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IFI CLASSIC

The Beast resides in the forlorn sanctuary of his enchanted castle, in self-imposed exile from a society that he has difficulty engaging with. When he comes across a sympathetic Beauty he is immediately smitten. Might she be able to liberate him from loneliness, and awaken the gentleness buried beneath his feral exterior? Jean Cocteau’s sublime telling of the Madame Leprince de Beaumont 18th century fairy tale has been restored, reissued so that a new audience might be taken in by its magic, as dazzled by the audacity and poetry that surely struck viewers when it was first released.

Cocteau’s lover Jean Marais portrays a monster full of contradictions, at turns brutal and tender, vicious and romantic, while Josette Day plays the perfect beauty opposite him. The exquisite Gothic styling and costumes contribute to the dreamlike experience.

There will be a French Film Club screening introduced by Film Blogger and Teacher James Dempsey on Jan 7th (20.30). Tickets €7 for IFI and Alliance Française members (please request at the IFI Box Office).

Don’t forget we now schedule weekly.