Sedici anni dopo La Belle et la Bète/ The Beauty and the Beast (1946), from a fairy tale by Leprince de Beaumont, ripercorre con morbosità da esteta la fiaba, in un delirio di fotografia, scenografie e costumi. Ludovic and his handsome friend Avenant (Jean Marais) are shooting arrows for fun when one accidentally flies into the window of the room where Ludovic's three sisters are working. Tellingly, the two talkative ones, Felicie and Adelaide, yell at Ludovic because he almost killed the dog, not the younger sister Belle. Later the two petulant sisters leave the house, while Ludovic makes fun of their pomp. Avenant consoles Belle, telling her that she shouldn't be working while her sisters are having fun. But the humble Belle knows that their father is ruined and that someone has to work. Belle thinks that her sisters are too beautiful to do hard work, but Avenant tells her that she is the most beautiful one. Avenant asks her to marry him, but she replies that her father needs her. He tries to kiss her, but she resists. Her broher Ludovic comes to her rescue, insulting Avenant, who hits him. Their father walks in with good news: one of his ships has arrived. This could mean the restoration of their wealth. He has to ride to town immediately. He asks what his daughters would like from town. The two wicked ones ask for exotic and expensive presents. Belle simply asks for a rose. In the meantime Ludovic is in trouble: he needs to repay some money or he will go to jail. Avenant advises him to borrow the money from a moneylender, even if this means that his father may be asked to pay the debt. Thinking that the ship is bringing good money, Ludovic signs the paper. However, the truth is that the creditors have already taken everything from the ship. The father is riding his horse back home through a forest, empty handed. Due to a thick fog, he gets lost in the forest. Suddenly a mysterious mansion appears. He walks into the front door to find himself into a dark corridor lit by candlesticks whose flames come alive as he walks by and are held and turned by human arms with no body. The decorative heads of the fireplace have eyes that move. The table has hands that pour drinks. The merchant is hungry and eats the food on the table. Then he falls asleep. When he wakes up, he walks outside and looks for his horse. Seeing a rose, he picks it for Belle. Suddenly a monster appears, half-human and half-beast: he is La Bete (Jean Marais again), the owner of the enchanted mansion. He tells the merchant that he can take anything from his mansion but not the roses. For the rose he must die, or one of his daughters has to die on his behalf. He can go home but has only three days to make the decision. A white horse takes him home, where he tells his children his dreadful story. Belle feels guilty that she asked for the rose and volunteers to die. The wicked sisters agree and get angry when Avenant proposes to kill the beast. The old man tells them that he is ready to die. The sisters hope that, whatever happens, they will be able to sell the furniture and marry princes. At night Belle leaves the home and rides the white horse to the mansion. She walks through the same enchanted corridor and another corridor of dancing white sheets. A door tells her to enter. A mirror shows her the agonizing father. She runs outside and faints when she sees La Bete. The monster carries her inside again, and, instead of killing her, treats her like a queen. He tells her that he will ask her the same question every day: to marry him. She says no and he leaves her alone. She hides and sees him suffer. However, he keeps behaving like a gentleman to her. SHe tells him that someone else already proposed and that she loves him (Avenant). La Bete is desperate. He realizes that no matter what he does, no matter how kind he is, he will always be too ugly for her. She is suffering because she can't see her father. (Her father is, in fact, very ill, and Ludovic's creditor is taking away all the furniture of the house). The monster can't stand it so he lets Belle go away but asks her to promise that she will return in a week. If she doesn't return, he will die. He even gives her a golden key that will make her the heiress of everything he owns after he dies. She appears to her father dressed like a queen. Her sisters, now reduced to cooking, are jealous and furious. Ludovic and Avenant are ecstatic at Belle's stories of the enchanted mansion and the monster's treasure. Avenant talks Ludovic into killing and robbing the monster. The sisters are immediately excited at Avenant's plan and convince the naive Belle that they love her so much and don't want her to leave (while still treating her like a servant). Belle is torn between the love for her family and loyalty to the kind monster who trusted her with his most powerful secrets. The sisters steal the gold key and give it to Avenant. The monster has sent the white horse to retrieve Belle. Instead, Avenant and Ludovic jump on it to be taken to the enchanted mansion.