The ending of Cocteau's la belle et la bete has always stuck out to me, especially the image of beauty and the beast flying away. It is a very strange and beautiful image with the billowing fabric is a much more powerful image than returning to the palace. The film cuts our the whole reunion with the family, although it is mentioned that belle will reunite with her father, and her sisters will be demeaned. The lovers fly off in clouds and smoke, embracing and almost dancing, free from their previous restraints; belle's family and the beast's ugliness. 

I also particularly like the line that Belle says: c'etais moi le monstre - i was the monster. This places more blame on belle than de beaumont's story. Belle does not apologize for letting his ugliness overweight his kindness. Instead she encourages him to fight for his life and her love, and it becomes a discussion on what a man vs. a beast can do for love- a man can fight, but a beast can only grovel at his love's feet. 

There is also the whole added plot line of Avenant, her brother's friend who wants to marry belle, and who belle admits to loving. I have always found it a bit creepy that Avenant and la bete are played by the same actor, but it makes sense that when seen in the plot line that the beast is only turned back into a man when Avenant is kill/transformed. It is interesting that he tells belle that he changed because of a loving look, when the director seems to point to the diana statue shooting Avenant and transferring the curse to another, with the beast taking on Avenant's appearance.