gina lollobrigida-hunchback of notre dame-Quinn-Delannoy THE BELLS JUST TOLL FOR JUSTICE AND THE GYPSIES -The third in a long tirade of the cinematic versions of the legendary' Hugo' masterpiece which is a bible for French literature has survived extremely well with the whirling of wheels of time . Its tenacity to stick to the tragic vision of the racial bigotry and misogynistic bias both rife in christian Europe in eighteenth century makes it truly contemporary , the narrative honestly describes the class differences and the aristocratic and religious hierarchy in a spectacle with dazzling set pieces with whimsical jibes at the incredulous injustice ,while the script is centred on the cathedral de notre dame ,which looms and soars in both majestic and architectural splendour to become the metaphor for justice in a festering social fracas . The friendship that bonds the young gypsy beauty ,esmeralda and the disfigured bell-ringer who are both loathed for the mutual property of being humunguously different in a mundane social fabric is one of the most poignant and heart-breaking descriptions of intolerance in literature . Anthony Quinn is virtually buried in latex as the horrid monster who can enigmatically ring the bells calling upon the god and his intervention upon a social order that is a travesty of any religious dogma ,while Esmeralda as the truly angelic and sensuous gypsy singer dancer is both innocent and vivaciously ebullient ,yet imbued with a merciful nature that the rest of the Parisian mob lacks altogether . The alchemist who accuses the ethnic beauty of being a witch after she spurns his lustful advances ,and the holy trial that ensues is a charade that reflects on the terrible tragedy that man and his justice are tainted and that unfortunate human tragic travesty will never change . Esmeralda's incredulous rescue by Quasimodo and the following strife and upheaval while the gypsy girl seeks a short sanctuary in the Notre dame becomes a respite that becomes a redemption for human race and a rejoicing of the divine intervention and justice itself making this a spiritual joy that will always remain contemporary despite set in medieval paris . the director has staged his parisian splendour with meticulous details,costumes that are immaculate ,and an amalgamate of tradesmen ,courtiers ,priests ,beggars and the fashionable gentry that are all party to a charade and as partisan to the injustice as the accuser played brilliantly by the truly evil Alain cluny,while the foppish and handsome lover Phoebus who plays the army captain who wins esmeralda's heart is played by jean Danet who looks as spectacular in his uniform and armour as does quasimodo the grotesque hunchback in his made up distortion ,and both are altar egos in a mirror that reflects the opposite spectra in the hugo classic,both loved by the female victim in a vicarious sanctimonious and sensual mode alternately . The histrionics are all memorable , but gina LoLlobrigida steals every scene as the lusciously stunning natural beauty who has both the body language and the brash streak to play the charismatic gypsy who can bewitch a mob from across every segment of the cynical Parisian society and the song and dance spectacle with the great musical interludes make this an evergreen classic . Anthony quinn triumphs with a vicious visage, a truly shifty limp ,and an inimitably pitiful accent and quivering voice that is unforgettable ,other than his anguished and audacious artistry as the loathed monster . The feast of fools ,the court of miracles and the enclave of thugs and thieves and the final assault on the cathedral by the infuriated mob are totally accurate in every frame and caught in a miraculous pageantry by the deft camera . The definitive Hugo 'hunchback' that will be remembered for its delightful esmeralda ,the croaky and empathic Quasimodo who evokes a sympathy impossible to expect from a hunchback ,for the grotesque beggars and magnificent cavaliers ,for the deceptive monarchs and evil priests ,and ultimately the parable to medieval tyranny and the ubiquitous intervention of divine justice as transformed on screen by the talented director Delannoy who can stage a street vignette and a royal court trial with magical ease just as the musical chant of the historic bells of Notre dame itself