In a quaint French village, Belle, a bright and independent young woman, yearns for adventure beyond her provincial life. Her father, Maurice, an artist and tinkerer, gets lost in the forest and stumbles upon a mysterious castle, where he takes refuge. However, he is imprisoned by the castle's master, a Beast, once a prince cursed by an enchantress for his lack of compassion. The spell decreed that unless he can learn to love and be loved in return before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose, he and his servants—who are transformed into household objects—will lose their humanity forever.

Determined to rescue her father, Belle ventures into the enchanted castle and offers herself in his place. She is repulsed by her captor but befriends the castle's enchanted staff who encourage her to look beyond the Beast's formidable exterior. As Belle remains in the castle, she and the Beast form an unlikely rapport, laying the foundation for affection and understanding. Back in the village, Gaston, a self-absorbed hunter who seeks Belle's hand in marriage, grows suspicious and leads an effort to uncover what has happened to her.