The Hunchback (1997 film) (2024)

The Hunchback is a 1997 made-for-TV film adaptation. It was released on March 16, 1997 and distributed by TNT in the US. It stars Mandy Patinkin, Salma Hayek, and Richard Harris. As of 2022, it is the most recent Notre Dame de Paris film adaptation.

Plot[]

1480, Paris. Reverend Frollo finds an infant abandoned on the steps of Notre Dame cathedral while hiding a printing press. He takes in the foundling and he grows up to be Quasimodo, bell-ringer of Notre Dame. The film then skips to 25 years later, in 1505. During the Festival of Fools, poet Pierre Gringoire attempts to enlighten the townspeople to rise up against the government, but is rejected. Esmeralda is brought out into the festivities to dance and is noticed by many present, including Gringoire, Captain Phoebus, Frollo, and Quasimodo, who has been hiding due to his physicality.

As Clopin gathers everyone together to compete for the King of Fools honoreity, he notices Quasimodo and has him dragged out, and easily wins the King of Fools crown. He is paraded throughout the streets until Frollo, now archdeacon, stops him and orders him back inside Notre Dame. That evening, he is seen bribing 2 men to kidnap and bring Esmeralda to him. Quasimodo witnesses this. As Gringoire is lost in the streets at night, he sees Esmeralda being harassed by the 2 men and calls for the guards of the watch. As he attempts to fend them off, Quasimodo comes to help, but when Phoebus and the guard arrive, it is the hunchback they arrest instead, even when he tells them he did nothing wrong. Quasimodo is then taken away and imprisoned.

Gringoire is then wandering and falls into the Court of Miracles, where he is sentenced to a hanging unless he marries one of the Bohemiean women by Clopin. Esmeralda steps up and agrees to be his wife, and they are wed. Although it was a marriage out of pity, the two are seen growing into a genuine love for each other.

The next day, Quasimodo is sentenced to a public flogging. Gringoire, Esmeralda, and Clopin know it is wrongful but know they cannot help him. Esmeralda tries to stop them by going up to King Louis XI, who is watching, but Gauchere insists that it should be a lesson to those who would assault "a real woman". Quasimodo then cries out for water, but is met by mocking and heckling. Esmeralda gives him water from a nearby bucket, and Quasimodo is touched by her actions.

Esmeralda prays to Mary as she feel guilty for the flogging. Frollo finds her and tells her he can give her absolution, and confesses his love for her. Esmeralda reads his hand and sees the mark of death and flees, but drops her dagger in the process. Frollo later is meeting with Gauchere in regards to the printing press, in which they do not meet on mutual grounds for, and he stabs him to death with her dagger. Esmeralda is later tried for murder and eventually found guilty after torture by metal boot. Frollo again offers his proposition, but she refuses. On the day of her hanging, Quasimodo quickly saves her and gives her sanctuary inside Notre Dame.

While under Quasimodo's protection inside Notre Dame, he and Esmeralda become good friends. Quasimodo shows her the bells and a 600-page book he is writing. He conspires to use the printing press to begin a petition to pardon Esmeralda via King Louis XI. He heads to the Court of Miracles to retrives Esmeralda's goat, Djali, and to collaborate on the petition with Clopin. However, Esmeralda is gone by the time Quasimodo comes back and is revealed Frollo sent her to the gallows. He confesses to Quasimodo that he was the one who killed Gauchere and, angered at Quasimodo's love for the gypsy, whips him and calls him a freak. Quasimodo stand up for himself and prevents Frollo from attacking him, saying, "I am not a freak."

Clopin and the rest of the Court of Miracles organize to protest against the King and seige against Notre Dame, but fail in their efforts as Quasimodo defends the cathedral, thinking they are there to harm Esmeralda. He then hangs Frollo over the balcony of Notre Dame and forces Frollo to confess that he was the one who killed Gauchere, in which he complies. With this confession, King Louis XI pardons Esmeralda and she and Gringoire go to Notre Dame to help Quasimodo. When Esmeralda encounters Frollo, he goes to stab her, but Quasimodo is stabbed instead when he tries to protect her. He then throws Frollo off Notre Dame along with himself, but is saved by Gringoire. Quasimodo succumbs to his stab wounds and Esmeralda and Gringoire ring the bells of Notre Dame for him in his honor.

Cast[]

• Mandy Patinkin as Quasimodo
• Richard Harris as Dom Claude Frollo
• Salma Hayek as Esmeralda
• Jim Dale as Clopin
• Edward Atterton as Pierre Gringoire
• Benedick Blythe as Phoebus
• Nigel Terry as King Louis XI
• Nickolas Grace as Minister Gauchere
• Trevor Baxter as Chief Lawyer
• Vernon Dobtcheff as Father Michel
• Cassie Stuart as Colette
• Gabi Fon as Queen Anne

Version Differences[]

• Fleur-de-Lys and Sister Gudule are among characters absent in this film.
• Quasimodo is 25 instead of 20.
• Like the 1939 film, Esmeralda and Gringoire end up staying together as a couple by the end of the film.
• Instead of getting Quasimodo to kidnap Esmeralda himself, Frollo bribes 2 men to do it for him, making Quasimodo's flogging wrongful justice.
• Frollo resorts to killing Minister Gauchere instead of Phoebus.
• The film takes place in 1505, with its flashback taking place in 1480.
• Phoebus is a very minor character, only showing up to arrest Quasimodo and rarely making any other appearances again. He is a major character is Disney's 1996 animated musical film.

Reception[]

The Hunchback has received mixed to negative reviews. It holds a 28% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes^[6] and 6.2/10 rating on IMDb^[7].

External Reviews[]

• The Schlock Pit
• Charity's Place
• AllMovie

Trivia[]

• Mandy Patinkin is widely known to have auditioned for Disney's role of Quasimodo before performing the role in 1997. At the time, he eventually turned it down due to creative differences.^[8]
• Similar to the 1923 film, where Quasimodo rings the bells once more before dying from a stab wound, Esmeralda and Gringoire do the same for him as he dies.

Gallery[]

Full Credits[]

Main article: The Hunchback (1997 film)/Credits

Videos[]

Main article: The Hunchback (1997 film)/Videos

See Also[]

• The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939 film)

References[]