...which is that it may have been designed more for an adult audience than a children's. At any rate it was way ahead of its time in 1959. "Sleeping Beauty" was one of the movies I watched as a child, and its grandness overwhelmed me even at the age of ten. I couldn't be happier to see it finally in the DVD format. But watch closely; you'll notice many subtle, sophisticated things which other viewers have touched on in earlier reviews. The animation is almost surreal-- so incredibly lifelike that it abandons its cute, 'Disneyesque' pretensions from previous fairy tales. There are no talking mice, dogs or cats anywhere to be seen. Here the animals are silent, as animals are supposed to be. (I love the sequence with the forest animals as they are awakened by the singing of the barefoot princess and join up with her, like multiple chaperons, in harmonious whistles.) Even the fairy godmothers- who may initially appear as sugary stereotypes- spend so much time bickering (well, two of them do anyway) that you get to identify them as thoroughly fleshed out personalities. The adaptation of the original Perrault fairy tale is also impressive. An ingenious move was to have the prince and princess meet in the forest *first* and fall in love- unaware that they are already engaged to be married. Someone mentioned the chilling sequence which shows the princess, cloaked in an eerie green pallor, actually being lured to the fateful spinning wheel. So dark, so frightening- when was the last time you saw something like this in a Disney fairy tale? And then immediately afterwords is a cleansing sequence of unmatched beauty showing the fairies sailing through the sky like fireflies, magically dusting the rest of the castle to sleep. It is, of course, only matched by the film's finale which shows storm clouds, lightning, a forest of thorns, and a flame-spewing dragon-- all seamlessly bringing the story to a 75-minute conclusion. It stands, in my opinion, as Disney's masterpiece.
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movibuf19625 September 2003
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This Disney cartoon feature has the familiar-princess-in-distress theme of a lovely girl, kind fairies, a handsome prince, forbidding castles and an evil witch. A perceived slight by a king and queen enrages a sorceress who casts an evil spell on the child that will take effect on her sixteenth birthday. Only her prince charming's kiss can save the girl from an unhappy fate and the frightening Maleficent stops at nothing to locate the princess in order to bring her prophecy to fruition. There are several pitched battles between the prince and the fairies against the forces of evil that accelerates into an exciting combat at the finish. The picture is bathed in beautiful color and the music of Tchaikowsky's ballet serves as a wonderful musical accompaniment.
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Classic Disney fairy tale adaptation about a princess named Aurora who is cursed by an evil witch named Maleficent. Lovely in every way with memorable characters and scenes that have stood the test of time. The animation is beautiful and stylish with rich, vibrant colors. The voice actors all do wonderful work. If I had a complaint, it would be that the narrator is rather bland. Someone with a stronger voice would have been better. But it's a minor thing in a film that is so wonderful from start to finish. The Tchaikovsky music is amazing and the song "Once Upon a Dream" is a real gem. I'm no film historian but it seems like, in many ways, this movie represents the end of an era for animated Disney films that began with Snow White in 1937. There would certainly be some great movies to come, even some classics, but they wouldn't have quite the same grand feeling and charming old-fashioned qualities of the films from this era.
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When 'Sleeping Beauty' was first released it was the target of critical villification--perhaps because of the more stylized art work. The art work is actually a leap forward from 'Snow White' and the earlier classics. It took me awhile to get used to the new technique when I first viewed the film--but now I recognize how effectively it manages to convey the "feel" of a genuine fairy-tale. A nice discussion of the art work is featured in 'The Making of Sleeping Beauty' which accompanies the latest VHS release of the film. Aside from the richly textured backgrounds and brilliant animation, 'Beauty' is blessed with the rapturous singing voice of Mary Costa's light soprano doing full justice to the ballad, 'Once Upon A Dream'. The idea of using Tchaikovsky's 'Sleeping Beauty' music for the background score and songs was an excellent decision. This is a film that can be enjoyed on so many different levels--music, animation, story, art work--it ranks with the very best of the classic fairy-tales from Disney. And yes, Maleficent, in all of her wicked glory, makes the most impressive fire-breathing dragon you're ever likely to see!
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StartingAllOver1428 December 2009Last year, with the release of the Platinum Edition of «Sleeping Beauty», my curiosity for the film woke up, cause it's was a while since I last time saw it. I bought the new DVD and got a pleasant re-acquaintance with «Sleeping Beauty». I won't call it my favorite Disney classic of all time, but it's definitively a entertaining and enchanting Disney classic for Disney-lovers to enjoy.
«Sleeping Beauty» is, layer-wise, also one of Disney's most interesting films for an adult viewer, cause the film deals with pretty dark elements. I'll actually claim that adults may enjoy the film more than the kids, cause there are some really frightening scenes. I saw «Sleeping Beauty» first time when I was eight years old and it was one of the few Disney films that actually scared me. Of course if the younger kids are going to be scared depends on how easy they are to scare, but I'll still state that parents should think twice before showing this film to the youngest family members, cause some scenes, accompanied with gloomy music, are enough to make a traumatic impact on kids (speaking of which, a earlier friend of mine got scared by the dragon and didn't wanted to see the film until he grew up).
In spite of «Sleeping Beauty" being really dark, it's a pretty lighthearted film, too. There are some wonderful, classical Disney moments here, which I'm going to talk more about later. But first about the characters.
The best of them are without doubt the Goodfaires, which are the most present characters too. Fauna is my personal favorite. Other likable characters are Prince Philip's father, King Hubert and the horse, Samson. To claim the two lovebirds, Prince Philip and Princess Aurora, as passive characters may be unfair, but unfortunately that's the truth. But in return, they've been given wonderful singing voices by Mary Costa and Bill Shirley. And Aurora's character design is interesting, too. Malificent, on the other hand, is one of Disney's most memorable villains and there's no reason to wonder why; With her calm, collected, but cold presence she's sure to be memorized by every child and Disney villain (and I personally think she's sort of cute too). I used to think that her monster-like helpers were quite annoying, but not anymore.
As mentioned, there are many wonderful and spectacular scenes; The climatic dragon-fight is one of them, but Aurora's journey towards the spinning wheel in the castle is a chilling sequence. And the sequences with her in the woods along with all the animals and her Prince is pure Disney magic, as is all the scenes with the Three Goodfaires.
The animation is beautiful and the widescreen format suites this movie well, as the Tchaikowsky-music does. It was a perfect fit for the movie, by giving it more substance and sophistication, actually. Except for "Hail To The Princess Aurora", the songs are quite enchanting, although they haven't been the most mentioned ones from Disney. In spite of the screenplay being quite straightforward and predictable (like you can expect from Disney at that time), there are some clever twists on the love story, which catches the interest of the viewers.
So don't miss "Sleeping Beauty". It's a entertaining and cute film for every Disney fans to enjoy. -
Smells_Like_Cheese18 January 2004When I was a little girl, Sleeping Beauty was my all time favorite Disney film. I was so in love with this story, it's crazy how many times I wore out the VHS. But growing up, I lost touch with the story, but I recently bought the DVD and re-watched the film and you know what? I'm still in love with this movie. I really miss these old Disney movies where the animation was so bright and beautiful, the characters were so lovable, and the story was so magical. I'm not bashing Disney films from today, just I'm sure we could all relate on this subject where the older Disney films just had a certain charm about it. Sleeping Beauty is just a timeless story and has so much wonderful romance, I guess since I'm a girl, I just couldn't help but still be in love with this beautiful story.
Princess Aurora is born and is the future queen of her land, three fairy's, Flora, Merryweather, and Fauna bless her with three gifts: beauty and song, right as Merryweather is about to bless Aurora, the evil witch, Maleficent, comes in and curses Aurora that she shall touch a spinning wheel by her 16th birthday and die! Merryweather changes it to where she won't die, but sleep and could only be woke up by the kiss of true love. The fairy's wish to keep this from happening still, so they take Aurora and raise her as their own. One day Aurora on her 16th birthday goes out in the forest and meets the charming and handsome Prince Phillipe, but she doesn't know he's a prince and she doesn't know he's fhe man she's actually betrothed too. She is told by the fairy's that she can never see him again and that she's a princess; later that night the curse happens! Now the fairy's need Phillipe to save Aurora before it's too late.
Everything about Sleeping Beauty is just a perfect Disney film and I can't wait until to show this to my future kids one day. I know that their generation is going to have just the CGI animation, so it's good that at least we still have these films, they're treasures. The voices, the animation, the story, Sleeping Beauty is the most romantic fairy tale that anyone could easily fall in love with. If you are a Disney fan, this is a must see, it's a great family film or if you're just a film buff in general, I'm a grown up and I still tear up when I watch Sleeping Beauty.
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jordyntsmith16 August 2020While there isn't too much plot to go on or follow, the most stand out features of this film are the beautiful and drawn backgrounds and the presence of Maleficent herself. Some have said this was Disney's most beautiful movie, and frankly, if you know how to appreciate traditional art, you will probably say the same!
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phillindholm9 July 2006"Sleeping Beauty" was envisioned by the great Walt Disney as his masterpiece--the feature-length cartoon par excellence. And, in many ways, it is. The then-record budget (six million dollars) was the largest ever for an animated motion picture. The widescreen Technirama 70 process had never been used for an animated feature. The six-track magnetic stereo sound was a step upward from the "Fantasound" system employed in "Fantasia" (1940). Also new and trend-setting was the style of the animation--a more realistic, geometric design which, surprisingly left many critics and audiences cold. The extra expense needed to showcase the widescreen film properly, together with the lukewarm reviews, prevented "Sleeping Beauty" from turning a profit at the box office when it was released (with much fanfare) in 1959. But time has been kind to the film, subsequent reissues have finally put it in the profit margin, and both viewers and critics are appreciating it for the beautiful fantasy it has always been. However, like it's predecessor "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937) which was Disney's first fairy tale, as well as his first full-length film, this screen adaptation of "Sleeping Beauty" strays from it's origins. While the Charles Perrault version of the tale is given as the source, there are new variations.
The original story is as follows: When a baby girl is born to a King and Queen, they invite seven (or, in the Grimm version, twelve) Fairies to the christening. Uninvited is an evil fairy, who shows up anyway, and curses the child with death on her 16th birthday. Although a good fairy is able to alter the spell, the princess is doomed to sleep (along with the court) for 100 years. Despite the precautions taken, the curse is fulfilled (accidentally, in most versions of the story) and the princess does indeed sleep for a century, after which a prince awakens her. Understandably, Disney's telling departs from Perrault here as well, because in Perrault's version, the King and Queen are the sole members of the court who do not succumb to the sleeping spell, and, eventually die of old age. The Disney version of the tale whittles the number of good fairies down to three, giving them the appearance and personalities of elderly women. Meanwhile, the evil fairy, dubbed Maleficent, is a cold, flamboyant villainess who, for better or worse, overshadows everyone else in the film (but then, the villain always does). Disney's retelling also dispenses with the Heroine's 100 year sleep which lasts merely one night. There is much emphasis put on the three fairies who secretly, in the guise of peasants, raise the baby princess Aurora, (whom they dub "Briar Rose" interestingly, the name given the Princess in the Grimm retelling) and, unwittingly make it possible for Maleficent to execute her curse. Also new, is the introduction at the beginning of the film of Prince Phillip, who is immediately betrothed to Aurora. The climatic battle he has with the evil fairy, here transformed into a dragon, has become one of the most memorable parts of the film, though it was purely the scriptwriter's invention. In the end, however, it is best to appreciate the film as a stand-alone creation, rather than a faithful adaptation of a classic story.
Indeed, as some latter-day critics have pointed out, "Sleeping Beauty" has been embraced by the young and old audiences who find in it many of the same sword and sorcery elements in films like "Legend" and "Excalibur". And every penny of it's then-unprecedented budget is on the screen. One marvels at the intricate design of the animation, all accomplished well before the advent of computers, which the Technirama screen showcases to full effect. The voice talent is perfect. Mary Costa, who went on to an estimable opera career, is a lovely and expressive Aurora, while Bill Shirley is an ingratiating Prince Phillip. Eleanor Audley (so deliciously cold as the stepmother in Disney's "Cinderella") is the embodiment of majestic evil as Maleficent. Verna Felton (the Fairy Godmother in Disney's "Cinderella"), Barbara Jo Allen and Barbara Luddy are the delightful (and all too human) fairies, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. Aurora's father, King Stefan, is voiced by Taylor Holmes, with Bill Thompson as Phillip's father King Hubert. A word should also be said for Candy Candido, who provided the sounds made by Maleficent's goons. The Tchaykovsky ballet score provides both the background music and melodies used for the new songs. All this blends perfectly in an epic adventure/fantasy seldom experienced on screen, and one with enough heart to capture the most cynical viewer.
The Special Edition DVD, released in 2003, and currently out of print, is another example of what a "Special Edition" truly encompasses, including a fully restored widescreen print of the film, a new 5.1 stereo mix which fully showcases the Academy Award nominated score, as well as many bonus features with appeal to all ages (including a widescreen/fullscreen comparison which should be the last word on that subject). Also included are several complimentary historical shorts like the Academy Award winning "Grand Canyon" which accompanied "Sleeping Beauty" on it's initial release. Trailers, games, interviews with Mary Costa and surviving animators, vintage featurettes which delve into the making of the film, and last, but not least, footage of Disney himself, complete the dazzling package. Finally awakened from her long slumber, and more refreshingly lovely than ever, "Sleeping Beauty" is a film (and DVD) for the ages. -
Atreyu_II17 August 2007The 16th animated Disney classic is a fairy-tale but different from the other Disney classics because of its medieval artwork. It's not the fairy tale genre that makes this one of Disney's most distinguish Disney animated films, but its artwork. This artwork is stylish and obeys to high quality standards, not to mention that the sceneries and backgrounds are good in general.
This is one of the Disney classics which took more time to be made and perhaps one of their most ambitious. In fact, maybe because of its medieval artwork, it spent about 6 or 7 years in production. This spent nearly the whole 1950 decade in production. A very long time, even for an animated film. Only "The Black Cauldron" took as much time as this to be made, but we can't compare "The Black Cauldron" to the undeniably superior "Sleeping Beauty".
There is a curious fact that surrounds the movie's final scene (when Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora dance above the clouds): that "trick" was actually tried in "Cinderella", but they only managed to do it successfully in "Sleeping Beauty".
As a movie, generally speaking it is pretty good, happy, pleasant, magic, romantic, sometimes dramatic and emotional, while classic humor is not forgotten either (there are many funny moments, actually). On the other hand, this movie is also extremely dark in some parts, although it doesn't go as far as "The Black Cauldron" does when it comes to extreme darkness. Even if "Sleeping Beauty" has its dark side, it isn't much darker than what we see in many other Disney animated films.
Maleficent is the kind of villain I can't find a correct word to describe: an evil queen? A queen of darkness? An evil fairy? A witch? A sorceress? Whatever she is, she looks sinister, yet she isn't that scary considering her appearance. She's nowhere near as scary and chilly as the Horned King from "The Black Cauldron". Eleanor Audley, with that powerful voice, does a spectacular job as Maleficent's voice.
Aurora (aka "Briar Rose") is a gorgeous princess with an even more beautiful voice. She's also a wonderful singer. Mary Costa does beautifully her voice.
Prince Phillip is one of the coolest and most charming Disney princes of all time. And one of the funniest too. His horse Samson is one of the coolest and funniest horses of all time. Prince Phillip is brilliantly voiced by Bill Shirley.
The queen (Aurora's mother) appears very little during the whole movie (we only see her at the beginning and at the end). King Stephan is a great dude and King Hubert is quite a funny guy. An especially funny scene with them is when they are discussing about Phillip and Aurora and Hubert starts fighting with a fish as if it was a sword and they end up laughing of that. Both characters are greatly voiced by the respective actors.
As for the 3 good fairies (Fauna, Flora and Merryweather), I'd say that my favorite is Merryweather. She is the funniest of the three. Also, I like the blue dress better than the pink one (although both colors fit well on the dress). But the blue is always prettier than the pink.
The animals which Aurora meets in the forest are other charming characters. The funniest one is the owl. Speaking of animals, Maleficent's pet raven is an interesting character yet a bit annoying - what a snitch that thing is!
As for the soundtrack, it is entirely beautiful but the best is in "Once Upon a Dream" and the famous classical music "Sleeping Beauty ballet" by Tchaikovsky.
Just to finalize my review, this movie was very unsuccessful when it originally came out in 1959, almost bankrupting the Disney studio. But it won loyal fans through the years and reached a cult status. I guess you can say that time has been kind to it. -
I grew up in the Disney era where "Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin" and "The Lion King" reigned supreme among me and my elementary school pals (and to this day, if you ask one of my peers what their favorite Disney movie is, it's probably one of those or one of the Disney-Pixar creations).
But one Disney film has always remained my utter favorite and that is, indeed, "Sleeping Beauty."
Like most children, I grew up watching Disney movies -- everything from animated films like "Snow White" to "Lady and the Tramp," the semi-animated like "Mary Poppins" and "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," and the non-animated such as "The Parent Trap" and "Old Yeller." But "Sleeping Beauty" remains my favorite animated movie and you'd better believe at seventeen years of age, I'm still watching it. I cannot believe how the animation has been knocked in some reviews -- it's beautiful! They captured the medieval period so well and even the people look like, well, people. The score is beautiful and the songs "I Wonder" and "Once Upon a Dream" are sung wonderfully by Mary Costa. What a voice! Aurora is by far one of the prettiest Disney princesses (one thing that initially drew me to the movie as a child), following the formula with those trademark doe-eyes that Disney bestows upon all of their princesses and heroines. Prince Phillip actually does more than just show up to sing a song and say one line, a welcome change that answers the age old question, "What does she see in him anyway?" The three fairies are delightful (I always wanted to be Fauna!) and funny. And of course, there's the quintessential villain -- Maleficent. She scared me when I was younger and when I view the film now, no wonder. (For the longest time, I was also scared of Eleanor Audley period, but she's truly a marvelous actress.) And when Phillip kills her -- yeah, you'd better believe that's some scary business.
The story is beautiful and funny, the animation is divine, the music ethereal, and the voice talents extraordinary. This is a personal favorite and it comes highly recommended! -
C22Man10 January 2016Walt Disney wanted Sleeping Beauty to look completely different to the rest of Disney's animated features and be the pinnacle of animation at the time. In a number areas that was certainly achieved. Though not a success on its release, Sleeping Beauty is a visual wonder and has some of the best elements ever put in a Disney film. The film based itself around both the Charles Perrault and Brothers Grimm versions, as well as using points from the Tchaikovsky ballet. It revolves around a princess cursed to fall into a sleep on her 16th birthday by pricking her finger on a spinning wheel, from which she can only be awaken by her true love. It's a story that is widely known, but what makes the film so effective are the methods used to tell it.
There's only one major issue with the film and sadly it's with the main characters. Both Aurora and Prince Phillip are incredibly dull. Aurora does practically nothing of note, all she does is stand around looking pretty or sing with the animals and she just comes off as plain boring. In her defence she is asleep for the second half of the film, but it's difficult to care for her as we know nothing about her because we never get an insight into her character. Prince Phillip is equally as uninteresting. He gets a few funny moments at first, but his attraction to Aurora is rushed and he doesn't really have a personality. He is the focal point of the climax, but he doesn't say a word during it which is odd and gets rather tedious.
Elsewhere however the characters are fantastic. The three fairies are wonderful and are effectively the true heroes of the film. They all have distinct personalities without being clichéd, they provide a good balance of appropriate comedy as well drama and the voice actresses (including regulars Verna Felton and Barbara Luddy) do excellent jobs. The two kings who flip-flop between bickering and friendliness get a few good laughs too. With that said, what really pushes the film to great heights is Maleficent who is easily one of Disney's greatest ever villains. It is frighteningly evil the sheer lengths she'll go to over being snubbed at a party, showing that she is simply a superb mix of terrifying and cunning. Her design is a perfect blend of scary and stylish, while Eleanor Audley's classy voice adding even more punch to the character.
The animation is simply stunning, completely different to anything Disney had done before or done since. It reminds me a lot of tapestry work or medieval art. It isn't as bright as previous films and everything is drawn in a more realistic style that gives the film an added uniqueness. The overly angular design and muted colour scheme work brilliantly in this respect too. The backgrounds are very flat and allow for the characters to pop out more, but the amount of detail that goes into them is incredible. The forests and castles are just beautiful to look at. The score is equally as good, coming straight from the famed ballet. It allows for some wonderful melodies and some great builds of tension, with songs such as 'Once Upon A Dream' also being very enjoyable.
Another impressive aspect is the films atmosphere. There is a great deal of tension present throughout the film and an ever building sense of dread that makes everything at stake seem all the more important. I also enjoy how unsettling the film can be, the whole sequence involving the spinning wheel is extremely creepy thanks to the visuals and the haunting music which are both used expertly. The film also has a lot of slower moments that work in its favour in allowing the atmosphere to build up. There's also a lot more action and intensity than you would expect, in fact the climax is one of Disney's best. It keeps on building in obstacles that Prince Philip must face and Maleficent becoming a dragon takes it all to another level.
On the whole I'd say Sleeping Beauty is one of Disney's strongest works from their golden age. It does have its faults mainly in its two leads who are very dull, but what it does well it does incredibly well. As said this is possibly Disney's best looking film, certainly one of their most unique, and it's a film worth viewing for the visuals alone. I think the fairies are very enjoyable, there is a wonderfully sense of atmosphere throughout and the music is fantastic. Maleficent is one of Disney's greatest villains, whenever she appears you can't take your eyes away and she has everything you would want in a villain. It's a film that rewards repeated viewings and one that is always engaging whenever I watch it. -
MissSimonetta4 May 2014Sleeping Beauty (1959) is not strong on story, I will admit. It embellishes little on top of the fairy tale and outside of the fairies and Maleficent (truly one of the greatest villains in classic film) none of the characters manage to rise above being mere ciphers. Still, this is among the greatest of Disney films for its sheer visual gorgeousness.
The animation is exquisite to say the least. The backgrounds, though they have their detractors like animation historian Michael Barrier, fit the more angular, jewel-colored characters in my opinion. They look so good on their own that you would not mind framing them on a wall at home. Tchaikovsky's music from the ballet Sleeping Beauty is beautifully adapted into the musical numbers and background scoring.
Not for people looking for emotional depth, but for those who aren't adverse to style over substance films, this is excellent stuff. It's an epic masterpiece. -
SnoopyStyle3 December 2014King Stefan and Queen Leah finally has a child, Princess Aurora. At her christening, she is betrothed to boy Prince Phillip, the heir to neighboring King Hubert. The three good fairies Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather bless the child with gifts. Before Merryweather gives her blessing, the evil fairy Maleficent interrupts and curses the princess with death before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday as she pricks her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel. Merryweather uses her blessing to alter the curse to a deathlike sleep from which she can be awakened by true love's kiss. The three fairies comes up with a scheme to turn into humans and raise the girl as their own.
This is definitely an old fashion fairy tale where the princess is rescued by her prince. The songs are old fashion but 'Once Upon a Dream' is still great. The hand drawn animation is beautiful. Maleficent is a great villain. The three fairies aren't nearly funny enough. Nevertheless this is a classic although it is of its times. -
rapt0r_claw-124 July 2004Simplest possible explanation of what cements Sleeping Beauty's place as an immortal classic: Maleficent.
Sleeping Beauty was never one of my favorite Disney movies, my parents having lost the tape really early. Since maybe ten years I haven't seen the movie, but now, after seeing it again, I have to admit, it's a masterpiece. I don't understand why it was so berated on first release. Where the critics expecting Snow White? 'Cause this is no Snow White. It's much better.
A long, long time ago, in a kingdom far, far away, King Stefan and the Queen have a daughter, Aurora, so-called because she brought sunshine to their lives. There is a great celebration, and the neighboring kingdom's Prince Phillip is betrothed to Aurora. The three Good Fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, are invited. Flora and Fauna bestow gifts of beauty and song upon Aurora. Before Merryweather can cast her spell, the uninvited Maleficent--the Mistress of All Evil--arrives, furious at not being invited. She curses Aurora, predicting that at the age of sixteen the princess will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning-wheel and die. Merryweather counteracts this by making Aurora go into a deep sleep were she ever to prick her finger, to be reawakened by true love's first kiss. To keep her safe, the fairies take her into the forest, no longer using magic, and calling Aurora Briar Rose. The princess knows nothing of her heritage, and meets no other humans, except for a man "Once Upon A Dream".
One of the greatest things about the movie is the style. The contrast between characters and surroundings (except for Maleficent) is stark. The backgrounds and layouts are colorful, stylized, round and angular at the same time. The characters, however, aim for total realism, except for the minor ones, who are clearly cartoon characters. The animation is beautiful. The movements smooth, the artistry unbelievably high quality. If there was no other likable thing about the movie, the animation would go a long way to saving it.
The story of Sleeping Beauty is, of course, set in stone. Despite everyone's complete familiarity with the fairy tale, the movie manages to enliven it and make it gripping, even though everyone has heard it a thousand times. A most definite improvement in the story is the scene in which Aurora pricks her finger. In the original the spinning-wheel was owned by an innocent old peasant, who just happened to own the last wheel in the land, unnoticed by the rest of the world. In the movie Maleficent hypnotizes Aurora, and commands her to prick her finger. In addition to the atmosphere of foreboding already present in the story, the movie adds genuine suspense, largely owing to the brilliant presence of the wicked fairy.
The characterization is very different from other Disney movies in some ways, but very like others. Usually in Disney's princess movies, the princess herself is something of a cypher, a passive element. This is true for Sleeping Beauty (she has no control over the three basic actions in the movie). The prince usually has an even more minute part, although the story would be nothing without him. Not so this movie. Here Phillip is a much more active character, a hero who battles dragons and witches, who goes through all sorts of hazards. In Snow White all the unnamed prince does is show up and kiss our heroine, in Cinderella Charming risks nothing and is nothing but a prop. But the ultimate character is, of course, Maleficent. Supervised by Disney's women's animator-in-chief, Marc Davis, hers has to be one of the great performances in animation. She is brilliantly drawn, amazingly voiced, and the dragon she transforms into is not just a dragon: it is HER particular dragon (a method taken to greater lengths in The Sword in the Stone). She is magnificent. The three fairies are quarrelsome all right, but they are caricatures that convey particularly clearly their good-naturalness.
Sleeping Beauty is one of those irreplaceable masterpieces. It is a magnificent retelling of a classic fairy tale, with no undue distortion of the source material. Come to think of it, the story EXISTS to be made into a movie; it's just perfect. And near-perfection is what Disney achieved.
9.5/10 -
strong-122-47888518 June 2014Favorite Maleficent Quote: "Oh, they're hopeless. A complete disgrace to the forces of evil."
Once Upon a Dream...
Does anyone here not know the story of Sleeping Beauty? Well, if they don't, then they really ought to be ashamed of themselves and promptly spanked for their ignorance.
Sleeping Beauty would be Disney Studios' 16th animated feature. And, back at the time (1959), it would also be their most expensive and elaborate production ever.
Set in 14th Century England, this film's story is actually a very simple and straightforward telling of the classic fairy tale, with music adapted from Tchaikovsky.
At birth, Aurora, daughter of King Stefan and Queen Leah, is cursed by the wicked sorceress, Maleficent. Due to a mere oversight, accompanied by a rude remark, Aurora is destined to die, by Maleficent's words, before sundown on the day of her 16th birthday after touching the poisonous spindle of a wooden spinning wheel.
And, it's only through true love's kiss that Aurora can ever hope to be saved.
Ah! 'Tis so romantic! No?
Suitable enough to be enjoyed by all ages, Sleeping Beauty is an awesome kaleidoscope-spectacle of some of the most impressive animation that you're ever going to see this side of CGI. -
TheLittleSongbird22 February 2009Everything about this film is beautiful. The characters, the music and the animation.
The animation was lovely. It looks flat to some people, but to me it looks absolutely beautiful, and has a gorgeous stylistic look. The best scenes were actually the darker scenes, especially the climax, which is one of Disney's best. But I have to say the forest is one of the most beautifully animated forests in a Disney film. Sleeping Beauty mayn't have the strongest story development in a Disney movie, but neither the ballet or the fairytale have the best story development either, no matter how beautiful the film really is.
The characters were unforgettable. Whilst Aurora was the weakest character, she was made into a beautiful woman with lots of grace, class and charm, who dreamed of falling in love, and Mary Costa's vocals were sublime. Phillip is also well done, but these two characters don't say much in comparison, I noticed, except Phillip has some great lines. The forest scene with the animals was charming, and you have to laugh at the three fairies when they tried to make the dress. The fairies added a huge amount to this film, as did Meleficent, who terrified me when I was younger. There was a long time when I was so scared of her and the part when she entices Aurora to the spinning wheel, that I refused to see the film for about two years.
The music by Tchaikovsky was outstanding. He is a fantastic composer, one of my all time favourites. The music to the climax has been imitated by many Disneys but never as well. I recommend you see the ballet, which bears little resemblance to the film itself, but the music is a knockout, like Beethoven's Choral Symphony.
In conclusion, an ambitious(being the most expensive Disney project) but beautiful film, that has captivated me since I was little, and I am 16 now. 10/10. Bethany Cox -
AaronCapenBanner8 December 2013Walt Disney's first widescreen animated film is a variation on the "Snow White" legend, as Princess Aurora is cursed by evil witch queen Maleficent to die before her 16th birthday by pricking her finger on a spindle wheel. To prevent this, her father the King sends her into the care of three good but bumbling fairy godmothers who raise her, but are still unable to prevent the curse, though Aurora's love Prince Philip will revive her with a kiss, if he can first survive the trap set for him by Maleficent, and then battle her when she transforms herself into a huge dragon. Superbly animated film with a most vivid climax. Story may not be original, but will hold children spellbound, and remains entertaining for adults.
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EmperorNortonII24 June 2004"Sleeping Beauty" is definitely a classic among the Disney animated features. It bears the distinction of being the first to be shot in 70mm widescreen format. The score borrows much from Tchaikovsky's classic ballet based on the Brothers Grimm tale. The art is beautiful, being inspired by medieval art. And the characters are delightful, particularly the three Good Fairies, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. Malificient makes for a wonderful villainess, with awesome magical powers. Even those who would not call this Disney's best animated feature should agree that it harkens back to the famed studio's golden age. It's a classic that all ages can treasure!
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robyn-710-7671679 April 2011The first "princess" classic I've seen. Definitely has the classic drama of some evil witch or person (female, really?) who tries to ruin the classic story. Almost does so, then someone, typically insignificant people, come over and save the day, and then the princess is happy.
This is just that case. Someone who is a princess and someone who is a prince. They both were planned on getting married, one gets a curse. Then they hide. The evil person does what they can to stop them from succeeding. Then something good happens. That's the story of sleeping beauty.
I rate this a 7/10 only for a few reasons. First, the story confused me a bit, I never did understand what she was cursed with, why the witch was evil at all, etc. Second, I thought it was rather interesting how the fairies said that the prince cannot be helped by magic, yet that's the thing they did to help the prince. I thought it was intentional, and the fairies would learn not to break their promises, but I guess it didn't get noticed.
Anyhow, it's rated 7/10, but it is STILL a good classic. :) -
ccthemovieman-17 December 2008Quick......what was "Sleeping Beauty's" name? Answer: Either "Princess Aurora" or "Rose," depending on where she was.
Most of you probably know that but I didn't, probably because I hadn't watched this movie since it came out about a half century ago! I was a little kid, and never did see this again on TV or VHS. I only saw it again because several high-definition DVD websites said this looked spectacular on Blu-Ray.
How right they were; this looks incredible! I cannot believe how fantastic the artwork is, and sharp the picture comes through on this restored high-def disc. The colors and the amount of details in all the art are astounding. Many of the scenes had my jaw dropping in admiration. The story, frankly, is not anything that great for a man my age but the visuals are so fantastic that I enjoyed the experience.
I also appreciated the 2.55:1 widescreen picture. If you've only seen this on formatted-to-TV 4:3, and love the movie, you owe it to yourself to see this version. You won't believe how good this 1959 film looks. -
namen25611 August 2020The pinnacle and crown of Disney. The decade-long production of the film is absolutely visible. Animation is stunning, soundtrack as well. It's Tchaikovsky after all, so it's masterpiece in masterpiece. Fairies are super adorable, Aurora is iconic, and oh... Maleficent. One of the greatest villain in all cinema. Everything about this movie SCREAMS classic and everything about it is elegant. Also, it has so many serious moments that it could easily be a 50s Hollywood movie. All time favourite.
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dellamorte-8228210 February 2023This is a very under appreciated film. It's admittedly early in the Disney lexicon of classics that would litter the later part of the century. The story is simplistic. The humor in this piece generally comes from the three witches; all of whom give this classic its personality and wit. The story is standard fare other than this "hiccup" which is what defines this film as wholesome Disney family entertainment inevitably. The serious tone that the majority of the picture harbors is an odd juxtaposition that doesn't ultimately work in this combination though. The truly defining part of this film is; however, it's animation. The style is this film's true charm. The line work in the illustrations is understated yet dramatically defining. It's wonderful and much like LILO+STITCH (which feels very water-colored to highlight its setting) that would come later; it becomes a defining moment in Disney's ever evolving mastery of art.
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djansen249 July 2012Sleeping Beauty is a disappointment for Disney. If it were the first animated feature ever made or even the first "princess meets prince - falls in love - they live happily ever after" animated feature, it would be fairly decent. But compared with Cinderella and Snow White, Sleeping Beauty falls very far behind. The animation fluidity is very smooth, an improvement on Snow White, but that is where the magic ends. The backgrounds are less detailed, the extras on the screen are given little to no movement, and the color palette is mostly primary colors. The story is one we've all heard before, but no time is invested in the characters (save for the 3 fairies...who fail to delight) to spice things up. What made the fairy tales of Snow White and Cinderella so wonderful was the attention to detail, both in animation and characters. We got to know their personalities, their motivations, their quirks. For example, the magnificently drawn villain, Malificent, is given no reason for being bad. She just comes and lays a curse upon people and creates havoc because...well, I guess she just has nothing better to do...
In this movie, Disney seems to be going through the motions. Take note: more time is given to showing the storybook flipping through the pages and more narration is used to move us through the plot. Had Disney focused less on the plot and more on the characters relating to each other, the movie would have been much more interesting. There is nothing in Sleeping Beauty that is original, nothing they haven't done better earlier. Such a pity this was the last movie Walt produced before he died. It was the end of their classic era. Even the music is lacking with the Princess Aurora song and the song between the 2 kings being some of the silliest music they ever recorded. Only one great tune (The Once Upon a Dream song) stands above the rest. They clearly knew that it was their one good song since it is sung over and over again throughout the movie.
So why am I giving this movie a 5 and not lower? Because it is a competent movie. It is skillfully pieced together and flows smoothly. It will be a delight to children. On its own, it is decent. It pales in comparison to other great Disney films. Sleepy Beauty is a perfect example of a skilled studio cutting corners and putting out a product without a lot of love poured into it. -
I'm sure I've seen this film before but for the life of me I cannot remember when. Perhaps I saw it when I was very young and not since but it is equally like that my "memory" of it has just been created by cultural reference points, clips and a general knowledge that it exists. Either way when I sat to watch this the other day as a man in his mid-30's it did very much feel like I was coming to the total film for the first time and I was quite surprised by how simply it engaged and entertained me.
The plot is simple and will be known to all and within this telling we do pretty much go from one bit to the next with little in the way of extrapolation or development – a potential problem for older viewers looking to get into it, but it still manages to work. A big part of this is the sense of fairy tale that it delivers, because it puts you in a frame of mind suitable for this. The "opening on a shot of a book" start to this film has been done since many times so it is easy to overlook how effective it can be, but here it works very well and the whole film captures the feel that this opening is suggesting. The telling is lightly comic but avoids cynicism or cruel humour and instead goes for a light touch; although I do love the edge that modern cynicism gives to some films, I will concede that it was quite refreshing to have a film free of it. The broad strokes of a fairy tale are here – the good fairies are non-threatening and comic while the evil fairy is tall, lean, strict and menacing; the prince is handsome, the princess stunning etc and it does feel like being read to as a child because it is simple yet vivid in the way it is told.
It is easy (and tempting) to look at the film with a cynical modern eye and criticise it for its presentation of beauty and its gender politics but, while I do believe that things like this film and Barbie and others had a major role in shaping the view of beauty, it is not a thought that occurred to me once while watching the film. Instead it charmed me to its agenda, not my own and I would suggest anyone watching this and muttering their way through it has simply not come with an open mind. The voice work perhaps lacks the character of modern animated films, but all are good in their various roles – in particular the evil fairy is strong in her presence.
Overall Sleeping Beauty is considered a classic and it is so for good reason – because it is. It is the type of film that parents will want their children to see because it is simple, engaging, well presented, beautiful to look at and tells a story that has danger and evil in it while also showing the power of love and that good will always prevail. Of course this is not true – but this is a fairy tale and it takes you with it while you watch. It says something that over 50 years after this was made that a audience of all ages can sit to watch this and all come away loving it. A delight. -
For fans of Sleeping Beauty, the latest DVD release from Disney- one of their "Platinum" editions with 2 discs and games and so on- is worth full price. It gives the fans a chance to see the film as it was originally intended for theaters, in a 2:20:1 aspect ratio (even slimmer than 2:35, think the aspect ratio of Ben-Hur for comparison), and all of the cinematic detail, of the backgrounds and the characters in the foreground, is all there with digitally restored picture and sound. If nothing else, even as I didn't care for the film itself very much, it is worth sort of rejoicing. Sort of.
I didn't like the movie (!) Yes, not by a lot. Compared to the other Disney films of the period, even with the other Princess films (Snow White and Cinderella, even if they aren't princesses all the way through), this one falls short. The main characters are bland, even by Disney standards which for protagonists, ESPECIALLY the male prince characters, are without personality. Watching these characters do little on screen but prance in the woods and immediately fall in love just made me think fondly of other Disney films, including the "new" crop from the past twenty years like The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, which have similar fantastic stories and one-dimensional leads only given more personality and depth and flaws.
It's like Disney and his team took a lot of the elements from past films and cobbled them together. It's not that the film is even all bad, far from it. Any time Maleficent or her troll-like minions come on screen, or when the movie by proxy of her evil magic gets dark, suddenly the movie comes alive. Particularly so this happens when Princess Aurora, left alone in the room by her three good-hearted but dim-witted magic women, goes up the staircase following a green light in a trance (Vertigo, anyone?) And of course things are often beautifully animated, such as those backgrounds and the matte paintings. Other times- and I know I may get crap for this- it looks oddly cheap, dated.
There is magic stuff here, and classic moments, and a scene with the two kings as they get drunk that's actually quite funny and lively and feels entertaining. But the rest of the film is a sort of plastic farce, where characters do stupid (or just Disney-generic) things and it takes so long to get to better parts that aren't clouded by ill-logic (i.e. the making-everyone-in-the-kingdom-asleep trick that seems kind of, I dunno, wrong on some level seeing it all grown up). Perhaps for kids it works much better, or for those who are only looking for some of the 'classic' Disney animation in full widescreen. But so much of it is lacking in ways that just elude me, and make me want to go back to the other Disney classics for better results.