My Take:

If you were to compile a list of the most important advancements in human history, you would have electricity, vaccinations, the wheel and the steam engine, just to name a few. But the one that stands above them all is the printing press. Gutenberg’s creation sparked the age of enlightenment and was the first innovation to spread the democratization of knowledge throughout the world. This theme is reflected throughout the film threatening the sanctity of the church. If you were to give the common man knowledge on paper, would they stop coming to church to listen to the word of God… a new way of communication that would erase the past? This was just one of the many themes that still resonate in today’s society, which makes The Hunchback of Notre Dame a timeless classic.

I enjoyed the film, but I wasn’t fully wowed by it. It’s heartbreaking, insightful and epic, but the overacting, especially Edmond O'Brien as Gringoire, was a turn off.

What I Liked:

The energy and insight in the opening of the film was a smart setup.

What I Didn’t Like:

The ending might have seemed epic in 1939, but was ultimately a letdown and the last line delivered by Quasimodo left me wanting more.

What I Learned:

Trial by ordeal was simply put… messed up! There was absolutely no common sense attached to the practice of proving guilt or innocence by guessing correctly while being blindfolded. Now, there were other ways to conduct trial by ordeal throughout history, such as trial by fire or even Sassywood… but WTF?