The Hunchback of Notre Dame

1939

Action / Drama / Horror / Romance

17
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 93% · 15 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 87% · 5K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.8/10 10 13443 13.4K

sibling relationship paris, france based on novel or book unrequited love racism black and white

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Plot summary

Paris, France, 1482. Frollo, Chief Justice of benevolent King Louis XI, gets infatuated by the beauty of Esmeralda, a young Romani girl. The hunchback Quasimodo, Frollo's protege and bell-ringer of Notre Dame, lives in peace among the bells in the heights of the immense cathedral until he is involved by the twisted magistrate in his malicious plans to free himself from Esmeralda's alleged spell, which he believes to be the devil's work.

Director

William Dieterle Photo
William Dieterle

Top cast

Walter Hampden Photo
Walter Hampden as Archdeacon
Harry J. Vejar Photo
Harry J. Vejar as Noble
Theodore Lorch Photo
Theodore Lorch as Minor Role
Louis Jean Heydt Photo
Louis Jean Heydt as Minor Role
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU
1.05 GB
988*720
English 2.0
Passed
Subtitles
23.976 fps
1 hr 56 min
Seeds 2
1.94 GB
1472*1072
English 2.0
Passed
Subtitles
23.976 fps
1 hr 56 min
Seeds 19

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by CinemaSerf 8 / 10

The is a wonderfully evocative version of the

The is a wonderfully evocative version of the timeless Victor Hugo story of love, desire, cruelty and brutality in 1490's Paris. Charles Laughton turns in a tour de force performance as the physically and mentally disabled "Quasimodo" who is feared, loathed and ridiculed by the local population. When a wandering gypsy girl "Esmerelda" (quite possibly Maureen O'Hara's best ever performance) is found guilty of murder he rescues her and gives her sanctuary in the high bell tower of Notre Dame cathedral. Here she is easy prey for the already infatuated "Frollo" - superby depicted by Sir Cedric Hardwicke. What follows is the stuff of great literature adapted with adroit skill and sympathy by Sonya Levein (screenplay) and directed by William Dieterie. The use of light and shadow, Alfred Newman's nimble score and an authentic set (recreated in California) make this by far the best rendering of this story on film.
Reviewed by John Chard 9 / 10

Incredible film-making, bravo for real classics. What a

Incredible film-making, bravo for real classics. What a truly lavish and gorgeous film this is, thematically it pulls the emotions in different directions, and as a story it's as sharp as a tack. Boasting a quite incredible performance from Charles Laughton as the tragic bell ringer Quasimodo (no nomination Academy, are you flipping sure?), and sets that are simply out of this world, this film to me defines classic cinema. Into the mix we get a radiant Maureen O'Hara as Esmeralda who lights up the screen in every scene she is in, it's a very special performance in view of it being her first lead US turn. However, really the film's triumph lies with its script, a very aware piece of writing encompassing political goings on and the corruption of the church set around the hunchback's tragic love. The make up of Laughton leaves an indelible image when brought into focus with the great detail of the surroundings, and the score is mightily appropriate. All in all this film cost 2 Million Dollars for RKO Studios, one of their most expensive outlays, but they were rewarded in spades as the film was a monster success and here in the modern day age of cinema the film still stands up as a benchmark for great movie making. 9/10
Reviewed by Nazi_Fighter_David 9 / 10

A small masterpiece, projecting love of the fantastic, the mystical, and the grotesque...

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