CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Bumpy Chip It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

gavin6942 In 15th century France, a gypsy girl (Maureen O'Hara) is framed for murder by the infatuated Chief Justice, and only the deformed bell-ringer (Charles Laughton) of Notre Dame Cathedral can save her.Frank S. Nugent of The New York Times wrote a mostly negative review of the film, finding it "little more" than "a freak show". Though he acknowledged it was "handsome enough of production and its cast is expert," he called it "almost unrelievedly brutal and without the saving grace of unreality which makes Frankenstein's horrors a little comic." Nugent has his opinion, but time has sided against him. This incarnation of "Hunchback" is now widely considered the best. And although it pains me to say that anyone could beat Lon Chaney, Laughton does a fine enough job... maybe not surpassing Chaney, but at least being a suitable replacement for this version... with sound, everything is a little more epic.

Leofwine_draca For many viewers, this 1939 version of the classic Victor Hugo novel is the definitive retelling of the story. It's the one that stars an excellent Charles Laughton in the titular role, playing the deformed hunchback antihero who ends up proving his mettle against the corrupt local justice. It's not just Laughton's make-up job which is legendary: his performance is excellent too, really investing the audience in his sympathetic character.THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME tells a fast-paced and engaging tale of life in 15th century Paris. A huge tableau of characters are assembled, some of them lovable, some of them hissably evil. Most notable of all is the recently-deceased Maureen O'Hara who shines as the innocent gypsy girl Esmerelda, drawn into becoming a pawn shared between the forces of good and evil through no fault of her own.This RKO picture boasts exemplary production values and some excellent sets and scenery. Sir Cedric Hardwicke memorably chews the scenery as the black-hearted villain of the piece, but he gives just one of many strong performances here. It's a roller-coaster ride of love, hate, adventure, murder, and madness, all with a tragic heart, a sort of Middle Ages version of THE ELEPHANT MAN if you will.

Coventry Truly beautiful, compelling and enchanting interpretation of Victor Hugo's classic tale, arguably even the greatest film-version of the story that is available! This is a masterpiece of cinema thanks to several elements forming a flawless wholesome, including mesmerizing acting performances from the ensemble cast, the impressive German expressionist influences in cinematography and several astoundingly staged sequences with large crowds of people. I'm a big admirer of Lon Chaney Sr. and have a lot of respect for his 1923 silent version of the story (especially since he performed quite a bit of dangerous acrobatics) but this film simply is more accessible, absorbing and attractive. This version truly brings the France of the 15th Century back to life; with all its progressive inventions (like the art of book printing) and the slow development of scientific wisdom (the Earth actually could be round instead of flat!). What I loved most about William Dieterle's "The Hunchback of the Notre Dame" is the magnificent cast of characters. With his incredibly performance and the stunning physical transformation he underwent, Charles Laughton's Quasimodo is definitely one of the most fascinating icons in cinematic history, but the film is chock-full of other fascinating characters as well. The genuinely gold-hearted gypsy girl Esmeralda, for example, who marries an untalented poet to prevent him from getting executed and who brings water to the publicly scandalized Quasimodo even though he abducted her. Another great character is King Louis XI. As depicted by Harry Davenport, he surely is the most appealing royal character I ever saw in a movie. King Louis is human, compassionate, upright and quite avant-garde considering his age! But the most fascinating character – apart from Quasimodo the bell ringer, of course – is , inevitable, the villain of the story. Sir Cedric Hardwicke masterfully depicts Frollo; the chief of justice and loyal counselor of the King. But Frollo falls madly in love with the gypsy woman Esmeralda and commands Quasimodo, the bell-ringer of the beautiful Notre Dame cathedral, to kidnap her. Quasimodo fails and Esmeralda is saved by the chief of guards Phoebus, with whom she falls in love, much against the will of numerous men in Paris. During a nightly encounter, Frollo stabs Phoebus to death and frames Esmeralda for the murder. She is soon sentenced to torture and death by hanging, but then several men come into action to save her. Quasimodo spectacularly rescues her from the noose and gives her sanctuary high up in the Notre Dame. Meanwhile, the king of the gypsies Clopin organizes a large-scaled mob manifestation to free Esmeralda and her poet husband Gringoire uses the new printing techniques to persuade King Louis to release her. "The Hunchback of the Notre Dame" is a visually as well as emotionally engaging experience and it is truly one of the greatest Hollywood movies ever accomplished (albeit directed by a German expressionist genius). The film was nominated for two Oscars, but should have won all of them. I guess that wasn't an option in the same year with landmarks like "The Wizard of Oz", "Gone with the Wind" and "Stagecoach" as fellow contenders. Even though this certainly doesn't qualify as a horror movie, it must be said that the make-up effects on Charles Laughton are breathtaking, and genre fans should still keep an eye open for horror veterans George Zucco and Rondo Hatton that appear in smaller supportive roles.

MartinHafer earth is flat "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" was obviously a quality production. After all, it has some dandy actors (such as Cederic Hardwicke, Henry Davenport, Edmond O'Brien, Thomas Mitchell, Laughton and Maureen O'Hara), nice costumes and lovely sets that must have cost a fortune. And, it's also a lot more watchable than the old silent version with Lon Chaney, Sr.--so I do recommend you watch it. However, I do have one reservation--it plays very fast and loose with the original story by Victor Hugo. In Hugo's version, the story is not a nice tale with a happy ending. No, pretty much everyone dies and it's a downer! But, only Hollywood would think to 'happify' it!! It's a shame, as the film had a lot going for it--including Charles Laughton's lovely performance as poor 'ol Quasimodo.Oh, and the history teacher in me feels compelled to object to a statement early in the film that everyone thought the Earth was flat back in the 15th century. This is a myth--and people DID know that the planet was round. I could go on and on explaining it, but if you really care, do an internet search using the terms 'flat earth myth' and you'll see what I mean. They knew the Earth was round even in ancient times--and the folks in the Middle Ages and Renaissance weren't nearly as stupid as we'd like to imagine.