Hunchback of Notre Dame

Hunchback
of
Notre Dame

(1982)

Directed by
Michael Tuchner

Writing credits
John Gay, Victor Hugo (novel)

Plot Summary: In the novel, the story, which takes place in medieval Paris, is about Quasimodo, a deformed, barely verbal hunchback who is feared and hated by all. His only friend is Dom Claude Frollo, a stern, cerebral priest so cold he ignores the poor hunchback when he's being publicly tortured for a crime he didn't commit. The only thing the priest gets excited about is Esmeralda, a beautiful young gypsy he wants so badly his lust turns to hate. She is the only character to show the hunchback a moment of human kindness: at the same moment that the priest ignores him, when he is being jeered by a horrid rabble, she approaches the public stock and gives him a drink of water. Because of this, he falls fiercely in love with her, even though she is too disgusted by his ugliness to even let him kiss her hand. Meanwhile, she is obsessed with a shallow glamour-boy whom she believes once protected her. Crazy with frustrated lust, the priest has the gypsy arrested for witchcraft and condemns her to death. As she's being led to the gallows, Quasimodo comes down like a fiend and carries her off to the sanctuary of Notre Dame. After an uneasy respite, there's a battle and Esmeralda is seized and hung. In despair, the hunchback kills the priest and crawls off to Esmeralda's tomb to die with his arms around her body.This version of Hunchback stays as close to the plot of Hugo's novel as any film version available...from Salon.com

	with... Anthony Hopkins: Quasimodo Derek Jacobi: Dom Claude Frollo David Suchet: Clopin Trouillefou Gerry Sundquist: Pierre Gringoire Tim Pigott-Smith: Philippe John Gielgud: Charmolue Robert Powell: Phoebus Lesley-Anne Down: Esmeralda Nigel Hawthorne: Magistrate at Esmeralds's trial Roland Culver: Bishop of Paris Rosalie Crutchley: Simone