The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) is an animated film directed by Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise. Review by our first-ever Senior High contributor, Stephen So.
During class earlier today, me and my classmates had a videoke session of Disney songs, where Hunchback of Notre Dame’s “Hellfire” came on. One of my friends asked me why they haven’t seen this movie before and I asked in my head “what kind of childhood did these people have?”
It is a fact that almost every kid watched Disney movies growing up. In my case, they were an integral part of my childhood, especially in shaping my love for theater arts and music. But growing up, I did not exactly appreciate this movie because of its dark and deep tone (remember when they used murder as an opening scene for a supposed kid’s film?). Also, being based on Victor Hugo’s book that was meant to uphold the goth and intricate architecture of his time certainly wasn’t something that would make a 7-year-old kid mark this as his favorite Disney movie.
Quasimodo, the “misshapen” creature, made this movie different from many other Disney films. He is visually unappealing yet his character allows him to be a round one. He wasn’t exactly the kind of character a kid would want as their “idol”. It took an ample amount of time for many people to finally realize that his character was meant to show us that people who love us dearly would not solely look at what can be seen by the naked eye, but what can only be seen by listening, caring, and accepting. He was one of the greatest symbols of a victim of “pretty privilege”. From being tied on a topsy-turvy, being ridiculed and thrown tomatoes on, to being hated by the priest that “raised” him (heavy emphasis on the quotation marks), his character indirectly illustrated what it feels like to be crucified for the way you look. Personally speaking, this might look like an exaggeration but when you’ve experienced bullying because you looked like a snowman (round, no neck, and near immobile), Quasimodo would start to feel like a representation
Quasimodo is one of the best characters to discuss regarding pretty privilege. Besides being described as horrendous and terrifying, he was called the “King of Fools” while tied on a topsy turvy. This makes him one of the most unrealistically yet extremely relatable characters for people who are often ridiculed for the way they look. Aside from that, he was a symbol of the wrath of religion from the hands of the wrong leaders.
Sadly, Disney has shown more representation back when it was not trying so hard to do so. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is not just a representation of one, but many issues in our society today—for example, misogyny and racism shown in one character; Esmeralda. Her kind heart for her people and her true dedication to the welfare of justice.
The fact that this film has stood the test of time and is still relevant to this day shows how powerful an animated film can be once done correctly. I hope that one day, Disney would continue making these kinds of movies to cater kids who do not resonate with your typical Disney movie. Even with it’s dark tone and disturbing true story, Hunchback of Notre Dame is still one of Disney’s greatest hit.
You can stream “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996) on Disney+
