Beauty and the Beast (1946)
An adaptation of the classic fairy tale, Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast is set in the 18th century and features a visual style that feels both sumptuous and nightmarish. The decadent costumes resemble Lily-Rose Depp’s beautiful gowns in Nosferatu, with plumes of silk, flowing skirts, and tight bodices. The black-and-white cinematography has a sharp, surreal quality, illuminating the piercing whites of the Beast’s eyes. The monochrome visuals are so stark they seem dreamlike—note the scene set in a pitch-black hallway lit by tiny, twinkling lights from candelabras. Like Nosferatu, Beauty and the Beast is a monster movie that is beautiful to look at, even in all its darkness.
