Plot: Burbank Film's The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1986)

Before the plot begins, there is a cold opening, a scene of Esmeralda dancing. Quasimodo, from the heights of Notre Dame, watches her for a moment, before eventually resting on a stone gargoyle. Frollo is also watching her, but eventually disappears, leaving his lamp behind.

Esmeralda, Quasimodo, and Gringoire

After the opening credits, the cold open is abandoned. Claude Frollo is attempting  alchemy, but cannot concentrate due to his thoughts of Esmeralda, the gypsy dancer. He calls for Quasimodo, his hunchbacked servant, but concludes that "what good is yelling for a man who is as dead as a post!" Quasimodo, after ringing the bells of Notre Dame, enters Frollo's cell, asking "if it's time to eat yet." Frollo informs Quasimodo that he has lost his appetite, and needs Quasimodo to accompany him, and assist in kidnapping Esmeralda. 

In the Paris streets is the poet Gringoire, who also pines for Esmeralda, and laments his dilemma through poetry.  Esmeralda herself passes by, scolding her goat Djali for eating rubbish instead of "a nice green apple." What she does not expect is Quasimodo who, on Frollo's orders, tries to kidnap her. Gringoire tries to save her, but is knocked to the ground instead.

Gringoire preforms a test

Esmeralda is successfully rescued by Captain Phoebus, who threatens to run over Quasimodo with his horse. Frollo escapes without being caught. Phoebus has the hunchback arrested. Esmeralda takes a liking to Phoebus, and remarks on the beauty of his name when he leaves.

Gringoire frets over his personal failures, and is chased by faux cripples into the court of miracles, the den of beggars and thieves. A green parrot informs Clopin, the king of these people, that Gringoire is an included. He decides to hang Gringoire, feeling he is being judged as fair as the contemporary legal system. Gringoire, to avoid death, has to preform a test, which he quickly fails. He is then offered to women to avoid hanging. Esmeralda marries him, but only out of pity.

Then next day, the archbishop visits Frollo in his cell. He informs Frollo that Quasimodo has been arrested. Frollo refuses to testify at the trial, using the false excuse of not wanting to disgrace the church. The archbishop inquires about Frollo's practice of alchemy. Frollo is quick to deny that as well.

Quasimodo on the pillory

At the Palis de Justice, the prosecutor Charmalou tries to explain to the deaf judge that Quasimodo is to stand trial. The judge just answers randomly, so, frustrated, Charmalou brings his attention to Quasimodo. Quasimodo is unable to properly answer the judge's questions due to his being deaf. The judge assumes he is being mocked, and sentences Quasimodo to a flogging.

Quasimodo is whipped, and mocked by the people around him. He begs for water, and his master arrives. It seems that Frollo is there to help him, but instead he walks away. Esmeralda gives Quasimodo water, telling him to "just drink up." Esmeralda brings the public attention from Quasimodo to her.

She preforms tricks with her goat Djali, but stops in order to pursue Phoebus. At the inn, Esmeralda is reunited with Phoebus, but only a short while after this, he is stabbed by Frollo. Esmeralda is balmed and arrested. At her trial, she is accused of sorcery. Charmlalou manages to have Djali preform a trick, which is used as damning evidence against her.

Quasimodo and Esmeralda

She is sentenced to burn at the stake. Frollo offers her to come with him into the cathedral so he can have the responsibility of cleansing her soul. Esmeralda sees through this lie and says that she "would prefer to die" than be with him. Before the execution can proceed, Quasimodo swoops down, snatches Esmeralda, and saves her, crying "sanctuary" over and over. Frollo curses both Esmeralda and "the deformed monster (he) adopted and raised all of these years."

Quasimodo pours his heart out to Esmeralda, and she begins to pity him, apologizing for "judging (him) ugly because of (his) face." Quasimodo leaves her, but not before telling her his one regret, his only eye. He regrets having a single eye, because if he didn't he "wouldn't be able to see the way (he) makes peoples flesh crawl when they look at (him.)"

Frollo prepares to murder Esmeralda

The next day, Frollo visits Esmeralda when she is alone. He offers himself to her once more, and Esmeralda rejects his hateful advances. Frollo pulls out a dagger, with the intent of killing Esmeralda. Quasimodo stops him, and Frollo confronts Quasimodo about how ungrateful he is and how he also has been bewitched by Esmeralda. Frollo leaves, saying that if he can't have Esmeralda than no other man shall.

Esmeralda, in order to be safe from Frollo, is almost entirely confined to a single room. To combat her cabin fever, Quasimodo shows her his "friends," the church bells. He rings them for her amusement, swinging on them wildly. He shouts for the bells to "let all Paris hear your voice! Sing out! Sing for Esmeralda!"

Enraged townspeople then attack the cathedral, wanting to hang Esmeralda themselves. Quasimodo defends the church vigorously. Esmeralda is under the impression that all of the racket is from a parade outside. While surveying the action, Frollo grabs ahold of her, trying to push her to her death and "give these people what they want." Quasimodo runs to her aid, throwing Frollo aside.

Frollo attempts to do away with Quasimodo

After a brief struggle, Frollo is thrown to his doom by Quasimodo. Down below, Phoebus makes his way through the crowd. The people are amazed to see that he is alive. He proves Esmeralda's innocence, saying that she "has commuted no sin in her entire life...except to be born beautiful." Esmeralda says that Quasimodo is "the most beautiful and innocent man who was ever born." Quasimodo, touched, walks off to a gargoyle, looking into the sunset.


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