Beauty and the Beast
Disney's animated classic takes on a new form, with a widened mythology and an all-star cast. A young Prince, imprisoned in the form of a Beast (Dan Stevens), can be freed only by true love. What may be his only opportunity arrives when he meets Belle (Emma Watson), the only human girl to ever visit the castle since it was enchanted.
Despite a major studio investment of $160.0M, Beauty and the Beast became a box office phenomenon, earning $1266.1M worldwide—a remarkable 691% return. This commercial performance validated the ambitious narrative scope, showing that audiences embrace unique voice even at blockbuster scale.
Nominated for 2 Oscars. 16 wins & 81 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Beauty and the Beast (2017) exemplifies meticulously timed narrative architecture, characteristic of Bill Condon's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 11-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 9 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.6, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Belle
Beast/Prince
Gaston
Maurice
LeFou
Lumiere
Cogsworth
Mrs. Potts
Plumette
Main Cast & Characters
Belle
Played by Emma Watson
A bright, book-loving young woman who dreams of adventure beyond her provincial village and sees beyond the Beast's exterior.
Beast/Prince
Played by Dan Stevens
A cursed prince transformed into a beast who must learn to love and be loved in return to break the spell.
Gaston
Played by Luke Evans
A narcissistic, war-hero hunter obsessed with marrying Belle and becoming the most admired man in the village.
Maurice
Played by Kevin Kline
Belle's eccentric inventor father who gets lost in the woods and imprisoned by the Beast.
LeFou
Played by Josh Gad
Gaston's long-suffering sidekick who gradually questions his friend's cruel actions.
Lumiere
Played by Ewan McGregor
The Beast's charismatic candelabra butler who maintains hope and encourages romance between Belle and the Beast.
Cogsworth
Played by Ian McKellen
The Beast's uptight majordomo transformed into a mantel clock who worries about protocol and propriety.
Mrs. Potts
Played by Emma Thompson
The warm-hearted head housekeeper transformed into a teapot who offers motherly wisdom and comfort.
Plumette
Played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw
The castle's feather duster and Lumiere's romantic interest who maintains optimism despite the curse.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Belle walks through the village of Villeneuve, an outcast among the provincial townspeople who find her odd for reading books. She dreams of adventure beyond her "poor provincial town.".. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 16 minutes when Maurice gets lost in the forest on his way to the market and is imprisoned by the Beast in the enchanted castle after picking a rose for Belle.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 31 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Belle actively chooses to take her father's place as the Beast's prisoner, sacrificing her freedom. Maurice is sent away and Belle enters her tower cell, crossing into the new world of the enchanted castle., moving from reaction to action.
The Collapse moment at 95 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Gaston shoots the Beast, who falls mortally wounded. The literal "whiff of death" as Beast is dying, the curse about to become permanent, and Belle has seemingly lost the one who taught her to see with her heart., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 102 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. The curse breaks: Beast transforms back into the Prince, the servants regain human form, and the castle is restored. The final confrontation with Gaston is resolved, and Belle's declaration of love restores the kingdom and breaks the spell of superficial judgment., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Beauty and the Beast's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 11 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Beauty and the Beast against these established plot points, we can identify how Bill Condon utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Beauty and the Beast within the adventure genre.
Bill Condon's Structural Approach
Among the 9 Bill Condon films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Beauty and the Beast takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Bill Condon filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional adventure films include Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, The Bad Guys and Zoom. For more Bill Condon analyses, see The Good Liar, Dreamgirls and Mr. Holmes.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Belle walks through the village of Villeneuve, an outcast among the provincial townspeople who find her odd for reading books. She dreams of adventure beyond her "poor provincial town."
Theme
Belle's father Maurice tells her, "People talk about what they don't understand." The theme of looking beyond surface appearances to find true beauty and worth is established.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to Belle's world: her love of reading and invention, the townspeople's prejudice, Gaston's unwanted pursuit, her close relationship with Maurice, and the backstory of the enchanted castle shown in the prologue.
Disruption
Maurice gets lost in the forest on his way to the market and is imprisoned by the Beast in the enchanted castle after picking a rose for Belle.
Resistance
Belle searches for her father, debates whether to enter the frightening castle, and ultimately discovers Maurice imprisoned. She faces the choice of leaving him or taking his place.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Belle actively chooses to take her father's place as the Beast's prisoner, sacrificing her freedom. Maurice is sent away and Belle enters her tower cell, crossing into the new world of the enchanted castle.
Premise
The "tale as old as time" premise unfolds: Belle and Beast learn to coexist. He shows her the library, they share meals, she tends his wounds after the wolf attack, and they begin to see past each other's surfaces through small acts of kindness.
Opposition
Beast lets Belle go to help her father, revealing his love. Gaston learns of the Beast and rallies the villagers into a fearful mob. Belle's divided loyalty between her father and the Beast creates escalating tension as Gaston plots to storm the castle.
Collapse
Gaston shoots the Beast, who falls mortally wounded. The literal "whiff of death" as Beast is dying, the curse about to become permanent, and Belle has seemingly lost the one who taught her to see with her heart.
Crisis
Belle cradles the dying Beast, grief-stricken. The enchanted servants turn into inanimate objects as the last petal falls. Belle faces the dark reality that she waited too long to recognize and declare her love.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The curse breaks: Beast transforms back into the Prince, the servants regain human form, and the castle is restored. The final confrontation with Gaston is resolved, and Belle's declaration of love restores the kingdom and breaks the spell of superficial judgment.