Belle (2021)Sometimes we can only be our true selves when we are in disguise. It's a fundamental conceit in psychology, like Carl Jung's theory of the "shadow" self--the repression of our desires for the sake of conformity. Belle (2021) is a Japanese animated film set in the near future, and it is loosely based on "Beauty and the Beast". A shy, young high school girl named Suzu loved music when her mother taught her as a child. After her mother sacrificed herself to save another child, Suzu retreated inward, shutting her love of music away. After Suzu discovers a popular online virtual world (with the awkward name of "U"), she creates an avatar named "Bell" (which is what "Suzu" translates as) and finds that her inhibitions against singing have fallen away while she is Bell. Her avatar becomes an overnight sensation, with everyone wondering just who Bell (which becomes "Belle") really is.
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Belle is the kind of movie which exists in two worlds, literally and figuratively. The film opens with the CG-heavy vista of "U", with infinite horizons and all manner of colorful and vibrant creatures floating around in its virtual space. Suddenly, atop a blue whale outfitted with copious speakers flies in the superstar of this realm, Belle, who delivers a performance clearly modeled after countless real-world pop music icons. And then, Suzu wakes up in her bed within her rural home situated in the Japanese countryside. The mundane "real world" becomes a counterpoint to the more thrilling existence in an online one. This is a deliberate way of framing how Suzu's personality, which has long since been stifled under the weight of her sorrow, is allowed once more to blossom within "U". Belle's fame, however, invites critics and naysayers. This becomes the film's commentary on toxic members of online communities. Belle places contemporary attitudes about online interaction at the forefront, for better or worse. There is something exciting in seeing an online realm where people can be free to be themselves--despite all of the problems that come with it--but the movie is also a bit cynical about attitudes regarding the framework of this imaginary space. Fame is measured by "followers", which--as it is in our world, unfortunately--tends to translate as "value", which invites unreasonable scrutiny and harsh assessments of other people. The more outspoken users of "U" are often portrayed as obsessed with online fads, and presume that something cannot be taken at face value, that everyone has an ulterior motive. Detractors of Belle's popularity use snide comments and unfounded rumors to tear her down because they themselves are insecure. Even though "U" may appear to be a magical place, all of the same old flaws that exist on the internet today taint this virtual world with sour grapes and bitterness. Even Belle's friend (and manager, apparently), Hiroka, uses complex computing to measure Belle's success, becoming manic at her growing legion of fans, while Suzu only desires to liberate her voice in this place; the popularity is incidental. This means that despite how Suzu appears shy and withdrawn, she is much more secure in her identity than she lets on.
The tone of Belle shifts dramatically about midway through, while Belle is trying to give a concert. She is unceremoniously interrupted by a fight between a dragon-like avatar and a group of other avatars wearing all-white uniforms, and looking like a team of superheroes. At a glance, one might see these "warriors of justice" as enforcers of righteousness, defending against this unruly assault upsetting the blissful concert. But the leader of this collective--named "Justin"--intends to "reveal" the dragon's true identity--thus making him a potential target for retaliation in the real world; here's where the script flips. All of a sudden, the "Beast" who was battling these avatars becomes more sympathetic, marked with "bruises" on his back from some unknown beatings, and Justin et al are no better than bullies...a clique more interested in using the pretense of "justice" to grasp at power. (Yes, the comparisons to online virtue signaling are obvious.) It's worth noting that despite interrupting Belle's concert, the Beast never attacks anyone who hasn't attacked him. And yet, observers draw their own conclusions and post them on the internet, which makes the Beast appear more monstrous than is reasonable. Public opinion dictates the narrative in "U", which feels a bit too on the nose in our own media-saturated world. Hiroka and Suzu join the throngs of "U" users to speculate who the Beast is, but what does this serve? What does it matter? Well, Suzu is starting to understand what it means to stand up for someone else faced with a crisis. In her eyes, the Beast is being treated by default as a monster, and she realizes that this is wrong. This comes back to when her mother sacrificed her own life to save a child that was likely to drown. Despite resenting her mother for years, Suzu begins to understand that those who can speak up for others should do so, instead of allowing them to be victimized. It is ironic then that Belle leverages her influence in "U" to help achieve this, although in an indirect way. She knows that tyrants and bullies like Justin rely on shaming others to hold sway over them. In a crucial moment, threatened with being revealed, Suzu chooses to let Justin reveal her identity so that she can represent to the other users that regardless of the personae that each of them has formed in this artificial world, who they "are" is more than just an image, and that their value isn't defined by their number of followers.
Recommended for: Fans of a charming and musically-driven animated film with exceptional special effects and a meaningful and timely message. The frequent internet terminology and reliance on social media jargon may turn some audiences off, but Belle remains a sweet and endearing retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" for the modern age.
The tone of Belle shifts dramatically about midway through, while Belle is trying to give a concert. She is unceremoniously interrupted by a fight between a dragon-like avatar and a group of other avatars wearing all-white uniforms, and looking like a team of superheroes. At a glance, one might see these "warriors of justice" as enforcers of righteousness, defending against this unruly assault upsetting the blissful concert. But the leader of this collective--named "Justin"--intends to "reveal" the dragon's true identity--thus making him a potential target for retaliation in the real world; here's where the script flips. All of a sudden, the "Beast" who was battling these avatars becomes more sympathetic, marked with "bruises" on his back from some unknown beatings, and Justin et al are no better than bullies...a clique more interested in using the pretense of "justice" to grasp at power. (Yes, the comparisons to online virtue signaling are obvious.) It's worth noting that despite interrupting Belle's concert, the Beast never attacks anyone who hasn't attacked him. And yet, observers draw their own conclusions and post them on the internet, which makes the Beast appear more monstrous than is reasonable. Public opinion dictates the narrative in "U", which feels a bit too on the nose in our own media-saturated world. Hiroka and Suzu join the throngs of "U" users to speculate who the Beast is, but what does this serve? What does it matter? Well, Suzu is starting to understand what it means to stand up for someone else faced with a crisis. In her eyes, the Beast is being treated by default as a monster, and she realizes that this is wrong. This comes back to when her mother sacrificed her own life to save a child that was likely to drown. Despite resenting her mother for years, Suzu begins to understand that those who can speak up for others should do so, instead of allowing them to be victimized. It is ironic then that Belle leverages her influence in "U" to help achieve this, although in an indirect way. She knows that tyrants and bullies like Justin rely on shaming others to hold sway over them. In a crucial moment, threatened with being revealed, Suzu chooses to let Justin reveal her identity so that she can represent to the other users that regardless of the personae that each of them has formed in this artificial world, who they "are" is more than just an image, and that their value isn't defined by their number of followers.
Recommended for: Fans of a charming and musically-driven animated film with exceptional special effects and a meaningful and timely message. The frequent internet terminology and reliance on social media jargon may turn some audiences off, but Belle remains a sweet and endearing retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" for the modern age.