Jan
2018
Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty, Disney’s most expensive animated film, was released on January 29th, 1959, receiving mixed reviews upon first release. This was Disney’s last fairy tale adaptation for several years due to the lack of Sleeping Beauty’s success, yet is considered one of the most visually appealing Disney movies of all time. Sleeping Beauty followed the story 
originally written by Charles Perrault about the fate of a young girl, Aurora, born to royalty who, upon birth, is cast under a spell by the tale’s antagonist, Maleficent. Maleficent announces that Aurora will die on her 16th birthday by pricking her finger on a spinning wheel; however, one of the fairies that raise Aurora out of sight an harm of Maleficent alter this spell to instead put her to sleep. Prince Phillip, believed to be named after Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, a name most Americans at this time would be very familiar with, ultimately saves Aurora, defeating Maleficent and awakening her with true love’s kiss. The film, despite being produced over half a century ago, still remains a favorite of many.
The film, despite its distinct imagery, still contains many of the classic Disney themes that have appeared time and time again in previous animations. Sleeping Beauty is not a film that is spared the typical depiction of a woman in need of saving. The spell that sentenced Aurora to sleep for 100 years can only be broken by the power of a man’s kiss. Prince Phillip is depicted as the hero of the story, defeating Maleficent and rescuing Aurora from her dreadful 
fate and the two main woman figures of the film are given much less respectability. Aurora has less than 15 lines the entire film, making her more of an idea than an actual character. Maleficent is a woman of power, yet she is shown as ugly, evil, and destructive. Is this really what we want kids to think of women with authority? Additionally, there is an emphasis on the idea of love at first sight. Aurora and Prince Phillip meet once for a brief moment in the forest and immediately following this encounter Prince Phillip announces his intent to marry her, falsifying the reality and evolution of love.
Although the film morphs reality to fit the fairy tale aspect of the story, not all messages are negative. Prince Phillip does make an impulsive decision when he claims his marriage intentions; however, he does this in going against his parents’ arranged marriage plans. 
Prince Phillip chooses to marry for love rather than wealth or status. The film throughout shows the power of love. Aurora is awoken by the true love’s kiss, showing that even the most awful of evils can be overcome by love. Aurora’s parents at the beginning of the movie have to make the hard decision to send their daughter away to live without them in hiding. They choose to do this to protect her from Maleficent’s interference. It often may seem that films, such as Sleeping Beauty, advocate against values that we today hold in high regard but if one takes just a slightly closer look, it will become clear that these messages go much deeper than the surface.
https://ohmy.disney.com/movies/2015/06/13/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-sleeping-beauty/
https://disneymouselinks.com/sleeping-beauty.aspx
rzk5360
January 26, 2018 at 2:46 pm (6 years ago)This Disney Sleeping Beauty was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid, simply because she had the prettiest dress. As I grew up however, I began disliking it and never watched it again. However, what you pinpointed here is what I realized I didn’t like. Aurora barely speaks throughout this whole movie, and she’s the title character! She is honestly completely helpless throughout the entire movie and not independent at all, until she goes off and unrealistically falls in love with a stranger. Additionally, Maleficent, as you said, is a powerful woman in this movie, but the cost is she is presented as an evil, ugly character. It’s horrible to have this depiction for children.
Amber
July 9, 2019 at 8:06 am (5 years ago)This was my favorite movie as a kid and now that I read this makes it even more. True Aurora didn’t talk a lot in that movie but I think I like that the fact that she was born a woman of power that is put in a position to be a woman of lesser means, basically raised in orphan and still be so kind so kind. And then you have prince Philip the first time that Disney actually showed a man fight really hard for the women he loved even willing to give up his crown. I see why people would see malefiesnt as a woman a power, I always saw that she was. But I also saw she was a woman in power that was threatened by another woman and willing to destroy her to make herself better in my opinion that’s not power but weakness . Aurora on the other hand was stripped of everything and was still able to show kindness that is true power. And in the end a true heart conquers all.
Angelina
April 7, 2020 at 5:57 pm (4 years ago)First of all, I like to point out that I’m French so excuse me for my bad English.
From my point of view, this movie has a whole different meaning. To start with the mother that can’t have a baby and suddenly can. Probably because she slept with someone else and her husband is infertile. Then the baby is gifted for a beautiful voice, face, and to sleep for 100 years instead of being dead. The three fairy godmothers took the baby from her parents to escape from the bad fairy Maleficent. It last 16years. Maleficent still wants to drag Aurora’s life out so she sends a crow.
**I would like to make a slight digression here. In Perrault’s, there are 7 fairies + One forgotten (Maleficent). No one have seen her for 50 years and before giving grace to the baby, the King invited them for a dinner. Maleficent came in and asked why she wasn’t invited. Unfortunatly, the Mother couldn’t find gold place setting for Maleficent. So She left and wish Aurora to die at 16. SO here, Maleficent describe the “bad part” of Aurora. The part that everyone want to neglect.**
The crow found Aurora. But, just before, Aurora has met a stranger and this stranger is the man of her dreams. Later, Aurora was guided by a green light, princked a finger and fall to the floor. Even later, the fairies placed Aurora on a bed while crying and placed and “end” (rather a break) to the city until Aurora wakes up. Everything is darker, without color, only greenish.
Only the Prince is alive and he’s the only one that can save her. He kissed her and everyone wakes up. Then, they marry and dance till heavens.
I want to point out that the distaff represents drugs and the prince represents the dream but also the dead. She fall to the floor just after taking drugs, following her bad spirit. As you see, she was hypnotized. The fairies are in fact good women, and may be considered as nurses placed her on her coffin after trying for 16 years to kept her with a good mental health. She finally meet her death and start dreaming about the Prince.