Changes

|1996

|1996

|G

|G

|Released during Michael Eisner's presidency at Disney, the film present a mixed package. The original source material was not intended for children, yet the Disney film was marketed as such to young audiences.

|Released during Michael Eisner's presidency at Disney, the film presents a mixed package. The original source material was not intended for children, yet the Disney film was marketed as such to young audiences.

In some cases, the film manages to be more pro-Christian that it's source material. For example, the character of Frollo, who was the corrupt archdeacon in the novel, is now the minister of justice and the Archdeacon is now a separate character voiced by Davis Odegn Steirs, who serves as the positive Christian conscience in the film. The Archdeacon is the one responsible for saving Quasimodo from Frollo committing infanticide and encourages Esmeralda to pray to God.

In some cases, the film manages to be slightly more pro-Christian than it's source material. For example, the character of Frollo, who was the corrupt archdeacon in the novel, is now the minister of justice and the Archdeacon is now a separate character voiced by Davis Odegn Steirs, who serves as the positive Christian conscience in the film (albeit the only positive Christian conscience). The Archdeacon is the one responsible for saving Quasimodo from Frollo committing infanticide and encourages Esmeralda to pray to God. Phoebus is also depicted in a good light, an honorable soldier and also was shown to genuinely love Esmeralda, even going as far to save him as well as Quasimodo. This is a stark contrast to the book, where he was a callous womanizer who abandoned Esmeralda to being hanged.

Christian imagery is present throughout the film, appropriate since Notre Dame is an actual location, as opposed to Other Disney films where churches are absent of religious imagery to be more politically correct. The Latin Requiem Mass is also present in the musical score.

Christian imagery is present throughout the film, appropriate since Notre Dame is an actual location, as opposed to several Disney films during the Renaissance where churches are absent of religious imagery to be more politically correct. The Latin Requiem Mass is also present in the musical score.

Unlike most films in the Disney animated canon, this film actually has the character's relying to God's grace to resolve the conflict, instead of relying on some special magic.

Unlike most films in the Disney animated canon, this film actually has the character's relying to God's grace to resolve the conflict, instead of relying on some special magic.

In some cases, the film actually manages to be even darker than the original novel. Originally, Quasimodo's vicious punishment at the hands of the Parisians during the Feast of Fools ceremony was out of corporal punishment; while in the Disney film, it had been done at the whim of the Parisians just for the sake of it.

On the other hand, in some cases, the film actually manages to be even darker than the original novel. Originally, Quasimodo's vicious punishment at the hands of the Parisians during the Feast of Fools ceremony was out of corporal punishment; while in the Disney film, it had been done at the whim of the Parisians just for the sake of it. In addition, Frollo himself was also made significantly more villainous in the movie compared to in the book despite being separated from the archdeacon role, removing most of his redeemable traits in the book (case in point, in the film, Frollo was responsible for killing Quasimodo's mother and nearly killed Quasimodo himself as a baby until being made to raise him as penance by the archdeacon, and was depicted as an abusive father figure overall, as well as depicted as sadistic, in contrast to the original novel, where he willingly took in Quasimodo when he was in fact abandoned by his mom and was depicted as a fairly good father figure, at least until Esmerelda entered the picture). Some Christian concepts were also removed from the film in an attempt to increase Frollo's villainy as a result (for example, Quasimodo in the film was named such as an insult to his deformed appearance, while in the book he was actually named after Quasimodo Tuesday). It's also debatable as to whether it's pro-Christian overall since while the Archdeacon himself was a positive influence, most of the Christian characters besides Frollo were nevertheless depicted in a very negative light. The director's commentary also implied that they may have engaged in blasphemous material by having Frollo in the crucifix pose as he's descending into Hell during the visuals for Hellfire.<ref>DVD Commentary: "Here's some more of our ham-fisted symbolism--Frollo falls down in the shape of a crucifix!"</ref>

To make the film even darker, a gypsy genocide plot is introduced, and Paris was also the victim of arson late into the film. This is a stark contrast to most other Disney film adaptations, which have a history of toning down the original works (as in The Jungle Book, in which Disney advised the writers to ignore the book specifically because its contents were unsuitable for children).

To make the film even darker, a gypsy genocide plot is introduced, and Paris was also the victim of arson late into the film. The song Hellfire was also notorious for making explicit references to lust despite it being very family unfriendly. This is a stark contrast to most other Disney film adaptations, which have a history of toning down the original works (as in The Jungle Book, in which Disney advised the writers to ignore the book specifically because its contents were unsuitable for children). The Gypsies were also depicted in a more positive light, to the extent that they at times were considered preferable to Christianity, despite Gypsies essentially being pagans. Hints at race swapping were also included in the film, as Esmerelda was made into an ethnic gypsy in the movie, when in the original book, she was actually a blonde parisienne and the daughter of an anchoress who was abducted by the gypsies and made into their own.

Some mild language is present too (namely the words "damnation" and "eternal damnation").

Some mild language is present too (namely the words "damnation" and "eternal damnation").