y, for they are not enchanted furnishings at all but people transformed into objects as part of the punishment of the Prince, a fact that emerges in the course of the film and that is not readily apparent at the start.
In the opening sequence, the image of the castle appears through the trees of the forest. The linking of the castle with nature is important, for nature evokes a sense of life, love, wonder, and belonging. For much of the film, the castle will be in a more foreboding atmosphere, for the actions of the young Prince caused him to lose his link with nature demonstrated by his unnatural appearance and the changed atmosphere in and around his castle. The story of the change is told in a series of still drawings, not unlike the stained-glass windows of cathedrals. The first "moving" image comes when the newly-created Beast, in despair, scratches his nails through a painting over the mantel. The s
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