While Aurora is the titular character, the majority of the story is centered on the three good fairies: Fauna, Flora, and Merryweather. These fairies are simply fantastic creations by Disney. They are filled to the brim with hilarity while also exhibiting a genuine care for Aurora and her well-being. The scene in the cottage when the finally cave in and use magic to throw Aurora the perfect sixteenth birthday party is one of my favorite sequences of the film, boasting some impeccable animation and classic physical comedy. They are fiercely dedicated to Aurora, and that is what makes them such endearing characters. They have essentially put their lives on hold for sixteen to care for the princess. Therein lies a powerful message of selflessness and devotion, one of the many morals found in Sleeping Beauty.
Princess Aurora and Prince Philip are archetypal Disney royalty. Mary Costa's voice for Aurora, although used sparingly, is perfect for a Disney princess, and when she belts out "Once Upon a Dream," the chills are abundant. Aurora possesses a dream-filled spirit, and just like Cinderella, she refuses to stop until her dreams come true, even if it means blatantly disobeying her betrothal to Philip. She is a classic among the classics, and as I wrote in my review of Cinderella regarding the princess, Disney doesn't give every princess a castle inside the Disney parks. You have to earn that right, and Aurora earns it. Philip is everything you could want in a prince: brave, daring, and love-struck in the best way possible. He is a character we find ourselves wholeheartedly cheering for during his final climatic battle with Maleficent, and when he finally defeats the evil witch, we rejoice alongside the entire kingdom.
Speaking of the Mistress of All Evil, of all the villains in the Disney canon, Maleficent is my favorite by far. In my review of Alice in Wonderland, I singled out the Queen of Hearts as one of my favorite villains because of the simplicity of her anger, but Maleficent blows the Queen of Hearts out of the water in that regard. Think about why Maleficent acts the way she does in Sleeping Beauty. She initiates all of this chaos simply because King Stefan failed to invite her to the party celebrating the birth of Aurora. That's it. If Stefan had just sent her an invitation, Aurora could have lived happily ever after from day one, but since he did not do that, Maleficent takes it rather personally as Disney created its most vile, dastardly villain of all-time. Her powers are unrivaled and her reign is never threatened. She is the quintessential Disney villain.
The soundtrack for Sleeping Beauty is not as elaborate as previous Disney films up to this point, but the songs that are present are perfect additions to the film, especially the iconic "Once Upon a Dream." The entire scene in the forest featuring this song is breathtakingly beautiful. The animation is predictably stellar, but the music and the performance of those lyrics provide for a show-stopping moment in the film. I also thoroughly enjoy the use of a choir to sing various songs, including the opening rendition of "Once Upon a Dream" and the melody playing over the scene when the fairies cause the entire kingdom to fall asleep. I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but the animation on display in this film is some of Disney's finest work. The backgrounds in particular are just stunning, and the characters are intricately brought to life in such a way that is unquestionably Disney.
Sleeping Beauty is a masterpiece. Capping off this phenomenal decade wonderfully, Disney crafted a genuine classic for all to enjoy for generations to come. Years from now, Sleeping Beauty will remain as one of the highlights for an entire genre of cinema.
Rating: 10/10
Historical Significance: After Sleeping Beauty, Disney would go thirty years until their next princess film (The Little Mermaid in 1989). With Snow White, Cinderella, and now Aurora being critical darlings, what caused the studio to put these stories on hold for three decades? The primary reason was that Sleeping Beauty nearly bankrupted the studio. Walt Disney's devotion to perfection cost Disney an enormous amount of money during production. The "Once Upon a Dream" sequence alone was ordered by Walt to be redone four times, an unprecedented order in the fifties. At the time of its release, Sleeping Beauty was the studio's most expensive film, and even though it was a relative success at the box office, it did not gross enough money for the studio to break even on the project. This was a big blow to Walt's confidence in fairy tales, causing him to lead the studio in a different direction when it comes to the stories they will bring to life in the following years. Dreams are incredible, but they certainly are not cheap.
Behind the Scenes: The running gag throughout the film of the fairies constantly arguing over the color of Aurora's dress is inspired by the animator's real life difficulty in deciding the color of her dress. They could not reach a consensus on whether the dress should be pink or blue, so they took their own quarreling and incorporated it into the story. Furthermore, Walt originally wanted the fairies to look and act the exact same way. However, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, two of Walt's Nine Old Men, convinced Walt to change his mind because they argued that similar fairies would not be exciting for the audience to watch. It was a rare occurrence, but in this case, Walt was wrong.
Favorite Character: I have already confessed that Maleficent is my favorite Disney villain, so I must choose her for this category. Every second she is on the screen, I am transfixed. Her physical demeanor is perfect. Her mystery is perfect. Eleanor Audley's wicked voice is perfect. Maleficent is perfect. When she transforms into the dragon at the end of the film to battle Philip, the biggest smile comes across my face because that is what being a villain is all about. In my book, it's Maleficent and then everyone else when it comes to Disney villains.
Favorite Scene/Song: I almost chose the scene featuring Maleficent crashing the kingdom's celebration near the beginning of the film, but I just could not pick against the classic "Once Upon aDream" sequence. Firmly placed in the pantheon of iconic Disney scenes, this one will make any Disney fanatic's heart soar. It simply has everything: excellent animation, a beautiful song, great characters, and a perfect moment. It is undoubtedly the highlight of the film (Watch this scene here).
Updated Ranking: Sleeping Beauty deserves a spot near the top, and near the top is where it will be for quite some time.
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Peter Pan
- Cinderella
- Sleeping Beauty
- Pinocchio
- Lady and the Tramp
- Alice in Wonderland
- Dumbo
- Bambi
- Fantasia
- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
- Fun and Fancy Free
- Melody Time
- The Three Caballeros
- Saludos Amigos
- Make Mine Music
Just like that, the greatest Disney decade has come to a close. What a remarkable ten years! Now, we enter the sixties, a decade which saw Disney at its highest point in its illustrious career while also witnessing the studio at its very lowest as well. Tomorrow, the decade kicks off with 101 Dalmatians!
-Cody Fleenor
No comments:
Post a Comment