D52–The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Released in 1996, The Hunchback of Notre Dame was something of a departure for Disney. Though it still retained it’s musical elements and some kid friendly characters in the form of the gargoyles, it was a decidedly darker affair than most of the studio’s other work. Adapted from Victor Hugo’s even darker novel, it was only the studio’s second PG rated animated feature, the first being The Black Cauldron, which was released a decade earlier.

Though the general public may not consider this to be one of the “classics”, this is easily one of Disney’s best animated films. The script is extremely strong, adapting Hugo’s at times tedious work to a pace which is fast enough to keep the interest of the shortest attention spans while still allowing the characters room to breathe and play out quiet moments. The art direction is simply stunning. It is one of Disney’s best looking films, and the last to use a realistic art style before the studio returned to more stylized work. The music too stands out amongst the Disney canon, with a lot of choral work and a distinctive hymn quality. Unfortunately, all of these risks, combined with the more mature, dark story, came together to form a film that didn’t resonate with the general public.

Hunchback was always one of my favorite films. Even though I was too young to really parse why, I knew that it was different from all of the others and that immediately drew me to it. I loved the slightly menacing tone, the fact that the bad guy wasn’t strictly evil, and I couldn’t get enough of the music. All of those things remain true today. This is a great film that, though it will be too intense for younger viewers, is absolutely a must see for everyone else.

1996 theatrical trailer

Up next: Hercules (1997)