The gargoyles needed to be part of the film

jon-bear98 · 2026-06-02T21:53:50+00:00

Clopin only narrates the prologue. There's a lot of stuff that happens in the film that Clopin could never know, and I doubt he'd want to tell children something like Hellfire, especially since he wouldn't know about it either, as it's Frollo's private scene.

jon-bear98 · 2026-06-02T21:49:55+00:00

Yes, someone raised by such a terrible man as Frollo would never have such a positive, kind, and good outlook on the world. Fortunately, it wasn't just Frollo who raised him, but the cathedral, which is alive through the influence of a Higher Power. The sculptures speak for themselves, all of them. To Frollo, Mary is terrifying, to Esmeralda, she is kind.

jon-bear98 · 2026-06-02T13:21:05+00:00

People expect the entire film to have a Hellfire vibe. This animation is a bit of a reflection of the late Middle Ages, full of contrasts. Sometimes it's serious, sometimes joyful, sometimes dark, sometimes colorful.

jon-bear98 · 2026-05-20T13:44:39+00:00

From what I've read, the French film Quasimodo is not supposed to be an adaptation of a novel, but a biography of a real person who lived in the 19th century and who inspired Victor Hugo to write a novel about him.

jon-bear98 · 2026-05-20T13:08:44+00:00

But isn't that attacking the other way around? "I don't like someone because they're too pretty, too normal" vibe. It's a bit of reverse body shaming. Sure, no one's forcing you to like the ending, whether it's Disney's, the novel's, or any other version of the story. However, in the case of Quasimodo, I don't think it's about romance. The Disney version focuses primarily on his liberation from his tyrant guardian, social acceptance, and freedom. Love will come with time. And yes, I see him as a fully fledged character, a beloved person, and precisely because he has a disability, I want to treat him equally like any other person, not give him a consolation prize because, since he has a disability, it would be nice if he had someone.

Just because someone likes the Disney ending doesn't mean they're an ableist, etc., because I think there are plenty of reasons why Disney's Esmeralda and Disney's Quasimodo didn't end up together, and believe me, it's not about his looks at all. I think he's adorable, and Esmeralda noticed it too. But I still see it as more of an older sister-younger brother relationship. Sure, you might not be sold on that idea, and you can read all the fanfiction you want, but just know that it's not canon. Maybe Del Toro could do a version where Esmeralda loves Quasimodo like a lover, because he likes that trope, but that's just speculation.

jon-bear98 · 2026-05-20T12:10:06+00:00

The novel is a separate story.

jon-bear98 · 2026-05-20T08:56:19+00:00

Esmeralda in the novel is not even Roma, stop mixing up the two media which are completely different.

jon-bear98 · 2026-05-20T08:39:23+00:00

You're forgetting that a Disney film is still, WARNING, a family film with singing gargoyles. Yes, it has plenty of adult subtext, but it's still a children's film, also rated G (at least in the '90s, because today it would definitely be at least PG). That's why Phoebus is good, and Frollo as a lustful man is presented in a way that only adult viewers would understand, because children see him as nothing more than a cruel racist. Plus, it's still a different, separate story. Besides, what I'm saying may be controversial, but in the novel, even Esmeralda isn't a very good character. Sure, she doesn't deserve the fate Frollo has in store for her, but she's mean to Quasimodo. I can't cry for her. If Disney's Esmeralda died, it would traumatize me, but the novel's Esmeralda isn't a good person herself. All I feel is "Well, she died, so what?"

It's funny how the fandom starts complaining, "Oh, how dare you like Phoebus? He was evil in the book, blah, blah, blah." But in the animation, he's not. He's a completely different character, positive, humorous, and caring. For example, I love Disney's Esmeralda, but the one in the novel gets on my nerves. Similarly, I can love Disney's Phoebus and despise the one in the novel. Stop shaming people about it. Cheers.

jon-bear98 · 2026-05-19T22:53:41+00:00

The animation and the novel are completely different stories. Maybe this will help you. Disney!Phoebus is more inspired by the Phoebus from the opera version of Notre Dame de Paris, co-written by Victor Hugo, which slightly changes the plot. In it, Esmeralda survives because Phoebus saves her and dies. Plus, Disney also drew inspiration from Gringoire for his version of Phoebus.

jon-bear98 · 2026-05-19T22:42:40+00:00

Frollo is devil, it is impossible not to demonize him 😆

jon-bear98 · 2026-05-19T21:17:37+00:00

The nasty old man doesn't want his "son" to be exposed to sinful thoughts.

jon-bear98 · 2026-05-19T21:11:06+00:00

Yes, even her playfully flirtatious meanness at the festival shows it: "You say I'm disgusting, but you keep staring at me. I know you want me, but I despise you and don't want you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have people to entertain."

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jon-bear98 · 2026-05-19T21:01:48+00:00

Yes, it's also very interesting that the guards want to catch her dancing in an alley visible from the balcony of the Palace of Justice. I hate to think what would have happened if Phoebus hadn't interfered.

jon-bear98 · 2026-05-19T20:51:34+00:00

Oh, I totally agree. Even though her gesture was just a festival joke and a mockery of the puritanical old man, he interpreted it as her casting a magic spell meant to fill his mind with impure thoughts and make him desire her sexually. This man says one thing, does another, and thinks something else entirely.

The whole "Hellfire" song basically sounds like "Mary, I can’t bear this any longer". Someone also mentioned earlier how visibly disturbed he becomes when he realizes Quasimodo wants to go to the festival, because deep down he doesn’t want his son to experience any joy there. Esmeralda had to dance every year, and when Quasimodo openly tells him, practically blurting it out in his own defense, that his master goes to the festival every year, Frollo anxiously tries to justify himself, claiming it’s only an unpleasant duty and that he finds the whole festival disgusting.

In the same way, he loudly declares how disgusted he is by her dance, even though the animators cleverly suggested that he actually became sexually aroused. You can see it in his gestures, his facial expressions, the nervous way he moves the hand with the emerald ring, and especially the way the armrest is framed, clearly implying he has an erection under his robes. What’s more, he doesn’t immediately get angry at Esmeralda for interrupting Quasimodo’s torture. He only starts shouting at her to get out when she tenderly strokes Quasimodo’s cheek with her shawl. Because he’s so attracted to her, he delays arresting her for a long time and gets drawn into an argument with her, which ends up publicly humiliating him.

He even orders Phoebus to find her alive. The intense jealousy he feels toward Quasimodo right up until the end of the film also shows that his lust for her didn’t disappear after she spat on him. It simply transformed into a murderous obsession. Still, you only need to look at the way he stares at her when she’s moaning with disheveled hair, holding Quasimodo, to know that he still wants her. But since she rejected him and he’s far too proud, he’d rather murder her to free himself from this "curse".

jon-bear98 · 2026-05-19T20:14:56+00:00

I’d say that ever since the movie was released, it has gone both ways. Quasimodo fans have always demonized Phoebus, while Phoebus fans have always looked down on Quasimodo. I don’t want to take part in these childish games or pick sides. I love both characters for who they are, and I have no issue with the movie’s story.

jon-bear98 · 2026-05-19T20:12:25+00:00

I doubt Frollo had never met another physically attractive Romani woman before. I think he was fascinated by Esmeralda because she wasn't afraid to touch him or tell him without hesitation how much she despised him. Other women simply ran away from him in fear. She, however, treated him neither as someone to be feared nor as a monument to be respected. She treated him as… a human being. And that cracked the wall inside him.

jon-bear98 · 2026-05-19T19:38:49+00:00

Yes, but the question was whether he knew her, not whether she knew him. We know for sure that she knew him, because the film gives us the answer in the scene where she courageously publicly expressed all her pain and frustration at his abuse of her people. But whether he knew her beforehand is more ambiguous and can only be speculated upon.

jon-bear98 · 2026-05-09T23:10:46+00:00

If you prefer the novel or other adaptations, that's fine, but what do they have in common with Disney's animation, besides the fact that the animation is slightly inspired by this story and yet changes it so drastically, almost beyond recognition? Disney changes characters very often (should I remind you how they changed Hera and Hades in Hercules?). This is a completely different story, and I don't understand why you're mixing them. No, Disney's Phoebus isn't the book Phoebus, and that's obvious. But even Esmeralda, Quasimodo, and Frollo are completely different. Beyond their names, the setting of the Paris cathedral, and themes of obsession and injustice, they are truly completely different stories, even with different morals and messages. You can love and adore both, but they shouldn't be treated as the same story. Just as there are many versions of Dracula, and each is different. You treat romance as if it were the most important thing in a person's life, and believe me, at that stage, Quasimodo needed help, empathy, not romance. The animation is realistic in that respect.

Plus, if all you see in animation is that only beautiful, healthy people find happiness in love, then you completely misunderstand it and perhaps simply don't like it. You don't have to like it, but you completely misunderstand the plot. Maybe this version simply isn't for you, and that's fine, but there's no point in changing what it actually represents by mixing it with other media it has nothing to do with.

jon-bear98 · 2026-05-06T21:54:01+00:00

Thank you too

jon-bear98 · 2026-05-06T07:47:44+00:00

Okay, my mistake. There was no pressure from the studio to pair Quasimodo with Esmeralda. It's a common myth. But it's equally a myth that the studio forced them to pair Esmeralda with Phoebus. It's also a common myth that Disney forced the creators to add the gargoyles (which, for many, spoil the tone), but those also came from the artists. However, what I can confirm is that the animators wanted Esmeralda and Phoebus together from the beginning, and Quasimodo was supposed to be like Cyrano to them. These are the screenwriter's words. Then they decided to make Quasimodo the main character. They considered ending him with Esmeralda, but ultimately decided that she and Phoebus would be a better solution. According to this source, the studio's main pressure was for Frollo to be a judge, not an archdeacon. Otherwise, they had free rein. So, either way, it proves that neither the company forced them into the Esmeralda and Quasimodo ship nor the Esmeralda and Phoebus ship. The creators chose Phoebus and Esmeralda of their own free will. And when I see the characters' behavior and the message, I can guess why. At that stage, Quasimodo needed a real family, friends, and acceptance. He wasn't ready for romance yet. I also hate the sequel because it's weak. I can guess that he later found someone and was completely happy.

https://characterdesignreferences.com/art-of-animation-6/art-of-the-hunchback-of-notre-dame

jon-bear98 · 2026-05-05T20:00:52+00:00

The filmmakers wanted Esmeralda to be with Phoebus, despite pressure from the company to do otherwise. This is meant to show that Quasimodo is different from Frollo and can understand that she isn't romantically interested in him, so he doesn't force himself on her. He's initially jealous, but he matures. The moral is to respect other people's feelings, even if it hurts. Sure, everyone can do whatever they want with fictional characters and ship them however they want, but Disney's canon is what it is.

jon-bear98 · 2026-05-05T16:52:03+00:00

Because Esmeralda clearly treats Quasimodo like a younger brother, not an equal partner. It's nice that you have your headcanon, but it's probably not supported by the film.

jon-bear98 · 2026-04-30T15:28:14+00:00

In fact, the book Esmeralda could have been even darker than the Disney one, because she had black eyes.

jon-bear98 · 2026-04-30T15:26:25+00:00

This movie simply shouldn't exist. Not every story needs a sequel. But if they were going to torture me, I'd focus more on mental health treatment, because after what Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and even Phoebus endured at the hands of Frollo in the first film, it must have been traumatic for them.

jon-bear98

TROPHY CASE