Belle – also known as Ryu to Sobakasu no Hime (which translates to The Dragon and the Freckled Princess) – is an animation movie that premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. It is one of those movies that in my opinion passed under the radars and deserves some praise. While the movie could be considered a modern interpretation of The Beauty and the Beast – starting from its name – it is actually so much more. It is not just a different rendition of a classic (similar to what Gankutsuou had done several years prior); it uses the source material as a basis and shifts into a more important and introspective direction that also considers the society of the future generations.
The first thing that I have to note is that it was directed by Mamoru Hosoda; this did not come as a surprise given the style and some of the ideas it shares with Summer Wars (another fantastic movie by the same director which deserves recognition).
The modern take of Belle is that the main part of the plot unfolds within the U, a sort of virtual realm where people have unique avatars based on their biometrics and personality. This is one of the most important elements that it shares with Summer Wars; in my opinion this trope will gain a steadily increasing importance in the years to come. This is exactly what this article wants to explore.
The exploration of a virtual world and the complex interactions of the people within it is certainly not new; consider for instance some of the classics, from Burning Chrome to The Matrix, and the impact that Ghost in the Shell had on the anime industry and on these themes. Tron and Ready Player One are other interesting examples which however take different directions. Further on these topics would be presented within the isekai genre and would be connected to virtual gaming worlds (the .Hack series being one of the most important ones and then Sword Art Online and others joining the trend). These are just a few cases of the top of my head, but the number of books, movies and anime that touch the core theme of the interactions between the virtual world and the real one have been on the rise since the ’80.
So how does Belle analyse this trope?
For starters, it is not just the inner dimension of the beast (or dragon in this case) that is concealed to the rest of the world. Everyone, having an avatar, represents a form of a mask, a façade if you will. The quote on quote reality of the virtual world is hence multifaceted; even upon considering that every avatar becomes a physical representation of their inner-dimension, the imagery itself might be in most cases misleading.
In other words, this movie teaches a young generation not to judge the proverbial book by its cover. Although it might seem like a banal philosophy, it is an important one for a generation that will have to deal constantly with a virtual world where everything may in fact not be what it appears to be. Although Belle concentrates on the positive aspects, of course a more mature audience would realises that there also subsists the flip side of the coin – the internet being what it is and some users voluntarily trying to mislead others.
What has become apparent however is that in a hyper-technological era, where a vast majority of people connect and are connected through internet, an understanding of how para-social relations and virtual interactions work is essential. These are not skills that should be picked up through trial and error, rather they should be taught and understood – and Belle partially sees to this need.
I would rate this movie a 7 out of 10 Grids.