Saint Mary, or Maria, giving Frollo a chance at redemption, however, Frollo still chose the dark side.
Actually, the movie version of Frollo didn't work in the church. He was a Judge or some other highly ranked person of law. The book version of him was the Archdeacon.
@@cyril6658 Again, that's the book version. The Disney version changed that to Minister of Justice that just happened to be religious to a cult-ish degree. Whatever source you're using is either really talking about the book version of Frollo or is simply incorrect. You're gonna wanna compare a lot more sources of info about the Disney version of Frollo specifically. That's one of the most significant differences from the book.
Esmeralda’s “God help the Outcasts” hits so hard for me because she isn’t even asking for anything for herself but for her people and she spends the whole movie fighting for them
It's a little like the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Who is the more righteous person, those who are praying in church every day, but for themselves? Or is it the non-believing Gypsy woman who asks nothing for herself but only for those around her?
What you didn't hear from the first song was the jester or whatever he's called was telling the story of a man and a monster so that's why there's the "who is the monster and who is the man" at the end since at the beginning of the story it's almost implied that he means that quasimodo is the monster when really frollo is the monster in the story.
Oh noooo you missed the entire first half of The Bells of Notre Dame! Darn UA-cam channels that split the song into parts :( It was still fun to see your reaction, it's just that there's so much build up and drama before the part that you saw, it's a bit of a shame.
16:20 from excitement from hearing frollo's voice to immediately getting offended by the very first line of the song xD absolutely love your reactions ❤
20:18 God have mercy on her, god have mercy on me. But she will be mine or she will burn. The chills when you realize he has made his choice already, even knowing it is wrong.
Even more so when you realize he has found a way to justify it so he can absolve himself of guilt. If she accepts him, then he wasn't really lusting, was he? But if she rejects him, then she punishes her for her sin of tempting him into lust. He gets what he wants, either her physically, or her death, and he doesn't have to feel bad about any of it. It is depraved. It is a complete perversion of everything he claims to stand for. One of the darkest moments in all of Disney's films. And the power in those last few bars of music is incredible.
Rapunzel would honestly be everyone's best friend. I honestly don't know how you could turn her away. She is literally a ray of sunshine, happiness in human form. The kind that isn't sickeningly oversweet, but the kind that is so genuine you just feel warm and good because of her. She's genuine and not looking for anything at all. She charmed an entire room of ruthless murderers in like 20 seconds.
in hellfire the red hood men are the Pandemonium, the court of hell, and they literally singing "Mea culpa" which is Latin and mean "my fault". Another incredible details is the fact that God responded to Frollo praying! The guard that tell Frollo about Esmeralda escape is surrendered by blue light and it's faceless symbolizing an angel or God himself giving the chance to Frollo to stop his lust. Such perfect and beautiful song
More specifically it represents Maria(the virgin mary i believe) herself answering his prayers. Because she was who he was praying to, he begged for her to be sent away. But then he spiraled and fell into his lustful obsession choosing to have her or burn her.
@@paolamaria1992 I mean they come from the shadow, sing in Latin and become flames after their verses. Maybe their rob are inspired by Spanish inquisition but it's clearly meant to represent a demonic court judging Frollo
@@paolamaria1992 they come from Shadow and return in the fireplace (which is hell in the contest of the song) by turning in flames themselves. Maybe their robs are inspired by Inquisitor but they're clearly representing a demonic court judging Frollo
@@tooru-kun4178 Frollo is a judge and he's being judged by his own unconscious that took the form of the most notorious judges of the Medieval Europe, the Inquisitors, that's all. The whole interpretation about demons and hellish courts is exclusively yours, it's your right of course but it's not indicated by anything in the scene
Do the songs from Prince of Egypt next please. It will have the same impact as Hunchback of Notre Dame songs. The Prince of Egypt is also one of very very very few animated movies who depict cruelty of the world as it is and as it was in the past. So thats why the songs are so powerful and in some occasions heartbreaking.
blushing, smiling, giggling, covering my mouth with my hand, kicking my feet on my bed, squealing, dying, crying, throwing up, sliding down the wall dramatically, banging my head on the wall, ripping my hair out, whistles loudly, punching air, skydiving with no parachute. In conclusion, I love him so freaking much
I didn't watch it until I was at least in middle school, maybe high school, but I feel like it gets better as you get older because you start to grasp the nuances.
Mine too! I watched it every day when i was 4-5 years old. I just knew there was something about this movie that was special. But back then, i would skip the really hurtful stuff, because they made me sob so hard (like Quasi being beaten up by the crowd, or the Court of Miracles. Or when Frollo tried to kill Quasi etc.). Now that i'm older, the themes of this movie are so impactful for me, it can never be topped by any other Disney movie (imo)
Lion King is absolutely an incredible opening too... and Hunchback still absolutely stands above it. All of Disney's music in their animated films is amazingly well written and made. And Hunchback crushes pretty much all of it with a few exceptions here and there that I would say rise to the same level. But Hellfire and God Help the Outcasts are on the top of the heap forever.
Bells of Notre Dame is my song... when I'm sad, or anxious, or worried, or need to get pumped! There's an amazing quartet plus orchestra version here on UA-cam but nothing beats the movie or the west end productions version imo.
I'm so happy you listened to both Hellfire and God Help the Outcasts because those are my two favorite songs from this! I feel like this movie is so underrated compared to other Disney movies. Especially since a lot of times people watch it when they're younger and move "Disney movie age" and get a little bored but when people watch it as they get older they tend to like it a lot more!
Just started the video, but the context behind first scene you reacted to is that Frolo is the main Judge of Paris (who back then were men from Church), and he has a huge hatered of Romani people. The woman that he killed at the steps of Notre Dame was one of the Romani group that tried to flee Paris, but apprehended by Frolo's men, the woman with the child tried to flee and Frolo chased after her. And as I mentioned, Frolo himself was from the Church, a man that had to take Vows, which explains how he got afraid of statues and why he feels conflicted in Hellfite regarding his feelings towards Esmeralda. Because again, he's a man of the religion and hates Romani people, yet he has feelings for Esmeralda.
Disney has always done a really good job of having two sorts of stories in the same film... a simpler version for kids, and a much more weighty one for the older kids and adults who can understand the implications being made. Hunchback... exactly like you said. Yea pretty colors and dancing people. Ha ha ha. Adults: Holy God this movie is dark and Frollo is straight up pure evil.
One of the many messed up things in hellfire is that arguably, god does answer his prayers here. Just before the last bit of his freak-out the guard comes, letting in just a small bit of blue light into the red hell lit room, and lets him know Esmerelda escaped and asking what he wants to do. In essence its his last chance to turn around his path, he could just let her go here and be "free of her" as he requested as she's now escaped! But no, he chooses to continue pursuing his obsession and closes the door on gods last gift.
The writers and animators for this film were incredibly good with visual storytelling and symbolism. As a kid the film is beautiful and full of humor and colors. But as an adult the whole thing is this masterpiece explorations of self-righteous desires and justifying them by twisting your beliefs, helping others vs yourself, etc.
Tony Jay was phenomenal as Frollo. He's definitely one of the most realistic villains, and he scared me a lot as a kid. Hellfire is just ... perfection as a villain song too.
A point for Hellfire - you probably didn't notice the Latin singing. During the first verse, the Latin between Frollo's lines translates roughly to: And to you, Father, I confess that I have sinned In word, in thought And in deed The faceless hooded monks also chant "Mea culpa" several times, meaning "I'm guilty" as Frollo tells them it's not his fault. His conscience definitely knows that it IS his fault, but he's refusing to accept it, trying to make out it's all Esmeralda's fault that he lusts after her.
You should definitely check out the musical!!! It's equally awesome and its whole soundtrack is just one long (and very sad towards the end) bop! Ciara Renée has the most gorgeous voice I've ever heard and Michael Arden as Quasi and Patrick Page (aka Hades from Hadestown among other roles) as Frollo is simply phenomenal casting. I'd recommend songs like the intro (which has changed a little), Rhythm of the Tambourine (aka Esmeralda's awesome entrance), Esmeralda (I believe the end of act 1- and what an end!), Someday (this makes me cry every time), Rest and Recreation (Phoebus actually gets backstory!), and Top of the World. All of these are original- or changed from the movie, in the case of the Bells of Notre Dame- and are wonderful!
I was literally just coming into the comments to see if anyone else was going to recommend the musical to him because if not then I was gonna go for it - I love all the changes made and definitely second this suggestion!
Patrick Page's rendition of Hellfire is so good! I was fortunate enough to see him and the original stage cast perform at La Jolla Playhouse (San Diego, California).
It's so good!!!!! I had the privilege of seeing it twice at the premiere in San Diego. It was PHENOMENAL and I will be forever angry at Disney for passing it up for the Frozen Broadway show ugh
I haven't even gotten through the first two minutes, but when I saw this, I knew I had to request that you listen to the stage musical version of this. There are additional songs, and it's more accurate to the book (with some changes made for storytelling and such.) My favorites just off the top of my head and in no particular order: Esmeralda, In a Court of Miracles, Someday, Top of the World, and Made of Stone.
Others have said it, but just to confirm: that clip of the Bells of Notre Dame started you halfway through the song, which is why the story just seems to start so abruptly and with no context.
Found interesting how during "Out There" you said you were kinda expecting for him to sing "part of your world", and you'll be surprised to hear both movies had the same composer (the amazing Alan Menken), so good catch!
This movie is one of my favourites from the renaissance era of Disney movies. Super cool video; true inner-child work! I think you'd really like Road to El Dorado music as well.
i wish more people noticed heaven's light. it's not as incredible as hellfire but it's not meant to be as grandiose because quasi is the complete opposite of frollo. sets up a really nice tonal shift & comparison between the two imo :)
“this dude is like the most pretentious wanker!” ur so right lmao also, I wanna point out something fun about the lyrics of hellfire. at the beginning when he says, “you know I am a righteous man, of my virtue I am justly proud”, he fails to acknowledge that pride is also a sin. and it’s funny how he has to explain to god what he’s like instead of it showing through his actions, because his actions are always backed up by selfishness. he doesn’t do anything just to be a good person, he always has to gain something from it. in bells of notre dame, the only reason he doesn’t get rid of quosimodo is because of his fear of god. and he then uses that choice to act high and mighty. other interesting facts about hellfire is that he spends the start of the song begging for esmeralda to either choose him or leave, but when he’s told she has left, he gets angry and decides to hunt her down. u commented about it too but I just love how he deflects any sort of blame by blaming anyone but himself even going as far as to blame the very god he’s praying to. it’s even funnier how he blames god for making the devil and for making it stronger than his will, but that excuse would never fly if anyone but him used it. he thinks of himself as above everyone, even god.
Also at 12:16, you mentioned "is no one hearing this...." and speaking from experience from when i visited Paris and got to visit the top of Notre Dame: You are actually a fair distance up, and that's quite a distance for sound to travel, and get lost.
Tom Hulce, who played Amadeus in the 1984 film, is the voice (also singing voice) for Quasimodo. I think he's still active in theater, but retired from film.
This is one of my all time fave Disney movies that definitely hits different as an adult. I have no shame admitting how much the music hits me emotionally. They use Out There in the fireworks show in Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, and every time I hear it, IM A MESS!
‘Out there’ is one of the most underrated songs ever. I get literal goosebumps when I hear it! ♥️ love all the songs of the hunchback. The stageplay musical adaptation is one of the best out there. And still does deserve to be on broadway some day!♥️🤩
Love your reactions as always! Only one note-- "Hellfire" is proceeded by the short song "Heaven's Light" sung by Quasimodo, which is also about Esmeralda
You think THESE are good? Listen to the full stage musical cast album. THOSE are MASTERPIECES. ESPECIALLY Michael Arden as Quasimodo, he is absolutely bonkers. 😭🫶 Out There, Made Of Stone, Heavens Light, THOSE ESPECIALLY will make you cry and give you chills. I saw the cast perform live at the Papermill Playhouse I believe it was, and Alan Menken (the composer) was there and EVERY SINGLE SONG had a standing ovation, and tear. It wasn’t even opening or closing it was MID-RUN.
This is one of the movies that you can find entretaining as a kid but you really get when you grow up. The music is incredible, the story is so dark for disney and the animation is beautiful, just one of the best animated movies ever.
The builders of the freaky deeky ass statues literally would be so pleased with themselves to hear that their statues spooked you into being the Goodest Boi TM. That was literally the whole point lmfao
Frodo is such a creep, and ruthless especially in the song of Hell fire. He's even worse in the book of the Hunchback. Also while watching your reaction to Quasimodo ringing the bells, and wondering if he would go deff. In the book he actually dues go deff from ringing the bells. The book is lot more darker than Disney's movie of the Hunchback.
YEEESSSSS FINALLY, I FUCKING ADORE THE MUSIC SCORE IN THIS FILM!!!!!! The fact that broadway refused it blows my mind. Also, I watched this first in Spanish (Latino) omg I wish you could hear it, it’s amazing!!!!
I know, right?! Though, I suppose to be fair, Broadway refused it because the cost to stage it and pay the gigantic chorus that Steven Schwartz refused to diminish (rightly so) as well as cast and musicians would be astronomical, essentially lol. And they weren't willing to gamble that investment. So they bet it on Frozen instead.
It is one of my favourite soundtrack scores of all time, and I still hold out hope that one day a full scale production will enjoy a stay on a big stage. In the West End in the UK, we've had various adaptions in various forms since 2000, but each time it's been met with really bad reviews (in part because they made the mistake of coming to the West End and using a backing track instead of a live orchestra which is one of the worst decisions producers could have made). I really like the ensemble for the stage production in the US, though some of the male leads lack the range required to do it justice. For instance, that final male vocal D5 in Bells should not be done in the falsetto (which is what happened on the official soundtrack recording), it should be done with a strong resonance head voice with a very forward placement so that it can be heard alongside the female sopranos and stand out from the ensemble. I haven't heard many male vocalists tackle it full on (at the same time I know it's not easy whatsoever), though there's a handful of people I would love to see play Clopin in a live stage performance, Matthew Bateman particularly. During the covid pandemic, there were a bunch of UK West End performers who put together a cover of Bells of Notre Dame ( ua-cam.com/video/6hRutMuE8DI/v-deo.html ) and it's my favourite version by far. Keeping in mind that this was all recorded on each of their home microphones and not in a studio, I would love to hear it live lol.
If you liked Coraline, you need to see The Nightmare Before Christmas, James And The Giant Peach, and Corpse Bride! 😎 Henry Selick worked on all of them, and these three are musicals with unforgettable songs!
Fun fact: this movie was disney's only movie thats even more darker than the original book. And worse, this was a toned down version of the movie, originally, in the testing of the movie, in the song "hellfire" esmeralda appears naked in the fire, small lines were added later to give an illusion of clothing
They actually turned the movie into a stage musical intended for broadway! There are so many changes in the songs (plus new ones) and the vocals are stunning! It's definitely worth a listen!! One of the best stage recordings ever in my opinion!
20:40 so there are guards outside of the room with one knocking on the door to tell him Esmeralda is gone As a kid I always imagined what happened after the guard closed the door Guard 1- sigh Guard 2- is he singing to the fireplace again? Guard 1- yep
Fun fact, Quasidomo, in the novel that the movie was based on, actually was deaf. Also not so fun fact, back in the day, apparantly Frollo had quite a following of people thirsting for him
Frollo was not condemning Esmeralda to hell (he wouldn’t consider that necessary: she was a Gypsy, and a heretic; therefore she was already going there) Frollo was condemning Esmeralda to *_literal_* death by fire. If she turned him down, he was going to have her burned at the stake.
Hi Matthew. Sorry about the sun over in Australia. You can have Boston’s blizzard if you want. Currently watching 13 inches of snow accumulate outside my house.
The stage musical has Quasimodo talk with a speech impediment because he actually is deaf from the bells. But when he sings he speaks clearly since the songs are in his head anyways.
"The Bells of Notre Dame" is actually a longer song, I'm wondering why your version starts so late? Or at least it seems that way. Anyway, the songs are so epic^^
The genius of Quasimodo is that he's literally a Disney Princess in every way in terms of his character. He even gets the I Want song that princesses have.
Fun fact: the gargoyles were specifically to inspire fear as a method of social control. Frollo is scared of the saints in the beginning but fun parallel.
Singing Hellfire took a LOT out of Tony Jay. Poor guy was absolutely exhausted. He performed that song so amazingly that I asked my mom to rewind the tape so I can hear it again when I first watched this so so long ago. It absolutely blew me away.
I love the hunchback of Notre dame ! it is my favorite Disney movie and the music is amazing! This is the darkest movie Disney has ever made and the gustiest they ever got with their films and its content. Frollo gaslights and abuses quasi throughout the movie, he also gaslights and manipulates the soldiers under his control, and convinces himself that he is a good and righteous person. In my opinion one of Allan Mencken's best Compositions. Frollo is terrifying and such a well written villain! Frollo only keeps Quassi out of religious guilt.
Bro Quasi is so Husband material because hear me out: He has been locked away since he was a literal infant and has zero social skills whatsoever and his only role model is Frodo but when he saw Esmerelda taking an interest in another man, he stayed loyal and didn't sell them out or beat up the handsome blonde man or something like that. He actually helped them. THAT IS AMAZING AND SO HUSBAND MATERIALS. Blonde guy is still hot asf tho.
This movie is one of my favorites! It makes me so emotional just hearing it. It's so wonderful seeing someone listening to it for the first time. Truly a masterpiece of music.
Frollo feels conflicted that he is attracted to Esmeralda. Bc she’s a Romani and in his eyes, hedonistic. He ultimately gives into his lust and dedicates his self to a witch hunt for her and her people. This movie has a bunch of juxtaposition throughout. Examples of the songs doing this are: In here/ Out there, Heavens Light/ Hellfire. This movie is a masterclass in putting two groups of people, and their ideals against each other. In doing this, the question is answered. “Who is the monster, and who is the man?” Frollo is terrifying as a villain. He doesn’t look like a monster, he doesn’t have horns or tentacles. He’s not even a witch. This story diverges from normal fairy tail stories in this regard. Teaching us that the real monsters of this world look like you and I. They could be your neighbor, your teacher, your priest, a judge, literally anyone. Teaching the audience that the conventional way fairy tale stories judge characters by the way they look is wrong. “It is not our abilities that decide who we are, but our choices.” This quote from Harry Potter fits quite perfectly in the narrative. A bunch of people hate this movie because Frollo is “too evil.” Many people claim to have left the theater because the story made them feel uncomfortable. I argue that is the exact point of the plot. If someone watched this movie, and were not disgusted in Frollo’s actions in any way, I’d tell that person to get some serious therapy.
You need to check out the musical soundtrack! It takes all this gorgeous music and just amps it up even more! Also, need to try that first song again with the entire first half of the song that you missed!
did you know there's a broadway musical too! with a BRILLIANT bootleg. i will warn it goes with the book ending but it's still beautiful and i adore it
I’m sure others have recommended it already but I suggest looking into the stage musical for a hunchback, it’s phenomenal and the added songs are some of my favorites. Made of stone I recommend in particular as the vocal performance is truly amazing and it’s a deeply emotional song (when i was in crew for the show the actors would literally come off stage and start crying because of it).
all aboard the Disney train
choo choo
If you ever want to listen to the stage version of hunchback, the music is 10 times richer and the story is darker, it would be incredible to watch you react to it!
Choo choo!
"This dude is like the most pretentious wanker"
-Mathew McKenna 13/02/2024
Loved your reactions, I lost my ever loving shit 🤣, And the song of Hellfire is about his deep desire to have Esmerelda as his, which given the time, and place of this movie wasn't uncommon for women to be viewed as property. He's still a psychopath, but that's Claude Frollo for ya.
You know how you said he'd be deaf cause of the bells? He actually was in the original story of this!
And in most/all of the stage show adaptations
@@TheWiseGrif Oh really! I didn't know that! That's cool to know :)
Some productions even cast a hard of hearing/deaf Quasi and have onr of the Gargoyles sing for him
Look up 5th Avenue Theater's production, which some is available on youtube
Hey you ought to give Quest for Camelot a try, it has some amazing songs!
Esmeralda, non-Christian character, singing "God Help the Outcasts" in what's probably one of the most iconic Christian cathedrals is just amazing and powerful.
I mean, is she non-Christian?
It's really powerful and beautiful. Plus her praying to God to help others, while those around her are all praying for themselves is powerful.
It's also the most "Christian" moment. What I mean is, the Bible is full of stories of outcasts and underdogs. Jesus, being the son of God, was literally an outcast to his own people and was crucified because of it. The Bible states that everyone is a sinner and believers are no different in that respect, yet hypocrisy and pride has plagued churches since the beginning. People like Judge Frollo are exactly the ones Jesus would've flipped tables over and Esmeralda was the perfect demonstration of faith and humility.
Everything about that song and the animation around it are absolutely perfect. Her praying for others instead of herself. Her asking if God is so good, why doesn't he help those who most need it. And yet she is still willing to believe and ask for others. The beauty of the music, almost a lullaby but with the power of a full orchestra behind it and soaring choral voices. And beauty of the most well known cathedral in all of the world. The stained glass, the architecture. Disney really outdid themselves on this movie. The extremely dark undertones of religious extremism, theocratic power in politics, lust, vice, sin, what is really righteous, who deserves blessings and who doesn't, torture, etc.
While everyone around her prays for selfish thing's
As she prays for others
The line of "she will be mine or she will burn" has a double meaning kinda because you guessed the whole "Hellfire" meaning burning in hell part but he also means to burn her at the stake if she refuses him.
Yeah, a few lines before or after that he literally says "Choose me or your pyre". He means it in every sense of the word
@@lauramurat3182pyre?
There's also a third meaning. He wants control of all Paris... and if she can't be his, she will burn. And he burns her.
@@mycroft16 ooh, that's a really good interpretation I didn't think of before.
@@em5522I'd like to claim I figured it out on my own... but no. Saw a comment on another reaction. :D But it's why I love this movie so much, so much depth to it and meanings layered together.
Also, how ironic is it that Frollo sings "Of my virtue, I am justly proud." Pride is one of the seven sins!
He's shown Pride, Wrath, Lust, Greed, you could argue Sloth for shoving the responsibility of housing Quasi onto the priest, think he's just missing Envy and Gluttony to complete the set 😂
And it's opposite hevenly virtue is humility, something the all the heroes embody but Frollo could use a helping of.
@@foxblaze1505Book Frollo definitely had envy too, since he stabbed Phoebus because Esmeralda was into him.
Pride is, in the tradition that subscribes to them, the worst of the seven deadly sins and the one Lucifer is guilty of.
to be fair, it always confuses me in regards of translation, because in slavic languages we have different word for "sinful pride" comparing to normal pride, so being "proud of something" and "prideful" is two different words. So for me taking pride in something is never seen as sin in itself
One thing I read about Quasimodo that has stuck with me for years, is that when he is around other people and speaks to them, he stutters and his words break, but when he is alone he speaks fluently and strong. (This might be more from the musical than from the movie) You can see this as he speaks to the gargoyles, it is all in his head, they aren’t real, but it’s his internal dialogue. He doesn’t struggle to speak with them and you can see how intelligent he truly is and internally he doesn’t struggle with his disabilities. His singing is beautiful and powerful, because it is in his head where is isn’t limited. People judge him for his outward appearance without realizing how intelligent, talented, and caring he is.
they take it even further in musical plays
he's supposed to be hard of deaf/hard of hearing and have a speech impediment. he has a slurred speech around others, but he sings and speaks flawlessly on his own/with the gargoyles becauss it acts like an inner monologue
They even use some sign language in the musical (at least the version I saw)
Hellfire is the quintessential song from this movie, it's not only damn good but it really shows you the blackness of Frollo's soul. Also keep in mind that in the book, Frollo is much younger and even a tragic character of sorts, Disney were the ones who made him into this monster you see before you.
19:46 Yes, he wants her so bad that he is willing to BURN DOWN ALL OF PARIS to get her. Truly, the boner that burnt down a city
He’s in his 30’s???? I thought like 70’s
@@Nevertoleave Around 36 years old, yeah. Man does not age gracefully. Also keep in mind that in the original novel, Frollo was much more sympathetic and even a tragic character. It was Disney who made him a monster
@@Ashurman666If I remember correctly, they took Frollo's character from the book and split him into the Frollo in the movie and the Archdeacon. So Frollo that we see in the movie is basically the evil half of book Frollo.
That man is NOT 36, cause that would imply that when he was about to kill baby quasimodo 20 years ago he was 16. In the disney version he's actually 66.
@@sS0O0L Then it's probably in the book where he's 36
In this episode, Mathew learns about Renaissance Catholicism.
It’s sophomore year at catholic school all over again.
I think a lot of confusion could've been avoided if you listened to "Heaven's Light" before listening to "Hellfire". They're meant to be listened to back-to-back, to show the difference between how Frollo sees Esmerelda, and how Quasimodo sees her.
The melodic melt between the two song and switch of bells from tiny to big and bellowing, the camera pan from Quasi high up to him on the ground 👌🏾ART ❤️
I knowwww Heaven's Light is my fave song i so wish it was longer
They are in fact one whole song, and ngl it always frustrates me that ppl treat them like 2 separate songs. Like, I get that it's a common misconception, but there's a reason why, on the official soundtrack for the movie, it's designated as "Heaven's Light/Hellfire"! XD
Yeah, Hellfire is considered the best Disney villain song ever, if not the best villain song period. It's really good, as is all the music from this movie. It is a flawed masterpiece of a film, but a masterpiece nonetheless
Also 20:36 the very next thing we see in the movie is the next morning and him being cranky. His captain of the guard asks "are you alright, sir?" and he responds "I had a little trouble with the fireplace"
I feel like 'Savages' is also a contender.
@@MarcelJ. True. Really, it's just deciding who's god among kings, right? Like Be Prepared, Friends on the Other Side, Poor Unfortunate Souls. There's a reason Disney villain songs are so popular
lmao, i didn't remember that
Idk man I love Hellfire but Be Prepared and Savages are probably my favourites I think people sleep tf on other Disney songs 😭😔
Friends on the other side its preatty up there top 5 I say.
Hilariously, toward the end of Hellfire, Frollo begs for god to remove the temptation so that he will no longer be tempted to sin. Then a guard comes in and tells him that Esmeralda has disappeared from the cathedral. Which means that she is no longer there to take his time and tempt him and he could just let her vanish into the night.
He instead decides to burn down the city to get her back because she's HIS!
Dude actually got his prayer answered exactly as asked and rejected the mercy.
And I LOVE that about that scene.
Like, his prayer was literally answered. That's his chance to fix himself, to become a decent person. But he doesn't see it.
Kinda like that story about a dude during a flood. Staying in his house praying to be saved, says no to people in rowboats, and speedboats, and a helicopter trying to help, cause god will save him. And then he dies and is like "wtf god?" and god is like, "dude I sent SO many people to save your dumb ass"
It’s also the only light that looks heavenly in the scene
Some context if you never had any: basically Frollo started to lust for Esmerelda, but because he’s extremely religious, that would mean that he is technically sinning. This movie took place in the 1500s, where “gypsies” (Roma people) were widely hated on and even hunted down. Esmerelda is Roma. So that made him even more vexed. At the beginning of Hellfire, Frollo was begging saint Mary to send Esmerelda away and make her burn in hell, however by the end of the song, Frollo switched to swearing that he’ll burn Esmerelda (at the stake) himself. The giant red figures in the song represent his conscience; constantly repeating the phrase “mea culpa” which means “my fault” which shows at the beginning, he was feeling guilty but tried to shift that guilt and say it was Esmerelda, or the devil’s fault. At the end of the song, you can actually hear his conscience syncing in with his actual voice, meaning he confidently chose to burn Esmerelda. When the song was interrupted by the church worker who informed Frollo that Esmerelda escaped, this actually represented Saint Mary, or Maria, giving Frollo a chance at redemption, however, Frollo still chose the dark side.
Actually, the movie version of Frollo didn't work in the church. He was a Judge or some other highly ranked person of law. The book version of him was the Archdeacon.
@@AMStryx oh? When I look it up it actually says Frollo is/was a catholic clergyman
I don’t think I’d give him the mercy of calling it a “crush” 😅
that’s full blown lust, he doesn’t love her one bit
@@seesawseesaw ah. You’re definitely right on that point😅
@@cyril6658 Again, that's the book version. The Disney version changed that to Minister of Justice that just happened to be religious to a cult-ish degree. Whatever source you're using is either really talking about the book version of Frollo or is simply incorrect. You're gonna wanna compare a lot more sources of info about the Disney version of Frollo specifically. That's one of the most significant differences from the book.
Ariel and Quasimodo would be the anthropologist team for the ages fr
We've got to get Milo in on this.
Should add Pleakley aswell lol
Ariel - archeologist
Quasimodo - sociologist
Milo - linguist
(As an anthropological team, of course)
@@hgdellinger Add simba as the mascot, what anthropological team doesn't need a fucking lion?
Esmeralda’s “God help the Outcasts” hits so hard for me because she isn’t even asking for anything for herself but for her people and she spends the whole movie fighting for them
It's a little like the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Who is the more righteous person, those who are praying in church every day, but for themselves? Or is it the non-believing Gypsy woman who asks nothing for herself but only for those around her?
Hellfire is about his lust for Esmeralda
What you didn't hear from the first song was the jester or whatever he's called was telling the story of a man and a monster so that's why there's the "who is the monster and who is the man" at the end since at the beginning of the story it's almost implied that he means that quasimodo is the monster when really frollo is the monster in the story.
It’s SUCH A GOOD LINE
So annoying that UA-cam recordings start in the middle
Oh noooo you missed the entire first half of The Bells of Notre Dame! Darn UA-cam channels that split the song into parts :(
It was still fun to see your reaction, it's just that there's so much build up and drama before the part that you saw, it's a bit of a shame.
I can't believe how far down I had to scroll to find this comment, I was super confused! Like "Why is no one talking about this!?"
LITERALLY ITS SO GOOD
YES I was so confused
God help the outcasts is such a beautiful song. esmeralda’s voice, the lyrics and the overall sound of the song are all so pretty and heartbreaking :]
16:20
from excitement from hearing frollo's voice to immediately getting offended by the very first line of the song xD absolutely love your reactions ❤
20:18 God have mercy on her, god have mercy on me. But she will be mine or she will burn.
The chills when you realize he has made his choice already, even knowing it is wrong.
Even more so when you realize he has found a way to justify it so he can absolve himself of guilt. If she accepts him, then he wasn't really lusting, was he? But if she rejects him, then she punishes her for her sin of tempting him into lust. He gets what he wants, either her physically, or her death, and he doesn't have to feel bad about any of it. It is depraved. It is a complete perversion of everything he claims to stand for. One of the darkest moments in all of Disney's films. And the power in those last few bars of music is incredible.
I think Quasimodo and Rapunzel would be the best of friends.
Morloth88 is an artist who has done a massive Disney Crossover comic series; think you'd like it!
Rapunzel would honestly be everyone's best friend. I honestly don't know how you could turn her away. She is literally a ray of sunshine, happiness in human form. The kind that isn't sickeningly oversweet, but the kind that is so genuine you just feel warm and good because of her. She's genuine and not looking for anything at all. She charmed an entire room of ruthless murderers in like 20 seconds.
@@mycroft16REALLL
yess their personalities complement each other well and they would relate to each other hard
Frollo is the scariest villain because he's too real
Exactly. There are so many people in this world who are just like him.
in hellfire the red hood men are the Pandemonium, the court of hell, and they literally singing "Mea culpa" which is Latin and mean "my fault".
Another incredible details is the fact that God responded to Frollo praying! The guard that tell Frollo about Esmeralda escape is surrendered by blue light and it's faceless symbolizing an angel or God himself giving the chance to Frollo to stop his lust.
Such perfect and beautiful song
More specifically it represents Maria(the virgin mary i believe) herself answering his prayers. Because she was who he was praying to, he begged for her to be sent away. But then he spiraled and fell into his lustful obsession choosing to have her or burn her.
Actually no, they're the Inquisitors. They even have the traditional clothes of the Spanish Inquisition, nothing to do with demons and Hell
@@paolamaria1992 I mean they come from the shadow, sing in Latin and become flames after their verses. Maybe their rob are inspired by Spanish inquisition but it's clearly meant to represent a demonic court judging Frollo
@@paolamaria1992 they come from Shadow and return in the fireplace (which is hell in the contest of the song) by turning in flames themselves. Maybe their robs are inspired by Inquisitor but they're clearly representing a demonic court judging Frollo
@@tooru-kun4178 Frollo is a judge and he's being judged by his own unconscious that took the form of the most notorious judges of the Medieval Europe, the Inquisitors, that's all. The whole interpretation about demons and hellish courts is exclusively yours, it's your right of course but it's not indicated by anything in the scene
The fact that the first half of the first song is missing is making my brain hurt... YOU CAN'T START IN THE MIDDLE! xD xD xD
Do the songs from Prince of Egypt next please. It will have the same impact as Hunchback of Notre Dame songs. The Prince of Egypt is also one of very very very few animated movies who depict cruelty of the world as it is and as it was in the past. So thats why the songs are so powerful and in some occasions heartbreaking.
That movie is absolutely top notch, and the music is phenomenal. It doesn't get enough love from people. Anastasia is another extremely good one.
blushing, smiling, giggling, covering my mouth with my hand, kicking my feet on my bed, squealing, dying, crying, throwing up, sliding down the wall dramatically, banging my head on the wall, ripping my hair out, whistles loudly, punching air, skydiving with no parachute. In conclusion, I love him so freaking much
Same, Frollo is such a cutie
@@tortoiseoflegends4466 Agree
bro what😭😭
Who
@@tortoiseoflegends4466yesss wait what? Frollo?😭
Omg did you seariously only hear the second half of Bells!? The first half is some of my favorite lines ever!
Hunchback has always been my favorite Disney movie since I was like 5 years old. It goes over genuine issues and the animation is incredible
Right?! The Sanctuary scene towards the end (the music, the animation, the acting) still gives me shivers even to this day!
I didn't watch it until I was at least in middle school, maybe high school, but I feel like it gets better as you get older because you start to grasp the nuances.
Mine too! I watched it every day when i was 4-5 years old. I just knew there was something about this movie that was special. But back then, i would skip the really hurtful stuff, because they made me sob so hard (like Quasi being beaten up by the crowd, or the Court of Miracles. Or when Frollo tried to kill Quasi etc.). Now that i'm older, the themes of this movie are so impactful for me, it can never be topped by any other Disney movie (imo)
I will DIE on this fucking hill: the hunchback of notre dame has the best disney opening. Even better than the lion king. There I said it
Lion King is absolutely an incredible opening too... and Hunchback still absolutely stands above it. All of Disney's music in their animated films is amazingly well written and made. And Hunchback crushes pretty much all of it with a few exceptions here and there that I would say rise to the same level. But Hellfire and God Help the Outcasts are on the top of the heap forever.
Bells of Notre Dame is my song... when I'm sad, or anxious, or worried, or need to get pumped! There's an amazing quartet plus orchestra version here on UA-cam but nothing beats the movie or the west end productions version imo.
I'm so happy you listened to both Hellfire and God Help the Outcasts because those are my two favorite songs from this! I feel like this movie is so underrated compared to other Disney movies. Especially since a lot of times people watch it when they're younger and move "Disney movie age" and get a little bored but when people watch it as they get older they tend to like it a lot more!
Just started the video, but the context behind first scene you reacted to is that Frolo is the main Judge of Paris (who back then were men from Church), and he has a huge hatered of Romani people. The woman that he killed at the steps of Notre Dame was one of the Romani group that tried to flee Paris, but apprehended by Frolo's men, the woman with the child tried to flee and Frolo chased after her.
And as I mentioned, Frolo himself was from the Church, a man that had to take Vows, which explains how he got afraid of statues and why he feels conflicted in Hellfite regarding his feelings towards Esmeralda. Because again, he's a man of the religion and hates Romani people, yet he has feelings for Esmeralda.
I watched Hunchback as a kid, walked away with a vague memory of Feast of Fools.
Grew up, watched it again, Hellfire on loop ever since
Disney has always done a really good job of having two sorts of stories in the same film... a simpler version for kids, and a much more weighty one for the older kids and adults who can understand the implications being made. Hunchback... exactly like you said. Yea pretty colors and dancing people. Ha ha ha. Adults: Holy God this movie is dark and Frollo is straight up pure evil.
One of the many messed up things in hellfire is that arguably, god does answer his prayers here. Just before the last bit of his freak-out the guard comes, letting in just a small bit of blue light into the red hell lit room, and lets him know Esmerelda escaped and asking what he wants to do. In essence its his last chance to turn around his path, he could just let her go here and be "free of her" as he requested as she's now escaped! But no, he chooses to continue pursuing his obsession and closes the door on gods last gift.
The writers and animators for this film were incredibly good with visual storytelling and symbolism. As a kid the film is beautiful and full of humor and colors. But as an adult the whole thing is this masterpiece explorations of self-righteous desires and justifying them by twisting your beliefs, helping others vs yourself, etc.
Tony Jay was phenomenal as Frollo. He's definitely one of the most realistic villains, and he scared me a lot as a kid. Hellfire is just ... perfection as a villain song too.
He also voiced the Asylum owner from Beauty and the Beast
A point for Hellfire - you probably didn't notice the Latin singing. During the first verse, the Latin between Frollo's lines translates roughly to:
And to you, Father,
I confess that I have sinned
In word, in thought
And in deed
The faceless hooded monks also chant "Mea culpa" several times, meaning "I'm guilty" as Frollo tells them it's not his fault. His conscience definitely knows that it IS his fault, but he's refusing to accept it, trying to make out it's all Esmeralda's fault that he lusts after her.
“It’s like Rapunzel from Tangled” I always say Mother Gothel is Lady Tremane (Cinderella’s step mother) and Follo’s love child
You should definitely check out the musical!!! It's equally awesome and its whole soundtrack is just one long (and very sad towards the end) bop! Ciara Renée has the most gorgeous voice I've ever heard and Michael Arden as Quasi and Patrick Page (aka Hades from Hadestown among other roles) as Frollo is simply phenomenal casting. I'd recommend songs like the intro (which has changed a little), Rhythm of the Tambourine (aka Esmeralda's awesome entrance), Esmeralda (I believe the end of act 1- and what an end!), Someday (this makes me cry every time), Rest and Recreation (Phoebus actually gets backstory!), and Top of the World. All of these are original- or changed from the movie, in the case of the Bells of Notre Dame- and are wonderful!
I was literally just coming into the comments to see if anyone else was going to recommend the musical to him because if not then I was gonna go for it - I love all the changes made and definitely second this suggestion!
Patrick Page's rendition of Hellfire is so good! I was fortunate enough to see him and the original stage cast perform at La Jolla Playhouse (San Diego, California).
It's so good!!!!! I had the privilege of seeing it twice at the premiere in San Diego. It was PHENOMENAL and I will be forever angry at Disney for passing it up for the Frozen Broadway show ugh
I love that "I'm evil and horny" is the best villain song. I wish Disney would do this kind of dark themed movie again
Disney fooled the MPAA into giving this movie a G rating, but I doubt they could pull that off again.
Ever heard the long version of "Toxic Love" from Ferngully? Evil and horny definitely make great villain songs.
'you never can run from nor hide what you've done from the eyes..!" has always tickled my brain
I haven't even gotten through the first two minutes, but when I saw this, I knew I had to request that you listen to the stage musical version of this. There are additional songs, and it's more accurate to the book (with some changes made for storytelling and such.) My favorites just off the top of my head and in no particular order: Esmeralda, In a Court of Miracles, Someday, Top of the World, and Made of Stone.
I commented the same. Even just Quasimodo's transition in "Out There" from his character's speaking voice to him going OFF! mm, so good!
I could talk for hours about this musical. I also hope they rewrite it and/or make some revisions so that there's not a slur in every scene 🫠
Others have said it, but just to confirm: that clip of the Bells of Notre Dame started you halfway through the song, which is why the story just seems to start so abruptly and with no context.
Found interesting how during "Out There" you said you were kinda expecting for him to sing "part of your world", and you'll be surprised to hear both movies had the same composer (the amazing Alan Menken), so good catch!
HE STARTED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BELLS OF NOTRE DAME??!?
I'm SO GLAD you made this video!!!!! Hunchback of Notre Dame is my favorite Disney movie ever created❤❤❤
This movie is one of my favourites from the renaissance era of Disney movies. Super cool video; true inner-child work!
I think you'd really like Road to El Dorado music as well.
Yes! Road to El Dorado music next! Some of those songs feel like an acid trip
i wish more people noticed heaven's light. it's not as incredible as hellfire but it's not meant to be as grandiose because quasi is the complete opposite of frollo. sets up a really nice tonal shift & comparison between the two imo :)
“this dude is like the most pretentious wanker!” ur so right lmao
also, I wanna point out something fun about the lyrics of hellfire. at the beginning when he says, “you know I am a righteous man, of my virtue I am justly proud”, he fails to acknowledge that pride is also a sin. and it’s funny how he has to explain to god what he’s like instead of it showing through his actions, because his actions are always backed up by selfishness. he doesn’t do anything just to be a good person, he always has to gain something from it. in bells of notre dame, the only reason he doesn’t get rid of quosimodo is because of his fear of god. and he then uses that choice to act high and mighty. other interesting facts about hellfire is that he spends the start of the song begging for esmeralda to either choose him or leave, but when he’s told she has left, he gets angry and decides to hunt her down.
u commented about it too but I just love how he deflects any sort of blame by blaming anyone but himself even going as far as to blame the very god he’s praying to. it’s even funnier how he blames god for making the devil and for making it stronger than his will, but that excuse would never fly if anyone but him used it. he thinks of himself as above everyone, even god.
Also at 12:16, you mentioned "is no one hearing this...." and speaking from experience from when i visited Paris and got to visit the top of Notre Dame: You are actually a fair distance up, and that's quite a distance for sound to travel, and get lost.
Out There and H3llfire are both easily two of the best Disney songs ever made
Tom Hulce, who played Amadeus in the 1984 film, is the voice (also singing voice) for Quasimodo. I think he's still active in theater, but retired from film.
This is one of my all time fave Disney movies that definitely hits different as an adult. I have no shame admitting how much the music hits me emotionally. They use Out There in the fireworks show in Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, and every time I hear it, IM A MESS!
‘Out there’ is one of the most underrated songs ever. I get literal goosebumps when I hear it! ♥️ love all the songs of the hunchback. The stageplay musical adaptation is one of the best out there. And still does deserve to be on broadway some day!♥️🤩
Tony Jay, may he rest in peace was an absolute legend of a voice actor because of that booming deep voice, shakes you to your core.
6:01 The line is meaning that Frollo is the monster but he thinks Quasi is
Love your reactions as always! Only one note-- "Hellfire" is proceeded by the short song "Heaven's Light" sung by Quasimodo, which is also about Esmeralda
I love the Hunchback of Notre Dame soundtrack! It is one of my favorites!
You think THESE are good? Listen to the full stage musical cast album. THOSE are MASTERPIECES. ESPECIALLY Michael Arden as Quasimodo, he is absolutely bonkers. 😭🫶
Out There, Made Of Stone, Heavens Light, THOSE ESPECIALLY will make you cry and give you chills. I saw the cast perform live at the Papermill Playhouse I believe it was, and Alan Menken (the composer) was there and EVERY SINGLE SONG had a standing ovation, and tear. It wasn’t even opening or closing it was MID-RUN.
Yes! The musical soundtrack is so beautiful and powerful!
it's truly a gorgeous album!
This is one of the movies that you can find entretaining as a kid but you really get when you grow up. The music is incredible, the story is so dark for disney and the animation is beautiful, just one of the best animated movies ever.
The builders of the freaky deeky ass statues literally would be so pleased with themselves to hear that their statues spooked you into being the Goodest Boi TM. That was literally the whole point lmfao
"If you're calling anyone master, it's bad" What about the Master's at my martial arts studio?
Frodo is such a creep, and ruthless especially in the song of Hell fire. He's even worse in the book of the Hunchback.
Also while watching your reaction to Quasimodo ringing the bells, and wondering if he would go deff. In the book he actually dues go deff from ringing the bells. The book is lot more darker than Disney's movie of the Hunchback.
YEEESSSSS FINALLY, I FUCKING ADORE THE MUSIC SCORE IN THIS FILM!!!!!!
The fact that broadway refused it blows my mind.
Also, I watched this first in Spanish (Latino) omg I wish you could hear it, it’s amazing!!!!
I know, right?! Though, I suppose to be fair, Broadway refused it because the cost to stage it and pay the gigantic chorus that Steven Schwartz refused to diminish (rightly so) as well as cast and musicians would be astronomical, essentially lol. And they weren't willing to gamble that investment. So they bet it on Frozen instead.
It is one of my favourite soundtrack scores of all time, and I still hold out hope that one day a full scale production will enjoy a stay on a big stage. In the West End in the UK, we've had various adaptions in various forms since 2000, but each time it's been met with really bad reviews (in part because they made the mistake of coming to the West End and using a backing track instead of a live orchestra which is one of the worst decisions producers could have made).
I really like the ensemble for the stage production in the US, though some of the male leads lack the range required to do it justice. For instance, that final male vocal D5 in Bells should not be done in the falsetto (which is what happened on the official soundtrack recording), it should be done with a strong resonance head voice with a very forward placement so that it can be heard alongside the female sopranos and stand out from the ensemble.
I haven't heard many male vocalists tackle it full on (at the same time I know it's not easy whatsoever), though there's a handful of people I would love to see play Clopin in a live stage performance, Matthew Bateman particularly. During the covid pandemic, there were a bunch of UK West End performers who put together a cover of Bells of Notre Dame ( ua-cam.com/video/6hRutMuE8DI/v-deo.html ) and it's my favourite version by far.
Keeping in mind that this was all recorded on each of their home microphones and not in a studio, I would love to hear it live lol.
I really want to thank you for reacting to this, it is BY FAR my favourite Disney movie (it’s incredibly underrated)
If you liked Coraline, you need to see The Nightmare Before Christmas, James And The Giant Peach, and Corpse Bride!
😎
Henry Selick worked on all of them, and these three are musicals with unforgettable songs!
Shoutout to Paul Kandel, the legend who voiced Clopin and slayed that final note of The Bells of Notre Dame
I remember watching the movie on a VHS tape lol, also I was literally just listening to The Bells Of Notra Dame like 10 minutes ago
Fun fact: this movie was disney's only movie thats even more darker than the original book. And worse, this was a toned down version of the movie, originally, in the testing of the movie, in the song "hellfire" esmeralda appears naked in the fire, small lines were added later to give an illusion of clothing
I would love to see your reaction on Jonathan Youngs cover of "Hellfire" and " The bells of notre dame"
They actually turned the movie into a stage musical intended for broadway! There are so many changes in the songs (plus new ones) and the vocals are stunning! It's definitely worth a listen!! One of the best stage recordings ever in my opinion!
20:40 so there are guards outside of the room with one knocking on the door to tell him Esmeralda is gone
As a kid I always imagined what happened after the guard closed the door
Guard 1- sigh
Guard 2- is he singing to the fireplace again?
Guard 1- yep
Suddenly I kind of want an Adult Swim claymation version of this now.
Fun fact, Quasidomo, in the novel that the movie was based on, actually was deaf. Also not so fun fact, back in the day, apparantly Frollo had quite a following of people thirsting for him
Frollo was not condemning Esmeralda to hell (he wouldn’t consider that necessary: she was a Gypsy, and a heretic; therefore she was already going there)
Frollo was condemning Esmeralda to *_literal_* death by fire. If she turned him down, he was going to have her burned at the stake.
@10:41 behind matthew in the bottom right is a girl in blue and white, this is in fact Belle from Beauty & the Beast
Yes, I was thinking of that too.
Hi Matthew. Sorry about the sun over in Australia. You can have Boston’s blizzard if you want. Currently watching 13 inches of snow accumulate outside my house.
The stage musical has Quasimodo talk with a speech impediment because he actually is deaf from the bells. But when he sings he speaks clearly since the songs are in his head anyways.
The play version has extra songs that go so hard and the change frollo backstory to explain better why he took in Quasimodo
"The Bells of Notre Dame" is actually a longer song, I'm wondering why your version starts so late? Or at least it seems that way. Anyway, the songs are so epic^^
The UA-cam clips only have the second half for some reason
The genius of Quasimodo is that he's literally a Disney Princess in every way in terms of his character. He even gets the I Want song that princesses have.
I'd absolutely recommend "Made of Stone" from the musical, It's only in the musical but it is so good!
You gotta listen to the first part of 'the bells of Notre Dame'
Fun fact: the gargoyles were specifically to inspire fear as a method of social control. Frollo is scared of the saints in the beginning but fun parallel.
I love how you’re like, how evil can he get? Oh honey, just wait.
Singing Hellfire took a LOT out of Tony Jay. Poor guy was absolutely exhausted.
He performed that song so amazingly that I asked my mom to rewind the tape so I can hear it again when I first watched this so so long ago. It absolutely blew me away.
I love the hunchback of Notre dame ! it is my favorite Disney movie and the music is amazing! This is the darkest movie Disney has ever made and the gustiest they ever got with their films and its content. Frollo gaslights and abuses quasi throughout the movie, he also gaslights and manipulates the soldiers under his control, and convinces himself that he is a good and righteous person. In my opinion one of Allan Mencken's best Compositions. Frollo is terrifying and such a well written villain! Frollo only keeps Quassi out of religious guilt.
Bro Quasi is so Husband material because hear me out: He has been locked away since he was a literal infant and has zero social skills whatsoever and his only role model is Frodo but when he saw Esmerelda taking an interest in another man, he stayed loyal and didn't sell them out or beat up the handsome blonde man or something like that. He actually helped them. THAT IS AMAZING AND SO HUSBAND MATERIALS. Blonde guy is still hot asf tho.
You should absolutely follow this up with songs from the musical!!! It's one of my favorites and an absolute crime that it was removed from touring!
This is a musical too and it’s so good!!! You have to listen to it! It has some of the same songs and some new ones and the vocals are crazzzzy!!!
i nearly spit out my coffee at "froyo" lmao this is one of my favorite Disney movies love this!!
We needed more Clopin singing highlights *(Topsy Turvy,* *Court of Miracles,* throw in the the *Bells of Notre Dame* ending reprise).
You should absolutely rewatch this movie. I wish I could go back in time and watch it for the first time again too😂
This movie is one of my favorites! It makes me so emotional just hearing it. It's so wonderful seeing someone listening to it for the first time. Truly a masterpiece of music.
Frollo feels conflicted that he is attracted to Esmeralda. Bc she’s a Romani and in his eyes, hedonistic. He ultimately gives into his lust and dedicates his self to a witch hunt for her and her people.
This movie has a bunch of juxtaposition throughout. Examples of the songs doing this are: In here/ Out there, Heavens Light/ Hellfire. This movie is a masterclass in putting two groups of people, and their ideals against each other. In doing this, the question is answered. “Who is the monster, and who is the man?”
Frollo is terrifying as a villain. He doesn’t look like a monster, he doesn’t have horns or tentacles. He’s not even a witch. This story diverges from normal fairy tail stories in this regard. Teaching us that the real monsters of this world look like you and I. They could be your neighbor, your teacher, your priest, a judge, literally anyone. Teaching the audience that the conventional way fairy tale stories judge characters by the way they look is wrong. “It is not our abilities that decide who we are, but our choices.” This quote from Harry Potter fits quite perfectly in the narrative.
A bunch of people hate this movie because Frollo is “too evil.” Many people claim to have left the theater because the story made them feel uncomfortable. I argue that is the exact point of the plot. If someone watched this movie, and were not disgusted in Frollo’s actions in any way, I’d tell that person to get some serious therapy.
I feel quite robbed that we didn't get his reaction to the opening notes of the first song! It just hits you in the chest!
You need to check out the musical soundtrack! It takes all this gorgeous music and just amps it up even more! Also, need to try that first song again with the entire first half of the song that you missed!
The hellfire song was basically him saying that he wants to be 'with' her and if she says no, she will burn
Begging you to listen to the stage musical version, especially with Micheal Arden. It is so powerfull! Also Patrick Page for the deep notes!
I was so confused when the first song “bells of notre dame” started in the middle of it
The version of The Bells of Notre Dam you watched cut the first ~2/3 of the song btw
did you know there's a broadway musical too! with a BRILLIANT bootleg. i will warn it goes with the book ending but it's still beautiful and i adore it
I’m sure others have recommended it already but I suggest looking into the stage musical for a hunchback, it’s phenomenal and the added songs are some of my favorites.
Made of stone I recommend in particular as the vocal performance is truly amazing and it’s a deeply emotional song (when i was in crew for the show the actors would literally come off stage and start crying because of it).