And more chilling: Not an inaccurate description of how much high-ranking people at that point in human history felt about everything around them. Be it kings, ministers, bishops or military leaders. The Dark Ages were called that for a multitude of reasons and that is one of them.
@@nuclearcatbaby1131 The helmets of his guards and everybody wearing black and thekr pogrom made me think of the nazis. There's also the "you were trained to follow orders, captain" line.
In the Hellfire song the lengths Frollo goes to to blame anyone but himself for the evil things he's doing. He blames Esmeralda for supposedly being sent by Satan to tempt him when it's Frollo's own fault for obsessively lusting after her then blames God for making the devil stronger than him.
Right like sir ... Don't blame God he will make sure you regret it lol on fact there are many times that you can see in the writing that God even gave him multiple times to be better. But he refuses.
@@ladyofnoxus6733 "Pharaoh hardened his heart." I truly like Frollo for this reason only--he reads like a biblical villain. The corrupt Pharisee/Sadducee who stands against Jesus, or the corrupt temple hierarchy allowing unlawful acts within the temple during the Prophetic books. He's quite well thought out and echoes an existing archetype--that of the corrupt priest.
In my opinion, the best Disney villain. He’s the most frightening because he firmly believes his actions is the right thing and is justified. Also Tony Jay was superb voicing Frollo.
@Greg Elchert I think it was because he mainly was a voice actor rather than live action. I don’t know all the films, tv or radio he did but he had a brief appearance in Twins and he did a number of video games as well. I can’t think of many other voices that matches tony jays dark and sinister tone.
Imo i feel like he actually knows what he's doing is wrong, he's just is unable to come to terms with it. Which is why he tries to come up with these excuses.
In a different comment section about The Hunchback of Notredame here on youtube, someone mentioned that during the Hellfire song, Frollo had a chance of redemption. When the soldier interrupts his song to inform Frollo that Esmeralda escaped, the soldier is surrounded by a white light, symbolizing a path back to the light. It is an opportunity for Frollo to abandon his pursuit of her, and by doing so would give him a chance to come back to God's grace. However Frollo was to obsessed with Esmeralda by this point, and he faces the fire once again, choosing his lust and greed over true redemption.
Absolutely, they didn't softball us and we turned into better people for it. Softballing kids makes them weak-willed and naive. These qualities lead to nothing but failure and misery.
@@drabarski Ironically, Disney's attempts to humanize the villains by giving them their own movies have made them have less impact. I didn't hold out any hope for Maleficent, and I'm not about to do the same for the Cruela DeVille's movie either.
Yeah, I find a common part of growing up is being afraid of Disney villians as a child, dismissing them as overly simplistic cartoonish exaggerations of evil as an adolescent, and then looking backas an adult and going "nope, not only is that kind of evil absolutely real and even disturbingly common." and that not just applying to the more complex villains like this one.
As a teen, I had a weird obsession with the novel and watched ALL adaptations. Frollo is my favourite character because of his complexity which is omitted from almost every adaptation. He does not start as a villain right away: we see him as a passionate researcher and a father figure to his little brother and Quasimodo. This makes his downfall much more interesting to watch. All this said, I still love Disney's Frollo very much. To me he was always the most terrifyng villain because of how lifelike he is. Not a magician, not a talking lion, just a really evil human being.
So far, my favorite adaptation is the 1939 version with Charles Laughton as the Hunchback and (Rrrrowww) Maureen O'Hara as Esmeralda. Cedrick Hardwicke of course is excellent as Frollo. I don't think it was true to the book's ending, though. I suspect the Disney version also wouldn't have been.
@@sentientmarshmallow4644 The Disney movie, story wise is closer to the 1939 adaptation with some updates and Disney flavor (Bloody Gargoyles) Likewise the 2015 musical, is a compromise of both the Disney film 🎥 (Music-modified lyrics to reflect the different story) and the original novel (Story-like restoring Frollo’s tragic and conflicted character arc as well as his Archdeacon profession)
I've seen the silent version with Lon Chaney as Quasimodo. I don't remember who played Frollo in that one. However I would like to see the version with Charles Laughton as Quasimodo sometime.
I think the musical version of the Hunchback (La Jolla Playhouse) does a good job in somewhat portraying this complexity, Patrick Page is an excellent Frollo. It's a real pity that this musical never made it to broadway and that we only hame slime versions of it to watch. I've watched every adaptation as well and it's true that Frollo is a tricky one to portray faithfully.
Fun fact: During Frollo's tantrum where he destroys Quasimodo's model of Paris, he throws Esmeralda's figurine, and it knocks his own figurine off the table. It's a subtle metaphor of how his obsession with her foreshadows his own (literal) downfall.
The voice acting and singing done for Frollo is top notch, probably only matched (as far as Disney villains go) by Scar and Hades (Though they're more cartoonishly evil, rather than the twisted, perverted evil that Frollo was).
For me there is only one other disney villian whose performance can stand to toe with Frollo in my opinion. And thats The Horned King play by John Hurt. When I was kid, that guy scared the crap of out of me. He looked cool, sounded intimadating, and his plan was the most dark any disney villian beside Frollo. All the other villians in disney are so petty in their goals, (Gaston and Radcliffe are to example) they want gold, they want the princess. The horn king and Frollo (and to a lesser extent Hades) want to be divine. Frollo plays the lives of people as if he was the boot to an ant and The Horned King wants to resurect an army of the living dead. Thats what I miss in Disney villians. People say they were so cool, like Scar and Jafar (not bad in my opinion, but just the standard.). But I want villians who were in these fleating momments and actually a threat.
@@dylantennant6594 with alot of Disney villains I find the darkest stuff about them is often implied in what TV Tropes would call Fridge Horror. Jafar's definitely in this category to me. His reaction to the thief's death and how casual and almost playful he is when preparing to kill Aladdin just screams that this guy is accustom to using people and then eliminating them or simply not giving a good shit if they die serving his purposes. And this the man shadow ruling a kingdom by brainwashing and hypnotizing its monarch.
Unfortunately, this movie wasn't a hit, so Disney decided to focus on tropes that they knew would sell. It's a shame because I really liked this movie, and it was something different.
Man falls infatuated with a woman and he wants to burn the entire city down. He goes through the entire seven sins and ends up in hell at the end. Now, why can't Disney have more stories like this? It doesn't always have to be princesses.
Even the princesses can have good stories. Cinderella’s story is a shining display of how to overcome abuse by not sinking to the same behavior of your abusers, but by being gentle and kind
Emperor Nero of Rome is said to have done very similar, he wanted to build Neropolis on the city of Rome's burnt ruins. To shift the blame, he falsely named the Christians and then had thousands of them murdered, some were slaughtered in the arena by animals and gladiators. Frollo is terrifyingly similar to him.
This movie didnt sell good, so they no longet make movies like this. Why make a dark film when very few will pay money vs movies that are more lighthearted with cliches?
Hellfire is one of the best songs written for a movie, period. It's dramatic, extremely theatrical, works with the plot, explores the character, and is just beautifully-written.
@@jalenikezeue4114 just because it's animated it doesn't mean it's exclusively children's movie. I'd say it can be appreciated more by teenagers/young adults and parents
Another thing about Claude Frollo’s character design: A lot of the shapes of his body are angular and sharp, and his cap forms a triangular shape. Triangles in shape language evoke danger, caution and sharpness (In America, a lot of caution and warning signs are triangular). Basically, his design literally evokes how dangerous he is. Quasimodo, by contrast, is drawn with softer and rounder lines, and is more stout. Circles evoke imagery of softness and gentleness, making Quasimodo, despite being physically deformed, seem more approachable in comparison to Frollo.
Interesting take. Considering that triangles in Christianity are associated with the holy trinity, this could have an even deeper meaning: where Frollo's religious beliefs are dangerous because he uses them to justify his selfish actions.
@@rhaenyralikesyoutube6289 I don’t just mean the animation either, though that’s also beautiful, but rather how the whole product comes together as a meaningful work.
I loved his death too. When he says "and he shall smite the wicked into the fiery abyss" only for the gargoyle underneath to give out from under him and throw him into the fire below. Hard to find irony like that in a Disney movie these days.
@@BillyButcher90To be fair, neither does the word "Hell" in the original manuscripts. I think the old Testament used the Hebrew word "Gehanna", but that just seems to translate to something more like "beyond the grave" rather than "hell". Then the New Testament blatantly rips off and villainizes Greek Mythology with a dozen mentions of HADES, as in the Greek's afterlife. I think only one modern-day instance of "hell" mentioned even comes close to matching the intent of the word it replaced, and that was one instance of "Tartarus"... which was blatantly ripped off of the Greeks. The concept of "hell" as we know it didn't come until about 750 years after the time of the New Testament's original creation.
I always found it interesting how "Heaven's Light" and "Hellfire" are two different reactions to meeting the same person. It appears Quasi's soul is in better shape than Frollo's. Other thing: Feeling unworthy, Esmeralda prays for God to help her people and others who suffer. Feeling overly worthy, Frollo prays for someone to be destroyed and literally go to Hell. The twist of irony is that they both received what they prayed would happen to someone else. Esmeralda seems more accepted by society, as she prayed her people would be, and Frollo's dead and presumably in Hell, as he prayed Esmeralda would be.
What I find amazing about the Hunchback of Notre Dame is how they could put adult themes in a kid’s movie and make it work. I mean they put lust, religious hypocrisy, violence, and racism in a cartoon and still flows well with the story. Unlike modern Hollywood films, it doesn’t feel forced and shoved in your face.
What's interesting is that with the whole "religious hypocrisy" thing, the New Testament NEVER supports racism and ethnic hatred, the opposite in fact. Jesus and later His disciples welcomed men and women whether Jew or Gentile (there's even a story about a visiting African being welcomed by the church and coming to the faith). This is why Frollo is so dangerous. He's WORSE than a hypocrite and a monster, he's a false teacher in the church. The Bible warns about such men (Peter and Paul specifically mention this), and says to drive them out.
And at the same time it still somehow manages to teach children that these are _bad_ aspects of humanity, and that in order to be a good person you have to be wary of them.
@@unclefranklin4575 To me, she wasn’t meant to be taken seriously. She was all bark and no bite( as the wizards duel ultimately showed). Frollo was menacing and showed the depths of his evil right from the start, all under the guise being a man of god. What can be more horrible than that?
I mean, not *that* complex. He’s a huge narcissist who manipulates everyone for his own personal gain. He’s a sadist, cowardly, desperate, hate filled, and… and… yeah the more I write this the more I see your point. I guess my only problem with him is that he has *zero* redeeming qualities. Like none. Not even a semi decent excuse of being maligned by society, or maybe having some sort of experience he misinterpreted.
My favorite line from him is “you know I’m so much purer than the common vulgar weak licentious crowd” it’s very relatable when you spend a lot of time on the internet
True, but I don't know if people on the Internet would use the word "licentious". If they did, they'd randomly pick it from a thesaurus and put it there to make them sound smarter than usual. Okay, so it IS relatable to today's Internet climate.
The scariest thing about Frollo is that - for a Disney villain - he represents a terrifyingly realistic portrayal of real-world religious fundamentalists. His lust for Esmerelda and his response to it, for example. I have seen documentaries on the Iranian regime, ISIS, the Taliban and other Islamic fundamentalists today. They describe these people as showing particular aggression towards attractive young women who show 'sinful', 'corrupt', or 'blasphemous' behaviour. Psychologists analysing these fundamentalists in such documentaries describe such aggression towards women as a way of compensating for their own feelings of attraction. Thus 'purging' the sin of lust they know they are 'tempted' by. Just like Frollo. He might be Disney - but Judge Claude Frollo goes to some horrifically dark places. Darker than any other Disney villain.
The thing is this kind of stuff could be avoided if they didn't repress themselves sexually to such a ridiculous extent and instead had some moderate self control and healthy relationships.
@@karlazeen but that’s the thing: religion encourages and demands for people to feel guilt for normal sexual attractions. It’s one of the core believers that one of the most healthiest and individualistic part of humanity(sex) is considered a “sin” and some tonight to be restricted and repressed. And in patriarchal religions (which are like basically all of them) men are considered above women and above sexual “sin”. This attitude wouldn’t exist if not for the sex negativity that is inherent to religion. And no it’s not just “extreme” religions that do this. These men have been indoctrinated to believe their normal desires are evil, they didn’t come to that conclusion themselves. No healthy person comes to such a ridiculous conclusion, it’s has to be taught like any other evil ideology.
When it comes to the darkest Disney villains, the Coachman from Pinocchio is up there with Frollo imo. He's some sort of enigmatic man who lures children to his island so that he can transform them into donkeys and then be sold off to salt mines to be worked to death. While he may have a more fairy tale-ish luster to him, the Coachman is very much an allegory for human trafficking and possibly pedophile rings if the fact that he is kidnapping, abusing, and exploiting children for profit/his own sadistic pleasure is taken into account.
@@darinlunderman8063 my God I never thought of that - though the Coachman and the kids' transformation certainly creeped me out as a child. More to the point, he doesn't suffer any kind of comeuppance or negative consequences for his actions.
This film was such a masterpiece. Frollo was a really great villian because he can really easily exist in the real world, but is much more dangerous than Disney's other more down to earth villains like the stepmother and Gaston, and he has just enough complexity to be really interesting. This was a really good analysis, I missed the juxtaposition between the robed figures saying "mea culpa" and him insisting over and over that he wasnt to blame. So I'm really glad you mentioned it, I'll have to watch that sequence again.
True. But, it's the burning of Paris, for me. As his lust and self delusions heighten, more and bigger fires are seen. They directly represent Frollo's imbalanced, emotional state. These types burn things down instead of dealing with their issues
I admit I wouldn't mind seeing an analysis of Lady Tremaine and Gaston. What makes the former so frightening is like Frollo she exists in many places of the world, and while she does not have Frollo's power and authority, abusive parents like her may as well in the eyes of their children. She didn't care that Cinderella marrying the prince instead of her own daughters would still give her the free ride into high society that she's wanted, she wouldn't dare allow her step-daughter to escape her tyrannical grip no matter how much it may benefit her. Gaston stands out because he is the Beast's opposite in every way, but more then that is his journey is a stark contrast to the Beast's. The Beast starts out more feral and ill-tempered and rather scary, while Gaston is charming and in control of himself and a bit of a buffoon. Then a defining moment with Belle changes that. The Beast learns to change and becomes more human, while Gaston grows more obsessive and cruel, becoming more monstrous. This is definitely shown in the final battle, where the Beast now dresses in nicer, undamaged clothes and stands more upright with softer features, while Gaston becomes disheveled, slouching like an animal, while grinning like a maniac and snarling his lines.
@@shadejakva9367 The reason why these three villains are so memorable is because they feel like real people that DO exist. These aren't evil sorcerers like Jafar, Ursula or Maleficent, these are ordinary humans. The catch is that they're abusive, filled with greed, power-hunger and self-righteousness, and they don't need magic powers to be dangerous.
EVERYTHING about Frollo is dark. His movie is dark, his song is dark, his deeds are dark, his motives are dark, his clothes are dark, his voice is dark, his horse is dark & his death is dark.
@@rockhistoria2537 but everything else about Frollo is pure darkness. There was evil going IN & OUT of Frollo and Frollo was evil from beginning to end.
@@joshualowe959 i don't really know what to say, since this comment is extremely accurate and I don't have anything especial to say, so I just gonna say: *Y E S*
Frollo is hands down one of my favorite fictional villains ever. He's _realistically_ scary (fun fact: he's based on Amon Goeth), he has a pretty badass song, and being voiced by Tony Jay (R.I.P.) definitely helps too. Do you plan on doing other Disney villains? If so, I'd like to see Lady Tremaine, Scar and Lotso.
What I like about Frollo is how he is a very active antagonist. He isn't some background character that only confronts the hero at the end. He's got actual screen time dedicated to developing his character.
@@TandaSandaBanda He's as much as star of the movie as Quasimodo and imho he eve overshadowed the other characters. Like most of the scenes I remember are HIS scenes
Frollo is basically a villain protagonist. He steals the entire flick and it's as much his movie as it is Quasimodo's. Heck, the movie starts with Frollo, not Quasi, so you could argue that he's the main character.
I personally consider "Hellfire" to not only be one of the greatest villain songs of the Disney Renaissance (and of all Disney's theatrically-released animated feature films, for that matter), but to be the best Disney villain song to be ever put to film.
The more moral you think you are, the greater your capacity is for increasing the suffering of yourself, and everyone around you. You don't get the best without the worst, and it’s especially important for those that believe that they are moral to understand this, since they are the ones that can lead people into fresh hells that not even the Devil could have dreamed up.
Alan Rickman would have played the perfect live action Frollo: combining his portrayals of Snape, Judge Turpin and the Sheriff of Nottingham! Alas, their wasn't enough time. But Charles Dance could pull it off. He's my next choice.
I always say that the most frightening aspect about Frollo as villain is how real he is, how he is not magical, he's just like any other bigot in a position of power you could encounter in real life.
@@jeffreypalmers9161 frollo definitely reminds me of a lot of many conservative/right wing politicians. Even his obsessive lust for what he hates is accurate for many of them
I think the Frollo’s best scene is his musical number near the fireplace. We see him so disillusioned, and so caught up in his own belief system, that what was once a simple veil to excuse his horrible actions and principles, has now utterly consumed his every fiber of being. He now embodies his philosophies and world views so such a degree, that he’s begging and pleading for a solution from his God for the vice and lust plaguing his home. He even appears to greatly humble himself while in this musical prayer, making this depiction of someone assimilating with their beliefs so strongly that it becomes who they are, all the more terrifying.
The irony is, Hellfire is Frollo's most sympathetic moment, the only time he recognizes something evil inside him and prays for control of it. It makes me wonder if he might have been a good man, once upon a time before obsession took over.
@@thatfroginpeppapig2543we also see an internal struggle in him taking shape throughout the book that had started before his obsession began; Frollo had already been battling between his pursuit of worldly philosophies and his ties to the church, vacillating on which ultimately seemed more important to him. The obsession ended up tipping him over the edge and leading to his ultimate demise.
He had twisted views before Esmeralda.I think tho his place as a judge slowly lead him to proggressily see evil more than the good in the world around him,until he wasnt able to see the good at all! I know people who are like this in my life.Pessimism can not only make someone miserable,but cruel and egomaniac as well....
I can see that in the form of memes and Hellfire is just too good to be cut out, yes there was an attempt to do that but fortunately the artists were able to find a way to keep it like the fire 🔥 sprite of Esmeralda that’s originally supposed to be naked in order to reflect Judge Frollo’s “Unholy thoughts 💭 ” is instead fully clothed because bloody censorship even the directors agree that it’s way too good to be cut out Did you know that: In the book 📖 by Victor Hugo, Claude Frollo is an Archdeacon his original profession and is a much greyer character than Disney’s incarnation because of marring their movies with “black and white bullshit” (I mean to say that because I personally do not find such stories compelling, it’s too predictable) Since having a priest as a villain in a Disney movie 🎥 is a big no-no (Disney characters aren’t usually allowed to utter the name of “God” just look at the “Let it Go” song by Elsa it’s originally going to be a Villain song “Heaven knows I’ve tried” LOL 😆), they intentionally changed his profession to that of a Judge because of the fear of offending religious groups and divided his character into 2 as the result: the unnamed Archdeacon-Frollo’s conscious self and Judge Frollo-Frollo’s animalistic self to make their version of the character transition from morally complex to simply evil just because (cuz Disney) in doing so, they’ve only simplified his character into something of a caricature that while a bit realistic (I am very sure there are much better examples to address the problems that they want to tackle like Tomas de Torquemada), lacks the nuances of the very real problems that the movie wants to address like racism, ableism, sexism, lookism etc…it’s a 2-way street-anyone is capable of such vices Which means that, it is bold for a Disney movie (themes of Damnation and religion) but is not that bold in hindsight when compared to other media that also tackles similar issues in a more mature manner, didn’t I say that it’s a 2 way street? And what Disney did to Claude Frollo is not any different to what they did to Hades a year later after the movie came out it’s called Adaptational Villainy Some people here are mentioning the 2015 stage musical of Hunchback with Patrick Page as Archdeacon Frollo and there’s a video entitled “Why Disney’s Frollo is way too Evil” Sorry for the long rant I just have to release my frustrations about what Disney did
I think part of it is because they made him 3-dimensional without going the "Oh, his daddy didn't hug him enough. He's really a good guy. Those "Gypsies" were really Nazis and he was protecting the real Romani, really." route. He has depth and complexity, but he's also solidly evil. He can't become good because he thinks he's already good and is too narcissistic and "holier than thou" to see any of his faults, blaming everyone for his faults. Nowadays, many writers are afraid to go the Frollo route. No, the bad guy has to be the real good guy or has to at least make a good point if they have to have any "depth".
It's interesting that in the movie he was meant to be a priest-the archdeacon of the Cathedral specifically-but Disney thought that wasnt gonna fly with the general 1996 populace and made him "Judge" Frollo instead, so as not to piss any Christians off by making this evil character canonically a high ranking church official. But the animators basically said fuck you to Disney and drew him as a priest, sticking to the original source material.
Did you get that information from a video reaction to Disney’s 34th Entry? 😆 😆 😆 😆 I am being green minded here “Unholy thoughts” That is not the first time it happened because of bloody censorship, the 1956 version has Frollo as an alchemist “officially” except his garments are that of a priest and is said to live in the titular cathedral So both versions have different official occupations (Alchemist 1956, Judge 1996) but their shape of clothing looks like a priest’s to dodge censorship (sneaky touch 😆) and Judge Frollo is called “Minister” (this one’s double whammy ecclesiastical/political) in the Hellfire sequence
@@alsuvarnadvipadanargentum1743 lmao that's actually really interesting! I dont remember where I got the information, it all kinda blends together in my head, but with the amount of time I spend on TH-cam its entirely possible that video was the source.
Not to mention, there were already movies coming out in the late 20th century that had Christian characters depicted as obsessive, psychotic fanatics, to show how corrupt some people can become by their religion.
His appearance is actually more in line with a French judge of the period than a priest. Yes, he wears black robes, but a priest would wear something simpler. Even Archdeacons or Bishops tend to wear simpler and more fitted clothing than the long and flowing robes this version of Frollo wears. You can even see it on the priest at the beginning of the film (or bishop . . . I don't know if his rank was confirmed). He wears the attire of a judge. Typically dark and flowing robes that just about touch the floor with the tricorn (judges during the medieval and Renaissance periods liked their important looking hats) being the cherry on top. It's a very regal apperance that Catholic priests and officials don't tend to illicit, save the Pope. Even then, white and black are all that priests tend to wear. Frollo's color scheme is clearly meant to be representative of his own personal traits. You can make of them what you will, but the black is pretty plainly painting him as a portent of doom or a bringer of death (black is usually used to represent death or the Grim Reaper). The red is for his evil and cruel nature, visually linking him to Satan or some other evil (red is often used to show that someone is evil or demonic (ie Satan, Jafar, and many more)). The purple is probably representative of either his nobility in society or of the sorrow he brings upon Paris with his overflowing lust for both power and for Esmeralda. It could represent both just as easily (purple is usually used to represent great sorrow and tragedy or great wealth and nobility, as purple dye even until the 1800s was inordinately expensive). Like I said, the colors can mean many things, but those are the most obvious. Yes, I am out of high school, and yes I did take Honors Literature classes while there. I apologize.
R.I.P. Tony Jay (1933-2006) Voice of Judge Frollo from Disney's The Hunchback Of Notre Dame an amazing and chilling performance singing Hellfire Judge Frollo He's Evil One of the best and most Darkest Disney Villains ever Judge Frollo He's really special and Tony Jay's voice was a part of it .❤🖤💜🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥😭😭😭😭😭😢😢😭😭😭😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😭😭😭😢😭😢😭😭😢😭😭😢😭😭
Frollo is definitely one of the darkest villains in Disney and frightening since people like him have existed before. He’s my favorite villain because of this.
Frollo is so chilling because as an evil character he's almost entirely realistic. Where the most horrific deeds imaginable are justified under false morality. It's how true evil in this world is when it is not appealing to authority or wearing the mask of madness.
How does it feel, to know that we will never again get such a villain with such depth of incorruptible evil, twisted by both his beliefs and his vices into the human monster that he is, to appear on-screen?
One of the most powerful scenes for me has to be when Quasimodo saves Esmeralda from the flames. Here is a man that Frollo deems to be non human, subordinate to his philosophy, who has been kept hidden under lock and key from the citizens of Paris his whole life, to go and defy his master, setting the crowds of thousands into a frenzy of cheers and applause unlike the city has ever seen before! The power that Frollo once thought he held, was completely stripped from him in that scene. Absolute masterpiece.
This movie is my absolute Disney favourite. I was shocked when I rewatched this for the first time as an adult. For obvious reasons, a child could never get all the symbolisms and the meanings behind the story. Amazing story and the best music of all Disney movies.
There’s another Disney Frollo, actually! From the stage show! You ought to cover him, really, because he is sort of this strange perfect amalgamation of disney’s version and the character who appeared in the original novel.
@@beepot2764 oh you should! It is so so very good! It’s a wonderful blend of the book and Disney’s story and I believe youtube has some fairly good quality recordings. Removal of the gargoyles as comic relief was a godsend, and of course all the original songs from the movie are there and are as fantastic as always, and any of the new added ones are mind bogglingly good and really add to the depth and darkness of the story.
@@beepot2764 There's two VERY good bootlegs on youtube, just search for it and watch either of the top ones! Camera's not the crispest but the sound is perfect for what it is. The actors are amazing.
Not gonna lie, when I watched that scene as I got older, where Frollo said, "And he shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit." and the gargoyle broke and smiled at him , my first thought was this: Gargoyle: "Wish granted!"
Disney will never come close to being this impactful and profound again. Amazing video. There is so much you can never distinguish and appreciate as a small child but seeing it now - damn.
If you're going to do more Disney villians,You should analyzed Gaston from Beauty and the Beast.If anybody that's the embodiment of the stereotype highschool jock,It would be Gaston.Also,I'm in my opinion,Gatson is not a true villain,But he's a total narcissist, sexist,Misogynist asshole who believes he's entitled to have Bell just because he's attractive guy and war hero.What makes him a villain that he becomes so obsessed with Bell,That he was willing to kill his rival(The Beast) or kill Bell if he can't have her.
I loved him as a villain in the animated film because of this and it was the same reason why I hated what they did to his character in the live action version. He is a jock, celebrated and admired by everyone in town, that's what makes him powerful and scary.
@@VNightmoon I wouldn't say Gaston is a true villain ,But he's total narcissist,Sexist and misogynist asshole who become way too obsessed with Bell and pretty much becomes a stalker,That what makes him a villain.I would put it pass him if he try to sexually assault her.
Beauty and the Beast is probably the only bad Disney film made in regards to message. 1) Beast held her hostage and was mostly awful to her. 2) Gaston was well liked and was successful in his many ways and could have provided greatly for her despite some of his personality flaws. 3) Positioning humility as the best trait lowers people’s self-esteem and can actually make people extremely passive, instead of rewarding the charismatic (like real life does). 4) Disney’s message was practically that beauty can change a monster, which has probably confused an entire generation of women. 5) It made Gaston into a terrible villain when he was just a guy who wanted to protect the village he lived in and, because of social mores at the time, couldn’t take no for an answer. 6) it derides the simple way of life for being simple. Sure, most of mankind’s greatest inventions were made as a result of people not being simple, but deriding people for not being above 130 IQ level is silly.
@Oklahoma Boomer 1) Belle offered to stay in her father's place. That same night, she proved she could leave at any time. She also could have left the Beast for dead, gone home, and didn't. There was an understanding from that point on that the Beast needed to behave or he'd lose her. Later in the movie, she's shown taking Philipe from the stables, which proves she still has her way home if she chooses. There was literally nothing keeping her there except her promise. 2) Gaston is a predator and a psychopath. Watch the scene where he barges into Belle's house. He talks over her, disregards her desires, NEVER asks her what she wants, and often imposes himself over her. Belle is often putting furniture between them because he won't respect her boundaries. Note that this is long before he tries to blackmail her into marriage. Oh, and he organized a wedding without even asking her. Those aren't "personality flaws". Those are the traits of an abuser. 3) It's not just humility. It's respect for other people. See everything I listed about Gaston? The Beast does the opposite over the course of the film: -He compromises with her -He considers what SHE wants too (hence the library scene) -He does what's right by her even when it's hard (letting her go even though he'll be a beast forever). Gaston, again, NEVER considers what Belle wants or what's best for her. 4) See point 2. Gaston is not a good person. Period. 5) Explain. The only ones doing any deriding were the townsfolk. Women reading and people making inventions are neither weird nor crimes.
I've noticed that Frollo's eyes after the Hellfire scene turns a hue of red when he mentions 'Ive had trouble with the fire place. Nearing the end of the film, his eyes and teeth are redder as well. Guessing insatiable bloodlust.
Sloth is a defining feature of Frollo if you think about it. His position as a servant of God is to help the masses and lead them to a life of purity and less sin as possible. Instead he's trying to reshape society not in God's image and will but his own. Also considering he takes the easy route of dealing with those who he views as sinful and damaged beyond repair, that being executing them instead of taking time and working hard to reform them and seeing if they can change and able to come into the fold.
Frollo, along with Scar from the Lion King were excellent Disney villains. But I think Frollo takes things up a notch with the cruel way he sees the world. He doesn’t just want power, but he wants the world to conform to him and his way of seeing things. My most favorite villain!
The Hunchback of Notre Dame was one of my favorite Disney movies, because it actually took risk and was slightly more edgy than the other movies at the time. I kinda wish Disney took that kind of risk more often. Also I have a few suggestions for some possible future analysis, Hans Gruber - Die Hard Clarence Boddicker- Robocop Neil McCauley -Heat Vic Vega/Mr.Blonde - Reservoir Dogs
Judge Claude Frollo is not only the darkest but also the most realistic villain Disney has ever created, and thats what makes him a great antagonist. R.I.P Tony Jay for voicing such an amazing character.
What an iconic villain!! The way he was written for this story together with the incredible talent of Tony Jay make him one of the best (if not the best) Disney villains of all time.
The saddest part is how we'll never see the complexity, religious passion, eye gripping nature Frollo brought to the Disney screen again. He's so sure of what he does is right and he's just, so pure evil like Maleficent. But no, Disney won't go this hard anymore and plays it safe.......
*10:42* A quick shoutout to this heroic Lion Gargoyle. He did his job of defending the holy cathedral from demons perfectly, and looked cool while at it too. He deserves to be in the list of ''Disney side characters who sacrificed themselves for the better good of the world.''
Disney's Frollo has always been one of my favorite villains. He's just so realistically vile that it makes you feel unclean knowing that so many real people are wired in such similar ways, unable to even see their own problems, let alone take responsibility for them. While I love how detailed and insightful this deconstruction is, I was waiting for you to touch on something that I feel is one of the core mechanisms of Frollo's twisted psychology: fear. He holds himself in such high esteem that his worst fear is mediocrity. He NEEDS to think he is above others, that he is better than everyone else. So when Esmerelda makes him feel lustful, he's unable to reconcile that lust in an honest way, and it terrifies him that he might be just as "weak and licentious" as everyone else. That terror leads him to avoid the truth in ways that become increasingly unhealthy for him, to the point that he lashes out violently at anyone who threatens his warped worldview. There is a direct causal connection from Frollo's fear of mediocrity to the widespread suffering of everyone in Paris, including homelessness, death, and the intended imprisonment and likely rape of an innocent, talented, and intelligent woman. Most of us grow up thinking we're special in some way. But hopefully, sooner or later, we come to terms with how utterly mediocre we are. We're no different from anyone else. Those who lack the courage to confront this truth are doomed to misery, some so much that they spread the misery to others. It's one of the saddest things about this life and this world, and the writing around Disney's Frollo is brilliantly emblematic of it.
Two things: 1. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for this analysis! I loved it from start to finish, The Vile Eye. You captured everything. 2. Fly high and rest in peace, Tony Jay. We love you, we miss you.
Good analysis; one thing you didn't mention is how Frollo gaslights Quasimodo about his mother. There's a couple scenes where Frollo's like "Remember I took you in when your horrible mother abandoned you" and it's only at the end when he's trying to kill Quasi he lets it slip that she died trying to protect her baby. Such a messed up, but amazing villain for a children's movie.
The stageplay is actually really interesting in how it deals with Frollo as a character. Rather than just randomly finding Quasimodo, he is actually his brother's son. His brother was exiled for having relations with a gypsy and being rebellious, and years later gave Quasimodo to Frollo right before his death. Frollo felt this was an act of God, to care of and love Quasimodo, so he took him in. I actually really like this backstory for Frollo, as it shows how much he loved his brother, even though he lived a gypsy-esque lifestyle. This also gives a reason as to why Frollo hates gypsies and general fun so much, it essentially stole his brother from him (in his eyes). In the musical, Frollo truly cares for Quasimodo and is much more loving to him than in the movie.
Yeah. The stageplay actually took more from the original novel than the Disney movie adaptation. We all love the movie but honestly? If you love this story, read and re-read the original novel.
I'd love to see you do a take on Mother Gothel from Tangled. She's a lot closer to the "evil you know" in the form of a narcissistic parent, and it'd be cool to see your analysis on that.
This is incredibly well written and I greatly enjoy your work. I must, however, disagree with your dismissal of sloth in such a casual manner. It may have just been the way your script is written, but I feel as though Frollo is certainly capable of sloth. Sloth is often considered the most difficult of the sins to define, as Sloth can be physical, mental, or spiritual in nature. Frollo certainly isn’t physically slothful, but one could certainly make the argument for indulgence in the sin of sloth in a mental and/or spiritual connotation
Yep pretty much, he is an intellectually lazy person. Instead of actually putting in the effort to work through these feelings he decides to repress and release them in the most violent ways.
Not only that, but in his lust for Esmeralda, he resolves to force her to choose between him and her pyre. Frollo is, ultimately, unwilling to put any effort to get what he wants if it’s more complicated than “stab that guy.”
frollo is by far the best disney villain ever. he's the best because he's the most realistic, there are people who are actually like him and in the movie he's a representation of how evil the world can be, but also how the world can drive a person to such dark places. it's sad honestly. but he's my favorite Disney villain ever, and he has the best villain song lmao.
Hell Fire song has to be one of the greatest animated movie song ever. The sheer creepiness and lustrous thoughts indicated by Frollo there is just crazy. Plus the song is well sung, written and picturized.
His face when he tells Quasi that he's his only friend is genuinely chilling. It's a painful movie, imo. Obviously, it's toned down from the original story, but that's expected. I'm pretty sure the ending is based off a play or opera by Hugo, btw.
Good video overall. I'd say one detail that could have been touched upon is how unfairly the crowd did treat Quasimodo at the festival of fools. Frolo wasn't lying to quasi when he told him the world wouldn't be kind to him.
This is the video that got me introduced to your content and became fascinated by your analysis of the villains you have covered at this point and I always look forward to seeing more from you. As for Frollo, he's one of my favorite villains of all time and definitely my favorite Disney Villain due to the sheer complexity in his character, along with the fantastic vocal performance from the late Tony Jay. And the Hellfire sequence is the icing on the cake on how deep his character is.
The thing that seperates Frollo from any other Disney villain is that he genuinely believes he's doing good, whereas others know they are evil and revel in that thought. That makes Frollo the most dangerous, because only he can be his downfall, since he believes he is the hero
Another aspect of sloth is also apathy. Frollo maybe dutiful in his daily routine but he shows a consistent lack of concern or compassion for his fellow citizens. He will never spend an ounce of effort into genuinely help anyone other than himself. I think sloth is present in that kind of mindset.
4:44 I also just noticed that Frollo's cup and plate is metal , where as Quasimodo's plate and cup are wooden. It shows how frollo sees as quasimodo as below him, further making him believe that hes so ugly he's not worth to eat with normal cutlery. His "plate" is not even a plate. Frollo's cup is also much taller and bigger than quasi's, probably also symbolising his sense of worth
He was honestly the villain in Disney who terrified me the most. I was too young to understand the themes in this movie, but somehow instinctually I knew this man was the portrait of evil. I'm so glad to see this episode, he truly made my skin crawl and my grasp tighten lol.
I'm surprised you didn't mention the red piece of satin cloth trailing behind Frollo's tricorn when discussing his clothes, as it appears to symbolise the trail of blood he's left in his wake from years of murdering gypsies.
I think that what always made me so uncomfortable was how real his character was. How many people actually exist out there like him. Twisting belief and law to justify their actions. Raising himself above others. You see it not just in religion - but in society. The victim blaming and everything. That is why even to this days I feel he is one of the better villains. because you can meet him in a thousand faces.
Perhaps a video on Arthas Menethil from the Warcraft universe. From his slow descent into madness by the hands of Mal'Ganis and Kel'Thuzad, working with the plague in Lordaeron, and how he completely gives in to evil when getting Frostmourne. He is IMO one of the more tragic and welldone heroes turned to evil stories
I'm so glad you did my favourite Disney movie! Frollo is a classic villain: fearful of his own emptiness, so he cultivates an elaborate reality of power whilst projecting his weaknesses on to the people of Paris. I am sure such a terrifying man would have been at home in Nazi Germany or the height of the Spanish Inquisition. Frollo knows he is evil, but cannot face it because it would mean losing his grip on his reality.
I am so glad you did an analysis on Frollo, he is by far my favorite villain in any Disney movie. The Hellfire sequence is so cool seeing the world through his eyes.
Judge Claude Frollo is alongside Queen Grimhilde, The Coachman, Scar, Shan-Yu, Bill Sykes, Judge Doom, Hopper, Commander Rourke, Percival C McLeach, Syndrome, The Horned King, Chernabog and Lots-O' Huggin' Bear definitely disney's darkest and most evil villains ever.
![Why Judge Claude Frollo is the Best Disney Villain [The Hunchback of Notre Dame]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/fGwrZEMi05o/mqdefault.jpg)
“He moves and talks as if every aspect of life around him is disgusting” that’s like the best description of his mannerism I’ve ever heard
It's quite depressing if you think about it. Living like that for absolute control and power. He detests EVERYTHING. It's so dark but so well done.
He has a self righteous "I'm perfect and good but everyone and everything around me is corrupt and evil" mindset.
Cut from the same cloth as the Nazis who were also obsessed with cleanliness
And more chilling: Not an inaccurate description of how much high-ranking people at that point in human history felt about everything around them.
Be it kings, ministers, bishops or military leaders. The Dark Ages were called that for a multitude of reasons and that is one of them.
@@nuclearcatbaby1131
The helmets of his guards and everybody wearing black and thekr pogrom made me think of the nazis.
There's also the "you were trained to follow orders, captain" line.
In the Hellfire song the lengths Frollo goes to to blame anyone but himself for the evil things he's doing. He blames Esmeralda for supposedly being sent by Satan to tempt him when it's Frollo's own fault for obsessively lusting after her then blames God for making the devil stronger than him.
The Hellfire Song is the most dramatic reaction to a boner I’ve ever seen
Right like sir ... Don't blame God he will make sure you regret it lol on fact there are many times that you can see in the writing that God even gave him multiple times to be better. But he refuses.
@@ladyofnoxus6733 "Pharaoh hardened his heart."
I truly like Frollo for this reason only--he reads like a biblical villain. The corrupt Pharisee/Sadducee who stands against Jesus, or the corrupt temple hierarchy allowing unlawful acts within the temple during the Prophetic books. He's quite well thought out and echoes an existing archetype--that of the corrupt priest.
@@mysteryjunkie9808 It's been jokingly called "the boner that burned down Paris."
@@ahumblemerchant241 I agree it's truly amazing and I miss this type of writing for disney films.
In my opinion, the best Disney villain. He’s the most frightening because he firmly believes his actions is the right thing and is justified. Also Tony Jay was superb voicing Frollo.
@Greg Elchert I think it was because he mainly was a voice actor rather than live action. I don’t know all the films, tv or radio he did but he had a brief appearance in Twins and he did a number of video games as well. I can’t think of many other voices that matches tony jays dark and sinister tone.
Imo i feel like he actually knows what he's doing is wrong, he's just is unable to come to terms with it. Which is why he tries to come up with these excuses.
@@KvngLeroy1 I think it’s more prevalent after he encounters esmerelda. He was always a cruel man.
@@sambarton4470 oh, I haven't gotten a chance to read the book so i don't know about his early life
@@KvngLeroy1 I was referring more to the movie. I haven’t read the book, frollo is certainly a character you can experiment with though.
In a different comment section about The Hunchback of Notredame here on youtube, someone mentioned that during the Hellfire song, Frollo had a chance of redemption. When the soldier interrupts his song to inform Frollo that Esmeralda escaped, the soldier is surrounded by a white light, symbolizing a path back to the light. It is an opportunity for Frollo to abandon his pursuit of her, and by doing so would give him a chance to come back to God's grace. However Frollo was to obsessed with Esmeralda by this point, and he faces the fire once again, choosing his lust and greed over true redemption.
was it nostalgia critic by any chance?
It's a comment from Brian from the Rebellion
The symbolism, man
... fuck thats good
Would be funny if that's just a coincidence and they didn't put that much thought into things, they were just convenient.
On note of his costume, I love that his red ribbon is like a trail of blood that follows him wherever he goes.
Ooh, that’s good. 😮
DAMM😮
This was brilliant. Disney took risks in the 90s and my childhood thanks them for it.
Absolutely, they didn't softball us and we turned into better people for it. Softballing kids makes them weak-willed and naive. These qualities lead to nothing but failure and misery.
@@drabarski Ironically, Disney's attempts to humanize the villains by giving them their own movies have made them have less impact. I didn't hold out any hope for Maleficent, and I'm not about to do the same for the Cruela DeVille's movie either.
That's why I never watched them nor do I plan to start now!
The animation studio took risks. Corporate kept screwing with the artists to make things more family friendly and marketable. I.e black cauldron
Brilliant point, everyone now is scared shitless of offending the woke mob
Ughhhh. I love Frollo. Not like, as a person, but as a terrifying representation of the true evil that lurks in our world.
10/10
Yeah, I find a common part of growing up is being afraid of Disney villians as a child, dismissing them as overly simplistic cartoonish exaggerations of evil as an adolescent, and then looking backas an adult and going "nope, not only is that kind of evil absolutely real and even disturbingly common." and that not just applying to the more complex villains like this one.
Not as a person, but as a character. Love him!
And now, Emperor Belos (The Owl House) is his successor.
Me too. Im in my hunchback of notre dame phase again and Im obsessed with him
Yes, absolutely agreed, great character 👌🏻
As a teen, I had a weird obsession with the novel and watched ALL adaptations. Frollo is my favourite character because of his complexity which is omitted from almost every adaptation. He does not start as a villain right away: we see him as a passionate researcher and a father figure to his little brother and Quasimodo. This makes his downfall much more interesting to watch. All this said, I still love Disney's Frollo very much. To me he was always the most terrifyng villain because of how lifelike he is. Not a magician, not a talking lion, just a really evil human being.
So far, my favorite adaptation is the 1939 version with Charles Laughton as the Hunchback and (Rrrrowww) Maureen O'Hara as Esmeralda. Cedrick Hardwicke of course is excellent as Frollo. I don't think it was true to the book's ending, though. I suspect the Disney version also wouldn't have been.
Have you seen the musical adaptation of Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Damn? I remember him having a more sympathetic backstory.
@@sentientmarshmallow4644
The Disney movie, story wise is closer to the 1939 adaptation with some updates and Disney flavor (Bloody Gargoyles)
Likewise the 2015 musical, is a compromise of both the Disney film 🎥 (Music-modified lyrics to reflect the different story) and the original novel (Story-like restoring Frollo’s tragic and conflicted character arc as well as his Archdeacon profession)
I've seen the silent version with Lon Chaney as Quasimodo. I don't remember who played Frollo in that one. However I would like to see the version with Charles Laughton as Quasimodo sometime.
I think the musical version of the Hunchback (La Jolla Playhouse) does a good job in somewhat portraying this complexity, Patrick Page is an excellent Frollo. It's a real pity that this musical never made it to broadway and that we only hame slime versions of it to watch. I've watched every adaptation as well and it's true that Frollo is a tricky one to portray faithfully.
Fun fact: During Frollo's tantrum where he destroys Quasimodo's model of Paris, he throws Esmeralda's figurine, and it knocks his own figurine off the table.
It's a subtle metaphor of how his obsession with her foreshadows his own (literal) downfall.
Nice catch!!
I never noticed that! Thanks for pointing that out. Makes me want to watch "Hunchback" again
Wow this movie is just fantastic. It was already a damn good movie but little touches like that are just wow.
I never noticed that as a foreshadowing
@@singalingalongaling Well, it couldn’t have happened by accident, since it’s not live action. Someone had to create the specific animation.
He is terrifying because he is real. There are people like him
Same with Judge Doom he kills his own kind for no reason at all just like people do.
Catholics
@@BlueBedouin not only them
Absolutely
@@TCt83067695 A lot of salafist Muslims too or religious fascist types, they're actually pretty common.
The voice acting and singing done for Frollo is top notch, probably only matched (as far as Disney villains go) by Scar and Hades (Though they're more cartoonishly evil, rather than the twisted, perverted evil that Frollo was).
For me there is only one other disney villian whose performance can stand to toe with Frollo in my opinion. And thats The Horned King play by John Hurt. When I was kid, that guy scared the crap of out of me. He looked cool, sounded intimadating, and his plan was the most dark any disney villian beside Frollo. All the other villians in disney are so petty in their goals, (Gaston and Radcliffe are to example) they want gold, they want the princess. The horn king and Frollo (and to a lesser extent Hades) want to be divine. Frollo plays the lives of people as if he was the boot to an ant and The Horned King wants to resurect an army of the living dead. Thats what I miss in Disney villians. People say they were so cool, like Scar and Jafar (not bad in my opinion, but just the standard.). But I want villians who were in these fleating momments and actually a threat.
@@dylantennant6594 with alot of Disney villains I find the darkest stuff about them is often implied in what TV Tropes would call Fridge Horror. Jafar's definitely in this category to me. His reaction to the thief's death and how casual and almost playful he is when preparing to kill Aladdin just screams that this guy is accustom to using people and then eliminating them or simply not giving a good shit if they die serving his purposes. And this the man shadow ruling a kingdom by brainwashing and hypnotizing its monarch.
Jeremy Irons - Frollo AND Scar....
@@Andrea-nom Judge Frollo was voiced by Tony Jay
No one could have voiced Frollo as well as Tony Jay. RIP.
It's too bad that Disney doesn't make their movies like they used to nowadays.
Hellfire was just too memorable!
IDK how Disney got away with it back then but I'm awfully glad they did!
@@straburyred back then people actually enjoyed things without nitpicking
@@straburyred twitter didn't exist back then.
Unfortunately, this movie wasn't a hit, so Disney decided to focus on tropes that they knew would sell. It's a shame because I really liked this movie, and it was something different.
Heaven's Light/Hellfire are my favorite songs in the film. I love how they juxtaposed them...simply brilliant
Man falls infatuated with a woman and he wants to burn the entire city down. He goes through the entire seven sins and ends up in hell at the end. Now, why can't Disney have more stories like this? It doesn't always have to be princesses.
They're imparting different messages these days... such as "Women good, (white) men bad."
Even the princesses can have good stories. Cinderella’s story is a shining display of how to overcome abuse by not sinking to the same behavior of your abusers, but by being gentle and kind
Emperor Nero of Rome is said to have done very similar, he wanted to build Neropolis on the city of Rome's burnt ruins. To shift the blame, he falsely named the Christians and then had thousands of them murdered, some were slaughtered in the arena by animals and gladiators. Frollo is terrifyingly similar to him.
This movie didnt sell good, so they no longet make movies like this. Why make a dark film when very few will pay money vs movies that are more lighthearted with cliches?
@@KutWrite bruh that's something you could take away from THIS film
Hellfire is one of the best songs written for a movie, period.
It's dramatic, extremely theatrical, works with the plot, explores the character, and is just beautifully-written.
Yes!
Both the music and the illustrations that accompany it are masterful
And full of complexity,easter eggs, and internal conflict! I love it!
I am surprised 😮 Disney was allowed to Use the theme of God in a Kid's Movie 🎬 Has anyone Question If The hunchback of notre dame Is a children's film
@@jalenikezeue4114 just because it's animated it doesn't mean it's exclusively children's movie. I'd say it can be appreciated more by teenagers/young adults and parents
Another thing about Claude Frollo’s character design: A lot of the shapes of his body are angular and sharp, and his cap forms a triangular shape. Triangles in shape language evoke danger, caution and sharpness (In America, a lot of caution and warning signs are triangular). Basically, his design literally evokes how dangerous he is.
Quasimodo, by contrast, is drawn with softer and rounder lines, and is more stout. Circles evoke imagery of softness and gentleness, making Quasimodo, despite being physically deformed, seem more approachable in comparison to Frollo.
Interesting take. Considering that triangles in Christianity are associated with the holy trinity, this could have an even deeper meaning: where Frollo's religious beliefs are dangerous because he uses them to justify his selfish actions.
Indeed. It seems to reflect Clopin's question at the beginning of the movie where he asks, "What makes a monster and what makes a man?"
This movie was a level of art that movies especially for kids rarely get
Agreed, it's certainly better than that awful computer Pixar crap that they pass off as "art."
@@rhaenyralikesyoutube6289 I don’t just mean the animation either, though that’s also beautiful, but rather how the whole product comes together as a meaningful work.
@@rhaenyralikesyoutube6289 I enjoyed Pixar's Wall-E though.
@@rhaenyralikesyoutube6289 lol imagine thinking art made on a computer isn't real art
@@rhaenyralikesyoutube6289 ?
In the original Victor Hugo novel Frollo kills Esmeralda so Quasimodo throws him off the cathedral to his death.
And also Febo contributed to her death. The only one who truly loved Esmeralda was Quasimodo.
And then Quasimodo crawled into her tomb to die holding her, as far as I remember. It was a touching moment.
@@TheKing-qz9wd be starved to death next to her was not sweet was dark ending
@@mysteryjunkie9808
Oh, so I did miss a detail. Eh. Thanks though, killed my brother's simp jokes.
@@TheKing-qz9wd Oh, yeah. It's sweet and heartbreaking at the same time when you read the lines about the two skeletons together.
He is definitely one of the best villians of all time
Damn straight!
Eh, he’s alright. Fairly one dimensional, even though he is one of the best villains Disney has made
Cromwell from "Wolfwalkers" reminds me of Frollo.
The Joker is
@@driveoff131 true but too many interpretations currently that have a such a range from slap stick to dark
I loved his death too. When he says "and he shall smite the wicked into the fiery abyss" only for the gargoyle underneath to give out from under him and throw him into the fire below. Hard to find irony like that in a Disney movie these days.
God: Well if you insist...
@@wessmoore7894 Exactly lol. Love me some Ironic deaths in fiction.
That verse doesn't exist in the Bible.
@@BillyButcher90To be fair, neither does the word "Hell" in the original manuscripts. I think the old Testament used the Hebrew word "Gehanna", but that just seems to translate to something more like "beyond the grave" rather than "hell". Then the New Testament blatantly rips off and villainizes Greek Mythology with a dozen mentions of HADES, as in the Greek's afterlife. I think only one modern-day instance of "hell" mentioned even comes close to matching the intent of the word it replaced, and that was one instance of "Tartarus"... which was blatantly ripped off of the Greeks.
The concept of "hell" as we know it didn't come until about 750 years after the time of the New Testament's original creation.
I always found it interesting how "Heaven's Light" and "Hellfire" are two different reactions to meeting the same person. It appears Quasi's soul is in better shape than Frollo's. Other thing: Feeling unworthy, Esmeralda prays for God to help her people and others who suffer. Feeling overly worthy, Frollo prays for someone to be destroyed and literally go to Hell. The twist of irony is that they both received what they prayed would happen to someone else. Esmeralda seems more accepted by society, as she prayed her people would be, and Frollo's dead and presumably in Hell, as he prayed Esmeralda would be.
What I find amazing about the Hunchback of Notre Dame is how they could put adult themes in a kid’s movie and make it work. I mean they put lust, religious hypocrisy, violence, and racism in a cartoon and still flows well with the story. Unlike modern Hollywood films, it doesn’t feel forced and shoved in your face.
What's interesting is that with the whole "religious hypocrisy" thing, the New Testament NEVER supports racism and ethnic hatred, the opposite in fact. Jesus and later His disciples welcomed men and women whether Jew or Gentile (there's even a story about a visiting African being welcomed by the church and coming to the faith). This is why Frollo is so dangerous. He's WORSE than a hypocrite and a monster, he's a false teacher in the church. The Bible warns about such men (Peter and Paul specifically mention this), and says to drive them out.
And at the same time it still somehow manages to teach children that these are _bad_ aspects of humanity, and that in order to be a good person you have to be wary of them.
And this movie is still rated G
@@thunderbird1921
Go somewhere else with your No True Scotsman.
@@saagabragi6938 Absolutely not "No True Scotsman". Just because you had one class on fallacies doesn't make you an expert.
Best scene in the whole movie is when Phoebus asks if he’s okay and frollo says “I had some little trouble with the fireplace”
This guy committed all the seven deadly sins and also broke all the ten commandments
The most complex and layered villain from Disney’s Darkest film thematically
Well, second only to mad madame Mim of course.
@@unclefranklin4575 To me, she wasn’t meant to be taken seriously. She was all bark and no bite( as the wizards duel ultimately showed). Frollo was menacing and showed the depths of his evil right from the start, all under the guise being a man of god. What can be more horrible than that?
@@Dhampir101980 I was being sarcastic but that's a great description of the character.
@@unclefranklin4575 oh, my bad lol
I mean, not *that* complex. He’s a huge narcissist who manipulates everyone for his own personal gain. He’s a sadist, cowardly, desperate, hate filled, and… and… yeah the more I write this the more I see your point.
I guess my only problem with him is that he has *zero* redeeming qualities. Like none. Not even a semi decent excuse of being maligned by society, or maybe having some sort of experience he misinterpreted.
My favorite line from him is “you know I’m so much purer than the common vulgar weak licentious crowd” it’s very relatable when you spend a lot of time on the internet
Lowkey me sometimes
Basically echoing the pharisee in the parable "The pharisee and the publican."
I relate a lot to this line and Frollo in that song in general, I love this chaarcter
True, but I don't know if people on the Internet would use the word "licentious". If they did, they'd randomly pick it from a thesaurus and put it there to make them sound smarter than usual.
Okay, so it IS relatable to today's Internet climate.
The scariest thing about Frollo is that - for a Disney villain - he represents a terrifyingly realistic portrayal of real-world religious fundamentalists.
His lust for Esmerelda and his response to it, for example. I have seen documentaries on the Iranian regime, ISIS, the Taliban and other Islamic fundamentalists today. They describe these people as showing particular aggression towards attractive young women who show 'sinful', 'corrupt', or 'blasphemous' behaviour.
Psychologists analysing these fundamentalists in such documentaries describe such aggression towards women as a way of compensating for their own feelings of attraction. Thus 'purging' the sin of lust they know they are 'tempted' by. Just like Frollo.
He might be Disney - but Judge Claude Frollo goes to some horrifically dark places. Darker than any other Disney villain.
The thing is this kind of stuff could be avoided if they didn't repress themselves sexually to such a ridiculous extent and instead had some moderate self control and healthy relationships.
@@karlazeen but that’s the thing: religion encourages and demands for people to feel guilt for normal sexual attractions. It’s one of the core believers that one of the most healthiest and individualistic part of humanity(sex) is considered a “sin” and some tonight to be restricted and repressed. And in patriarchal religions (which are like basically all of them) men are considered above women and above sexual “sin”. This attitude wouldn’t exist if not for the sex negativity that is inherent to religion. And no it’s not just “extreme” religions that do this. These men have been indoctrinated to believe their normal desires are evil, they didn’t come to that conclusion themselves. No healthy person comes to such a ridiculous conclusion, it’s has to be taught like any other evil ideology.
When it comes to the darkest Disney villains, the Coachman from Pinocchio is up there with Frollo imo. He's some sort of enigmatic man who lures children to his island so that he can transform them into donkeys and then be sold off to salt mines to be worked to death. While he may have a more fairy tale-ish luster to him, the Coachman is very much an allegory for human trafficking and possibly pedophile rings if the fact that he is kidnapping, abusing, and exploiting children for profit/his own sadistic pleasure is taken into account.
@@darinlunderman8063 my God I never thought of that - though the Coachman and the kids' transformation certainly creeped me out as a child. More to the point, he doesn't suffer any kind of comeuppance or negative consequences for his actions.
It is present in the church too, not only one religion, almost all religions
This film was such a masterpiece. Frollo was a really great villian because he can really easily exist in the real world, but is much more dangerous than Disney's other more down to earth villains like the stepmother and Gaston, and he has just enough complexity to be really interesting. This was a really good analysis, I missed the juxtaposition between the robed figures saying "mea culpa" and him insisting over and over that he wasnt to blame. So I'm really glad you mentioned it, I'll have to watch that sequence again.
becfause in essence he did. the spainish inquistion or Salem Witch trails did happen
True. But, it's the burning of Paris, for me. As his lust and self delusions heighten, more and bigger fires are seen. They directly represent Frollo's imbalanced, emotional state. These types burn things down instead of dealing with their issues
I admit I wouldn't mind seeing an analysis of Lady Tremaine and Gaston. What makes the former so frightening is like Frollo she exists in many places of the world, and while she does not have Frollo's power and authority, abusive parents like her may as well in the eyes of their children. She didn't care that Cinderella marrying the prince instead of her own daughters would still give her the free ride into high society that she's wanted, she wouldn't dare allow her step-daughter to escape her tyrannical grip no matter how much it may benefit her.
Gaston stands out because he is the Beast's opposite in every way, but more then that is his journey is a stark contrast to the Beast's. The Beast starts out more feral and ill-tempered and rather scary, while Gaston is charming and in control of himself and a bit of a buffoon. Then a defining moment with Belle changes that. The Beast learns to change and becomes more human, while Gaston grows more obsessive and cruel, becoming more monstrous. This is definitely shown in the final battle, where the Beast now dresses in nicer, undamaged clothes and stands more upright with softer features, while Gaston becomes disheveled, slouching like an animal, while grinning like a maniac and snarling his lines.
@@shadejakva9367 The reason why these three villains are so memorable is because they feel like real people that DO exist. These aren't evil sorcerers like Jafar, Ursula or Maleficent, these are ordinary humans. The catch is that they're abusive, filled with greed, power-hunger and self-righteousness, and they don't need magic powers to be dangerous.
EVERYTHING about Frollo is dark. His movie is dark, his song is dark, his deeds are dark, his motives are dark, his clothes are dark, his voice is dark, his horse is dark & his death is dark.
Except his hair
@@rockhistoria2537 true. And he was shown to care about his horse!😁
@@joshualowe959 yeah it's pretty wholesome! I am glad the horse is okay!😄
@@rockhistoria2537 but everything else about Frollo is pure darkness. There was evil going IN & OUT of Frollo and Frollo was evil from beginning to end.
@@joshualowe959 i don't really know what to say, since this comment is extremely accurate and I don't have anything especial to say, so I just gonna say: *Y E S*
Frollo is hands down one of my favorite fictional villains ever. He's _realistically_ scary (fun fact: he's based on Amon Goeth), he has a pretty badass song, and being voiced by Tony Jay (R.I.P.) definitely helps too.
Do you plan on doing other Disney villains? If so, I'd like to see Lady Tremaine, Scar and Lotso.
Lady Tremaine is another realistic villain as well, and her motivations are both selfish and narcissistic at the same time.
What I like about Frollo is how he is a very active antagonist. He isn't some background character that only confronts the hero at the end. He's got actual screen time dedicated to developing his character.
From what I’ve read, Frollo is actually the Disney Villain with the most amount of screen time dedicated to him.
@@TandaSandaBanda He's as much as star of the movie as Quasimodo and imho he eve overshadowed the other characters. Like most of the scenes I remember are HIS scenes
@@nunyabiznes33 Honestly, I think Frollo straight up carries the movie. 😂
@@nunyabiznes33 You're right.
I mean... as said in the beginning, it's not just the tale of one. It is a tale of a man... and a monster.
Frollo is basically a villain protagonist. He steals the entire flick and it's as much his movie as it is Quasimodo's. Heck, the movie starts with Frollo, not Quasi, so you could argue that he's the main character.
I personally consider "Hellfire" to not only be one of the greatest villain songs of the Disney Renaissance (and of all Disney's theatrically-released animated feature films, for that matter), but to be the best Disney villain song to be ever put to film.
The more moral you think you are, the greater your capacity is for increasing the suffering of yourself, and everyone around you. You don't get the best without the worst, and it’s especially important for those that believe that they are moral to understand this, since they are the ones that can lead people into fresh hells that not even the Devil could have dreamed up.
Basically everyone on Twitter
@@CausticSpace Most people on social media in general, really.
@@TheChaosDragoness Pretty much
@@CausticSpace this is a safe haven from that cesspit.
For now
Mmm. I wouldn't say that. If you believe yourself to be awful, you're never gonna try to be anything but awful.
Hugo: "What did she say?"
Laverne: "Frollo's nose is long and he wears a truss."
Hugo: HA! Told ya! Pay up!
Claude Frollo has always been more scary to me, because he’s a real kind of evil, the kind of evil you can meet in real life.
People that think they r above
Everyone else and r blameless
Or heroes when they r actually
The villains their r a lot of people like that actually.
One of the best Disney movies hands down. I'm sad that they will never get this deep and dark in an Disney animated movie ever again.
True. This was a serious movie. Disney will never do something like this again.
Alan Rickman would have played the perfect live action Frollo: combining his portrayals of Snape, Judge Turpin and the Sheriff of Nottingham!
Alas, their wasn't enough time. But Charles Dance could pull it off. He's my next choice.
Christopher Lee would have been my #1 choice.
What about Ben Mendlesohn 🤗
Charles Dance would make an excellent Frollo! Hope we get to see that!
Tim Curry, if the filming would have been completed before his stroke.
Heck yeah missed oppurtinity Alan Rickman was the firsr choice Peter Calpaldi was my second.
I always say that the most frightening aspect about Frollo as villain is how real he is, how he is not magical, he's just like any other bigot in a position of power you could encounter in real life.
@Rebecca Woolf Yep
Definitely!
Not just that he seems realistic, but that people just like him HAVE existed and even still exist now.
@@jeffreypalmers9161 frollo definitely reminds me of a lot of many conservative/right wing politicians. Even his obsessive lust for what he hates is accurate for many of them
But his five of the seven deadly sins is nothing, compared to someone like my mother, who's known for ALL SEVEN of them!
I think the Frollo’s best scene is his musical number near the fireplace. We see him so disillusioned, and so caught up in his own belief system, that what was once a simple veil to excuse his horrible actions and principles, has now utterly consumed his every fiber of being.
He now embodies his philosophies and world views so such a degree, that he’s begging and pleading for a solution from his God for the vice and lust plaguing his home. He even appears to greatly humble himself while in this musical prayer, making this depiction of someone assimilating with their beliefs so strongly that it becomes who they are, all the more terrifying.
The irony is, Hellfire is Frollo's most sympathetic moment, the only time he recognizes something evil inside him and prays for control of it. It makes me wonder if he might have been a good man, once upon a time before obsession took over.
In the book he had good intentions with Quasimodo but his true self gradually came to light
What about the novel.
@@thatfroginpeppapig2543we also see an internal struggle in him taking shape throughout the book that had started before his obsession began; Frollo had already been battling between his pursuit of worldly philosophies and his ties to the church, vacillating on which ultimately seemed more important to him. The obsession ended up tipping him over the edge and leading to his ultimate demise.
He had twisted views before Esmeralda.I think tho his place as a judge slowly lead him to proggressily see evil more than the good in the world around him,until he wasnt able to see the good at all!
I know people who are like this in my life.Pessimism can not only make someone miserable,but cruel and egomaniac as well....
The fandom really like the Disney frollo. Even his song hellfire is well know and loved in the Disney fandom.
I can see that in the form of memes and Hellfire is just too good to be cut out, yes there was an attempt to do that but fortunately the artists were able to find a way to keep it like the fire 🔥 sprite of Esmeralda that’s originally supposed to be naked in order to reflect Judge Frollo’s “Unholy thoughts 💭 ” is instead fully clothed because bloody censorship even the directors agree that it’s way too good to be cut out
Did you know that:
In the book 📖 by Victor Hugo, Claude Frollo is an Archdeacon his original profession and is a much greyer character than Disney’s incarnation because of marring their movies with “black and white bullshit” (I mean to say that because I personally do not find such stories compelling, it’s too predictable)
Since having a priest as a villain in a Disney movie 🎥 is a big no-no (Disney characters aren’t usually allowed to utter the name of “God” just look at the “Let it Go” song by Elsa it’s originally going to be a Villain song “Heaven knows I’ve tried” LOL 😆), they intentionally changed his profession to that of a Judge because of the fear of offending religious groups and divided his character into 2 as the result:
the unnamed Archdeacon-Frollo’s conscious self and
Judge Frollo-Frollo’s animalistic self
to make their version of the character transition from morally complex to simply evil just because (cuz Disney) in doing so, they’ve only simplified his character into something of a caricature that while a bit realistic (I am very sure there are much better examples to address the problems that they want to tackle like Tomas de Torquemada), lacks the nuances of the very real problems that the movie wants to address like racism, ableism, sexism, lookism etc…it’s a 2-way street-anyone is capable of such vices
Which means that, it is bold for a Disney movie (themes of Damnation and religion) but is not that bold in hindsight when compared to other media that also tackles similar issues in a more mature manner, didn’t I say that it’s a 2 way street?
And what Disney did to Claude Frollo is not any different to what they did to Hades a year later after the movie came out it’s called Adaptational Villainy
Some people here are mentioning the 2015 stage musical of Hunchback with Patrick Page as Archdeacon Frollo and there’s a video entitled “Why Disney’s Frollo is way too Evil”
Sorry for the long rant I just have to release my frustrations about what Disney did
I think part of it is because they made him 3-dimensional without going the "Oh, his daddy didn't hug him enough. He's really a good guy. Those "Gypsies" were really Nazis and he was protecting the real Romani, really." route. He has depth and complexity, but he's also solidly evil. He can't become good because he thinks he's already good and is too narcissistic and "holier than thou" to see any of his faults, blaming everyone for his faults.
Nowadays, many writers are afraid to go the Frollo route. No, the bad guy has to be the real good guy or has to at least make a good point if they have to have any "depth".
Anybody remember back before COVID when Notre Dame was set on fire?
It's interesting that in the movie he was meant to be a priest-the archdeacon of the Cathedral specifically-but Disney thought that wasnt gonna fly with the general 1996 populace and made him "Judge" Frollo instead, so as not to piss any Christians off by making this evil character canonically a high ranking church official.
But the animators basically said fuck you to Disney and drew him as a priest, sticking to the original source material.
Did you get that information from a video reaction to Disney’s 34th Entry? 😆 😆 😆 😆 I am being green minded here “Unholy thoughts”
That is not the first time it happened because of bloody censorship, the 1956 version has Frollo as an alchemist “officially” except his garments are that of a priest and is said to live in the titular cathedral
So both versions have different official occupations (Alchemist 1956, Judge 1996) but their shape of clothing looks like a priest’s to dodge censorship (sneaky touch 😆) and Judge Frollo is called “Minister” (this one’s double whammy ecclesiastical/political) in the Hellfire sequence
@@alsuvarnadvipadanargentum1743 lmao that's actually really interesting!
I dont remember where I got the information, it all kinda blends together in my head, but with the amount of time I spend on TH-cam its entirely possible that video was the source.
I mean he is kinda a priest
Not to mention, there were already movies coming out in the late 20th century that had Christian characters depicted as obsessive, psychotic fanatics, to show how corrupt some people can become by their religion.
His appearance is actually more in line with a French judge of the period than a priest. Yes, he wears black robes, but a priest would wear something simpler. Even Archdeacons or Bishops tend to wear simpler and more fitted clothing than the long and flowing robes this version of Frollo wears. You can even see it on the priest at the beginning of the film (or bishop . . . I don't know if his rank was confirmed). He wears the attire of a judge. Typically dark and flowing robes that just about touch the floor with the tricorn (judges during the medieval and Renaissance periods liked their important looking hats) being the cherry on top. It's a very regal apperance that Catholic priests and officials don't tend to illicit, save the Pope. Even then, white and black are all that priests tend to wear. Frollo's color scheme is clearly meant to be representative of his own personal traits. You can make of them what you will, but the black is pretty plainly painting him as a portent of doom or a bringer of death (black is usually used to represent death or the Grim Reaper). The red is for his evil and cruel nature, visually linking him to Satan or some other evil (red is often used to show that someone is evil or demonic (ie Satan, Jafar, and many more)). The purple is probably representative of either his nobility in society or of the sorrow he brings upon Paris with his overflowing lust for both power and for Esmeralda. It could represent both just as easily (purple is usually used to represent great sorrow and tragedy or great wealth and nobility, as purple dye even until the 1800s was inordinately expensive). Like I said, the colors can mean many things, but those are the most obvious. Yes, I am out of high school, and yes I did take Honors Literature classes while there. I apologize.
Hunchback is my favorite disney cartoon movie and frollo is a big reason for it. He is such a good villain
R.I.P. Tony Jay (1933-2006) Voice of Judge Frollo from Disney's The Hunchback Of Notre Dame an amazing and chilling performance singing Hellfire Judge Frollo He's Evil One of the best and most Darkest Disney Villains ever Judge Frollo He's really special and Tony Jay's voice was a part of it .❤🖤💜🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥😭😭😭😭😭😢😢😭😭😭😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😭😭😭😢😭😢😭😭😢😭😭😢😭😭
Frollo is definitely one of the darkest villains in Disney and frightening since people like him have existed before. He’s my favorite villain because of this.
"Villainy wears many masks, none so dangerous as the mask of virtue." -Ichabod Crane in Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow
Frollo is so chilling because as an evil character he's almost entirely realistic. Where the most horrific deeds imaginable are justified under false morality. It's how true evil in this world is when it is not appealing to authority or wearing the mask of madness.
How does it feel, to know that we will never again get such a villain with such depth of incorruptible evil, twisted by both his beliefs and his vices into the human monster that he is, to appear on-screen?
If that's a guarantee that Frollo will stand out even more amongst Disney's rouges gallery, I'll content myself with that!
May I introduce you to such a character?
*points at Griffith from Berserk by Mirua*
@@beanbroly He's older than this version of Frollo lol
i mean there are better villains
@@tobsonasanya4765 Maybe but Frollo is one of the best
One of the most powerful scenes for me has to be when Quasimodo saves Esmeralda from the flames. Here is a man that Frollo deems to be non human, subordinate to his philosophy, who has been kept hidden under lock and key from the citizens of Paris his whole life, to go and defy his master, setting the crowds of thousands into a frenzy of cheers and applause unlike the city has ever seen before! The power that Frollo once thought he held, was completely stripped from him in that scene. Absolute masterpiece.
By far my favorite Disney renaissance movie. Excellent work as always
Best Disney villain by far. Very real, very evil and very human. There have been many like him and will be many more.
This movie is my absolute Disney favourite. I was shocked when I rewatched this for the first time as an adult. For obvious reasons, a child could never get all the symbolisms and the meanings behind the story. Amazing story and the best music of all Disney movies.
There’s another Disney Frollo, actually! From the stage show! You ought to cover him, really, because he is sort of this strange perfect amalgamation of disney’s version and the character who appeared in the original novel.
I agree!
That's interesting and having not seen the stage show I feel like I need to see it now.
@@beepot2764 oh you should! It is so so very good! It’s a wonderful blend of the book and Disney’s story and I believe youtube has some fairly good quality recordings. Removal of the gargoyles as comic relief was a godsend, and of course all the original songs from the movie are there and are as fantastic as always, and any of the new added ones are mind bogglingly good and really add to the depth and darkness of the story.
@@beepot2764 There's two VERY good bootlegs on youtube, just search for it and watch either of the top ones! Camera's not the crispest but the sound is perfect for what it is. The actors are amazing.
@@SithLadyDarhVamp thank you! I know what I'll be listening to today while working lol.
*Some suggestions for future videos:*
-Alex Forest (Fatal Attraction)
-John Kreese (Karate Kid franchise + Cobra Kai)
-Sgt. Barnes (Platoon)
-Rameses (Prince of Egypt)
*Keep up the good work*
Yes... Ramses played by Yul Brynner!
Rameses would be so great to see.
Ramses would be neat
Rameses? Yes. There’s so much to analyze!
Also Rameses in the animated prince of egypt. Good God Ralph Fiennes VA was so great.
Not gonna lie, when I watched that scene as I got older, where Frollo said, "And he shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit." and the gargoyle broke and smiled at him , my first thought was this:
Gargoyle: "Wish granted!"
I’m a simple woman: I see frollo’s pissed off face, I click 😂😂
Disney will never come close to being this impactful and profound again. Amazing video. There is so much you can never distinguish and appreciate as a small child but seeing it now - damn.
If you're going to do more Disney villians,You should analyzed Gaston from Beauty and the Beast.If anybody that's the embodiment of the stereotype highschool jock,It would be Gaston.Also,I'm in my opinion,Gatson is not a true villain,But he's a total narcissist, sexist,Misogynist asshole who believes he's entitled to have Bell just because he's attractive guy and war hero.What makes him a villain that he becomes so obsessed with Bell,That he was willing to kill his rival(The Beast) or kill Bell if he can't have her.
I loved him as a villain in the animated film because of this and it was the same reason why I hated what they did to his character in the live action version. He is a jock, celebrated and admired by everyone in town, that's what makes him powerful and scary.
Gaston's the type everyone thinks is a great guy until it comes out he's a serial killer.
@@VNightmoon I wouldn't say Gaston is a true villain ,But he's total narcissist,Sexist and misogynist asshole who become way too obsessed with Bell and pretty much becomes a stalker,That what makes him a villain.I would put it pass him if he try to sexually assault her.
Beauty and the Beast is probably the only bad Disney film made in regards to message.
1) Beast held her hostage and was mostly awful to her.
2) Gaston was well liked and was successful in his many ways and could have provided greatly for her despite some of his personality flaws.
3) Positioning humility as the best trait lowers people’s self-esteem and can actually make people extremely passive, instead of rewarding the charismatic (like real life does).
4) Disney’s message was practically that beauty can change a monster, which has probably confused an entire generation of women.
5) It made Gaston into a terrible villain when he was just a guy who wanted to protect the village he lived in and, because of social mores at the time, couldn’t take no for an answer.
6) it derides the simple way of life for being simple. Sure, most of mankind’s greatest inventions were made as a result of people not being simple, but deriding people for not being above 130 IQ level is silly.
@Oklahoma Boomer
1) Belle offered to stay in her father's place. That same night, she proved she could leave at any time. She also could have left the Beast for dead, gone home, and didn't. There was an understanding from that point on that the Beast needed to behave or he'd lose her. Later in the movie, she's shown taking Philipe from the stables, which proves she still has her way home if she chooses. There was literally nothing keeping her there except her promise.
2) Gaston is a predator and a psychopath. Watch the scene where he barges into Belle's house. He talks over her, disregards her desires, NEVER asks her what she wants, and often imposes himself over her. Belle is often putting furniture between them because he won't respect her boundaries.
Note that this is long before he tries to blackmail her into marriage.
Oh, and he organized a wedding without even asking her. Those aren't "personality flaws". Those are the traits of an abuser.
3) It's not just humility. It's respect for other people. See everything I listed about Gaston? The Beast does the opposite over the course of the film:
-He compromises with her
-He considers what SHE wants too (hence the library scene)
-He does what's right by her even when it's hard (letting her go even though he'll be a beast forever).
Gaston, again, NEVER considers what Belle wants or what's best for her.
4) See point 2. Gaston is not a good person. Period.
5) Explain. The only ones doing any deriding were the townsfolk. Women reading and people making inventions are neither weird nor crimes.
The judgeˋs biggest fear, is to be judeged himself. Ironic.
IVE likes my own comment😂.
I've noticed that Frollo's eyes after the Hellfire scene turns a hue of red when he mentions 'Ive had trouble with the fire place. Nearing the end of the film, his eyes and teeth are redder as well. Guessing insatiable bloodlust.
Sloth is a defining feature of Frollo if you think about it.
His position as a servant of God is to help the masses and lead them to a life of purity and less sin as possible.
Instead he's trying to reshape society not in God's image and will but his own.
Also considering he takes the easy route of dealing with those who he views as sinful and damaged beyond repair, that being executing them instead of taking time and working hard to reform them and seeing if they can change and able to come into the fold.
Not to mention the hands off way he "raised" Quasimodo, which he did out of reluctance in the first place.
Frollo, along with Scar from the Lion King were excellent Disney villains. But I think Frollo takes things up a notch with the cruel way he sees the world. He doesn’t just want power, but he wants the world to conform to him and his way of seeing things. My most favorite villain!
The Hunchback of Notre Dame was one of my favorite Disney movies, because it actually took risk and was slightly more edgy than the other movies at the time. I kinda wish Disney took that kind of risk more often.
Also I have a few suggestions for some possible future analysis,
Hans Gruber - Die Hard
Clarence Boddicker- Robocop
Neil McCauley -Heat
Vic Vega/Mr.Blonde - Reservoir Dogs
Too bad Alan Rickman is gone. He would've been excellent as Frollo in the live-action remake. Judge Turpin in "Sweeney Todd" was the closest he got.
@@straburyred same with Christopher Lee.
Judge Claude Frollo is not only the darkest but also the most realistic villain Disney has ever created, and thats what makes him a great antagonist. R.I.P Tony Jay for voicing such an amazing character.
What an iconic villain!! The way he was written for this story together with the incredible talent of Tony Jay make him one of the best (if not the best) Disney villains of all time.
The saddest part is how we'll never see the complexity, religious passion, eye gripping nature Frollo brought to the Disney screen again. He's so sure of what he does is right and he's just, so pure evil like Maleficent. But no, Disney won't go this hard anymore and plays it safe.......
*10:42* A quick shoutout to this heroic Lion Gargoyle. He did his job of defending the holy cathedral from demons perfectly, and looked cool while at it too. He deserves to be in the list of ''Disney side characters who sacrificed themselves for the better good of the world.''
Rest i Peace Tony Jay Elder god, Frollo, and Megabyte from Reboot we truly miss your very talented voice. It will never be replicated.
Best Disney movie, IMO. Highly underrated. I was very excited to see you cover this great villain.
Excellent video, thank you!
A Worker In McDonald's Served me Fries without Salt and Ketchup, he Should be Analyzed Here
Disney's Frollo has always been one of my favorite villains. He's just so realistically vile that it makes you feel unclean knowing that so many real people are wired in such similar ways, unable to even see their own problems, let alone take responsibility for them.
While I love how detailed and insightful this deconstruction is, I was waiting for you to touch on something that I feel is one of the core mechanisms of Frollo's twisted psychology: fear. He holds himself in such high esteem that his worst fear is mediocrity. He NEEDS to think he is above others, that he is better than everyone else. So when Esmerelda makes him feel lustful, he's unable to reconcile that lust in an honest way, and it terrifies him that he might be just as "weak and licentious" as everyone else. That terror leads him to avoid the truth in ways that become increasingly unhealthy for him, to the point that he lashes out violently at anyone who threatens his warped worldview.
There is a direct causal connection from Frollo's fear of mediocrity to the widespread suffering of everyone in Paris, including homelessness, death, and the intended imprisonment and likely rape of an innocent, talented, and intelligent woman.
Most of us grow up thinking we're special in some way. But hopefully, sooner or later, we come to terms with how utterly mediocre we are. We're no different from anyone else. Those who lack the courage to confront this truth are doomed to misery, some so much that they spread the misery to others. It's one of the saddest things about this life and this world, and the writing around Disney's Frollo is brilliantly emblematic of it.
Two things:
1. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for this analysis! I loved it from start to finish, The Vile Eye. You captured everything.
2. Fly high and rest in peace, Tony Jay. We love you, we miss you.
Good analysis; one thing you didn't mention is how Frollo gaslights Quasimodo about his mother. There's a couple scenes where Frollo's like "Remember I took you in when your horrible mother abandoned you" and it's only at the end when he's trying to kill Quasi he lets it slip that she died trying to protect her baby. Such a messed up, but amazing villain for a children's movie.
The stageplay is actually really interesting in how it deals with Frollo as a character. Rather than just randomly finding Quasimodo, he is actually his brother's son. His brother was exiled for having relations with a gypsy and being rebellious, and years later gave Quasimodo to Frollo right before his death. Frollo felt this was an act of God, to care of and love Quasimodo, so he took him in. I actually really like this backstory for Frollo, as it shows how much he loved his brother, even though he lived a gypsy-esque lifestyle. This also gives a reason as to why Frollo hates gypsies and general fun so much, it essentially stole his brother from him (in his eyes). In the musical, Frollo truly cares for Quasimodo and is much more loving to him than in the movie.
Yeah. The stageplay actually took more from the original novel than the Disney movie adaptation. We all love the movie but honestly? If you love this story, read and re-read the original novel.
All these years I've never noticed the joker transform into the clergyman. Till just now
I'd love to see you do a take on Mother Gothel from Tangled. She's a lot closer to the "evil you know" in the form of a narcissistic parent, and it'd be cool to see your analysis on that.
This is incredibly well written and I greatly enjoy your work. I must, however, disagree with your dismissal of sloth in such a casual manner. It may have just been the way your script is written, but I feel as though Frollo is certainly capable of sloth. Sloth is often considered the most difficult of the sins to define, as Sloth can be physical, mental, or spiritual in nature. Frollo certainly isn’t physically slothful, but one could certainly make the argument for indulgence in the sin of sloth in a mental and/or spiritual connotation
I would agree. He's definitely the type of person who folks in the atheist community label as "intellectually lazy".
Yep pretty much, he is an intellectually lazy person. Instead of actually putting in the effort to work through these feelings he decides to repress and release them in the most violent ways.
Not only that, but in his lust for Esmeralda, he resolves to force her to choose between him and her pyre. Frollo is, ultimately, unwilling to put any effort to get what he wants if it’s more complicated than “stab that guy.”
frollo is by far the best disney villain ever. he's the best because he's the most realistic, there are people who are actually like him and in the movie he's a representation of how evil the world can be, but also how the world can drive a person to such dark places. it's sad honestly. but he's my favorite Disney villain ever, and he has the best villain song lmao.
Hell Fire song has to be one of the greatest animated movie song ever. The sheer creepiness and lustrous thoughts indicated by Frollo there is just crazy. Plus the song is well sung, written and picturized.
Please do an analysing evil on the most underrated, yet my personal favourite Disney villain - Professor Ratigan from the ‘Great Mouse Detective’
No the most underrated was Sykes-from Oliver and Company
He is the most terrifying Disney villains because he is human. Nothing supernatural or magical about him.
This film scared me as a kid
His face when he tells Quasi that he's his only friend is genuinely chilling. It's a painful movie, imo. Obviously, it's toned down from the original story, but that's expected. I'm pretty sure the ending is based off a play or opera by Hugo, btw.
Frollo is one of my favourite Disney villains and would like to see more of them covered. Great video
A video on Kevin from the movie/ book "We Need to Talk About Kevin"?
Good video overall. I'd say one detail that could have been touched upon is how unfairly the crowd did treat Quasimodo at the festival of fools. Frolo wasn't lying to quasi when he told him the world wouldn't be kind to him.
This is the video that got me introduced to your content and became fascinated by your analysis of the villains you have covered at this point and I always look forward to seeing more from you.
As for Frollo, he's one of my favorite villains of all time and definitely my favorite Disney Villain due to the sheer complexity in his character, along with the fantastic vocal performance from the late Tony Jay. And the Hellfire sequence is the icing on the cake on how deep his character is.
The thing that seperates Frollo from any other Disney villain is that he genuinely believes he's doing good, whereas others know they are evil and revel in that thought. That makes Frollo the most dangerous, because only he can be his downfall, since he believes he is the hero
Will you talk about the Frollo from the book? I think he's just as interesting, if not more. Plus you'll honor France's rich literature history.
been two years still waiting for it...
Another aspect of sloth is also apathy. Frollo maybe dutiful in his daily routine but he shows a consistent lack of concern or compassion for his fellow citizens. He will never spend an ounce of effort into genuinely help anyone other than himself. I think sloth is present in that kind of mindset.
4:44 I also just noticed that Frollo's cup and plate is metal , where as Quasimodo's plate and cup are wooden. It shows how frollo sees as quasimodo as below him, further making him believe that hes so ugly he's not worth to eat with normal cutlery. His "plate" is not even a plate. Frollo's cup is also much taller and bigger than quasi's, probably also symbolising his sense of worth
He was honestly the villain in Disney who terrified me the most. I was too young to understand the themes in this movie, but somehow instinctually I knew this man was the portrait of evil. I'm so glad to see this episode, he truly made my skin crawl and my grasp tighten lol.
I'm surprised you didn't mention the red piece of satin cloth trailing behind Frollo's tricorn when discussing his clothes, as it appears to symbolise the trail of blood he's left in his wake from years of murdering gypsies.
Easily one of the best villains ever. Possibly the best animated one,
I think that what always made me so uncomfortable was how real his character was. How many people actually exist out there like him. Twisting belief and law to justify their actions. Raising himself above others. You see it not just in religion - but in society. The victim blaming and everything. That is why even to this days I feel he is one of the better villains. because you can meet him in a thousand faces.
This is one of the best Lawful evil interpretations I've ever seen.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is my second favourite Disney film next to Mulan
Judge Frollo He's really My favorite Disney Villain ever ❤🖤💜🔥
Perhaps a video on Arthas Menethil from the Warcraft universe. From his slow descent into madness by the hands of Mal'Ganis and Kel'Thuzad, working with the plague in Lordaeron, and how he completely gives in to evil when getting Frostmourne. He is IMO one of the more tragic and welldone heroes turned to evil stories
I'm so glad you did my favourite Disney movie! Frollo is a classic villain: fearful of his own emptiness, so he cultivates an elaborate reality of power whilst projecting his weaknesses on to the people of Paris. I am sure such a terrifying man would have been at home in Nazi Germany or the height of the Spanish Inquisition. Frollo knows he is evil, but cannot face it because it would mean losing his grip on his reality.
I am so glad you did an analysis on Frollo, he is by far my favorite villain in any Disney movie. The Hellfire sequence is so cool seeing the world through his eyes.
Judge Claude Frollo is alongside Queen Grimhilde, The Coachman, Scar, Shan-Yu, Bill Sykes, Judge Doom, Hopper, Commander Rourke, Percival C McLeach, Syndrome, The Horned King, Chernabog and Lots-O' Huggin' Bear definitely disney's darkest and most evil villains ever.
Dr.Facilier Jafar and Judge Frollo wearing Red Black and Purple Clothing ❤🖤💜