The introduction of the character Avenant in the Cocteau version was very interesting to me. The most intriguing part was the fact that the Beast looked like him in the end after turning into a man. In De Beaumont's version there is no other suitor for Belle, she simply learns to love the Beast and her love turns him back into a man. In Cocteau's film, Belle does love Avenant but doesn't marry him because he would take her away from her father. However, in the end she agrees to marry the Beast who has already taken her away from her entire family and the Beast ends up being an Avenant look-alike. I wonder if, in a way, Cocteau is saying that once Belle knew she could be away from her father and her family could take of itself, then she could let herself be married and love had little to do with it.
Audra Crosby
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In case you didn't know, Jean Marais plays The Beast, Avenant, and the Prince. He did an amazing job, and had to go through a few hours of make-up every day.
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