KT, on "The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Standing Outside the Fire."

This fan video is a representation of the Disney film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame set to the song “Standing outside the Fire” by Garth Brooks. It explores the idea that, it is never too late to push the boundaries of your comfort zone to become the person you want to be. At the beginning of the film, Quasimodo keeps to the sidelines, too afraid to integrate himself into a society, which he feels, will refuse to accept his unpleasant appearance. He believes that if he stays locked up in his bell-tower, he will be safe from the people below, who will view him as a “monster”. He soon meets and falls in love the beautiful Gypsy woman, Esmerelda. While she doesn’t return his love, Esmerelda, along with the other inhabitants of the bell-tower (the gargoyles) show him that it is important to fight for what he deserves and what he believes is right. Soon, Esmerelda’s life is threatened by the very person who keeps Quasimodo locked in the bell-tower. He risks everything to save her life. Although he does not get the girl in the end, he learns an invaluable life lesson: There is no use in standing on the sidelines accepting life as it is. If you are unhappy, you must make an active choice to change those things which plague you, and even if you fail, at least you tried.
The images of fire in the film are very powerful. Whenever fire comes into play, you can bet that something important is happening. One of the first moving instances of fire featured in this film is when Frollo (Quasimodo’s captor) is pining for Esmerelda. Although he feels it is wrong to do so, he lusts after her and vows that if she refuses to be with him, the will ensure that she will burn. The fire, to him, represents not only the flames of hell to which she will be cast if she denies him, but also those in which he will burn for his sins. When Esmerelda ultimately refuses him, Frollo is enraged, he goes on a rampage burning down everything that stands in his way. He makes moves to keep his vow to eliminate the temptation of Esmerelda from his life, and ties her to a stake with the intention of burning her. Quasimodo saves the day and delivers her to the man she truly loves Phoebus, who has been working tirelessly against Frollo in his efforts to burn the city to the ground. Frollo is defeated, and the fire and his sins ultimately consume, him leaving Quasimodo free to search for a life outside his bell-tower. Having freed the city from the tyranny of Frollo, Quasimodo is accepted as a hero. Because he was able to reach beyond what he thought he deserved, and took a chance, he was able to gain the love and respect of all.