Beauty and the Beast (2003 film)

Infobox Film
name=Beauty and the Beast


director= David Lister
writer= Paul Anthony
producer= Janet Blandford
Stephen Margolis| starring= Jane March
William Gregory Lee
Justin Whalin
Eric David Dukas
Greg Melvill-Smith
Candicé Hillebrand
Marcel Van Heerden
Russel Savadier
Steven van Niekerk
Lee Ann Shepherd
Ron Smerczak
Aubrey Lovett
Etienne Oelofse
Etienne Changuion
Antony Jardin
music= Mark Thomas
cinematography= Buster Reynolds| editing= Peter Davies| runtime=
language= English
imdb_id= 0338769

"Beauty and the Beast" (also known as "Blood Of Beasts") is a 2003 film which is based on the folktale "Beauty and the Beast" and is set during the time of the Vikings. It is rated PG-13 for battle scenes and some violence.

Plot

Thorsson (Melvill-Smith) the king is falling ill and wants to make a pilgrimage to an island cursed by Odin. The island is home to a horrible beast. His daughter Freyja (March) is betrothed to Sven, one of Thorrson's greatest warriors. She doesn't wish Thorrson to go, fearing the king will not return. Sven and Thorsson send a group of warriors to kill the Beast. The Beast kills many and only Sven and a few remaining warriors escape. The beast captures the king and keeps him prisoner. The beast appears to know Thorrson but Thorsson doesn't recognize him.

Sven and the others return to the island. Sven tells Freya what had happened, but tells her that her father had been slain by the beast. Freya calls them all cowards.

Later Freya tries to get an army together to go back and save her father (whom she believes to be alive). However, no one will join her and Sven reminds her that he is now king and that she is betrothed to him.

Freya and Ingrid go to the island alone to rescue their father. The Beast finds them and lets Ingrid and the King go under the condition that Freyja stays. Freyja consents to the Beast's wishes. Ingrid returns to Thorsson's village, where she tries to convince the people to go and rescue her friend. Sven refuses to take action, saying that what's important is that the king is safe, and he will not risk his life over Freyja's foolishness.

Algar steps forward and tells everyone they've all been acting like cowards. He also says he'll go and save the king's daughter himself if Sven does not dare. Sven, not wanting to look like a coward, angrily agrees to send an army back to fight the beast and rescue Freya.

Meanwhile Freyja and the Beast begin to develop a friendship with each other. The Beast tells Freyja who he really is: Agnar, one of King Thorrson's warriors who supposedly died. He was cursed by Odin to roam the island. With each passing moon, Agnar slowly becomes more and more animal. The curse will cause Agnar to live forever as half-man, half-animal unless the spell can be broken, which involves the sacrifice of a loving heart. Agnar had tried to find out how to break the spell but has never figured out the riddle. Freyja tells him her people will probably come back for her and kill him. The Beast says they can't stop the curse, but Freyja is unsure.

Sven returns to the island with an army and confronts the Beast. Freyja tries to stop them, by telling them the beast is not a monster. Sven does not listen to her, thinking the Beast has fooled her mind. Sven and the Beast fight and ends with Sven shooting him. The warriors set the island afire and return home with Freyja.

That night there is a full moon and Odin's curse resurrects the Beast. The Beast journeys to Freyja's home where Thorsson has recovered from his illness and is once again king. He enters the throne room and tells everyone he is really Agnar and that he wants Freyja. Sven challenges Ragnar to a fight. Sven nearly slays the Beast when Freyja, not wanting Ragnar to die, comes between them. Sven's sword, which would have slain the Beast, slays Freyja instead, and the Beast stabs Sven with his sword, killing him.

As the Beast holds the dying Freyja in his arms, Freyja's sacrifice breaks the curse and the Beast is Agnar once again. The movie ends with Freyja's body sent out to sea.

Production

The movie was filmed in both the UK and South Africa.

References

External links

*imdb title|0338769