Belle (Disney) - Reception and Legacy

Reception and Legacy

Belle has received mostly positive reception from critics. Hal Hinson of The Washington Post wrote positively of Belle, calling her "more compelling" than previous Disney heroines. " isn't insipid and Barbie-doll cute the way the Little Mermaid was...She's a more worldly girl...a bookworm with gumption and a mind of her own." Hinson also described the character as "more mature, more womanly and less blandly asexual". Jennie Punter of The Globe and Mail praised Belle, describing her as a "smart, courageous heroine" and the "main attraction of Beauty and the Beast". Marc Bernardin of Entertainment Weekly praised the character, complimenting her on her independence and labeling her "the hero" of Beauty and the Beast, while congratulating her for making the film the best of "Disney's 'princess' movies". James Berardinelli of ReelViews praised the character, describing her as a "strong-willed, independent and smart" heroine. Berardinelli went on to compliment the animators on their drawing of her facial expressions, writing that they "have taken pains to make her features more flexible than those of any previous Disney heroine". Common Sense Media complemented Belle, calling her one of Disney's smartest and most independent heroines.

Feminist criticism towards Belle has also been mostly positive. Judith Welikala of The Independent drew similarities between Belle and Ariel from The Little Mermaid, writing, "Like Ariel, Belle has much more personality than early Disney heroines. Articulate and opinionated, she resists the village hunk Gaston, who wants a trophy wife." Welikala praised Belle for "seeing past the beast's appearance," but criticized her for "melting back into the role of wife when he turns back into a handsome prince." Jim Korkis described Belle as more "self-sufficient" than previous Disney princesses, writing, "ather than having a prince rescue her, rescued the prince." Ryan Arciero of Yahoo! Voices praised Belle as a feminist: "With an independent attitude and love for books and learning, Belle stands out as a feminist Disney Princess of both brains and beauty." Sonia Saraiya of Nerve ranked Belle the sixth most feminist out of the ten Disney princesses, with all higher-ranking characters appearing in later films. Saraiya accredited Belle with being "the first princess to express some skepticism about married life." She admitted the fact that Belle sacrifices her freedom for her father's life was brave, but "not much of a step for womankind," accusing her in the end of falling "for a domineering man, because she thinks she can change him." Stephen Whitty of The Star-Ledger was mixed in his review, describing Belle as "spunky" but only "vaguely feminist".

Belle was nominated by the American Film Institute for their list of 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains. On August 19, 2011, O'Hara was presented with a Disney Legends award at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California to commemorate her work on Beauty and the Beast.