Why Judge Claude Frollo is the Best Disney Villain [The Hunchback of Notre Dame]
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- Опубліковано 4 тра 2024
- Greetings my goody-two-shoes Friends, I was thinking I should do another villain analysis video since I have only done 1 so far. This time about Judge Claude Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The very best Disney animated villain in my opinion.
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Footage Used From - "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" by Walt Disney Animation Studios
Some clips also used from - "A Bugs Life" by Disney Pixar Animation
All footage is used for review purposes and is fair use
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Music Used in order of appearance -
Castle Theme - Super Mario 3D Land
Bowser Battle - Super Mario Galaxy 2
VS Marx - Kirby Super Star
Master Porky's Theme - Mother 3
Lightning Chariot Base - Kid Icarus Uprising
Dragon's Gate 2 - Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
Gohdan - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Stalking Menace - Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
The Scions Dance in Purgatory - Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Story of the Thousand Year Door - Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
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#disney #animation #renaissance #disneyanimation #waltdisneyanimation #waltdisneyanimationstudios #disneyrenaissance #disneyvillains #disneyvillain #villain #villains #hunchback #hunchbackofnotredame #thehunchbackofnotredame #guilty #monster #claude #frollo #review #reviews #analysis
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0:00 - Intro/Man vs Monster Theme
2:37 - What Makes Frollo Stand Out
4:03 - Frollo's Murder and the Opening of the Movie
6:03 - He Manipulates Others to Gain Power and He Delights in the Suffering of His Enemies
8:25 - His "Feelings" For Esmerelda
9:23 - The Depth of Hellfire and Frollo's Ignorance to Guilt
13:00 - Frollo's Blame Game Continues
14:31 - His Near Victory and Increased Hypocrisy in the Finale
16:03 - Frollo's Last Stand and Death
17:58 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts
![Why Cedric is an Amazing Character [Sofia the First]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/xWkLSTwc0RU/mqdefault.jpg)
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Who do you guys think is the best Disney villain and why?
Before going into your arguments within the video (if there are any that didn't change my view on Frollo as a character) I think the reason why Frollo is described by many as "most evil" is probably because of some elements.
1. He is one of the few Disney Villains who are human that don't rely on any supernatural powers like strength and magic. He relies on pure realistic torture to show he's not kidding around.
2. He also represents those who claim to serve a higher authority (in this case, he serves God), but his cold heart shows he is so impure, that he would be condemned to Hell when he dies.
3. Viewing Esmeralda as a sex object rather than a person (unlike Quasimodo who respects her for who she is), shows how his mind is clouded with unholy thoughts when he says he wanted to have her to himself or to burn her like a witch for denying his offer.
To sum up, people see him as a most evil human Disney Villain for being a hypocritical masochist.
@@robbiewalker2831 and apparently he was based off of a real person
In a sarcastic voice: "I think hans from frozen is the best Disney villain".
But in all honesty I think that some of the best villains are actually some of the first being 1) Captain Hook and 2) Lady Tremaine. Both of them unlike Hans actually have consistent character and logical reasoning to their actions. It always annoyed me that Hans did not just continue to pretend and get her to sign a marriage thing and then stay with her until she died. But anyway I liked that both Hook and Tremaine keep their composure similar to Frollo. They both are so iconic too!
@@thetrueending6125 What? Really? That is scary.
@@Edwinaopt Say what you will about Bellwether, she may not be the best, but her being a twist villain worked with a mystery-based story, which Zootopia is on the surface.
Another small moment:
Just before Frollo trashes Quasimodo's model of Paris, he throws Esmeralda's figure on the table...and it hits his own figure and knocks it off.
It's subtle foreshadowing to how his obsession with Esmeralda will lead to his own undoing.
I've always loved that. I think I even noticed it as a kid surprisingly.
Disney loves adding details to movies as well as theme parks.
I never caught that!
Oof I never noticed that
Pity that no one think of that.
Frollo is also unique in not having a comic sidekick to somewhat mitigate his evil. Frollo truly is alone throughout the film.
Well he does have those two incompetent guards though they don't detract from his villainy unlike other comedic villain sidekicks.
@@CriticalMaster95 yeah, but the guards don't act as sounding boards for Frollo to confide in. When he passes along personal information to the audience (like his infatuation with Esmerelda), he is literally talking to himself. Apparently, he is too despised to even have a sycophant.
@@ryandtibbetts2962 Thanks for elaborating. I see what you're saying now. And yes, the two guards aren't really that close with Frollo. None of his soldiers really were, not even Phoebus really.
Maybe not _totally_ alone; I mean there was that one line to the archers.... "Don't hit my horse!" Aww. :')
Alone? He has more minions than most of the other Disney villains
Disney doesn’t make villains like this anymore…probably because this villain is too f’ing real. People like him walk amongst us. He’s human, no supernatural powers. That’s waaaay scarier than an evil witch or demon.
Well atleast they made Chip Whistler from Big City Greens which is probably the second realist villian behind Frollo. Seriously they're are people like Chip in real life as well just not as many as they're are people like Frollo.
Because they're worried that villains like this would scar kids today. They don't want villains of today to actually be evil, they just want to make them to be antagonistic. It's sickening.
@@joeleboeuf Dreamworks doesn't seem to have that issue at least with Death in Puss in Boots The Last Wish. I found him very intimidating.
@@colbystearns5238 Yeah, that's because Dreamworks has the balls that Disney doesn't.
LOL TRUE and the funny part is that disney KNEW it was too dark for a lot of people and they promoted it to be all happy and cheery and very disney-esque and then when people went to go see it they were a bit surprised xD
I think what makes Frollo terrifying is not necessarily that he is the "most evil", but that he's the most *_human_* evil. Frollo is what anyone and everyone, regardless of their location and creed, is always just a few steps away from becoming: petty, self-righteous, and tautological, using fear as a whip to make others submit to his will and reinforce his ego, either by joining in his crusade or being trampled along the path. The perfect representation of something I always say: Those who think they can't be evil are capable of the greatest of evils.
Hell, I've already seen far too many who are exactly like this in this day and age.
Great comment and nice 11th Doctor profile pic 👍
Enrico Pucci from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure should meet Frollo.
@@boloblade2 well, tbf, we can see why Enrico became so obsessed with fate. We don't have that opportunity with Frollo.
He's definitely the most HUMAN. That's what makes him so good and scary as a villain. And is one of my favorites too.
Not just human, but _relatable_ . I'm fairly certain you'd struggle to find someone (whether they admit it or not) who _hasn't_ been driven mad with obsession over a person they couldn't "have"
@@dungeonsanddobbers2683 Uh….
@@MontycelA let's not talk about that but true, there like a lot of fans always go over simp for famous people and even go far to go over their house without asking them
@@dangdao8068 Just look at some of the Reylo Disney Star Wars fans.
As a divorce attorney, I've seen a ton of people whose case dragged out and got unreasonably expensive and dramatic because they believed that their parenting was idyllic, the kids felt the same way about the divorce as they did, and all of the problems _must_ be the fault of the other parent.
Here's a bit of trivia: Frolo's actor couldn't hit that note at the end of Hellfire, but instead of the songwriters taking it out or changing it, they trained the actor to get that note
They asked Tony Jay if he thought he could meet the note or if they should get a dubbed singer
Jay was so excited to work on Disney film, that he himself took classes to help him reach the high note
@@mckenzie.latham91 That's true professionalism right there. Tony Jay was one of the very few voice actors whom I respect as much as physical actors. I generally consider voice acting to be the easiest form of acting because you don't need to worry about your expressions and body language in a recording booth but once in a while, I'll hear a vocal performance that's so good that I could easily believe the performer was doing the characters physical mannerisms even though they weren't onscreen.
@@tomnorton4277 Understandable take on voice acting, although you could say that voice acting could be harder that regular acting, since you have nothing but your voice to give off emotions, whereas regular acting also has the advantage of additional physical mannerisms.
Still, Tony Jay is a legend.
@@vaggos2003 I guess you could say that but to me, it seems harder to keep a characters mannerisms, facial expressions and voice working together in harmony. In a recording booth, you can make whatever gestures or expressions you like just as long as your voice sounds right.
I'm pretty sure that's standard practice for voice actors
Frollo also admits the truth about Quasi’s mother when he says to him, “I knew you would risk your life to save that gypsy witch, just like your mother risked her life to save you.”
The things in this movie actually happen, and in fact I think it's even based on a true story.
@@SylkaChanno they’re based on a book and is a work of fiction
I remember reading something once, "All sinners think they're saints. All saints know they're sinners"
That's a contradiction.
@@greg77389correct
As a Christian, Judge Claude Frollo was one of my favorite villains. This is mainly because the Bible warns that those that are proud of their righteousness, give way of their hearts to evil. Judge Claude Frollo is always in my mind as a warning as what can happen if you start to think of yourself too much as a “good person.” Better to be humble and uplifted, than arrogant and fall. In Hellfire when he says the line “of my virtue, I am justly proud,” I always sit up and warning bells go off in my head. A person who thinks of themselves proud of their virtue, will never seek to change or see themselves as wrong.
People tend to mistake self-righteousness for righteousness.
While I don’t believe in the bible, I do believe that pride in your own virtues and morals often leads to one’s undoing. It’s all the more disturbing when you consider the fact that tons of people are like that today, some going as far as to gaslight other into following their morals and virtues.
@@Arak_Drakoniz Hubris is a concept almost as old as religion itself. Every culture has tales of those who saw themselves better than they are and meeting their doom after falling short of their own standards. Frollo is but one of many tales of hubris. And the ones most vulnerable to it are the people who think they are above it.
Pride is also a deadly sin cause having too much pride will make you lose sight of your flaws
@@kaimagnus5760 it’s not just religious people in modern times. Ever see how people conduct themselves with “morals” and hubris when it comes to politics?
They literally went all out with this guy! REALLY Makes me wish that Disney still made villains like this.
They became run by villains like these.
@@firenze6478 considering Disney’s modern practices that’s not very far off lmao
Yeah. Even by Disney standards, they use to have villains that actually were scary. Now we just have characters with tragic backgrounds who the writers wanna wanna say that they aren’t responsible for their own actions.
@@Kayoss13212 this exactly. They write as though villains don’t have a choice but to be evil which is complete bs. There’s a difference between having sympathetic qualities and having a victim complex
@@firenze6478 personally, I feel like when they overdue it in making the villain sympathetic, the villain loses what makes him/her scary or badass.
Frollo= lust, Gaston= pride, Scar = Envy, Cruella = Gluttony, Maleficent = Wrath, Cinderella's stepmom =sloth, Dr. Facilier= greed
These can be argued but I feel these are the Disney Villians that best fit the 7 deadly sins. (Sloth is hard though. Who is villainous by their very lack of will to act?)
Cruella De Vil She's Judge Frollo's Girl 🖤🤍🖤🤍🖤🐾
Ratcliffe from Pocahontas is the best example of Greed, seeing as he only cared about gold.
ursala is also greed
Some people are suggesting other villains for Greed but i agree Dr Facilier is the best choice. He was literally willing to let the demons consume whole population of New Orleans while his only goal was to get rich
I think you can throw Jafar under lust and envy as well. Lady Tremaine I'd say is a mix of envy and sloth.
At the beginning, the thing that strikes the literal fear of God into Frollo is "the eyes of Notre Dame" judging him for his sins. At the end, what does God use to pass his final judgement on the Judge? Notre Dame.
The gargoyles on churches and cathedrals are meant to ward off evil souls and protect the holy ground, the gargoyle being his demise is oh so poetic in this movie
"Hellfire" is by far my favorite song in this movie and a piercing insight into Frollo's character. He grapples with his lust for Esmeralda, but instead of acknowledging that he is as morally feeble as the "weak licentious crowd", he concludes that only by loving him can Esmeralda's soul be saved and her inherent sins exonerated.
All the while the Monks are chanting "I repent" and "Forgive me for my faults."
The main problem is that his religion has told him that his desire is a sin. Had he not been all creepy incel, he might have had a chance.
@@imjessietr29 Frollo's religion has nothing to do with him being evil. Had he not been so arrogant and proud and wanted to truly love Esmeralda and admitted to himself that his persecution of her people was sinful, he could have been redeemed. Lust and pride are the sins, not love.
@@silverscorpio24 He used religion to fuel if not justify his narcissism & hate.
@@Barakon That's what I said: Christianity itself didn't make Frollo evil. He used it as an excuse to make Paris as he saw fit.
@@silverscorpio24 normally i dont leave replies like this but thank you for acknowledging that Christianity isn't the root of the problem here, it's tiring to me to see people blame religion for everything when truthfully it all boils down to the people who use it that way. i just find when a story talks about how religion can cause people to do things like these people are quick to bandwagon and talk about how bad it is when people like these are literally the ones who sent Jesus to death
About the song hellfire: most other villain songs have villains singing to other characters. Examples:
1. Be Prepared: Scar sings to the hyenas
2. Poor Unfortunate Souls: Ursula sings to Ariel
3. Mother Knows Best: Mother Gothel sings to Rapunzel
4. Love Is An Open Door: Hans sings to Anna
But in Hellfire, Frollo is all alone.
Gaston: Gaston singing about how chad af he is
@@LazyOldFusspot_3428 Gaston and the townspeople were singing about how great Gaston is.
Hi Diddle Dee Dee (An Actor's Life For Me): Honest John singing to Pinocchio with Gideon playing along.
Actually in Hellfire, Frollo sings to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Almighty God.
*He's all alone it's a true sentiment to his inner monologue and his mindset the fact that he's alone seeing all these things in the song versus the others singing to another character like mother Gothel to Rapunzel, Hans to Anna shows a contrast between him and other villains. And how much his guilt is eating him. Him being alone is a powerful thing, it's like the thing he's fighting against in his villian lament is himself.*
while Other egocentric and manipulative villains like Hans and Gothel have more watered down surface level manipulative songs with cherry music where they sing direct to someone about loving them which shows a clear motive.
Frollos soloqiu (I think how u say it) reflects deep insecurity (Frollo sings hellfire alone to himself with serious music, we see all of his mental illusions as he goes on about everything he's struggling with, his lust for Esmeralda and how it makes him feel emasculated and unholy (ha.😂) He even chalks it up to having fireplace trouble to the guard. So shame but not humility).
Him being a human narcissist with no magic and just his own wickedness driving the plot sets him apart entirely.
Wish I knew this movie sooner.
I truly do love that Frollo is a villain who is completely irredeemable yet completely human. He was given so many chances to get better, but he only got worse. So when he finally gets cast into hell no one can say he didn’t deserve it.
I wish more villains were like this rather than being “I had a sad backstory therefore everything I do is justified, actually” or “I am completely evil with no nuance at all”
In my mind, the best sorts are a combination of "sad backstory" & "completely irredeemable", since IRL villains are usually just victims who got pushed too far
The reason "Hellfire" is so unique is because of what type of song it is. Usually, the villian gets a "plotting song", where they unravel their evil plot. And heroes get an "I want" song that tells the audience all their hopes and dreams. It reveals the idealistic and heroic nature of the hero.
However, they gave Frollo an "I want" song. Therefore, instead of hopes and dreams, we get Frollo's darkest, ugliest desires. The song doesn't just tell us what he's going to do, the song reveals us the monster he truly is.
Frollo is such an effective villain because of how realistic he is. Frollo is diabolical because his motivations, his prejudices, his sin, are all very human traits that an ordinary person can carry with them. It’s honestly scary that there’s people like Frollo in society, and the fact Frollo is played straight & not like a cartoon villain makes him all the more terrifying. Tony Jay absolutely killed it!
Couldn't the same also be said of Gaston, Cutler Beckett or Lady Tremaine? Apart from their lack of Tony Jay's awesome acting chops.
@@snappycenter7863 who was cutler? I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just unfamiliar.
@@joshcoy6748 Cutler Beckett was the British villain from the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean movies
@@snappycenter7863 I agree with you and say let's also throw in Clayton from Tarzan into the mix
@@beaverfan14 I forgot Clayton. Thanks. On that note, there's also McLeach from The Rescuers Down Under.
16:33-16:45 The part where you mentioned how Frollo no longer called Quasimodo by his name and reduced him to "The Hunchback", I loved how you pointed that out. Frollo is so demeaning that he didn't even call Esmeralda by her name either & addressed her as "the gypsy girl" & after Pheobus defied the order to burn an innocent family, tried to escape with Frollo's horse & got shot and feel into the river, Frollo didn't call Pheobus by his name, but instead called Pheobus "the traitor" and he even disrespected the Archdeacon by calling him an "old fool" and threw him down the stairs of Notre Dame.
At least in the Lion King, the villain Scar always addressed the heroes by their names. Even when he was about to kill Mufasa, Scar said to Mufasa, "Long Live The King" meaning he knew Mufasa was a king. Scar always addressed Simba by his name and even when he got that cheap shot at Simba by throwing embers at Simba's face & pounced on him in the final battle, Scar called Simba "your majesty" which is actually more respectful. That shows deep down, Scar knew Simba was the true King of the pride lands and that he had SOME respect for Simba.
You've got a great point about Frollo, but I think when Scar called Mufasa as "The king" and Simba as "Your majesty" he meant it in an ironic, sarcastic manner.
Maybe by "The king" he meant "The unworthy king" because he sees himself as the truly worthy king.
Similarly for Simba, he is at first trying to act like he is ashamed and respectful, but then quickly backstabs Simba and the "Your Majesty" just as he throws the magma in Simba's eyes is a way to mock him saying "Me, respecting you? No way!".
I think every time he refers to Simba and Mufasa respectfully, it's him taking jabs at them to mock them for taking or trying to take the position he "deserved"
Scar has no respect for anyone, not even Simba. Addressing heroes by names is not a respected act from villains.
@@davidbrennan3967 then that makes Frollo even less respectful than Scar.
You do have a point because in the beginning, Scar decided to eat Zazu, Mufasa told Scar to drop Zazu. the next line is "Impeccable timing your majesty", which was what Zazu said in Scar's mouth.
As a Muslim, his portrayal of "righteous, holiest among all" is scarily true. Many believers believe that by only memorizing the teachings and the words in Quran is already enough to make them better and well teached among others. They became prideful, they look down on others who they deem as "tainted" yet never do anything to help them because they believe that they have no hope for redemption and because they already secure a spot in Heaven. The Prophet already said, "And if you were to see Evil, stop them with your hands. And if you can't stop them with your hands, with your mouth. And if you can't stop them with your mouth, with your heart. And truly, that is the weakest Faith."
I should also clarify that NO, just because you know the teachings, it's nothing but meaningless echoes in your head if you don't practice it. Just because you are a Muslim, it doesn't automatically make you a person with no sins. You can't go somewhere without showering and told people to pretend you didn't stink!
Salam aleykoum i wanted to say that it's the prophet ( may peace by upon him) who said the quote not God
@@rachidoumal4889 oh I must have misremembered the quote! Thank you for fixing me :)
@@saenekokun2723 👍🏽
It’s true 😂. You got folks comparing who knows more Ayats and Surahs than who. Not as much conversation as how they apply the principles to live a holistic life. My brother and I even joke about how some Imams can act like Frollo too. 😂
@@vektheartist true, they want us to avoid stuff like this, while openly acting like Frollo. The hypocrisy seen through that even non Muslim around us sigh it's giving us second hand embarrassment 😭💀
Just my own personal theory. Total headcannon on my part. I like to interpret that the guard who appears may actually be God giving Frollo that one last chance to pull away from his desires. That moment comes as a chance for Frollo to repent, and there's weirdly a soothing light coming from the doorway. Again, that's likely just headcannon, but I think that it's really interesting to think about.
I like it. His body type is unassuming and we never see his face.
I love that headcanon
My head cannon after the guard closes the door
Guard- sigh
Guard 2- is he singing to the fireplace again?
Guard- yep
@@Neevkl_7 Guard 4:
"He's Downbad fr.."
@@helpmegetto1k4channelnotab78 Guard 3: If he learns that we hear him singing this, he will inprison all 4 of us.
I think the reason why Frollo is such a good villain is that there are people like him in the real world, like there's no evil queens or shapeshifting dragons or talking power hungry lions out there
the definiton is the devil is with inside the body.
There were some evil Queens in the past like Queen Mary aka Bloody Mary and a few more so yes there were some evil queens hundred of years ago.
👑
😈
Don’t bring The Queen from Snow White into this. What she represents is timeless & a wrong that women have to deal with throughout the ages. Internet culture thinking they’re smarter than cartoons from the 30s has never worked.
@@BadGuyRants She also has a talking mirror and used a potion to turn herself into an old lady. Not saying the lesson isn't timeless, but the specific events couldnt have happened in real life, while a devout Christian chastising and seeing someone different as a monster is a story we've seen throughout history infinite times, to other religions, races, sexualities, anything that can be seen as different is often hated by those who see themselves as "normal" and "righteous". It's a trap we have all fallen into in our lives.
For Scar I think there can be people similar enough to him in this world (aka usurping dictators), but Scar's a lion with human-like intelligence (somehow), and these dictators that run their countries into starvations are part of our species.
What I noticed about frollo was In “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” Frollo offers captured Gypsies silver coins for the location of Esmeralda. He asks 3 times, raising the price by 10 each time. On the 3rd time, he offers nothing. He would have otherwise offered them 30 silver pieces, the same price that bought Judas.
That's a very interesting detail, I'm going to be thinking about that next time I watch this movie. Thanks for pointing that out.
I'm not aware if this happened in the original version of Hellfire, but on the brazilian portuguese lyrics there's a line in which Frollo says "God made men weaker than evil". I find it such a good line, because it portrays Frollo as so absorbed in his idea of being pure and righteous and not taking responsibility for his flaws, that he gets to the point of blaming GOD Himself for the feelings and thoughts he's having. This level of denial and projection is truly characterizing of Frollo.
The English version has it as “he made the devil so much stronger than a man”
@@mikeoxbig619the irony of that is that it isn’t true. The devil fell on his own. God didn’t make him evil. As a self proclaimed pious man frollo should know that
@@goldenfiberwheat238but god is omnipotent so he can choose to let things go that way
@@tuluppampam I’m not interested in having a theological debate. I’m just saying that frollo is arrogant
@@goldenfiberwheat238 then you should have simply said so
Scar from the Lion King. He was willing to kill his brother, nephew and the entire pride land just to become king out of spite for his brother. The interesting part is that his plan actually succeeds. Also his be prepared song rocks!
Agreed, he is truly one of the best!
He's one of the few villains that actually kinda succeeded in his goal.
I do often consider Scar and Frollo to be contenders for the most evil. At least in terms of the older animated films. Not only because of their negative impact on the main character and close friends (or family). But also because of the damage they cause to the rest of their respective universe. Scar and Frollo’s actions also negatively impacted many background characters
The Lion King is absolutely Walt Disney Animation's Magnum Opus. No other movie, not even Hunchback, haa had such significance during the century of their existance.
@@iangreer4585 And to think that it was basically the B Team's project, and Disney thought Pocahontas would perform better.
Tony Jay’s performance to me is a massive part, unlike most cackling Disney villains Frollo is played seriously, no other actor would have made Frollo so great and no one else could have made Frollo my favourite villain, R.I.P Tony Jay.
(Edit: Thanks for all the likes!)
To be fair, Frollo did do a bit of cackling at the end of the movie, when he called down God's wrath on "the wicked." But yeah, I like that he didn't overdo it.
@@paulchapman8023 i never noticed until you said that but still at least it’s not MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!
@@kojinaoftheinvertedeye810 Jay's evil laugh just before he delivers Frollo's last words is actually far more chilling than MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! It's a hysterical giggle, like a child who's finally getting his own way, and hearing that come out of an adult man with a very deep voice is kind of terrifying. Much more human than the larger than life laughter you'd usually hear from a villain who thinks he's on the verge of victory.
Your comment got liked 420 times.
@@pustota7254 Jeez it actually has, thanks to everyone who has!
What I really love is how redeemable Frollo is throughout the entire movie. He appears human, even when he starts Esmerelda's pyre, and doesn't look evil until he fully commits to murdering the one he was charged with protecting. When Quasimodo disarmed him, pointing out all the lies and hatred that twisted his perception of the world, Frollo could have gotten up and walked away. However he chose to follow his dark path towards the bitter end, and only then did he realize the gravity of his situation.
But he proved that he's irredeemable throughout to the end.
He had every chance, all of the time in the world to just walk away and work towards actually being a good person. The problem is, he never saw himself as evil so every decision that he made was evil until he got his reward for being the Darkness that masqueraded as Light.
To expand on the brilliance of Hellfire, it is not just extremely symbolic in its visuals, but also in the lyrics. As a Catholic, I have always found Hellfire to be beyond brilliant in its overt, yet subtle (yes, that's a contradiction used to explain a scene about a man who is a walking contradiction) way to illustrate Frollo's guilt. The Latin being sung by the Archdeacon, Monks, and the Robed Apparitions is a modified, older version of the Confiteor, aka the Penitential Act, in which the person reciting acknowledges/confesses their sins at the start of a Catholic Mass. The prayer is continued after the opening scene with the Archdeacon and Monks and acts as a counter point to Frollo's lines and act as a window into his subconscious. For example (F = Frollo & A&M = Archdeacon & Monks):
F: Beata Maria you know I'm so much purer than the common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd.
A&M: Quia peccavi nimis (That I have sinned)
F: Then tell me, Maria, why I see her dancing there? Why her smold'ring eyes still scorch my soul?
A&M: Cogitatione (In thought)
F: I feel her, I see her. The sun caught in her raven hair; Is blazing in me out of all control
A&M: Verbo et opere (In word and deed)
I also love the fact that the Robed Apparitions continue the prayer and this counterpoint by saying, "mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa", which loosely translates to "my fault, my fault, my most grievous fault", both replicating the prayer precisely and timing it with Frollo's escalating denial of his "fault".
Now, with all this being said, there are glimpses where Frollo appears to be introspective. For example, when Frollo proclaims, "Protect me Maria!", it could be easily construed that he is referencing the text of the prayer, "I beg blessed Mary [...] to pray and intercede for me a sinner". The same can also be said for the use of the Greek at the end of the song "Kyrie Eleison", another common prayer/motif in the Catholic church, which translates to "Lord have mercy" which is juxtaposed to Frollo begging "God have mercy on her. God have mercy on me".
The sheer level of detail put into this song still sends shivers down my spine, and is why it is still my absolute favorite Disney villain song.
👏👏👏👏 excellent analysis, thank you for articulating all that!!
I first saw hunchback on stage, and I picked out the confiteor immediately. On stage he is the archdeacon and the way the scene was directed it seemed like he was praying the Mass and although he was saying the prayers at the foot of the alter, in his head was Hellfire. It was my favorite scene of the show.
i love how he's basically hating himself, he hates how he is attracted to a seductive woman, he hates how she never leaves his mind, he's basically a "normal" person (or more fitting, a normal pastor) who cant stand the fact that he is not clean, so to cover up the hate he has for himself, he hates everyone else around him, especially Esmeralda
If this is France isn't it's based on the Catholic Church since you know
Frollo isn´t a member of the Church as on the original novel source for the movie actually, but he is a Judge YET closely in tune with the Church too. His character got splitted in two different new ones, as in the original Victor Hugo´s novel he was the Archedeacon of the Church rather than a Judge, but at the Disney version, the Archdeacon is actually a good-guy which saves both Quasimodo and Esmeralda and opposes Frollo several times on the story and is in clash contrast with him though having a very secondary role on the story (Frollo and the Archedeacon are very alike in age and physical complexion, yet also different in mood demeanor and even wearing cloths appeareance, as Frollo wears always black with purple and some white and crimson red too, but the Archdeacon wears white, brown, golden and some red too, being VERY OPPOSITES of each other, kinda mirroring a constant struggling inner nature from the literary novel source Frollo about his true nature motivations and impulses and the duty roles and believes he oughts to act on according to Church as a holy man.)
So Disney splitted Frollo into two roles, a good guy who remains being the Archdeacon of Notre-Dame - a secondary role overall - and the central villain of the story, Frollo as a Judge - that was how Disney avoided social controversy on meddling on religious issues on corrupt people an YET they managed to never leave totally away him from his orginal literary source as he still remains CLOSER to Church themes eventhough HE ISN´T within there itself. (Church is kinda reference as part of the education formation from all people of that time, including Frollo, yet he didn´t got into that fully but got CLOSER to it as law career was then!)
I suspect the Archedeacon was very reluctant to let him in the church, which was probably why Frollo went on to be a Judge in this version of the story. The Archedeacon wouldn't bar Frollo completely because that contradicts the Christian belief that all people are capable of redemption but he probably thought Frollo was a lost cause.
@@tomnorton4277 yes indeed, makes sense.
I like how the archdeacon represents a good Christian. He lives as a good man should and loyally serves God and the people (offering sanctuary to Esmeralda and condemning Frollo for violating Quasimodo’s mother’s claim of sanctuary). I especially love how in the opening the archdeacon basically tells Frollo he can lie to himself and his followers, he can pretend what he does is good and just, but God knows his soul and his sins. “The very eyes of Notre Dame” stare down upon him as a symbol of God constantly watching and condemning his actions.
I think the split was a really good idea. Sure it helps with the controversy but it also gives Frodo someone to more easily compare to.
"Write a human first and a vilian second "
Someone smart
Claude Frollo is so good because he is not a Disney OC. He was created by Victor Hugo, so, of course, he is very humane. In the book, his humanity is presented even better in situations such as:
he adopted Quasimodo (out of pity and because he made him think of his little brother)
he taught Quasimodo how to speak and gave him a home and job
he made a sign language to be able to communicate with Quasimodo (who originally is deaf from ringing the bells)
He had studied all his life different subjects. Him and Quasimodo are not actually very much different: they were both hated by the people of Paris; one for his appearance, the other for protecting Quasimodo and for his scientific interests.
Yes, Disney Frollo is the best compared to the rest of their villains, but he is even better when in the context of the book he is taken from.
You mean he was very HUMAN.
I like and hate Frollo for about the same reason: he exemplifies a very real phenomenon in zealotry, especially religious and political, and such beliefs are practically immune to being reasoned with. Like, because he demonstrates that point, but hate because there are real people who behave like him. Mother Gothel and Lady Tremaine are in a similar vein to Frollo. They don't have to be "the epitome of evil" with demonic magic. Sometimes all it takes is realism, the knowledge that such horrible people legitimately exist. I can't speak for anyone who may have lived through abuse, but I can certainly imagine realistic villains like these eliciting even deeper emotional responses than the average viewer.
pretty similar to Voldemort vs Umbridge: Voldemort is basically Wizard Hitler, a force of almost cosmic evil. A lot of people hate Umbridge way more because she’s realistic in her evil: a person of influence over the vulnerable (teacher over student) who either thinks little of the consequences of their actions or, like Frollo, justifies them away.
@@romannasuti25 Yes. Most of us haven't met anyone like Voldemort. Most of us *have* met someone like Umbridge. Several someones, likely enough.
I lived in households like this and yes, they are very real and even scarier than the magical ones that can turn to dragons. The reminders of my pain are scarier than the super cool magic scenes and dragons, ehich are also dope as hell. The reality hits way harder
Holy shit I’ve never noticed how he stops guilt tripping Quasi when he remembers his mother. Every time I hear about this character, he just becomes more and more interesting.
Disney really did a good job with him. The book version is a bit cartoony in the book (and arguably not the main villain). He’s more of a crook that has the hots for a teenager Esmeralda and uses Quasi as a henchman. Here he’s so much more fascinating.
Just a plus: when the statue smiles at Frollo, I believe it not "God rejecting him", but rather "devil welcoming him to hell". What I find even more poetic, since Frollo runs from his sins since the beginning, putting himself in a holy pedestal, to have the Devil himself looking him in the eyes.
That’s what I theorized also! As if God was more than willing to give Frollo away to the devil, rejecting Frollo for his own actions in the name of God. While the Devil rejoices over this, he now has a new soul to torment for all eternity.
No, Frollo is undoubtedly the most evil villain of Disney. Sure, he's not as powerful as Maleficent nor Undead King (or whatever his name is), but we were specifically talking about "evil". So what defines "evil"? Simple -- actions that give negative results to the innocents. Maleficent and Undead King certainly fits that criteria. But what makes Frollo extra evil (relative to the other villains) is that he defines his evil actions as good actions, even to himself. That's just extra evil in the "evil scale".
Horned King.
Frollo has essentially become delusional by his own pride for himself for being a part of the church, he has been in denial for years that he doesn’t believe that he’s a hypocrite. Esmeralda tells us that he has spoken of kindness and compassion towards others and yet he doesn’t act upon these words. Esmeralda has wounded his pride by telling us the truth.
I like how everyone at the end sees how truly evil the judge was. The one deciding there fates, and how he missused his power for his own gain. So they revolt against him. It reminds me of things that happened in France IRL
I’m 80% sure this has to do with France in the late 18 century
@@nadersaid2215 yeah, I was referring to the French Revolution mostly, but France did stuff like this a lot
I’ve watched oversimplified it wasn’t the greatest time
@@edgaropts5257 Unfortunately, the French revolted against the wrong king.
@@nadersaid2215Napoleon came few years later ....
The worst part about Frollo is that there's people like him out there
Way more than you think.
Most can hide it pretty good.
I lived with one for years.
Most are more like book version Frollo though.
Kind but can be turned evil through temptation.
And then there are people like Albert Speer.
People with basically no conscience but seemingly perfectly capable to look the part in snapshots which is all they need to convince a crowd.
@@MrDwarfpitcher have you read his book?
@@adjustedbrass7551 I doubt they did.
I was one of the animators on the Frollo crew. The lead animator was Cathy Zielinski an extremely talented animator. Frollo was a great character to work on with a wonderful voice actor.
Wow, it's cool to see someone who actually worked on this masterpiece of a film leave a comment, I do hope you enjoyed this analysis.
@@Rockotarthepurplehatguy yes it was quite an in depth analysis. It still amazes me that people would remember a film from almost 30 years ago. It’s nice so many people care about the film and it’s characters.
@@chrisw8417 back when I was a kid I never really cared for the movie much, but I saw it again recently as an adult and I appreciated it a lot more. It made much more sense and it definitely is much darker than I remember it as.
The animation of this movie, especially Frollo, has always amazed me. It's always looked more smooth than other animated movies. Thank you for your hard work and for helping to ignite my love for animation!
I especially like the cloth animations,felt so smooth
What also makes Claude Frollo so scary, evil & easily hated is the fact that such people like Frollo exist in the real world.
I love how "the eyes of notre dame" are animated in a different style than the entire rest of the show. It gives them the perfectly unnerving look of judgement as they stare down at Frollo.
I feel like Frollo isn't blaming Satan as much as God in hellfire. The full line is "It's not my fault if in God's plan he made the Devil so much stronger than a man", basically saying that the whole situation was the result of something he had no controll over.
True, either way, he is blaming someone other than himself.
@@Rockotarthepurplehatguy Assuming he means Lucifer specifically, technically yes God did make Lucifer inherently stronger than humans just from being an angel and God's number 2.
@@leebulger7112 That's actually a very good point. If we look at it from a purely logical and objective standpoint, it really isn't any human's fault that Satan is more powerful than us. Technically, Frollo's telling the truth when he says "It's not my fault, if in Gods plan, He made the Devil so much stronger than a man!"
What IS Frollo's fault is that he surrendered to Satan's superior power and allowed himself to lose his humanity. The fact that Satan has superior power is one thing but giving in when confronted with that power is a choice. It's like if Luke Skywalker had surrendered to the far more powerful Darth Sidious (whom George Lucas has confirmed was an intentional representation of the Devil) instead of standing firm.
@@tomnorton4277 I couldn't have said that better myself. Slightly unrelated do you think Lucifer had valid reasons to rebel according to some sources?
@@tomnorton4277 It’s actually described as the opposite in the Bible which states that God gave humans authority over the devil to reject him and his wickedness. So if anything humans are actually considered to be stronger than Satan due to the fact that we don’t have to succumb to his temptation.
Mother Gothel in a way she’s pretty similar to Frollo but also very different. But what I really like is how we see how her treatment ends up affecting Rapunzel in the long term in the sequel series.
Yeah, she definitely got traumatised after suffering that much abuse and isolation. She became blinded by the realities of life and believed that everything can be solved a smile and a hug. Tho, fortunately, she never came across as obnoxious and learned the error of her ways.
When you look at it a certain way you can say Rapunzel and Cassandra are surrogate sisters despite Gothel being a terrible person.
She’s not the same as Frollo but she uses the same gas lighting and manipulation he did of Quasimodo with Repunzel
Where I think Follow is the better villain, is because his view of humanity are his ACTUAL personal views
the idea that the world is a cesspool and that humanity is a species of dredges and cruelty and lower inhibitions, that Frollo holds and imparts onto Quaisimodo is how Follow actually feels and views humanity
seeing himself as pure and greater than those masses because of his piety (arrogance and moral superiority)
Whereas with Mother Gothel,
it’s never fully or really stated if those views of the outside worlds claims and talks about to Repunzel are her real views or just manipulation she’s using to keep Repunzel from wanting or trying to leave the tower and depriving her of her fountain of youth.
@@mckenzie.latham91 Alan Menkin pointed out those same things when he wrote Mother Knows Best for Tangled.
The symbolism of "Hellfire" is even deeper than the already delicious examples that you cited.
There is an almost ubiquitous use of lighting and color throughout the song. The harsh red light symbolizes Hell: temptation, wickedness, and the dark desires of Frollo's own heart. However, the contrasts are soft, blue light, symbolizing God, and all that comes with and leads to Him: Heaven, righteousness, repentance, mercy, forgiveness, etc.
The setting of this battle is established very early into the song, with the shot of the cross high above the room, bathed in soft blue light. Then the camera pans down to the burning red fireplace, emphasizing how God is above Hell... but Frollo isn't praying up to the cross; he's singing his laments to the fireplace.
Frollo's contradictions and hypocrisy are in almost every scene and line in this number. One of the most often recited example is how when Frollo is proclaiming "It's not my fault," the choir in hooded red robes retort with "Mea culpa," which is Latin for "My fault." A less cited sample is when the fire seems to be pulling in Frollo, he goes as far as to *blame God* for his own temptations, belting "It's not my fault, if in God's plan, He made The Devil so much stronger than a man." This is contradictory to the scriptures themselves; there is a verse in Corinthians that states God will not allow you be tempted beyond that which you are capable of resisting, *for one example.*
But the most important part that almost no one mentions is when the guard interrupts Frollo. You can't see his face because of how strong the soft blue light behind him is, but his message that Esmeralda has escaped cuts through all the noise. I almost can't exaggerate how vital this is, because through the guard, *God is answering Frollo's prayer.* Even though Frollo deserves to burn, God is offering him mercy, an escape from his lust, and even the chance to turn his entire life around, just like God gave to Saul, and all Frollo has to do to start his path of redemption is let Esmeralda go... but Frollo rejects the offer, turning back to the burning red fireplace, while the door closes behind him. In this moment, God has left Frollo to his doom, because Frollo has denied The Holy Spirit, and is now irredeemable.
The song closes with Frollo bathed in red, still praying for the mercy for himself and Esmeralda that he literally just rejected, but still demanding his dark desires be satisfied. And after the song's abrupt end, all the fire is gone, leaving Frollo on his knees under the judgemental gaze of soft blue light, it's path severed from the source at the window, and the scene fads to black, Frollo consumed in complete darkness.
... Remember when Disney© still at least made good movies? I remember...
A fun fact about Notre Dame from a Frensh personne. The statues of the cathédral are rumoured to be conscious as the eyes of god making the statues judging Frolo even more meaningful. It's a cool detail Disney incorperated to make the fear of god as real as it was at that période of Time.
What's more interesting about the robbed figures that surround Frollo is that you could make the argument that they are a representation of his subconscious. As they are saying, "mea culpa," which is roughly Latin for, "my fault." Stating that it's Frollo's fault for having lustful feelings for Esmeralda. Furthermore, he just doesn't blame her and Satan for his dirty thoughts and desires but goes so far as to blame God himself, bringing out the true hypocrisy of his so called, "holiness."
Though if we take into account the book(a good chunk of "Hellfire" is taken straight from Hugo), Frollo blaming God is rather a sign of desperation(like when Jesus during His crucifixion said: "God, why you have left me?", He probably wasn't angry at God, He was in despair). Book Frollo is painfully aware of his guilt and acknowledges it, to the point of suicidal thoughts.
@@romualdandrzejczak4093 That's because in the book and even though I haven't read it and just going off from what I've heard. Frollo is a more tragic and sympathetic character, and even raised Quasimodo as if he was his own son. The movie version is kind of like the opposite of Frollo compared to the book. It's why some people consider Frollo to be the embodiment of hypocrisy in the movie, and he pretty much is.
@@marshallburlew7549 Not necessarily the opposite,(movie Phoebus is in fact the opposite of book one; the book version is practically Gaston), but rather this is Frollo's negative aspects from the book distilled.
@@marshallburlew7549 Which is because Disney didn't adapt Hugo's novel as much as 1939 film version, where Father Claudius is merged with his brother Jean(who in the original is a mischievous, lazy and constantly broke student), and split into two; so we have the good archdeacon Claudius, who takes care of Quasimodo, and his evil brother, judge Jean(it is he who lusts after Esmeralda in this interpretation).
*He's all alone it's a true sentiment to his inner monologue and his mindset the fact that he's alone seeing all these things in the song versus the others singing to another character like mother Gothel to Rapunzel, Hans to Anna shows a contrast between him and other villains. And how much his guilt is eating him. Him being alone is a powerful thing, it's like the thing he's fighting against in his villian lament is himself.*
while Other egocentric and manipulative villains like Hans and Gothel have more watered down surface level manipulative songs with cherry music where they sing direct to someone about loving them which shows a clear motive.
Frollos soloqiu (I think how u say it) reflects deep insecurity (Frollo sings hellfire alone to himself with serious music, we see all of his mental illusions as he goes on about everything he's struggling with, his lust for Esmeralda and how it makes him feel emasculated and unholy (ha.😂) He even chalks it up to having fireplace trouble to the guard. So shame but not humility).
Him being a human narcissist with no magic and just his own wickedness driving the plot sets him apart entirely.
Wish I knew this movie sooner.
Now do one that focuses on the rise and fall of Master Shifu and Tai Lung’s relationship! It’s so complex and deep. Especially when it comes to the part that Po, the Dragon Warrior, eventually plays.
Hell, yeah!
I never even considered-Esmeralda leaving the cathedral was a chance for Frollo to end his campaign and lustful feelings. But choosing to pursue her confirms his evil. Fantastic observation!!
RIP Tony Jay, he rocked it voicing Frollo.
I was deeply shocked that I loved Frollo! He’s easily become one of my favourite Disney villains! Slimy, cold, intimidating, ruthless, manipulative, diabolical, fiendish, and abusive! And it’s all in the performance! This role was made for the late Tony Jay! This dude kills it as Frollo. His voice is so sophisticated and guttural, which fits Frollo perfectly! And the scene where he raises his voice while Frollo screams at Quasimodo gives me goosebumps every time! 😳
“You think you’ve outsmarted me, but I’m a patient man, and Gyspies don’t do so well inside stoned walls!”
I think it´s actually very awesome and cruel the scene when he finally revels Quasimodo the truth about his mother´s death and that he actually hates and loaths him ever always, regretting not being more willingly stronger on killing him back then too.
I agree with you but I don’t think he hated quasi … in some ways he went out his way for him in a frollo type way …. Not many people got shoes or an good education like quasi did back in those times he saw quasi every day taught him everything he knows made sure he had things …made sure quasi knew it was “him who cared” he is extremely sneaky and very mean to him he is resentful and takes it out on him he would never admit it rather pin it on his mother but I do believe he feels some sort of remorse for what happened and that’s why he was the way he was with Quasimodo
He’s a deeply flawed man , he genuinely believes he’s this good kind person but his heart is extremely black
@@meganainslie1165 yes indeed he has mixed feelings about Quasimodo however he cares for him for selfish reasons rather the true caring and valuing as he is.
It wasn't really about Frollo hating Quasimodo. He simply didn't care about him one way or the other. Hatred implies that Frollo actually gave a damn, which is far more applicable to Esmeralda. Regardless of the psychotic and selfish way he went about it, he was at least invested enough to care when it came to her. In Quasi's case, Frollo stated twice in the movie that the only reason he put in any effort to look after him was because he thought the Hunchback would be useful.
As they say, the opposite of love is not hate. It's indifference.
@@tomnorton4277 that´s true, still Frollo´s interactions with Quasimodo were rather furtherly complex than it were with Esmeralda and in the end were purely hatred for both anyway! The dude still remains a very vile and awesome Disney villain character ever, with more points on regards being so REALISTIC-believable for human standards that it´s why he got a special place on his own regardless if they could exist some other evil and furtherly darker characters on classical Disney animated canon-repertoire list, that are rather idealistic archetypical references of pure evilness than something quite scarier and disturbing for being actually REAL.
(This is why Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter is actually a much hated and depissed character than all the other Death-Eaters following Voldemort or even himself for their fandom. That eerieness of a true realistic evil reference on people gives those characters in fiction extra-points on character-building as villains than more idealistic archetypes at least on contemporary-complex views of fiction as the world-wide view of all has changed a lot to set a closer emphazise on COMPLEXITY in reality, than the idealistic approaches still important on middle 20th centhury and long gone since then! Therefore both heroes and villains shouldn´t have stayed the same as former classical references of that, even on Disney´s repertoire.)
For me this figure's smile before Frollo's death mean that demons are more than happy to take him. He on his own rejects Heaven when he refuse to admit his sins and go this path further to the very end
I have thought that Lucifer himself had taken Frollo to Hell, as he was given to Lucifer by God himself as a punishment for denying of what he became by going down the wrong path.
I also love that his perfect hairdo comes undone when he loses his composure, almost like cracks in his mask. I also always thought that Judge Claude Frollo's character was tastefully dark. This is the darkest villain in any children's movie because of how human he is, and you can be damn sure that if this wasn't a kids' film, the movie would be MUCH darker.
They got a way with A LOT for a G rated movie. If this film was made today, it would be PG at the absolute minimum, more likely PG-13.
@tomnorton4277 In today's garbage standards, yes. Hunchback was up there, but it wasn't crossing any lines. It may be crossing lines today, but the standards went from "Teaching hard life lessons in a child friendly way" like The Land Before Time, The Lion King, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame; to "We must coddle and protect the children" like how nobody loses in Sing, it's a good movie, but it still serves as a decent enough example.
As classic and fun as songs such as “Poor Unfortunate Souls”, “Be Prepared”, and “Gaston” are, ‘Hellfire’ is extremely underrated. Not only is it a banger but it actually develops the character of Frollo and sets up the deeper themes in the story.
Frollo is a fantastic villain, easily one of the best of all the Disney films I’ve seen. The constant guilt trips just make him so complex as he keeps denying his own inner demons and projecting his own faults onto others, he seems so human because of this, but he is also so monstrous at the same time with how far he goes on the blame game. It’s crazy how well he is written.
And excluding Frollo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame in general is a very good film too with a handful of very charming characters, beautiful animation and some of the best musical numbers Disney has ever put out there. :)
Judge Frolo's 'hellfire' was so fire that Disney didn't make another villain musical number for 13 years. Dr. Facilier's 'are you ready?' from the princess and the frog was the first one since then.
It's a tragedy that nobody makes movies like this anymore.
My favorite use of symbols in the movie is during Hellfire, at the beginning. Over the fireplace is a cross, representing God and Beata Maria to whom he is praying for help, yet while confessing his feelings he looks into the fire below the cross. It's almost as if he's talking to the devil and asking him for answers instead.
There's so much symbolism in the Hellfire scene. It's the greatest scene in an already great movie. I'd even go as far as to say that it's a genuine contender for the greatest scene in ANY Disney movie. Simba mourning Mufasa whilst trying to wake a dead body is pretty close but there isn't as much symbolism to notice on repeat viewings as there is in Hellfire.
I've always compared the best Disney villains to one or more of the seven deadly sins. While villains like Scar represents greed, Hopper represents sloth, and the Evil Queen represents envy, Frollo represents the first and most dangerous of all, Pride. His belief that he's better than everyone else and that he's more deserving than they are makes him willing to do anything to be the best. And in the process, he commits other sins such as lust and wrath. That's why Frollo is one of Disney's most heinous and dangerous villains, for pride without humility leads to destruction
Claude Frollo had two chances at finding redemption. His first came with Quasimodo, the opportunity to have empathy for the child, to learn to love and be loved, and to grow from it. He failed. His second came with Esmeralda: the chance to accept his feelings of desire for what they were: proof that he was as human as any. Sadly, he abused Quasimodo and sought to destroy Esmeralda, continuing his hell-ward journey until he reached his inevitable doom.
I find the ending to him so funny because of how ironic it is due to Frollo saying that God shall smite the wicked and send them to Hell. And God be like "Okay then." and down goes Frollo. I can just imagine him in Hell still being in denial that he's right and they are wrong and how God has betrayed him. Poetic justice.
And if you don't know, during the final scene with Frollo, the score behind him as he is attempting to kill Quasi is "And He Shall Smite the Wicked". Frollo is attempting to smite Quasi and Esmeralda, but He in the title is God, and God smites Frollo. It's so delicious.
I love that scene
I never realized how many times they hint at his false belief in his own "holiness" wavering. Also I completely forgot about the statues in the movie and what their eyes were referring to. I definitely need to watch it again not only for Claude Frollo 's story but also Quasimodo's story! This movie really does have multiple great lessons in it. I think it would be cool if you made another video on the whole movie (Only if you have time) in the future! Also as you said I like it when the villains are able to see their strengths and flaws!
Thank you for another great villain analysis!
The type of villain that makes you go "hes my fav villain but still gives me the strong urge to throw him off a skyscraper when i see him"
Another little glimse of humanity from Frollo I find interesting: according to the creators his horse's name is Snowball. Judge Claude Frollo named his fearsome, black steed Snowball
What I like about the final fight between Frollo and Quasimodo is that when Quasimodo hangs onto the statues and sculptures they keep intact long enough for him to stay until he reaches the next one or remains intact the whole time, representing God protecting him and giving him the tools to survive Frollo, but the second Frollo had to hold onto one himself he was completely rejected and it crumbled beneath him (like it was mentioned in the video, just wanted to point out the part for it staying strong for Quasimodo, despite him being much larger than Frollo AND HE WAS HOLDING ESMERELLDA AS WELL)
Ahh...nothing like watching Rockotar discuss a character very very very thoroughly for several minutes to continue the day!
for real 😌
Frollo is one of the only Disney villains that gets scarier the older you get. His obsession and lust for Esmeralda is horrifying
This move was a formative experience for me as a little girl. It gave me my first ever crush (Esmeralda) and the first person that I have wanted to physically fight to the death (Frollo). Frollo is still my absolute fav Disney villain, no other Disney character has come close.
no, but why did they have do draw Esmeralda like that tho? 😍😍😍
@brandonhey7797 this comment is the dumbest thing that has ever been posted on UA-cam
I’m sorry but the image of a small girl trying to kill Frollo is sending me hahahaha
I loved both Esmerelda and Frollo. For two very different yet extremely similar reasons.
If you haven’t watched it, I’d highly recommend the stage version of this movie. It combines parts from the book and Disney movie, making Frollo a much more complicated character than he is in the movie. In the musical, Quasimodo is actually Frollo’s nephew and Phoebus starts out as much more of a playboy (changing as he gets to know Esmeralda). They have an entire chorus at the back of the stage who sing as the gargoyles (and sometimes narrator), making it less obvious whether they’re real or a part of Quasimodo’s imagination.
@Will N In the movie, during the fight scene, the gargoyles helped defeat some soldiers (e.g. throwing a trebuchet thing which smashed some of the guards). The musical makes it clear they’re a part of Quasi’s imagination.
I love Frollo as a character. I think ppl say Frollo is most evil bc his actions are the most set in the real world. There is no sympathy to offer him. Maleficent got a movie to earn her empathy. But there is no way to do that with Frollo.
They should make prequel movie about him on how he became bad for example.
@@courtneycook7910 thing is. He didn't even think he is evil, which is in line with the period the story took place. Christianity wasn't exactly kind to common people
@@alihorda if still like to see a prequel movie bout him
I beg to differ. I have far more sympathy for Frollo than Maleficent. Maleficent was just evil for the sake of being evil. Her whole motivation was that she wasn't invited to a fucking birthday party! Angelina Jolie brought much more nuance to her but the original Maleficent had no depth, getting by on a great design, a great vocal performance, and the fact that she could turn into a dragon. Frollo had a great design, a great voice actor AND a multifaceted personality which included relatable motivations for doing what he did.
@@courtneycook7910yeah i dont think I want that because modern Disney is too afraid to be dark or too afraid to offend people. This is the case with Pinocchio
Frollo's whole fear of God went over my head as a kid and I just thought he was just scared of the statues because they look uncanny lol
I love that before he dies he says
"And he shall smite the wicked into the fiery pit"
And that's just what happened
This movie asked the question "who is the man who is the monster?" I think it's pretty clear who the monster is.
Quasimodo was the monster right?
And frollo was the man because he dressed well
@@justice_of_UA-cam The other way around.
@@williehampton3855 how did you not understand such obvious sarcasm
@@justice_of_UA-cam Oh, I didn't know. Sorry.
@@williehampton3855 lol
I feel like because he killed Quasi’s mother Esmeralda was symbolically sent into his life like karma like will he do right and leave these people alone and it’s ironic that Esmeralda becomes motherly to quasi and the end kind of repeats the opening frollo chasing the gypsy and quasi. The archdeacon tries to stop him. And the stone of the building scares him. It’s crazy how that happens.
I like the contrast with Quasimodo's song right before Hellfire. It's called Heaven's light and is all about Quasimodo being thrilled that someone looked at him in kindness and didn't hate him. His song is all about humility and hope, whereas Hellfire is all about pride and sin. One is light and soft, the other big and deep and the two are separated by the chants. It's amazing movie making
My favorite line in Hellfire is “God have mercy on me.” It shows he knows he’s so far in the wrong, only God’s mercy could save him. It’s followed by “But she will be mine or she will burn!” Showing he’s chosen his path once and for all.
"One of the reasons he acts so aggressively throughout the movie is because in order to maintain this illusion that he's holier than everyone else he must be constantly proving that he is better than someone else"
"Frollo represents the worst kind of people in society, those who put themselves on top by pushing others bellow them to artificially increase their height"
So Frollo is like a 1480s Twitter user.
What I like about your analysis videos is that you got me thinking of characters different
This disney villian scared the hell out of me as a kid. Why? Because Frollo was so close to home for me.
Frollo can be real in everyday life compared to Maleficient or Hades.
His final words are quite fitting when put into context:
"And he shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit."
R.I.P. Tony Jay (1933-2006) Voice Of Judge Frollo from Disney's The Hunchback Of Notre Dame an amazing and chilling performance singing Hellfire Judge Frollo He's Evil One of The best and most Darkest Disney Villains Ever Judge Frollo He's Really Special and Tony Jay's Voice Was a part of it. ❤️🖤💜🔥😭😭😢😢😢😭😭😭😢😢😭😭😢😢😭😭😭😢
While Frollo is arguably the most evil Disney villian he is also one of the wisest and cunning ones too.
For example Frollo wasn't exactly wrong when he said to Quasimodo other people outside Notre Dame will judge him as a 'monster' and he be safer inside the cathedral. However this ends by the end of the film as everyone except Esmeralda, Phobes and the Archdeacon finally get over their fear over him and they accept him as well as showing remorse for being too quick to judge him as well as when they bullied him during the feast of fools.
And he cunningly tricked Quasimodo that he will attack Esmeralda's hideout knowing Quasimodo will warn her thus leading him there.
I always saw that burst of anger then sudden calmness after mentioning Quasis mom was a sudden slip of his façade. The “monster” so to speak. In reality he’s a anger hateful filled beast that parades a mask of calm authority and holier than thou arrogance but his true nature sometimes slips. So that burst of anger yelling at quasi I always saw as a look into his true nature/character and once he realizes this, he immediately puts the mask back on and acts like nothing happened, essentially gaslighting poor quasi or at least making him think it’s his fault for the outburst
Thats what i really appreciate about these kinds of villains. While they start out as most definately evil people, they don't start out as iredeemable. They do evil things, but they could have turned it all around. Instead they actively refuse their chances at redemption themselves.
I don't think anyone in the mid 90s could have predicted how relevant the conflict between Frollo and Esmeralda would be in the early 2020s. There are still too many old white men who demand silence when young women of color demand justice.
Dipping your toes into controversial waters with this comment I see, but you're not technically wrong.
@@Rockotarthepurplehatguy I think these controversial waters are worth dipping into. It's part of what makes this movie so relatable.
I think you are the Frollo in this scenario. You are to blind to see it.
@@israelchavarri6562 I'm under no illusions that I'm any better than anyone else, and I know that it's not my job to "purge the world of vice and sin." So how am I like Frollo?
@@paulchapman8023 the first comment. You are judging an entire "race and sex", while also separating "minorities and women". When you know all of what you are saying is pure propaganda. Is a racist and sexist notion. You have your own religion and you judge people in your moral system. You already think you are better than "old white men" even if you consider yourself a part of the group, you see yourself as more righteous.
Great analysis as always. Another great thing about Frolo is that he is constantly present throughout the movie and he has a connection with the protagonist throughout the movie too. The movie is never safe from Frolo, he is always there, being a potential roadblock or threat to the main characters. He isn’t an approaching threat the heroes will eventually meet/face or a threat the heroes find themselves crossing paths with part way through, Frolo is always there, being a looming threat. We might get one or two scenes free from Frolo but it is never long until he comes back and commits his next act. Very few Disney villains have the same presence as Frolo, both for the audience and main characters in the movie and that helps him stand out along with his complexity and evil deeds.
It’s also inspiring that they managed to make Frolo as evil as he his while making him an ordinary man. He’s a very messed up man but my point is that he’s not some sort of wizard or super being. He’s just a man with no unordinary powers. There’s of course nothing wrong with a villain with magical powers but Frolo’s realism really helps elevate his evil deeds even further since they are being performed by a normal human. He truly is one of the greatest villains Disney has ever made.
Now that I think about, I’ve realised that Frolo and Mother Gothel are quite similar Disney villains. First of all, both of them end up kidnapping a baby (albeit for different reasons) and then forcing the baby to live in a closed off, isolated area for their entire life, teaching the child that the outside world is dangerous and bad. They are also both normal humans with no magical powers (Mother Gothel does have the ability to de-age but that requires Rapunzel’s hair) who have a constant presence throughout the story. Frolo is overall the more complex, compelling and evil villain but it is an observation I had never made until watching this video.
The best part of Hellfire is Frollo explaining why his lust isn't his own fault while the saints chant "Mea Culpa".
In fact, all of the Latin in the song is a prayer of confession, which is incredible contrast.
It's scary to think people like frollo actually exist and that unlike in movies some of them never get karma
His backstory hasn’t exactly been revealed, so here’s likely my version:
Frollo was born to a family who cared for him and helped him through his childhood. However his family quickly realized that he was becoming extremely religious towards them and pointing out their wrongful actions everyday. Annoyed by him constantly being religious, they constantly embarrassed him. This led him to run away from his family. He was confronted by a pastor who hired him to be a security guard for a church. He was assigned to mentor Phoebus and the two of them got along well. Phoebus then left Frollo, which caused him to be slightly devastated. He kept his position at the church. Where he changed was when someone was requesting assistance and Frollo turned them away. The pastor found out and fired him. Frollo was upset that he was terminated because of what he did. This led to Frollo becoming misanthropic, believing some people were inferior when compared to him. He then moved to Notre Dame where he raised his newly adopted son Quasimodo.
Don't worry they will get judged one day no evil goes unpunished
I like how we get one of the greatest villains in both Disney and animation history in the same movie with the three stooges type gargoyles
They were weak comic relief because Frollo was so damn dark they are the opposite just a happy cliche
Good video
Thanks.
In "Hellfire" Frollo does blame Esmerelda and the Devil, but he also indirectly blames God...
"It's not my fault // if in God's plan // He made the Devil so much stronger than a man."
Frollo hit upon the philosophical Problem of Evil: "Why does a good God let bad things happen?"
Except, since Frollo is the one doing the bad things, he is basically stating, "You allowed me the freedom of choice, so if I act upon my feelings of lust, it's really your fault for giving me that freedom in the first place."
Mental gymnastics, indeed.
I think the reason why Frollo is so popular is because he has an I want song which explains his mentality and what he wants, which allows the audience to latch onto him more
I love the contrast between him and Esmeralda's songs and its sad noone adresses this.
He projects his problems onto god and singing about what HE wants.
She doesnt blame god for the suffering of her people. And she doesn't ask god for a SINGLE thing.
They both ask for mercy. Frollo for HIMSELF and Esmeralda for "the outcasts"
One more notable thing is how during hellfire, Frollo never actually prays to the cross, only the fire below it.
Its a real shame that Disney would probably never dare to make a villain like Frollo these day. He is the most unredeemable and scariest disney villain and honestly just the best.
When Frollo says, "It's not my fault, I'm not to blame." The red robed figures(in Latin) say, "Mea culpa, Mea maxima culpa". In English this translates to, "Through my fault, through my most grievous fault."
When I first watched this movie I don't think I watched it at the right time since I didn't understand or appreciate it enough until much later and your video made me appreciate it even more since there were details that I haven't noticed before like the scene you talked about where Frollo was trying to guilt tip Quasimodo and I do think that Frolo is probably the most realistic Disney villain especially since I unfortunately know someone who Frollo reminds me of (only this person doesn't do things even nearly as extreme)
The thing that made Frollo such a great villain is that he isn't some all-powerful, demon or evil witch but a man who is twisted and sick in the head and that people like him have, and still do exist.
He literally embodies all of the 7 Cardinal Sins, I love a lot about the Catholic symbols in the film!