Credit: DisneyAs spooky season lies in wait at the end of September, Disney and its fans have already been making preparations for Halloween. As Disneyland releases the villains at Oogie Boogie Bash, many fans are diving deep into the darker side of their favorite Disney films, and few go as hard as The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is home to some of Disney’s darkest imagery, themes, and music, and nothing represents it better than “Hellfire” sung by Judge Frollo. It’s safe to say that the gothic lyrics and visuals are what everyone takes away from the film, but it’s much more than just a villain song.
Behind the Music: “Hellfire”
If you’ve been keeping up with developments at Disney, you’ll know that the subject of a live-action adaptation of HoND has been up in the air since Josh Gad expressed interest in portraying Quasimodo. You might also recall that due to the current social culture, there were talks of cutting “Hellfire” from the script.
The sequence isn’t just one of the darkest in Disney’s history, its also one of the most quintessential plot points in Disney’s original adaptation. It’s a raw, emotional, and unsettling look at the film’s villain that utilizes his internal struggle to create a more complex character.
That’s all very impressive from a storytelling/musical theatre point of view, but can a song about lust, religion, corruption, and internal conflict really one of Disney’s greatest hits? One songwriter proves it.
@brettboles 🔥Hellfire🔥from Hunchback—why’s it so good?? #hunchbackofnotredame #hellfire #disneyvillains #alanmenken #themtea #songwriting
Brett Boles is a TikTok creator, musician, and songwriter who has done musical theory approaches to other Disney songs, but his analysis of “Hellfire” puts things into an interesting perspective. Not only is it a lyrically impressive song by Disney, but it’s a work of musical genius as well.
Penned by Stephen Schwartz of Godspell and Wicked fame, the composition elements do more than just express Frollo’s internal monologue. They reflect his powerful status, his hypocritical thinking, and his eternal suffering all in just a few minutes of screen time. Talk about a masterpiece.
Disney doesn’t often go to this level of dark, but they pull out all the stops whenever they do. As Halloween slowly creeps around the corner, dozens of Disney buffs will be adding this to their playlists for a truly devilish delight.
What’s your favorite Disney villain song? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!