THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE-DAME

I wasn’t keen to see this film because I hate the thought of someone being ridiculed or mistreated simply because of their appearance (so no, I have no intention of ever seeing ‘The Elephant Man’).

I also feared that this 1939 adaptation of a classic novel of Gothic romanticism might be rather heavy going and sentimental, especially given the pathos inherent in the relationship between Quasimodo and Esmeralda (or so I assumed).

So I was pleasantly surprised by how entertaining and dynamic this film is, and by how little running time is taken up by Quasimodo and Esmeralda. 

The source novel runs to over 900 pages, so there is no shortage of characters and plot machinations to keep the viewer intrigued and entertained, including a murder which quite took me by surprise.

In order to bring medieval Paris to life no expense seems to have been spared, in terms of lavish sets and large crowds of extras, and I was happily swept along.

Maureen O’Hara, in her first Hollywood film, is perfectly cast as the tempestuous but kind-hearted Esmeralda.

But the outstanding performance is by Charles Laughton. By all accounts he had a bit of a complex about his looks and physique, so it’s fascinating that he chose this part, where the makeup makes him truly grotesque.  

He seems to be having a great time, cavorting among the bells and displaying some surprising athleticism. 

And there is one moment of genuine pathos when Esmeralda gives him water after he has been flogged in the market square.

RATING: ✓✓ Catch It If You Can