The Plot: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)

Notre Dame cathedral

The film begins with a passage, describing the period in which the film takes place. By the end of the 15th century, the world was changing. After the infamous hundred years war, France had found peace. Despite the people's hope for change and progress, "superstition and prejudice often stood in the way, seeking to crush the adventurous spirit of man."

The morning begins with the Angeles ringing from Notre Dame. The king of France, Louis XI, asks who "is the bell ringer of Notre Dame." Master Fisher, a printer, informs the king that the bell ringer is Quasimodo, whom the people simply call "the hunchback." The king then inquires why his High Justice has been asked to visit Master Fisher and his printing workshop. Fisher shows off the printing press, which can print a volume of a book in only a few weeks.

The gypsies

The king is astounded, because his prayer book took years to be copied out. He declares the printing press to be a miracle. The High Justice Frollo says that it is a "horrifying miracle" and that "this small press can destroy a kingdom." The king tells Frollo not to exaggerate. He feels that the "old form" of expression can be seen in the cathedrals. Architecture is the handwriting of the past. The press is the modern form of expression. Frollo implores the king to "break the press and hang the printer for between them they will destroy our old and holy order. He vows to "protect France from these printed books as (he) will protect them from witches sorcerers, and gypsies, the foreign race that is overwhelming all of Europe."

This vow carries over to reality. While a group of Frenchman are allowed into Paris, Gypsies are persecuted as "foreigners" because they don't have a permit. One Gypsy girl, however, sneaks past the guards and into Paris. The guards chase after her, but she dissolves into the crowd.

Then a young girl, Helene, rushes through the mob of people and into the arms of her grandmother, screaming. She is in shock because "the hunchback of Notre Dame just crossed (her) path!" Helene's grandmother tells her to "go home quickly and light the candle." People doubt if this will work because they believe Quasimodo to be possessed.

"You are born in a womb and end in a tomb"

The festival of fools is in full swing. Throngs of people are laughing, drinking and dancing. The center of this spectacle is a play, written and preformed by the poet Gringoire.

The king, along with several nobles, are watching from the royal box. The king and his men discuss some "idiot" who has "discovered that the world is round is attempting to walk to the indies." The king recalls the man as Christopher Columbus, and is "greatly tempted to endow the venture." Frollo dismisses Columbus as "the laughingstock of the court of Spain."

The play is a morality, preaching how "the old can never last" and that "it's foolish to cling to the past." Surrounding the play's spectators are beggars. Their King, Clopin, asks them how their business for the day is. The beggar queen hypothesis that "it'd be much better if they weren't all watching that play." Clopin decides to "tend to that" and mocks the play. His remarks send the audience roaring with laughter.

Gringoire tries to win his audience back."I offer you truth," he pleads. But the people don't want truth, so they storm the stage. A spectator tells the people that they "will now choose the king of fools." The rules are simple: "the ugliest face wins the crown." 

Several people compete. Praise goes especially to a man who painted a grimace on the top of his head. Unfortunately, when he shows his true face, the people "boo" him.

Phoebus is intrigued by Esmeralda

The nobility, not just the peasants, enjoy the grotesque. They all remark about how the faces are "ugly" and "awful," but the elegant Captain Phoebus says "beautiful." He was not talking about the competitors. he was talking about the gypsy girl. She is the same girl who escaped the gaurds from earlier. Gringoire, enchanted by her dance, inquires her name. A gypsy tells Gringoire that her name is "Esmeralda."

Esmeralda stops dancing. She sees an eye, staring at her from the shadows. The people investigate the eye, telling the mysterious spectator to "come out if you're a good Christian."  They discover that it is Quasimodo, "the hunchback of Notre Dame."

The people chase Quasimodo. With no other path in sight, he is taken for a competitor for the King of fools. The people recoil at the sight of Quasimodo's ugliness. Frollo tries to stop this, but the king prevents him from "spoil(ing) their fun." 

Quasimodo revealed

A woman shouts that they should "make him the king" and the people cheer. Quasimodo is unsure about this sort of admiration. The tall man tries to place a crown on Quasimodo's head, but the hunchback snarls. The man is offended but the others around him explain that Quasimodo is deaf but not dumb. He can speak, "but he doesn't like to." The crown is placed in his head once more. Quasimodo internally debates putting on the crown, but eventually decides to. 

The people moon Quasimodo in a mock salute, and lift him upon a decorated litter. Joy is apparent on his miserable face. The people sing, in one voice, 

"King Quasimodo

Quasi-Quasimodo

Quasimodo, ruler of the fools we bow

Hail to all ye scum and scavengers of France

Mark him the fool and frown upon his ugly brow

Hail to the idiot king

Shout and sing

Quasimodo, Quasimodo

King of the fools is Quasimodo"

Frollo, threatening, Quasimodo, suppliant

Frollo darts into the crowd on his horse and demands that Quasimodo "stop." Quasimodo gives a look of surprise and then shame.

The people try to bring Quasimodo back, but he snarls at them and follows Frollo through the streets. 

Gringoire tries to receive payment for his play, but the officials write him off. Esmeralda tries to pass through the crowd. She "must see the king." A guard asks where her city permit is, because no she is a Romani, and she runs away. 

The guards chase her into Notre Dame. Before the gaurds catch up with her, the archbishop of Notre Dame stops them. He tells the guards that "church is sanctuary for all" and that "the power of the law ends at this threshold." The guards conclude that "the king himself could do nothing here," and leave. 

Esmeralda is confronted by the archbishop. He asks why those men were after her, and all she can reply with is her race. The archbishop tells Esmeralda that being a gypsy is "not your fault. It's an act of God." Because she is under the law of sanctuary, Esmeralda is allowed to seek refuge in the bell tower, where she will be looked over by Quasimodo. A monk informs that archbishop that Quasimodo is not there.

"He made a spectacle of himself before the King and all the people"

Frollo and Quasimodo arrive at Notre Dame. When passing through the holy portal of Notre Dame, Frollo passes without mind, and Quasimodo pauses to take off his mock crown. Frollo asks a monk where his brother is. 

Frollo visits his brother, the archbishop, and asks him to "impress on (Quasimodo) again," because "he must have nothing to do with anybody outside the church. " The archbishop tells Frollo that Quasimodo is not his responsibility. He says that "He's your foundling, (Frollo), you picked him up at the church steps, not I. Ever since he was a child he has looked to you as his protector."

Quasimodo himself climbs to the bell tower and rings the chimes joyously. The archbishop shows Esmeralda a statue of the Virgin Mary and tells her to "kneel down and pray, as the others are doing." Esmeralda prays, not on her behalf, but for the benefit of her people, who "are in great need, in great danger." The other prayers, from the well to do Parisians, are selfish, pleading for "a rich husband" and "prosperity."

Esmeralda in Notre Dame

Frollo interrupts her prayer to ask what she "is doing in Notre Dame." He tells her that she cannot pray in Notre Dame because she is a "heathen." Esmeralda stands up for herself and her people, debunking Frollo's superstition. 

Frollo tells Esmeralda that she cannot leave the church. He leads her to the bell tower, where she is frightened by a hideous form. Frollo tells her not be "afraid, it's Quasimodo the bell ringer, he is harmless." Esmeralda tries to run away, but Frollo blocks her path. She runs in the other direction. Frollo motions for Quasimodo to chase after her, and he does so. He chases her through the gloomy streets, eventually capturing her. Frollo waits nearby. Gringoire sees this spectacle, and cries for someone to help. captain Phoebus, who had been drinking in a tavern, asks what Gringoire is "yelling about." He tells the officer of what Quasimodo is doing, and Phoebus and his men stop him.

Phoebus catches the attention of Esmeralda. After a brief conversation he tells her that he hopes to "see (her) again." Some women try to bring Esmeralda with them. She is reluctant to, hoping she'll see Phoebus. She is told to "never wait for a man."

Gringoire is hounded by beggars and dragged to their den, the court of miracles. In the court, Esmeralda is given the kiss of initiation by Clopin, the king of the beggars. She is now part of the court. Gringoire is brought before Clopin. He is accused of being a spy and is sentenced to be hanged. He avoids this fate by telling Clopin he will be made immortal by his writings. Gringoire is given the chance to undergo a test to become a vagabond. He fails this test and is condemned once more to death.

The wedding cup

However, he has a chance to live if one of their women will marry him. None do, until Esmeralda volunteers. They are married by Clopin and led to the "bridal chamber." Esmeralda, there, begins to build a fire, believing it to be a "woman's part." Gringoire argues that he should do it "because it was a man who first brought it to earth." He tells her of the god Prometheus.

He is at a lost for words, reflecting of the day. He was mocked for his play and now he is married to a beautiful girl. He recites a poem with the word "Phoebus." This makes Esmeralda upset. She tells Gringoire that Phoebus is who she loves, not Gringoire. After a brief disappointment, Gringoire is content to live as husband and wife or as brother and sister, because he is "enough of a philosopher to keep things in the proper equilibrium." Esmeralda assumes that that statement means that he is "a juggler."

Frollo has all of the gypsy girls in Paris rounded up for inspection. Esmeralda eludes the authorites once more. Frollo inquires as to what has happened to Quasimodo, following his arrest. Quasimodo has been sentenced to an hour of flogging on the pillory.

Quasimodo on the pillory

Quasimodo is tied down to the pillory. The torturer is met with admiration as his climbs the steps of the pillory. The crowd gasp and laugh as he is stripped of his clothing, exposing his deformities. Quasimodo jerks with the first whip, but then gradually holds his pain within.
He then feigns death as blows are struck.

Gringoire is appalled by the violence, but Clopin is numb to it, having been whipped twice himself. He know buys protection from the nobility, "the guardians of the old and holy traditions." He talks of how he formed the beggars guild after thousands of people resorted to begging for "honest work" and were whipped for it.

The crowd is upset that Quasimodo is not in tears. One woman tries to reason that "those possed of the devil" never cry. A man from Marseilles feels that "it's the whipper's fault." The whipper from his town would certainly "make him cry." The crowd turns on this man.

Gringoire tries to appeal to the archbishop to stop the whipping. He laments that he cannot. While Quasimodo belongs to the world of the church, "if he ventures into the world outside he must accept its laws." He feels, however, that "if his punishment seems unjust, there is a higher power who watches. And avenges."

With the fifty lashes over with, Quasimodo must be turned on the pillory for a full hour. Now he recieves the true wrath of the public. They jeer and throw a storm of vegetables at him. Quasimodo can do nothing but howl in pain. At the palace of justice, the prosecutor is appealing to Frollo to build more prisons to deal with the influx of "freethinkers and preachers of sedition." Frollo argues that "it's not more prisons we need, it's more executions." Frollo is informed abruptly that Quasimodo is on the pillory and he dismisses the council.

Esmeralda climbs the steps

On the pillory, Quasimodo is dying of thirst. He begs the crowd for water. They only laugh, repeating his plea every time he cries out. Froloo arrives on his horse and approaches the pillory. Quasimodo smiles a sad, innocent smile. Instead of aiding his adopted son, Frollo merely rides away.

Esmeralda finds Gringoire, having escaped to tell of the king's promise to help her people. She sees that Quasimodo is in torment, and climbs the steps of the pillory to help him. Quasimodo tries to break away, fearing that she'll harm him, but she doesn't.

She gives him water. He drinks gratefully. He smiles in gratitude, and Esmeralda leaves him.

When his sentence is up, He is untied and kicked to the ground. He stumbles back into the church, frightening the people as he passes by.

Frollo tells his brother than he couldn't have prevent the torture. The archbishop, nonetheless, is bewildered as to "what could have made Quasimodo pursue the girl" in the first place, as he had never done anything like it before. He finds Quasimodo in Notre Dame, locking the doors to the outside world. Quasimodo says, almost defiantenty that "she gave me water." and before collapsing.

Workers ponder Quasimodo's bell ringing

The king is taking his yearly bath. He agrees to take two baths a year, for the sake of making him live longer. He's determined to live a hundred years. His assistant is reading a philosophical paper printed on the press, demanding that "the time has come to regard our fellow man with respect.". Louis XI is glad to be living in the age of "great beginnings."

Overjoyed by her act of kindness, Quasimodo rings the bells with childish glee at various points in the day. Several workman, who are repairing the church, conclude that "he's been different ever since that gypsy girl gave him a drink of water" because "he keeps mumbling her name.

Frollo's confession

Esmeralda and Gringoire have been invited to perform for a party for the nobility. While Gringoire goes to please the crowd, Frollo brings Esmeralda aside. He confesses the obsession he has over her. He sought a "tranquil existence," but lost it after seeing Esmeralda. She tries to break away from him, but he refuses to let her. He wants her to leave with him, as he doesn't want to see her dance in front of other men. If he cannot have that happen, it will be the end of the both of them.

Esmeralda is then brought to dance for the nobles. Phoebus, one of the nobles, is enchanted by her. They start to dance together. After dancing for a bit, they go to find some privacy. Phoebus just cares about her for her looks. While he feels that love is a "part" of his life, she shouldn't be upset that he only wants to
use her for the night. Esmeralda wants to leave, but Phoebus begs her not to. Out from the shadows, Frollo stabs Phoebus to death and Esmeralda is arrested for the crime.

Frollo is abandoned by his borther

Once again, Quasimodo is expressing his joy by ringing the bells. The archbishop sends a few monks to stop him, but they are unsuccessful. Frollo enters and, without even making a sound, frightens Quasimodo into submission. The bells stop ringing. The archbishop tries to show Frollo the work of an Italian composer, but Frollo has something else on his mind. He confesses to the archbishop that he murdered Phoebus, and asks for spiritual help. The archbishop says that he cannot help a murder, citing a biblical passage. Nevertheless, the zealous Frollo feels justified in his actions, feeling that Esmeralda should die for bewitching him. The archbishop denounces his brother and leaves him. Quasimodo enters the room, causing Frollo to run off, not wanting to expose his weakness.

Esmeralda on trial

Esmeralda is on trial for the murder she did not commit. Gringoire tries to prove her innocence, protesting "in the name of common sense," but is shot down by the court. Esmeralda's goat is brought in to be questioned, sending Gringoire into a frenzy, viewing the act as "stupid superstition and prejudice." He's kicked out. For refusing to admit to guilt, Esmeralda is tortured and confesses only to relieve the pain. The king arrives, having been begged by the archbishop to investigate the girl. He offers her a trial by ordeal. She still is judged guilty.

The next day, preparations are being made for her execution. Quasimodo watches diligently from the height of Notre Dame. As Esmeralda is dragged before the mob, Gringoire tries to save her, only to be pushed away. Esmeralda insists to the archbishop that she is innocent and is believed, but Frollo interferes, and has the soldiers ready her execution. Then, Quasimodo swings down on a rope and brings Esmeralda to the top of  the cathedral. He holds her above his head and cries "sanctuary!" The people are ecstatic.

Gringoire tries to visit Esmeralda, but the archbishop prevents him. The poet worries about her safety in the presence of the hunchback, but the archbishop assures him that "she is safe now with Quasimodo." In the bell tower of Notre Dame, Quasimodo brings Esmeralda her provisions, telling her that he will be "going away so that you won't have to see (his) ugly face while (she is) eating." Esmeralda brings him back, not wanting to be left alone.

Quasimodo and Esmeralda

Quasimodo tells her that is deaf, and begins to lament his existence. He "never realized 'til now how ugly (he is)" because Esmeralda is "so beautiful." He says that he is "not a man," but he is "not a beast" either. Rather he is "about as shapeless as the man in the moon" Quasimodo tells the girl that although she can't leave the church without being hanged, "it's good in the church." He shows her the view from the height of the towers as well as his "babies," meaning the bells of Notre Dame. He introduces them by name, and tells Esmeralda that he can hear his friends. He rings the bells for Esmeralda, but their loud peals cause her to hide from the noise.

In response to the saving of Esmeralda, the nobles petition to have sanctuary suspended. Frollo's signature is sure to be the most influential in this decision.

Back in Notre Dame, Esmeralda is longing for Gringoire. Quasimodo confronts her. He gives her a cage of birds and tries to speak to her, but finds himself at a loss for words and runs away, sulking next to a gargoyle.

With the safety of Esmeralda in jeopardy, Clopin and Gringoire try to take matters into their own hands. Gringoire chooses words to save her with words, by writing a petition that will be printed and distributed by the Parisian populace. Clopin chooses force, leading a mob of vagabonds intent on storming Notre Dame and saving Esmeralda. They go their separate ways in their methodology.

Gringoire's pamphlet spreads throughout the country. Even the king is reading it. Louis reflects on how fast the world is changing, and he welcomes it. Frollo warns the king that "public opinion is dangerous," to which he responds "for whom?"

The mob of vagabonds

The archbishop is brought in. He tells the king of the mob of beggars is intent on destroying Notre Dame. The king becomes frustrated, wishing that Esmeralda could have been hanged to avoid the conflict. Frollo admits to killing Phoebus, saying that he'd "do it again" before storming off to Notre
Dame.

The mob of beggars descends upon the church. Quasimodo, believing them to have "come to hang" Esmeralda, fights them off violently. During the ruckus, Clopin is struck down by Quasimodo, but still tells his men to fight on. After pouring a cauldron of hot lead, the vagabonds largely flee from the scene, much to the delight of Quasimodo.

The hunchback hears the sound of the bells ringing. They are run by Esmeralda, who is being pursued by the mad Frollo. Quasimodo tries to follow the assailant, but is pushed aside and slowed down at every turn. Eventually the hunchback confronts him, only to be shocked to discover that the assailant was Frollo. Quasimodo hesitates for a bit, cowering before his master like before, until he decides to throw Frollo off of the cathedral to his death.

The king's men arrive and clear away the mob of vagabonds. Gringoire discovers Clopin, dying from his injuries. The poet tells the vagabond king that he could have saved Esmerada "without using force," but the stubborn Clopin that "that was just a poet's dream."

"Why was I not made of stone like thee?"

The archbishop announces that Esmeralda has been pardoned for her crimes. Resplendent, Gringoire and Esmeralda run off together, with the blessing of the archbishop and the cheering of the populace.

Alone in the world, Quasimodo laments to a gargoyle the phrase "Why was I not made of stone like thee?"

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