MovieChat Forums > Beauty and the Beast (1991) Discussion > Gaston is the real hero of the story.

Gaston is the real hero of the story.


Think about it, Gaston was the person in town who treated Belle with respect. The opening song was about how the whole town, except Gaston and the book store owner, made fun of her. He also paid for Maurice's much needed mental health care. He also risked and gave his life to protect the town's children from The Beasts' monstrous appetite. He didn't know The Beast had changed into a descent person. He was going off bad intelligence from the townsfolk.

Furthermore, he even invited the whole town to his wedding at considerable expense. He didn't do anything bad until Belle humiliated him in front of the wedding guests.

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Gaston was a dick who *never* had any respect for Belle. He had many years to appreciate the unique qualities of Belle, but remained an arrogant dick. He never cared for Belle but only saw her as the best the town had to offer. Probably the only thing Gaston really knew about Belle is that Belle was the only female in town who didn't fawn over him.

Belle was just another conquest to Gaston, nothing more. They had nothing in common nor did Gaston remotely care about her enough to understand what Belle liked (like books).

Beast on the other hand almost immediately saw and appreciated Belle's uniqueness, which is why he gave her the library. Beast also made several sacrifices for her despite only knowing her for a very short amount of time. He fought the wolves to save her life despite the risk of his own, he freed her when her father needed her help (whereas Gaston tried to have him committed), and again risked his life for Belle when Gaston attacked the castle.

Gaston's only good points is that he used antlers in all of his decorating and every last inch of him was covered in hair.


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He had zero respect for Belle, he saw no real difference between courting a wife and negotiating for the best coat available at the town's haberdasher.

If they'd married, he'd throw out her books and tell her to get to work, and slap her around when she got mouthy. And after a few years he'd forget she existed, and take their sons out of school to go hunting, and screw around with those three blondes. Or their daughters.

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It was established early in the film that Gaston respects Belle and Maurice when he scolded LeFou for making fun of his mental health. Years before the SJW movement, Gaston said to Lefou "don't talk about her father that way."

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He was trying to impress Belle by bullying his stooge and saying something he thought was nice about her father. He actually despised her father and was perfectly happy to have him shut up in the looney bin later.

No, Gaston was written to be Mr. Wrong, every heterosexual woman's worst nightmare. And he was well written.

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I assume you are chrisbc-1 who posted a very similar thread that happens to be above it?

I enjoy your trolling. Gaston didn't respect Belle or even have feelings towards her. She was just someone he could use to win the approval of everyone in the village and make him feel good about his self perception and superior ways. He didn't care for Belle or anyone else in the village for that matter. All he cared about was being seen as the best man in the village, as well as indulging in personal gratification for his own desires.

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It is possible that his behavior was a facade to maintain his alpha status. Unlike the Beast, we never saw Gaston alone contemplating his place in life. He could have been very sad and lonely, but was too afraid to show it to other people due to societal expectations of the time. So, in that way, his character is tragic because he was really alone in a metaphoric way.

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You're wrong TC. Gaston was not compatible with Belle because he hated reading books and only wanted to get with her cause he found her to be the most attractive woman in town. He laughed at her father at the beginning. Also this takes place in older times when mental institutions were terrible places so your whole thing about him caring about Maurice's mental health is stupid. With that statement you seem to think mental institutions were always about helping people with their mental health when at the time this takes place they were just places to lock up those who were deemed too crazy for society. And the guy who owned the mental institute was obviously a corrupt man. And just a bit of trivia the owner of the mental institute is voiced by the same guy who later voiced Frolo in Hunchback of Notre Dame.

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Gaston hated Maurice.

The mental health care you are talking about is a dungeon. Asylums provided no medicine and were filled with rats and other vermin. Anybody who did not 'fit in' could be locked up just on word of mouth from somebody else. There is a reason why he is literally green--and the wagon which comes to take Maurice has bars like those in a prison. Maurice is not even examined by his own doctor, who had not even locked Maurice in the asylum.

Gaston only cared about himself and his looks.

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You`ve got to be kidding, right?? Please tell me you`re kidding, please...

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Did Gaston pay for Maurice's mental health care? Yes

Did Gaston scold Lefou for making fun of Maurice's mental health conditions? Yes.

Did Gaston invite the whole town to his wedding at considerable expense? Yes.

Did Gaston make friends with the town loser, Lefou, so he wouldn't feel left out? Yes.

Did Gaston fight to save the village from an unknown monster? Yes.

Did Gastons actions eventually lead to Belle breaking the spell? Yes.

Chances are that Gaston got remembered in the village as a hero who gave his life trying to save it. They probably put a statue up in the middle of town. In fact there should be a sequel film that takes place a couple generations later called "The Sons of Gaston" who are like the X-Men, without special powers of course.

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You seem to forget that right after he scolds Lafoe in front of Belle he laughs after she goes into the house. But whatever. Be an ignorant fool who thinks Gaston is a great guy and not a selfish arrogant jerk.

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"Did Gaston pay for Maurice's mental health care? Yes"

He only did it to pursuade Belle to marry him. Never because of genuine concern.

"Did Gaston scold Lefou for making fun of Maurice's mental health conditions? Yes."

He only did it because Belle scolded them. Remember that he made fun of Maurice priorly.

"Did Gaston make friends with the town loser, Lefou, so he wouldn't feel left out? Yes."

I highly doubt it. There`s nothing in the movie that indicates that Gaston befriended LeFou because of sincere reasons.

"Did Gaston fight to save the village from an unknown monster? Yes."

Yeah, but only because of selifsh reasons. Never because of genuine concern for the town.

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lol at ur post, op. no offense.

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