Where Are The Candles In The Beauty And The Beast Realm?

Beauty and the Beast is a classic tale set in an enchanted castle populated by talking furniture and household objects. The story follows Belle, a book-loving young woman who becomes imprisoned in the castle by the Beast, a prince transformed by a magical curse. To break the curse, the Beast must earn Belle’s love before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose. The setting of the castle and its grounds plays an integral role in the story.

The film takes place entirely within the confines of the elaborate castle and on its grounds. The Gothic architecture of the castle, with its vaulted ceilings, winding staircases, gargoyles and shadows, helps set the mysterious mood. Inside, the castle is filled with living furniture and objects that populate the spaces and provide insight into the inhabitants. The grounds contain formal gardens, fountains and forests that Belle explores. Each area of the castle and its environs has a unique style and aesthetic that reflects its purpose. Candlelight from sconces, chandeliers and candelabras illuminate the spaces, setting a warm, romantic ambiance.

The Castle

The castle where Belle and Beast reside in the film is a grand and ornate palace with baroque inspired architecture. The interior décor features lavish furnishings, elegant woodwork, marble floors, and large windows that allow light to fill the expansive rooms. As Belle begins to explore the castle early in the film, the audience is treated to a tour of the majestic halls and spaces within.

The main rooms seen include the sweeping entrance hall with a magnificent staircase, the stately ballroom where Belle and Beast share their famous dance, the cozy library filled with books floor to ceiling, and the dark Gothic West Wing where the enchanted rose resides. Although once filled with people, the castle now feels empty and forgotten, with whole wings standing unused. Still, the beauty and ambiance of the architecture remains evident in each room Belle discovers, from the detailed carvings to the large hearths glowing with firelight.

The visual inspiration for the Beauty and the Beast castle came from French chateaus of the Loire Valley that the animators visited. This links the fantasy realm to real-world European palaces renowned for their grandeur and elegance. The Disney animators brought this lavish regal style to life, making the Beast’s castle a focal point for the film through its striking, memorable beauty.

Dining Room

The grand dining room of the castle is one of the most striking rooms when it comes to the use of candles and lighting. An enormous crystal chandelier hangs over the long dining table, with dozens of candles that magically light themselves when someone enters the room. Elaborate golden candelabras line the table, providing a soft glow during meals. The candelabras that Lumière inhabits is one of the most ornate in the room, with curved arms and frosted glass shades. In additional to the candelabras, decorative candle wall sconces are mounted along the paneled walls of the dining room. These sconces help illuminate the vast space and contribute to the regal yet romantic ambiance. Their warm flickering light reflects off the mirrors, marble floors and gilded accents in the room. The abundance of candlelight in this room sets the mood for fine dining and special occasions in the castle.

The Opulent Ballroom

One of the most striking rooms in the castle is the grand ballroom. With its towering ceilings, marble floors, and rows of tall windows, the ballroom was designed for lavish parties and celebrations. But in the years since the curse fell over the castle, it has sat unused and empty.

The ballroom’s most striking features are its giant chandeliers, which hold dozens of flickering candles. These ornate chandeliers hang on golden chains from the ceiling, their crystal pendants glittering in the candlelight. Additional candelabras line the walls, holding fat white candles. When the ballroom is lit for an occasion, it truly glows from all the candle flames.

The ballroom contains smaller candlelit sconces as well. These decorative wall lights provide a warmer, more intimate lighting around the room’s edges. On the occasion when Belle first ventures into the castle’s west wing, we see her pass by the darkened ballroom with these sconces still burning.

The abundance of candles throughout the ballroom provides a romantic, magical atmosphere. When Belle and the Beast share their famous dance scene, the glowing ambience sets the mood. The candle flames create a warmth and intimacy between the two characters as they waltz under the chandeliers. This memorable scene shows how the flickering candlelight illuminates their growing connection and affection.

Belle’s Room

Belle’s room in the castle is full of candles that provide a warm and cozy atmosphere. On her bedside table, Belle has a beautiful candelabra with three lit candles. The flickering candlelight creates a calming ambiance in the room and allows Belle to read late into the night. Over at her vanity, Belle has placed a couple of standalone taper candles that she uses while brushing her hair and getting ready for the day. The candlelight illumination from the vanity candles is perfect for applying makeup or styling her hair. Throughout her room, the abundance of candles helps make the space feel more like home for Belle during her stay at the enchanted castle.

Beast’s Room

Beast’s room is located in the west wing of the castle, separated and hidden away from the rest of the living quarters. It is a vast yet dreary space, with cold stone walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, and very little furnishing. What stands out most is the minimal candle lighting, with only a few candelabras placed sporadically around the room.

The dim lighting casts dramatic shadows across the walls and ceiling, creating an ominous mood. Though Beast is cursed to live in the body of a beast, the lack of sufficient candles seems to underscore his isolation and loneliness. The candles emit only enough light for basic navigation, but do not bring warmth or brightness to the space.

Beast prefers to keep his room dark, finding comfort in the shadows that hide his monstrous form. The sparse candle placement also hints at his further transformation over the years, as the curse has slowly stripped away his humanity. While Belle’s room is filled with an abundance of candles, Beast surrounds himself with bare minimum lighting – just enough to get by. The cold, underlit room parallels the coldness and darkness in his isolated soul.

The Library

The library in the Beast’s enchanted castle is one of the most magical rooms, filled with floor-to-ceiling bookcases and ladders that slide along rails to reach the highest shelves. But even more striking than the endless rows of books are the elaborate candelabras and reading candles found throughout the library.

The most prominent candelabras in the library are the large golden ones mounted on the walls between the bookcases. These ornate fixtures have arms for multiple candles and provide ambient lighting in the grand library hall. Smaller decorative candelabras sit on end tables and desks, illuminating reading nooks. The candelabras come to life along with the other characters, and their candles magically light themselves when someone enters the room.

In addition to the candelabras, the library has many ornate reading candles. These are designed for providing direct light over books and manuscripts. Often made of polished metal like brass or silver, they stand on short bases or have handles for grasping. Some are even enchanted to float over a reader’s shoulder, following them around the library. The reading candles help create a warm, cozy atmosphere perfect for getting lost in the library’s endless collection of books.

The Kitchen

The grand kitchen at the Beast’s castle is a massive space designed for preparing lavish feasts. With several large fireplaces and ovens going at once, the kitchen requires plenty of candles and lanterns to provide ample lighting. Mrs. Potts and the other enchanted castle objects work diligently to cook delicious meals, carefully moving about to avoid spilling hot dishes in the dim kitchen.

Candlesticks of all sizes are placed on preparation tables, hearths, and shelves around the room. Lumiere often helps light the way, bouncing around to illuminate hard-to-reach areas. Extra candles are stored in cabinets for replacement, as the kitchen goes through many in a day. The cook, Louis, has a special candle-lined chef’s hat he wears to see ingredients and recipes.

During the famous dinner scene with Belle, the kitchen is abuzz with activity as LeFou and the other villagers marvel at the mysterious feast preparations. The candles cast a warm glow throughout the room and flicker magically to match the music and action. Though quite dark and smoky, the loving spirit of the castle shines in the dazzling candlelight of the kitchen.

West Wing

The West Wing of the castle is where the Beast resides in gloomy isolation. This decaying part of the castle is scarcely lit, with most of the light coming from ornate Gothic candelabras and iron candlesticks. The dim lighting sets a foreboding mood, symbolic of the Beast’s inner torment and isolation from society. Shadows dance along the stone walls from the flickering candles, creating an air of melancholy.

During the day, what little sunlight penetrates the narrow windows only partially illuminates the dusty hallways and chambers. At night, candlelight casts the West Wing in an otherworldly glow, full of dancing shadows from the intricate carved details along the walls and ceiling. The Beast prefers only minimal lighting, enough to navigate the corridors at night when he aimlessly paces the halls.

The macabre candelabras, iron candlesticks and ominous shadows serve to isolate the Beast within his solitary suffering. The West Wing’s dark and gloomy aesthetic hints that, much like the dying embers of a candle, there is still hope that the Beast’s humanity can be rekindled through love despite his monstrous outward appearance.

Conclusion

Candles play an important symbolic role throughout Beauty and the Beast. They represent warmth, light, and hope during dark times. We first see Belle reading by candlelight, highlighting her love of books and knowledge. Candles illuminate lively dinner scenes, then later isolate the cursed Beast in his gloomy castle. The iconic ballroom dance takes place under the glow of a majestic chandelier. Belle tends to the Beast’s wounds by candlelight, bringing light and care to his lonely existence. Finally, as the last petal falls from the enchanted rose, the castle is plunged into darkness. But when Belle professes her love and breaks the curse, candlelight is restored, representing the triumph of love over fear and isolation. Candles punctuate pivotal moments, underscoring themes of love, redemption, and inner beauty shining in even the darkest places. Their warm glow reflects the hearts of the characters and the message that we all have goodness within us, if only we let our inner light shine.