There's lots of talk about whether the remake should take after the musical or movie. I can see you like both. :) But which do you prefer?
Thank you very much for your interest in my view, but where to start!
As you say, I “like both”. XD If I must choose one, I will still go for the animated movie. That is not to say I don’t love the stage musical. I had the fortune of watching it at La Jolla Playhouse without spoiling myself with bootlegs or preconceived notions, and came away deeply affected. I cried at many parts (listening to Entr'acte for the first time - and live for the matter - was an incredible, incredible experience).
Perhaps I should simply list out some things that I prefer for either musical or the movie. Please bear in mind that these are my views, which are in no way right or intended to impose!
The Ending - Movie
It’s not a spoiler to say that the American version of the musical followed the Berlin version in 1999. It was just as sad, and I cried all over again.
But while I appreciate that the musical adheres closer to Hugo’s book, I think the tragedy in the context of the musical flies against the message the movie (and thus to an extent the musical itself) seeks to convey. The world may be “cruel” but there remains hope, and good can triumph bad. The ending of the musical dampens that message.
I don’t care that the movie’s ending is a typical “happily ever after”. It is meant to be. It is meant to inspire.
The Gargoyles - Musical
Well. Like most people including hardcore fans, I think the gargoyles in the movie are a bit of a misstep. While it’s a great idea that the gargoyles come alive for Quasimodo, their slapstick humour does not fit the mood of the rest of the movie. The musical tempers that aspect, and the gargoyles do not come across as obnoxious.
The Romance(s) - Movie
I wrote an essay on this here on the romance between Esmeralda and Phoebus, and concluded that I much prefer how it progresses in the movie compared to the musical. Pertinently, the movie makes the effort to show that Esmeralda falls in love with Phoebus not due to his good looks and a few clever remarks, but over a few encounters which reveal his character to her.
The same applies to Quasimodo. In the movie, Quasimodo crashes into Esmeralda’s tent and that is the first time they meet. It is not Esmeralda’s beauty that strikes Quasimodo, it is her kindness. In contrast, the musical has Rhythm of the Tambourine, where all three men including Quasimodo are more besotted by her looks than anything else. In this regard, the movie is actually closer to the book than the musical. Book Quasimodo does not fall in love with Esmeralda because of her beauty. He shows no interest when he kidnaps her (which he does at Frollo’s behest). He only begins to love her when she is the only person who helps him by giving him water to drink.
The Songs - Musical
Granted, it will be impossible to beat the movie in terms of having an orchestra complete with real pipe organs and a full-scale choir (Sanctuary alone wins hands down).
But not only does the musical have songs from the movie, Menken andSchwartz added so many great songs. Rhythm of the Tambourine! Entr'acte! Esmeralda! Rest and Recreation! Made of Stone! Also Someday is made heartwrenching in the musical.
Characterisation - Movie
I understand the rationale made for the musical. Not only does it adhere closer to the book (with Frollo reverting to the role of archdeacon, for example), it seeks to make the characters grey. The musical’s director Scott Schwartz in a 2014 interview made it a point to say,
“Something I really believe about this story is, nobody is just one thing. There are no people who are just heroes or just villains. There are horrific actions in the show, particularly that Frollo takes. But you see moments of light within him, where he’s trying to do good. The same is true for Esmeralda, who in the movie is a very heroic figure and continues to be. But there are moments of selfishness, there are moments of doubt, there are moments of darkness in all the characters. Quasimodo, too — there’s real violence in Quasimodo.”
But having grown up on the movie, it is precisely the nobility and empathy and selflessness that made me love Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and Phoebus. Quasimodo trying to save Frollo even when he is on the brink of death, Esmeralda standing up to a powerful Minister of Justice for a stranger, Phoebus saving a miller’s family for no other reason than it’s the right thing to do (without the musical version where he remembers Esmeralda’s voice). So while arguably more simplistic, I prefer the movie’s characterisation.
Conclusion
Feel free to share your thoughts! I wrote way too much and will stop here. XD
