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Gaston (Beauty and the Beast)

Gaston is a fictional character in Walt Disney Pictures' animated film Beauty and the Beast (1991). Voiced by American actor and singer Richard White, Gaston is an arrogant and ruthless hunter whose unrequited feelings for the intellectual Belle drive him to murder his adversary, the Beast, once he realizes she cares for him instead. Gaston serves as a foil personality to the Beast, who was once as vain as Gaston prior to his transformation.

This article is about the character. For the song, see Gaston (song).

Gaston

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Linda Woolverton

Richard White

Human

Professional hunter

Disney Villains

Gaston II (in Descendants)
Gaston the Third (in Descendants)
Gil (in Descendants)

French

Gaston is a character original to Disney, as he is not present in the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont upon which the 1991 film is based. Imagined by screenwriter Linda Woolverton, who based the character on the ex-boyfriends she dated in her past, Gaston was developed specifically for Disney's adaptation of Beauty and the Beast because the studio felt that the film could benefit from a strong villain, who is lacking in the original fairy tale. As the character evolves from a non-threatening aristocrat into an arrogant man relentlessly seeking Belle's hand in marriage, Gaston ultimately replaced a female relative of Belle's who the filmmakers had originally created to serve as the film's villain.


In direct contrast to his adversary the Beast, Gaston is depicted as physically handsome with an unattractive personality, both physically and emotionally embodying hypermasculinity. Both Disney and supervising animator Andreas Deja initially struggled with the concept of animating a handsome villain, which had never been attempted by the studio before. Deja ultimately based Gaston's appearance on those of handsome soap opera actors in order to create a grotesque version of the Prince Charming stock character, while some of White's own operatic mannerisms were incorporated into the character.


Gaston has been generally positively received by film critics, as his lack of "magic power or political influence" means that his villainy tends to resonate with audiences who often identify someone similar to him in real life, although critics regard him as a less memorable villain than some of the studio's previous efforts. Considered to be one of Disney's most famous villains, Gaston is frequently ranked within the top-tens of Disney villain rankings released by several media publications.

Development[edit]

Conception and writing[edit]

Gaston is one of several elements unique to Disney's animated adaptation of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont.[1] Under Richard and Jill Purdum's direction, Gaston originally resembled a "foppish aristocrat" as opposed to the strong, arrogant hunter he would ultimately be revised into;[2][3] The Huffington Post described early drafts of Gaston as "a weaselly, sort of wimpy character."[4] In fact, Gaston was originally intended to resemble more of an annoying than antagonistic character, while the main villainous role belonged to Belle's aunt Marguerite instead, who plotted to force Belle into marrying Gaston.[5] This version of Gaston was abandoned along with much of the original film treatment's elements, including Marguerite,[5] at the behest of Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg.[2]

Characteristics and themes[edit]

Inner beauty and superficiality[edit]

Gaston is depicted as a very narcissistic, self-centered and superficial individual, motivated by extreme jealousy.[20][38][39] Identified as the film's villain by the Orlando Sentinel's Joy Boyar,[40] Gaston is not ugly in appearance, nor does the audience realize that he is a villain until approximately midway through the film and during "The Mob Song",[7][41] a musical number he uses to convince his loyal followers to storm the Beast's castle and kill him,[42] although traces of his villainy are first hinted after he proposes to Belle.[43] Simon Brew of Den of Geek attributes Gaston's increasing villainy to "his raging jealousy and insecurity" that ultimately "transforms him into the story's antagonist" after he finally succumbs to "circumstance[s] of his life."[20] The character's villainy peaks after he attempts to have Maurice incarcerated, although his transformation remains far from complete.[20] Further distinguishing Gaston from the villains in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Sleeping Beauty (1959), respectively, the character does not undergo a hideous physical transformation before he dies.[1] Mania.com's Rob Vaux observed that Gaston is "small-minded" in comparison to other Disney villains because his ideas tend to resemble those of school bullies, particularly one whose ego has been inflated "by the people around him," as opposed to "grand schemes;"[32] the character has no known desire to conquer the world, lacking ambitions beyond simply marrying the woman he is attracted to.[20] The character is also void of both magical powers and political influence.[44] The Huffington Post's Lauren Duca agreed that Gaston is "more aggressively intolerable than horrifying."[45]


Beloved by nearly every character in the film, most of whom revere him as the town's most eligible bachelor,[29][46] Decent Films film critic Steven D. Greydanus agreed that Gaston initially resembles "merely the ultimate dumb jock".[43] Gaston's bodybuilder physique serves as a deliberate exaggeration upon "the stereotyped image of male beauty";[47][48] The Meanings of "Beauty and the Beast": A Handbook author Jerry Griswold compared the character's appearance to actors Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger,[49] while the Chicago Tribune's Gene Siskel described him as a "Robert Goulet clone on steroids."[50] Tradigital Animate CC: 12 Principles of Animation in Adobe Animate author Stephen Brooks likened Gaston's exaggerated facial expressions to the way in which people "give away their lies as they try to overcompensate."[31] According to Elizabeth Bell, author of From Mouse to Mermaid: The Politics of Film, Gender, and Culture, Gaston "functions...to contrast to the Beast", whose personality ultimately helps make the Beast a more appealing hero despite the latter character's own flaws.[48] While the Beast maintains "a heart of gold" despite being hideous in appearance, Gaston boasts a handsome exterior but remains "rotting on the inside";[51] the Beast risks becoming like Gaston on the inside if he fails to change his ways.[49] Gaston represents "the difference between outward beauty and beauty of the soul," one of the film's central themes.[11] The fact that Gaston's cruel nature is not mirrored by his handsome exterior "further emphasiz[es] the film's message about inner beauty."[32] A visual reference to the Beast's "half-man, half-animal" appearance, Gaston's body is temporarily attached to a pig's head when he falls into a large mud puddle upon having his marriage proposal rejected by Belle.[52] Ultimately, although Gaston mortally wounds the Beast, he is still unable to kill the human who continues to thrive within him.[53] In the end, Gaston becomes the monster the Beast was originally depicted as,[51] and his failure "to transform into a New Man" ultimately results in his own death.[54] At the same time, Gaston's cowardice is demonstrated by his decision to stab the Beast in the back immediately after the reformed creature offers him a choice to walk away unharmed.[55]


From very early during the film, audiences are led to expect that Gaston's obsession with Belle will eventually drive him to battle the Beast, Belle's love interest and protector.[31] Despite their obvious differences, Gaston and the Beast boast several similarities, namely their shared interest in Belle—Gaston's climactic fight with the Beast is driven by the fact that both characters are in love with the same person, albeit differently[20]—exaggerated musculature,[49] and respective goals motivated by their own insecurities.[20] Additionally, both characters use Belle's loyalty to her father to manipulate her.[51] The scene in which Gaston sits in his large chair in the village tavern is a reference to him and the Beast's similarities.[49] Decorated with fur and horns, Gaston's chair resembles the Beast when viewed from behind.[49] In his book The Meanings of 'Beauty and the Beast': A Handbook, author Jerry Griswold observed that "given the dramatic contrast between Gaston and the Beast ... the title of the film may actually refer to them alone."[49] In her book Beyond Adaptation: Essays on Radical Transformations of Original Works, author Phyllis Frus observed that the villain's subtle, entirely non-physical transformation into a more demonic version of himself forces the character to suffer a "loss of humanity", in the end justifying his ultimate death.[1] By the end of the film, Gaston has essentially traded places with the Beast, the latter of whom was originally depicted as the story's antagonist.[20] Frus elaborated, "few viewers predict that" Gaston "will finish the film snarling like an animal ... before falling to his death", concluding that the character "does not need to magically turn into a beast at the end because, as a male, he is already 'beastly'."[1]

Masculinity and misogyny[edit]

Beauty and the Beast parodies the idea of excessive masculinity, a trait shared by both Gaston and the Beast.[56] Obsessed with his own virility,[41] Gaston shares several opinions associated with "the hyper-masculine male",[48] boasting many "traditionally heroic" qualities and beliefs.[32] Representing "everything that can go wrong in the heterosexual male" according to The Meanings of "Beauty and the Beast": A Handbook author Jerry Griswold,[49] Gaston is essentially a caricature of hypermasculinity; he proudly hunts, drinks, fights, spits, bullies and lies in addition to being shallow and ignorant, exuding what are considered to be some of the worst masculine traits.[47] Gaston intimidates and threatens anyone opposed to his ideas,[48] and actively attends male social gatherings via which he can exercise his "alpha male" status.[47] Extremely egotistical, Gaston appears to pride himself as the greatest at any task he attempts.[11] Stephen Hunter of The Baltimore Sun wrote, "at the foundation of [Gaston]'s personality is something that is merely hinted at in conventional star personas: an overweening vanity. He's in love with the face in the mirror, and the pathology of male vanity is a very '90s idea."[57]


Gaston is Disney's most chauvinistic villain to-date, although this trait is approached with humor, making him at times a comic relief character early on,[51] unlike Disney's previous villains.[43][58] According to Yahoo! Movies' Will Perkins, Gaston believes that "he's God's gift to women and the world."[59] Referred to as a personification of misogyny,[60] Gaston is accustomed to acquiring anything he desires,[20][51] and believes he deserves to marry Belle only because she is considered to be the most beautiful girl in his hometown, and thus "the best."[46] According to Practicing Passion: Youth and the Quest for a Passionate Church author Kenda Creasy Dean, the character "only understands love as self-fulfillment, which allows him to perpetrate domination, viciousness and violence" in pursuit of it.[53] Greg Garrett, author of The Gospel According to Hollywood, determined that Gaston serves as "a reminder that what the world loves is not worth emulating".[46] Determined to win Belle as a trophy wife,[61] Gaston never attains her;[51] the character's ego is sorely bruised when his vision of a provincial life is threatened by Belle's rejection,[53] only augmenting his determination to marry her at whatever cost,[11] and bringing his insecurities to the forefront for the first time.[20] Gaston fails to understand Belle's passion for reading.[46] Gaston effectively uses his charm, good looks and a fabricated image of the Beast to rally the entire village against his opponent,[52][60] demonstrating his ability to convince others that he is a gentleman despite never actually having shown concern for anyone other than himself;[60] only Belle remains unfazed by Gaston's facade and uncovers his true nature,[62] further highlighting the heroine's strength and independence.[63] Opposed to the idea of women reading, Gaston believes that he'll be able to "cure" Belle of her thirst for intellect after marrying her,[64] although at the same time these same passions appear to heighten his interest in her.[65] The film makes sure that Gaston's opinions about women are viewed as little more than "boorish";[64] Woolverton wanted Gaston to teach young boys "how not to treat women."[19]


As a strong leader, Gaston is able to convince a large following to do as he commands and trigger conformity and bigotry in others,[52][66] although he remains incapable of implementing such ideas on his own.[52] Richard Corliss of Time observed that the character's "bigotry, for wanting to marry Belle because she's the prettiest girl in town...corrodes into malevolence when he consigns Belle's eccentric father to an asylum and leads the ignorant villagers on a torches-and-pitchforks crusade," which has been compared to scenes from the horror film Frankenstein (1931).[67][68] Brett Seegmiller of Medium compared Gaston's leadership skills to those of German politician Adolf Hitler because he combines "a call to action with the command to follow him ... after he's whetted our appetites for some action."[66] Additionally, author Jerry Griswold wrote in his book The Meanings of "Beauty and the Beast": A Handbook that Gaston's hypermasculinity potentially "amounts to a resistance to his own homosexuality" (after all, he is in love with himself), comparing him to Lester Burnham's homophobic neighbor in the film American Beauty (1999).[49] Toying with gender expectations, Gaston's masculinity is depicted as ridiculous, while Belle becomes drawn to the Beast's "gentle vulnerability".[69] The Beast gifting Belle a library further emphasizes the differences between the two male characters because Gaston frowns upon reading, accusing the activity of giving women ideas and allowing them to think for themselves as opposed to solely bearing children.[1] Ultimately, Gaston and the Beast embody bad and good masculinity, respectively;[70] the characters are used "to play the New Age sensitive man off against the macho man," according to Ways of Being Male: Representing Masculinities in Children's Literature author John Stephens.[71]

Appearances[edit]

Animated portrayal[edit]

Gaston debuted in Beauty and the Beast as an arrogant hunter who is determined to marry Belle, whom he considers to be the village's most beautiful woman. However, she refuses his proposal when he throws a wedding party without her prior knowledge. Belle is the only one in town who actually dislikes Gaston for the person he is inside. Thoroughly humiliated, he sulks, but when her father Maurice shows up saying that she has been captured by a hideous Beast, he comes up with the idea of having him thrown into an insane asylum, unless Belle agrees to marry him. His blackmail plan fails when Belle proves the Beast does exist, and she says that he is her friend, and that he is a better person than Gaston. He becomes jealous, snaps, and decides to gather a band of villagers to kill the Beast, playing off their fears that the Beast might wreak havoc on their village. In the ensuing fight, he shoots the Beast with an arrow and beats him down, taunting him about his appearance, and still refusing to believe that Belle will not marry him. The Beast has no heart to fight until he sees that Belle came back for him, at which point he easily overpowers Gaston and intends to kill him. However, when Gaston begs for his life, the Beast decides to be the better man and have mercy, and climbs back up to Belle. Ungrateful and unrepentant, Gaston stabs the Beast in the back when he sees him embracing Belle, but loses his balance when the Beast swings his arm backwards at him; consequently, Gaston falls to his death.


Gaston has appeared in the television series House of Mouse, and was voiced again by White. He makes sporadic appearances, mostly acting as a comedic foil, always stating "No one (insert action) like Gaston!" while walking by, rudely interrupting people's conversations. Variants of this phrase are frequently used by other characters.


Gaston appears as the main antagonist in Lego's animated special, Lego Disney Princess: The Castle Quest, released on Disney+ on August 18, 2023.[72]

Reception and legacy[edit]

Gaston has received generally favorable reviews from film critics.[66] Simon Brew of Den of Geek was very receptive towards the character: "thanks to a mix of humour, believable character development, compelling motivation and the excellent voicing work of Richard White (proving you don't need a big movie star on voice duties), he's an utterly compelling antagonist, and an extremely interesting one."[20] Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Owen Gleiberman hailed Gaston as "a wonderful character",[86] while The Daily Beast lauded the character as "a triumphantly funny villain".[87] The New York Times' Janet Maslin described Gaston's "fatuousness" as "well conveyed" while praising White's performance, writing that the actor "do[es] wonders in bringing ... Gaston to life."[88] Writing for IndieWire, Drew Taylor felt the fact that Gaston is "a strapping cad" as opposed to a witch or hideous creature contributes to making the film "a wholly unique experience".[89] Reviewing the film 25 years after its original theatrical release, Creative Loafing's Matt Brunson admitted that he "never grow[s] tired of watching the boorish Gaston".[90] The Seattle Times' John Hartl called White "hilarious" as Gaston.[91]


However, critical opinions of Gaston have been rather lackluster in comparison to those of other, more acclaimed Disney villains; reviewers generally prefer Scar, Maleficent and Jafar.[66] While dubbing Gaston's characterization "one of the movie's cleverest touches", at the same time Stephen Hunter of The Baltimore Sun felt that the character lacks the charisma of some of Disney's earlier female villains, namely the Evil Queen and Cruella de Vil from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1964), respectively.[57] Time's Richard Corliss called Gaston "a way-too-handsome galoot" and "Dudley Do-Right gone wrong."[67] Hal Hinson of The Washington Post felt that Gaston was "overbearing" because "everything about him is comically exaggerated and satirized to the point that you feel as if the cleft in his chin might swallow you whole."[92][93] In her book From Mouse to Mermaid: The Politics of Film, Gender, and Culture, author Elizabeth Bell reviewed Gaston as a "Chauvinist Pig, the kind that would turn the women of any primetime talkshow audience into beasts themselves."[48] Similarly, The Media and the Models of Masculinity author Mark Moss accused the character of uttering "the most anachronistic nonsense heard on the screen for quite some time."[47] JoBlo.com reviewed Gaston as an "inferior villain", writing, "While White's performance is terrific, the character itself is ultimately basic and bland."[94] Jaime N. Christley of Slant Magazine dismissed the character as juvenile and little more than the film "reducing every aspect of its source material to the level a kindergartner would understand".[95] Film critic Roger Ebert described Gaston as too "insufferable" as he "degenerates ... from a chauvinist pig to a sadistic monster", but at the same time cited White among the film's "gifted cast".[96]


Gaston is considered to be one of Disney's "classic" villains,[45][97] as well as one of the studio's most famous.[59] Prior to Gaston's debut, virtually every Disney villain before him had been unattractive in appearance; Den of Geek writer Simon Brew holds Gaston accountable for changing the reputation of future Disney villains.[20] The character's villainy tends to resonate with audiences more than those of other Disney villains because fans can often identify someone similar to him in real life.[32] Medium contributor Brett Seegmiller strongly believes that "Gaston is one of the best villains in the Disney canon" because audiences both respect and fear him, as well as the best leader in his opinion.[66] MTV crowned Gaston "Disney's smarmiest villain",[13] while Thomas S. Hischak, author of Musicals in Film: A Guide to the Genre, dubbed him "one of Disney's most fiendish human villains".[12] Crowning the character the "Most Terrifying Disney Villain of All", Bustle's Mary Grace Garis praised Gaston's depiction of a misogynistic villain: "because Gaston is the walking embodiment of patriarchy at its most comically aggressive, anyone ... from a 3-year-old to a 23-year-old can look at him and be like, 'THAT. That's the enemy.'," with Gaston being easier to relate to than other Disney villains due to him lacking "magic power or political influence" and being "just your everyday alpha-male trying to mansplain to you when you're just trying to live your life".[44]


Gaston frequently appears within the top-tens of Disney villain rankings organized by various media publications; however, he is usually placed closer towards the middle of these countdowns and seldom ranks number one.[66] E! ranked the character the sixth best Disney villain.[98] TVOvermind also ranked Gaston sixth despite his lack of magical powers "because of his overwhelming douchebaggery" whose "general intolerance makes for a terrific villain."[38] On The Huffington Post's "Definitive Ranking Of 25 Classic Disney Villains", Gaston was featured at number eight,[45] while About.com placed the character ninth on a similar list.[55] Yahoo! Movies included Gaston at number 11 on their ranking of "the 12 most famous Disney villains from worst to best", awarding him "points for not only being a huge jerk, but for also trying to blackmail Belle into marrying him ... and for leading a mob to kill Beast."[59] According to the Orlando Sentinel, Gaston is the 12th-greatest Disney villain.[99] Meanwhile, on Babble's list of "The Top 15 Disney Villains Ranked from Bad to Worst", which ranked the characters based on scariness, Gaston was placed 10th.[41] CNN agreed that Gaston is one of "Disney's scariest villains", writing, "the only thing worse than a cocky, demanding guy who can't take a hint is a cocky, demanding guy who organizes a mob to kill your boyfriend", concluding, "He may not have looked scary, but he was obviously the movie's real beast."[100] Featured among Collider's "9 Most Wicked Animated Villains", contributor Matt Goldberg hailed Gaston as "a delightful caricature of an idiotic jock."[63] Facetiously, Beamly considers Gaston to be among "8 Disney villains who are better than the heroes" for catching their attention despite being an "awful and sexist" character.[101] Moviefone was less receptive towards the character, ranking him 25th out of 30 on their list of the "Top Disney Villains of All Time".[102] Oh My Disney ranked Gaston's line "The most beautiful girl in town, that makes her the best! And don't I deserve the best?" the ninth-most-sinister quote uttered by a Disney villain.[103]