Jung/Fairy Tales/ Beauty and the Beast

[Guest guest]

I have just finished watching the 1946 film of Beauty and the Beast by Cocteau.

It spoke to me deeply, and in ways that puzzle me. (I guess all fairy tales

speak to the deep archetypes within, don't they?)

But my question is why was I so drawn to the Beast? I felt really good when

Belle (Beauty) was holding hands with the Beast. Complete is a way.

But when he turned into this prissy prince, I felt things were no longer right

within me.

I don't know why, that's why I seek your thoughts. Is it because Beauty is more

complete when she embraces her dark side? Is that what the Beast represents,

even though he loved her?

I searched all of the von Franz books I have here, but to no avail.

I also remember years ago feeling really good when watching the Disney version

when Beauty danced with the Beast.

Studying fairy tales would open up a lot of doors to archetypes and to the

unconscious for me, I believe. So I'll start with Beauty and the Beast.

Would love some thoughts.

Sara

-----

[Guest guest]

Um. Animus progression? Your age?

Look through sharp's lexicon, which sources jung's thoughts (and

maybe his own anima progression -- if that's the right term. So it

seems to me)on the topic.

from the

JUNG LEXICON

A Primer of Terms & Concepts

DARYL SHARP

Animus. The inner masculine side of a woman. (See also anima, Eros,

Logos and soul-image.)

Like the anima in a man, the animus is both a personal complex and an

archetypal image.

Woman is compensated by a masculine element and therefore her

unconscious has, so to speak, a masculine imprint. This results in a

considerable psychological difference between men and women, and

accordingly I have called the projection-making factor in women the

animus, which means mind or spirit. The animus corresponds to the

paternal Logos just as the anima corresponds to the maternal Eros.

[The Syzygy: Anima and Animus, " CW 9ii, pars. 28f.]

The animus is the deposit, as it were, of all woman's ancestral

experiences of man-and not only that, he is also a creative and

procreative being, not in the sense of masculine creativity, but in

the sense that he brings forth something we might call . . . the

spermatic word.[ " Anima and Animus, " CW 7, par. 336.]

Whereas the anima in a man functions as his soul, a woman's animus is

more like an unconscious mind.[At times Jung also referred to the

animus as a woman's soul. See soul and soul-image.] It manifests

negatively in fixed ideas, collective opinions and unconscious, a

priori assumptions that lay claim to absolute truth. In a woman who

is identified with the animus (called animus-possession), Eros

generally takes second place to Logos.

A woman possessed by the animus is always in danger of losing her

femininity.[Anima and Animus, " CW 7, par. 337.]

No matter how friendly and obliging a woman's Eros may be, no logic

on earth can shake her if she is ridden by the animus. . . . [A man]

is unaware that this highly dramatic situation would instantly come

to a banal and unexciting end if he were to quit the field and let a

second woman carry on the battle (his wife, for instance, if she

herself is not the fiery war horse). This sound idea seldom or never

occurs to him, because no man can converse with an animus for five

minutes without becoming the victim of his own anima.[The Syzygy:

Anima and Animus, " CW 9ii, par. 29.]

The animus becomes a helpful psychological factor when a woman can

tell the difference between the ideas generated by this autonomous

complex and what she herself really thinks.

Like the anima, the animus too has a positive aspect. Through the

figure of the father he expresses not only conventional opinion but-

equally-what we call " spirit, " philosophical or religious ideas in

particular, or rather the attitude resulting from them. Thus the

animus is a psychopomp, a mediator between the conscious and the

unconscious and a personification of the latter.[ibid., par. 33.]

Jung described four stages of animus development in a woman. He first

appears in dreams and fantasy as the embodiment of physical power, an

athlete, muscle man or thug. In the second stage, the animus provides

her with initiative and the capacity for planned action. He is behind

a woman's desire for independence and a career of her own. In the

next stage, the animus is the " word, " often personified in dreams as

a professor or clergyman. In the fourth stage, the animus is the

incarnation of spiritual meaning. On this highest level, like the

anima as Sophia, the animus mediates between a woman's conscious mind

and the unconscious. In mythology this aspect of the animus appears

as Hermes, messenger of the gods; in dreams he is a helpful guide.

Any of these aspects of the animus can be projected onto a man. As

with the projected anima, this can lead to unrealistic expectations

and acrimony in relationships.

Like the anima, the animus is a jealous lover. He is adept at

putting, in place of the real man, an opinion about him, the

exceedingly disputable grounds for which are never submitted to

criticism. Animus opinions are invariably collective, and they

override individuals and individual judgments in exactly the same way

as the anima thrusts her emotional anticipations and projections

between man and wife.[ " Anima and Animus, " CW 7, par. 334.]

The existence of the contrasexual complexes means that in any

relationship between a man and a woman there are at least four

personalities involved. The possible lines of communication are shown

by the arrows in the diagram.[Adapted from " The Psychology of the

Transference, " CW 16, par. 422.]

While a man's task in assimilating the effects of the anima involves

discovering his true feelings, a woman becomes familiar with the

nature of the animus by constantly questioning her ideas and opinions.

The technique of coming to terms with the animus is the same in

principle as in the case of the anima; only here the woman must learn

to criticize and hold her opinions at a distance; not in order to

repress them, but, by investigating their origins, to penetrate more

deeply into the background, where she will then discover the

primordial images, just as the man does in his dealings with the

anima.[Anima and Animus, " CW 7, par. 336.]

Strike any chords? And -- dreams???

Beast. Very interesting companion. We wrote about him at length in

another incarnation. Some letters here:

http://jungcircle.com/muse/dream.html

Carroll, btw, a good friend of Frances who dances.

x's

[Guest guest]

I am happy that you quoted the positive side of the animus also. We so often are

bombarded only with the negative. Somehow some men seem to take us to task with

glee.And an argument between anima and animus is really off the wall.

I don't know whom you were answering, but for a long time I wanted to remind

myself and others that the animus is what can keep us in touch with the

spiritual. This , to me is the all important point.Nor should we forget the

psychopomp. a handy guide.

I have read here and on another list, women who seem to want to do away with

their animus, as they see it only negatively. Not so, please. Furthermore all

human beings " project " . It is not just a quality of womanhood. It is equally

difficult for both sexes to withdraw projections when the finally become aware

of them.

We simply cannot get rid of the animus, nor should we want to. It is our gate to

the collective unconscious, and however " bad' the negative animus may be

pictured, its time women saw and appreciated their intellect. being a connection

to the unconscious is all to the good, if we are aware where we are treading.

What are we to do with men whose opinions are formed by the collective and who

haven't had a robust thought in ages? Possession by any archetype is dangerous

and it is not just the animus. men, sadly are also prone to possession by an

archetype.Is it only women who can become acrimonious? Apriori assumptions that

lay claim to absolute truth? yes, i recognize myself occassionally here but my

gum, I know too many men who do the same.That is a trait unfortunately in all

human beings.

..

This is the 21st century and not the ninetieth. Woman are just as logical,

reasonable and intellectual as men. Do men lose their masculinity when they are

possessed by the anima?

This so called lose of femininity is a hammer held agaist all intelligent

ambitious,women. It seems the greatest insult many men can use. I believe today,

this is no longer a " masculine " thing. Men and women both have to watch out for

possession. It rattles my cage when " unfeminine is used to describe an able

woman , able to compete with anyone if she so wishes. Intelligent, smart,

logical and educated are not just descriptions of males. Wisdom does not belong

to one sex alone, either.

Pardon my personal bias, but I do think Jung went a little bit overboard with

this " unfeminine " terminology.

I grew up at a time when many still held those views, and I am happy to see

today's woman doesn't fall for this " unfeminine " label.

Sophia we need to remember is femine.

Toni

Re: Jung/Fairy Tales/ Beauty and the Beast

Um. Animus progression? Your age?

Look through sharp's lexicon, which sources Jung's thoughts (and

maybe his own anima progression -- if that's the right term. So it

seems to me)on the topic.

from the

JUNG LEXICON

A Primer of Terms & Concepts

DARYL SHARP

Animus. The inner masculine side of a woman. (See also anima, Eros,

Logos and soul-image.)

Like the anima in a man, the animus is both a personal complex and an

archetypal image.

Woman is compensated by a masculine element and therefore her

unconscious has, so to speak, a masculine imprint. This results in a

considerable psychological difference between men and women, and

accordingly I have called the projection-making factor in women the

animus, which means mind or spirit. The animus corresponds to the

paternal Logos just as the anima corresponds to the maternal Eros.

[The Syzygy: Anima and Animus, " CW 9ii, pars. 28f.]

The animus is the deposit, as it were, of all woman's ancestral

experiences of man-and not only that, he is also a creative and

procreative being, not in the sense of masculine creativity, but in

the sense that he brings forth something we might call . . . the

spermatic word.[ " Anima and Animus, " CW 7, par. 336.]

Whereas the anima in a man functions as his soul, a woman's animus is

more like an unconscious mind.[At times Jung also referred to the

animus as a woman's soul. See soul and soul-image.] It manifests

negatively in fixed ideas, collective opinions and unconscious, a

priori assumptions that lay claim to absolute truth. In a woman who

is identified with the animus (called animus-possession), Eros

generally takes second place to Logos.

A woman possessed by the animus is always in danger of losing her

femininity.[Anima and Animus, " CW 7, par. 337.]

No matter how friendly and obliging a woman's Eros may be, no logic

on earth can shake her if she is ridden by the animus. . . . [A man]

is unaware that this highly dramatic situation would instantly come

to a banal and unexciting end if he were to quit the field and let a

second woman carry on the battle (his wife, for instance, if she

herself is not the fiery war horse). This sound idea seldom or never

occurs to him, because no man can converse with an animus for five

minutes without becoming the victim of his own anima.[The Syzygy:

Anima and Animus, " CW 9ii, par. 29.]

The animus becomes a helpful psychological factor when a woman can

tell the difference between the ideas generated by this autonomous

complex and what she herself really thinks.

Like the anima, the animus too has a positive aspect. Through the

figure of the father he expresses not only conventional opinion but-

equally-what we call " spirit, " philosophical or religious ideas in

particular, or rather the attitude resulting from them. Thus the

animus is a psychopomp, a mediator between the conscious and the

unconscious and a personification of the latter.[ibid., par. 33.]

Jung described four stages of animus development in a woman. He first

appears in dreams and fantasy as the embodiment of physical power, an

athlete, muscle man or thug. In the second stage, the animus provides

her with initiative and the capacity for planned action. He is behind

a woman's desire for independence and a career of her own. In the

next stage, the animus is the " word, " often personified in dreams as

a professor or clergyman. In the fourth stage, the animus is the

incarnation of spiritual meaning. On this highest level, like the

anima as Sophia, the animus mediates between a woman's conscious mind

and the unconscious. In mythology this aspect of the animus appears

as Hermes, messenger of the gods; in dreams he is a helpful guide.

Any of these aspects of the animus can be projected onto a man. As

with the projected anima, this can lead to unrealistic expectations

and acrimony in relationships.

Like the anima, the animus is a jealous lover. He is adept at

putting, in place of the real man, an opinion about him, the

exceedingly disputable grounds for which are never submitted to

criticism. Animus opinions are invariably collective, and they

override individuals and individual judgments in exactly the same way

as the anima thrusts her emotional anticipations and projections

between man and wife.[ " Anima and Animus, " CW 7, par. 334.]

The existence of the contrasexual complexes means that in any

relationship between a man and a woman there are at least four

personalities involved. The possible lines of communication are shown

by the arrows in the diagram.[Adapted from " The Psychology of the

Transference, " CW 16, par. 422.]

While a man's task in assimilating the effects of the anima involves

discovering his true feelings, a woman becomes familiar with the

nature of the animus by constantly questioning her ideas and opinions.

The technique of coming to terms with the animus is the same in

principle as in the case of the anima; only here the woman must learn

to criticize and hold her opinions at a distance; not in order to

repress them, but, by investigating their origins, to penetrate more

deeply into the background, where she will then discover the

primordial images, just as the man does in his dealings with the

anima.[Anima and Animus, " CW 7, par. 336.]

Strike any chords? And -- dreams???

Beast. Very interesting companion. We wrote about him at length in

another incarnation. Some letters here:

http://jungcircle.com/muse/dream.html

Carroll, btw, a good friend of Frances who dances.

x's

[Guest guest]

Dear Toni, at 09:39 AM 5/09/04, you wrote:

>What are we to do with men whose opinions are formed by the collective and

>who haven't had a robust thought in ages?

You mean 99%?

> Do men lose their masculinity when they are possessed by the anima?

Yes.

>Sophia we need to remember is femine.

In a balanced world wisdom would be neither feminine or masculine.

Wisdom is " Sophia " ie, feminine, because rationality or LOGOS rules

thinking. And therefore Sophia is symbolic of the compensatory attitude

required to turn thinking into wisdom. Such attributes have come down to us

from the male perspective simply by thus being the original formulation. In

a world dominated by EROS, wisdom would arise in a masculine symbol of

compensation.

We are talking about the psyche here - not men and women. A woman nor women

in general cannot " own " Sophia. Such ideas are actually an inversion of the

process.

.

[Guest guest]

Toni (and all,)

Carroll was answering me as I started this thread after seeing Cocteau's Beauty

and the Beast.

And the question I asked myself (and you all) why did I feel more complete when

Beauty held hands with the Beast than at the end when he turned into this prissy

prince and carried her away.

Also, another thought I had on the fairy tale - Beauty went to the Beast to save

her father. And I wonder if she was a puella. That struck something within me

close to home.

I do agree that the animus has often been maligned as negative when many of us

have a positive animus.

But I still ask, why did I feel such deep satisfaction when Beauty was with the

Beast. (He loved her, and she loved him.) And why was I let down when he turned

into a prissy prince. (Maybe it was Cocteau's depiction on the prince though the

same actor played both parts.)

By the way, if you haven't seen this newly restored 1946 film - in black and

white with cinematography that looks like Dore's prints - I urge you to rent the

new DVD.

Von Franz says " Fairy tales are the purest and simplest expression of collective

unconscious psychic processes. " I believe it. A good way " in " , and I must

confess for me it hit some chords that most modern movies don't.

Sara

Toni wrote:

----- I don't know whom you were answering, but for a long time I wanted to

remind myself and others that the animus is what can keep us in touch with the

spiritual. This , to me is the all important point.Nor should we forget the

psychopomp. a handy guide.

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

I knew it. Just let me hurry and say something at bedtime and somebody (?) will

see the flaws,

I know we are talking of the psyche...at least you and I are. but you actually

think that many people note the distinction? I have heard about " unfeminine

females for 70 some years (which is why I went to an all girls prep school and

college) In my children's case they tried to look dumb in high school because

" boys didn't like smart girls " It seems there are wars going on between the

sexes that concern not just beauty and goodness, but the amount of intelligence

and ambition as well.

I know from all I read that men feel threatened by articulate, logical, well

educated females even in 2004. And such men will use even Jung to say " see, I

told you so " They will see the negative animus when instead it is a well

argued,intelligent discussion a man is losing.Sure animus shows up occasionally

but occasionally only.

I know why " spirit 'was feminine and changed gender because the patriarchy liked

it that way. I know Sophia is feminine , just as we use 'he " with our G-d Image.

We have to use something to communicate at all.

I really wasn't being " scientific " or Jungian. I was trying to make a worn out

point, .Having been hounded all my life by my articulate animus, and

having suffered when it felt it had to speak, I know well, the negative animus.

I gotta tell you, I see a lot of anima too in this latest batch of young men, I

am familiar with. Masculine and feminine traits are easily pointed out when

culture forces both into a certain position. But in this almost unisex world (in

business and the military for example, or even non-Catholic churches, It is time

to see the flaws in Jung's thinking about what is feminine or womanly. ( I don't

imagine it caused him any problems in personal relationships...though I wouldn't

have been a happy Emma Jung) But at the time he wrote, those categories were

still used.And talk about intelligent and articulate!

I would still much rather be female, and I wouldn't trade my " motherhood " for

anything any man (hero, warrior whatever) had. But I think , using words such as

Jung does to describe a woman's unpleasant side... " no logic can shake her when

she is possessed by the animus " can as easily apply to men I have argued with.

And as for absolute truth , men seem to claim that ground much more than women

who are always getting " brow-beaten " . Know any female Jerry Farewells?, Cotton

Mathers, Rush Limbaugh's ( sorry all examples seem to be American at the moment)

Anyway, it wasn't a too serious set of comments from me. I just think would have

written differently about animus and anima if he lived in 2004.He wrote much of

what he had learned during the last bit of nism to W.W.II.

He doesn't even bother me as much as the fundamentalists who have taken up his

'scientific " findings to remind us just who is the master of the house,academia,

the business and the political arena. How ever many references to shore up their

" woman's base''''soccer moms etc " they fling out for temporary political

support.

Yes, I know it is " the " psyche we are discussing, not " my psyche " or " your "

psyche, but the psyche...yet how many people don't " get it'?

I am not , by the way a " feminist " I am much more traditional than many think. I

was Mrs Priest most of my life, not Mrs Toni Priest until my daughters

made fun of me, and taught me the P.C. way.( in fact it never even occurred to

me to be bothered about civil conventions....I loved having doors opened for me,

an gentlemen standing up for me) I rather liked lieutenant and/or captain in

front of my name, I must admit.But it was only for 6 years all told. Then I

became Mommy, and then Mom. I liked that best of all.Not to mention being a

wife, and a beloved.

I was just as intelligent, well educated,logical, direct ,and strong and well

aware of the world around me as Mommy or " angel " or sweetness " (heh ,really) as

at any other time.

Anyway, the whole thing is just plain silly. A good sense of humor (except on

occasion on some lists) is all I need to set anyone I wish straight.That is

before some just back away from me.

With tongue in cheek, much love,

Toni

From: G Heyward

To: JUNG-FIRE

Sent: Sunday, September 05, 2004 1:32 AM

Subject: Re: Re: Jung/Fairy Tales/ Beauty and the Beast

Dear Toni, at 09:39 AM 5/09/04, you wrote:

>What are we to do with men whose opinions are formed by the collective and

>who haven't had a robust thought in ages?

You mean 99%?

> Do men lose their masculinity when they are possessed by the anima?

Yes.

>Sophia we need to remember is feminine.

In a balanced world wisdom would be neither feminine or masculine.

Wisdom is " Sophia " I.e., feminine, because rationality or LOGOS rules

thinking. And therefore Sophia is symbolic of the compensatory attitude

required to turn thinking into wisdom. Such attributes have come down to us

from the male perspective simply by thus being the original formulation. In

a world dominated by EROS, wisdom would arise in a masculine symbol of

compensation.

We are talking about the psyche here - not men and women. A woman nor women

in general cannot " own " Sophia. Such ideas are actually an inversion of the

process.

.

[Guest guest]

Dear sara,

We have both, each of us. A positive animus and a negative one. All things come

with opposites. It is a matter of when we fall into which.I just believe most of

us concentrate on the negative one, and forget the gift of the positive animus.

As for the rest. I am sorry, I almost never go to the movies or see them at

home. I can't allow myself to get so wound up and then become part of the story

that it hangs onto me for days. When I do see one, I leave to go to the bathroom

at very emotional scenes, especially if they are embarrassing to one of the

characters.

Anyone who wants to psychoanalyze this is free to do so. They won't be the first

one. After all I was in analysis for 7 and some years. Movies are too real for

me. I get my joy out of books, when I can control the images. The problem with

fairytales is the same. I cried at many of them as a child or was scared purple.

I am not therefore a good person to talk about Beauty and the Beast.I remember

it only through a child's eyes or thru von Franz's.On TV I watch

science,history, politics and some detective stories or war stories. The action

in the latter two is far enough removed from " everyday " life and I like

mystery.But even there I sometimes cringe because of the embarrassment of

likeable characters. I despise horror films or too much violence, and will leave

if someone won't turn it off... in the new " attempts from Hollywood. love " Law

and Order " and I used to love westerns....The white hats usually win, and the

bad guys go to jail. I can forget it in a minute., and the world has settled its

argument about who wins correctly, if not in reality.

I am sure this sounds simple minded to you, I was not always like that. The

" good old days " have lovely romances with handsome men. What teen ager could

forego that? ( in summer the movie theaters were all that was air-conditioned in

my youth.)

Toni

Re: Re: Jung/Fairy Tales/ Beauty and the Beast

Toni (and all,)

Carroll was answering me as I started this thread after seeing Cocteau's

Beauty and the Beast.

And the question I asked myself (and you all) why did I feel more complete

when Beauty held hands with the Beast than at the end when he turned into this

prissy prince and carried her away.

Also, another thought I had on the fairy tale - Beauty went to the Beast to

save her father. And I wonder if she was a puella. That struck something within

me close to home.

I do agree that the animus has often been maligned as negative when many of us

have a positive animus.

But I still ask, why did I feel such deep satisfaction when Beauty was with

the Beast. (He loved her, and she loved him.) And why was I let down when he

turned into a prissy prince. (Maybe it was Cocteau's depiction on the prince

though the same actor played both parts.)

By the way, if you haven't seen this newly restored 1946 film - in black and

white with cinematography that looks like Dore's prints - I urge you to rent the

new DVD.

Von Franz says " Fairy tales are the purest and simplest expression of

collective unconscious psychic processes. " I believe it. A good way " in " , and I

must confess for me it hit some chords that most modern movies don't.

Sara

Toni wrote:

----- I don't know whom you were answering, but for a long time I wanted to

remind myself and others that the animus is what can keep us in touch with the

spiritual. This , to me is the all important point.Nor should we forget the

psychopomp. a handy guide.

[Guest guest]

Not at all, Toni. Not at all. Love - Sara

Toni wrote:

----- I am sure this sounds simple minded to you...

[Guest guest]

Well spoke Toni. Well, Jung was man of his time. Only human.

Keep thinking about this. The Beast is special. He's a type of Cupid

and Psyche, Eros placed in Soul's position. It really is an amazingly

interesting topic, the reaction of wanting him to not turn human. I

think --- and I could intellectualize this and go back to Beauty and

Forms and ALL THAT -- but that's all just a detour, and women know it

very well. I think follow the FEELING, not dissecting it as right or

wrong, dark or light. But follow it because it's pulling on your

sleeve trying to tell, teach something.

And who would miss, turn away from this journey? Follow the

psychopomp. Bluebeards, Beasts. Eros moves them all. Just be sure you

have a sturdy boat -- and pace yourself.

Hillman is great companion here.

I know the ground, the water, the way the light hits it at night. The

moon floating there on its surface, dazzling.

Um!

x's

deborah

[Guest guest]

I forgot to add: Indeed, and Oh for a balanced world. But then there

would be no gradients, no action potential, no movement. " Heaven is a

place where nothing ever happens. " We are 4 elements moved by Eros.

That's our condition.

" The idealizations which Eros tends always to constellate can be

counterbalanced: creativity expresses itself also as destruction.

Love's torture may not always lead to the happy ending of our tale.

The idealizations may further be weighted by recalling the

connections in Hesiod, the Orphics, and renaissance Neoplatonism

between eros and chaos.

" Eros is born of Chaos, implying that out of every chaotic moment the

creativity of which we have been speaking can be born. Further more,

Eros will always hearken back to its origins in chaos and will seek

it for revivification. ... Eros will attempt again and again to

create those dark nights and confusions which are its nests. It

renews itself in affective attacks, jealousies, fulminations, and

turmoils. It thrives close to the dragon. " — Hillman (Love's

Torturous Enchantment, A BLUE FIRE)

I would love to see this movie. On DVD? Gosh. Do I deserve an early

birthday present...

Fairy Tales and myths. You're so right. They teach. As does history.

I study history most of all to try to find out the origins, shape,

form of prejudices. Another telling myth:

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~loxias/pandora.htm

(my comment: http://jungcircle.com/muse/negcapdora.htm )

x's

deborah

[Guest guest]

Oh I see. This is Carroll Bishop I mentioned, in this context:

>>Beast. Very interesting companion. We wrote about him at length in

another incarnation. Some letters here:

http://jungcircle.com/muse/dream.html

>>Carroll, btw, a good friend of Frances who dances.

>>x's

As in the Carroll mentioned on the webpage. I sent it because this is

pretty much the very topic we've been shaping for years. Some letters

are there. In fact, my whole Clarissa segment deals with this

topic.

Sorry for confusion. I'm used to posting from outlook. I refuse to

give yahoo my id anymore or give things out on lists in general. I

cannot begin to tell you the number of viruses I was sent last time I

did.

x's

deborah

[Guest guest]

deborah,

Here is a review of the film. Notice that the DVD has wonderful extras - really

wonderful - including two different commentary tracks that you can watch with

the film.

Link:

http://filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/60e74e041ca9cd6b8625626f0062219f/e5b5211\

38cf3320e88256ccb007db9df?OpenDocument

Sara

-----

[Guest guest]

Oh yes. This is the place where the boat departs. Get in! Great

stuff. And -- a man telling the tale. The close of WW2, fresh from

the living hells of the gutless wonders. The pain is still there. We

open our eyes...

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Beauty and the Beast

This is definitely not the Disney version. While it remains faithful

to the plot of the classic fairy tale by Leprince de Beaumont, Jean

Cocteau's 1946 French romantic fantasy is the product of a

sophisticated, mature sensibility in its tones and textures and,

above all, in its surprising emotional power. With sparkling black-

and-white imagery that, for once, is actually dreamlike rather than

cute or kitschy, and with a Beast (Marais) who is almost as

glamorous with his silky blonde facial hair as he is clean shaven,

the movie casts a seductive spell. It might actually be a little too

rich and unsettling for kids. Even the costumes and the draperies are

entrancingly ornate. Viewers intoxicated by this enveloping vision

should consider moving on to Cocteau's even more aggressively other-

worldly 1949 masterpiece Orpheus, in which Marais plays the doomed

poet of ancient Greek legend, updated to a Parisian " punk " milieu of

motorcycles and black leather. -- Chute --This text refers to

the VHS Tape edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Blood of a Poet

" A realistic documentary of unreal situations " reads the introductory

card of Cocteau's debut film, which recalls the work of the

silent surrealists (notably Buñuel and Salvador Dalí's Un Chien

Andalou and L'Âge d'Or). Cocteau uses dream imagery to explore

poetry, artistic creation, memory, death, and rebirth in four

separate fantasy sequences. In the first scene, an artist confronts

his creations when they take on a life of their own. In the second,

he dives through a mirror (a primitive but startling effect Cocteau

refines for Orpheus) and into a skewed hall where every door reveals

a fantastic dream scene. The third sequence finds a gang of boys

turning a snowball fight into a cruel war, and in the last an

audience gathers to witness a dead boy's resurrection amidst a

strange card game. These descriptions do little to communicate the

poetry of each segment, which rely on creative imagery to create

meaning not in stories but in symbols and metaphors. Cocteau's

realization is often stiff and stilted, the work of a visual artist

transforming still images into an medium that moves through time, but

it's never less than beautiful and evocative. Cocteau returned to

many of the same themes in Orpheus and The Testament of Orpheus. --

Axmaker

Orpheus

A Parisian poet becomes seduced by the prospect of eternal fame in

Cocteau's jazzy 1949 update of the ancient Greek myth of

Orpheus. The café set won't give successful Orpheus (Marais) the

time of day, so he obliges when the Princess of Death ( Casarés)

orders him into her Rolls Royce with her injured young protégé. It

isn't long before the poet realizes the commanding Princess is no

ordinary benefactor of the arts; for one thing, she can travel

through mirrors. The next day, Orpheus returns to his frantic wife

Eurydice (Marie Déa) with the kindly chauffeur Heurtibise (François

Périer), but remains distracted by the Princess and the cryptic

messages from her car radio. The equally smitten Princess eventually

takes Eurydice before her time, which results in an underworld trial

about her actions. To get his wife back, Orpheus must promise to

never to look at his wife, but his heart's not in it. This black-and-

white film slyly explores the dark side of the creative urge with

panache. Dreamy and mesmerizing, it depicts an underworld not too

different from everyday life. With subtitles. --Diane Garrett

The Testament of Orpheus

It is the unique power of the cinema to allow a great many people to

dream the same dream together and to present illusion to us as if it

were strict reality. It is, in short, an admirable vehicle for

poetry. " Cocteau, at age 70, thus ruminates on the life and

purpose of the creative artist in a poetic essay. Cocteau himself

stars as a time-traveling poet bopping helplessly through the ages

until an experimental scientist grounds him in a kind of never-never

land where he defends himself to the judges of Orpheus, dies, and is

resurrected to complete his sentence: " condemned to live. " Though the

film opens with scenes from Orpheus, the series of symbolic

encounters and surreal images more resembles The Blood of a Poet.

What's different is his cinematic assurance and sly sense of humor:

shot through with jokey gags and playful imagery, the film is less

philosophical treatise than career summation by way of farewell

party. He's invited fictional characters (most of the cast of

Orpheus) and real-life friends (cameos range from Brigitte Bardot to

Yul Brynner to Pablo Picasso) from his past and present to send him

off to an uncertain future. The new Home Vision video and Criterion

DVD releases feature the restored color sequence. Cocteau died in

1963, three years after completing the film. -- Axmaker

Description

Decadent, subversive, and bristling with artistic invention, the myth-

born cinema of Cocteau disturbs as much as it charms. Cocteau

was the most versatile of artists in prewar Paris. Poet, novelist,

playwright, painter, celebrity, and maker of cinema-his many talents

converged in bold, dreamlike films that continue to enthrall

audiences around the world. In The Blood of Poet, Orpheus, and

Testament of Orpheus, Cocteau utilizes the Orphic myth to explore the

complex relationships between the artist and his creations, reality

and the imagination. The Criterion Collection is proud to present the

DVD premiere of the Orphic Trilogy in a special limited-edition three-

disc box set.

Blood of a Poet

" Poets . . . shed not only the red blood of their hearts but the

white blood of their souls, " proclaimed Cocteau of his

groundbreaking first film-an exploration of the plight of the artist,

the power of metaphor and the relationship between art and dreams.

One of cinema's great experiments, this first installment of the

Orphic Trilogy stretches the medium to its limits in an effort to

capture the poet's obsession with the struggle between the forces of

life and death. Criterion is proud to present The Blood of a Poet (Le

Sang d'un poète).

Orpheus

Cocteau's 1940s update of the Orphic myth depicts Orpheus (Jean

Marais), a famous poet scorned by the Left Bank youth, and his love

for both his wife Eurydice (Marie Déa) and the mysterious Princess

( Casarès). Seeking inspiration, the poet follows the Princess

from the world of the living to the land of the deceased through

Cocteau's trademark " mirrored portal. " As the myth unfolds, the

director's visually poetic style pulls the audience into realms both

real and imagined in this, the centerpiece to his Orphic Trilogy.

Criterion is proud to present Orpheus (Orphée) in a gorgeous new

digital transfer.

Testament of Orpheus

In his last film, legendary writer/artist/filmmaker Cocteau

portrays an 18th-century poet who travels through time on a quest for

divine wisdom. In a mysterious wasteland, he meets several symbolic

phantoms that bring about his death and resurrection. With an

eclectic cast that includes Pablo Picasso, Jean-Pierre Leáud, Jean

Marais and Yul Brynner, Testament of Orpheus (Le Testament de Orphée)

brings full circle the journey Cocteau began in The Blood of a Poet,

an exploration of the torturous relationship between the artist and

his creations. Criterion is proud to present the last installment of

the Orphic Trilogy in a new digital transfer.

" To look with the eyes and see with the heart is the secret of the

Philosopher's Stone. " ~Petrus Bonus

[Guest guest]

Good review, deborah. But the Amazon one you sent is for the VHS version. Read

the link for the DVD review that I sent. Film is beautifully restored, and is

filled with discussions about the cinematography plus those two truly

informative commentaries.

Sara

[Guest guest]

Good questions! B n the B has a mirror story in " The Loathly Damsel " or ugly

D.

The message of both is the healing power of love to redeem what we normally

reject in ourselves or in others.

Jung's message seems to point to the power of redemption n this is hinted at

symbolically in the days that Christ spent in 'hell' before his resurrection.

Few people reflect on the most potent n convincing form of teaching - setting

a gd example! It's not what we say but who we are. Think back even to yr

school teachers, mentors, parents etc. n bless those who lived wh they taught.

I have given a lot of thought to this, having been so blessed by my own

Teacher n others. He radiated.

Case in pt. can we not see enantiodromia at work in the horror n cruelty of

the Chechyen terrorists. How is such behavior going to further their cause? Or

for that matter how can the invasion of Iraq endear 'democracy' to the Middle

East n our popularity as a nartion in the world? The finest of the avatars are

the ones who were at peace within themselves. This bestows a natural human

dignity that endures throughout centuries. Those who are constantly drumming

guilt into others either indiv or coll fall prey to their own shadow. We see

this

in our own times all too clearly!

" To thine own self be true, and it will follow as the day the night, thou

can'st be false to any man "

W. Shakespeare

Tired, but sending love

Ooooold lady!

ao

Feed the wolf at the door........

[Guest guest]

Alice, you got right to the heart of the message Beauty and the Beast. Thanks

for this beautiful insight. Love- Sara

Alice wrote:

-----

The message of both is the healing power of love to redeem what we normally

reject in ourselves or in others.

[Guest guest]

Hi Sara,

My own feeling about the Beast is that, rather than the truly negative

animus, he depicts the aspect of the animus which is despised by the

conscious mind but is actually useful for our development. I never liked him

changing into the prissy prince either. It is a bit like how, in Jane Austen

terms, most people see Mr. Darcy as the epitome of the positive animus. I

always liked Emma's Mr. Knightley!

fa (replying late as only back from holiday yesterday)

Jung/Fairy Tales/ Beauty and the Beast

> I have just finished watching the 1946 film of Beauty and the Beast by

Cocteau.

>

> It spoke to me deeply, and in ways that puzzle me. (I guess all fairy

tales speak to the deep archetypes within, don't they?)

>

> But my question is why was I so drawn to the Beast? I felt really good

when Belle (Beauty) was holding hands with the Beast. Complete is a way.

>

> But when he turned into this prissy prince, I felt things were no longer

right within me.

>

> I don't know why, that's why I seek your thoughts. Is it because Beauty is

more complete when she embraces her dark side? Is that what the Beast

represents, even though he loved her?

>

> I searched all of the von Franz books I have here, but to no avail.

>

> I also remember years ago feeling really good when watching the Disney

version when Beauty danced with the Beast.

>

> Studying fairy tales would open up a lot of doors to archetypes and to the

unconscious for me, I believe. So I'll start with Beauty and the Beast.

>

> Would love some thoughts.

>

> Sara

> -----

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi fa.

I am glad you intuitively (or unconsciously) liked the Beast over the " prissy

prince. "

Thanks for reminding me about Jane Austin's Mr. Knightley being is such good

contrast to Emma's Mr. Darcy.

Welcome back from vacation.

Sara

Jung/Fairy Tales/ Beauty and the Beast

[Guest guest]

Thank you Sara.

My take on Mr. Knightley is that he epitomises the positive animus as

spiritual guide, whereas Mr. Darcy was merely a horny young man obsessed

with an anima figure!

fa who adores older men, and married one

Jung/Fairy Tales/ Beauty and the Beast

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

fa and all,

What a great insight you have given me. The Beast (or your Mr. Knightley) is

carrying the positive animus - the spiritual side for me! And the prissy prince

(or your Mr. Darcy )

is carrying a negative anima figure he is obsessed by - which is why I did not

like him and was not drawn into the happily ever after with him.

The Beast is my spiritual helper!

I remember being almost carried away in the Disney film when Beauty dances with

the Beast. I was longing for the Beast.

For as Alice says, it is love that redeems, and that is what the Beast was all

about.

Am I on target for what you meant? In my heart I feel that I am, but this

accepting my feeling for the Beast over the Prince is a bit jarring to my

" intellect " as we have been taught to seek Prince Charming.

God knows, I wonder how different my life might have been had I sought the

Beast... but on second thought, maybe I did.

Sara

Re: Jung/Fairy Tales/ Beauty and the Beast

Thank you Sara.

My take on Mr. Knightley is that he epitomises the positive animus as

spiritual guide, whereas Mr. Darcy was merely a horny young man obsessed

with an anima figure!

fa who adores older men, and married one

[Guest guest]

Dear Sara,

You seem to understand absolutely what I meant. I'm glad that someone does,

LOL!

fa

Re: Jung/Fairy Tales/ Beauty and the Beast

>

>

> Thank you Sara.

>

> My take on Mr. Knightley is that he epitomises the positive animus as

> spiritual guide, whereas Mr. Darcy was merely a horny young man obsessed

> with an anima figure!

>

> fa who adores older men, and married one

>

>

>

>