La Belle et la Bête's review from Luminato

A fairy tale of 4D visual beauty

REVIEWED BY PAULA CITRON 

Five years ago, Toronto discovered the immense imagination of Montreal’s Lemieux Pilon 4D Art, who brought their show, Norman, to Luminato’s 2007 edition. The brilliant show fused the experimental films of Canadian cinematic pionner Norman McLaren with live dancer Peter Trosztmer. 

The amazing Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon of 4D Art are back once again on the Luminato playbill. Their latest show is La Belle et la Bête : A Contemporary Retelling, an awe-inspiring production that cunningly integrates text and technology to create new visual theatre form all its own.

Lemieux and Pilon were inspired by the classic fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast. For them, we all have the beast inside us : our psyches are deformed by our never-ending quest for beauty – a word which can stand for perfection, happiness, love – the curse of today’s individualistic society.

In his grief over a lost love, the Beast (Stéphane Demers) has isolated himself in his castle. He meets Belle (Bénédicte Décary) when she comes to deliver a rose medaillion from her father. Belle is also a visual artist whose inner trauma of abandonment is reflected in her blood-smeared paintings of bound figures. There is also the mysterious narrator called The Lady (Diane D’Aquila) who is the Beast’s protector.

The text by poet Pierre-Yves Lemieux is a bit windy, and is the weakest part of the show.

Yet the glory of La Belle et la Bête lies in its integration of film and live action. Anne-Séguin Poirier’s set is a platform between two borders, with the borders acting as projection screens. Projections also appear on the back and sides of the playing area, and at some points, cover the entire walls of the theatre itself. In fact, at times, it’s hard to know what is real and what is not.

When you layer in composer Michel Smith’s atmospheric cinematic score, and Alain Lortie’s evocative lighting, La Belle et la Bête is a masterpiece of arts fusion.

The show begins with The Lady and a large copy of Henry Fuseli’s 1781 oil painting The Nightmare. The famous picture features a woman asleep with an ugly gremlin hovering over her naked body. As The Lady talks to us about the beast within, the picture slowly revolves, bringing the gremlin more and more into a larger focus until it dominates the screen.

We first meet Belle in her low rent studio which is established by virtual walls. Pictures of her tortured bound figures are everywhere. She dips her hand into a real pail, and with a flinging motion, throws smears of virtual red paint all over paintings. The timing is perfection.

And then there are the masterful holograms.

That a show with so many visual delights is also erotic, poetic and philosophical just gilds the lily.

What have been said about La Belle et la Bête

“…visually stunning and intellectually intriguing enough to warrant a second viewing." Pat Donnelly, The Gazette, January 21, 2011.

The following are translations from French :

 “Pilon and Lemieux’s technical prowess - and those of the team of specialists who have worked on this impressive project – is so advanced that one quickly forgets one is not at the cinema or in front of a computer.”  Benoit Aubin, Le Journal de Montréal, January 23, 2011.

“We witnessed a reinvention of theatre and were happy we were the chosen ones who got to SEE and LIVE such an extraordinary (theatrical) moment!” Sarah-Émilie Nault, patwhite.com, January 2011.
 
“After La Tempête (2005, TNM) and NORMAN (which has been touring for the last few years), directors Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon once again showcase their immense talent as visual, avant-garde creative artists. “ David Lefebvre, montheatre.qc.ca, January 21, 2011.

“A fairy tale for adults with undeniably powerful visuals, Michel Lemieux, Victor Pilon and Pierre Yves Lemieux ‘s definitively contemporary interpretation of La Belle et la Bête, beautifully explores the angst of love, intimacy and redemption, while respecting the codes and symbols of traditional fairytales.” David Lefebvre, montheatre.qc.ca, January 21, 2011.

“At one point (during the show) I had to use my binoculars to make sure that it was the real François Papineau on stage and not a 3D projection. And as special effects extend outside the traditional stage onto the walls of the theatre, the spectator has the impression that he is surrounded by the action and immersed in the atmosphere of the play (…) I tell you, find tickets for this play, because otherwise you are going to miss a show that will stay in your mind for a long time.” Nelson Dumais, La Chronique de Nelson, cyberpresse.ca, January 24, 2011.

“Let’s say it outright: rarely has a theatre show created and produced in Québec mastered so beautifully technology and special effects: the spectators are taken on a truly magical odyssey.”  Martine Côté, soundbeatmag.com, January 23, 2011.

“The desire to immerse the spectator in the essence of the play is not only reflected in the intervention of the narrator, portrayed brilliantly and mysteriously by Andrée Lachapelle, but also in the set where Lemieux and Pilon extend their poetic technology off the stage and into the walls of the theatre.” Alexandre Vigneault, La Presse, January 22, 2011.

“The strength of La Belle et la Bête, version 2010, lies in the interaction between the characters and the projections: by not having to constantly change sets, the play gains fluidity and openness.  Say goodbye to the limits of the stage; it is now possible to be in a surreal world and have a play that is capable of transporting us further into an imaginary world.” Hugo Prévost, pieuvre.ca, January 23, 2011.


“Beautifully romantic, without being insipid.”  Catherine Perrin, Six dans la cite, Radio-Canada.

“There is an aura of freshness and creativity with a sensuality and erotic aura constantly present.  I told you that the 2011 theater season was strong, but with this (La Belle et la Bête) we have already reached a peak.”  Annie-Soleil Poteau, C’est bien meilleur le matin, Radio-Canada.