Sleeping Beauty (film)
"Sleeping Beauty" is a classic animated film produced by Walt Disney in 1959, notable for being the first animated feature to utilize the Super Technirama 70 widescreen format and 6-channel stereophonic sound. The film, which tells the story of Princess Aurora, her cursed slumber, and her true love Prince Phillip, did not initially fare well financially or critically, despite its artistic merit and acclaimed music. It was the most expensive animated film of its time, costing $6 million, and took years to produce due to Disney's simultaneous projects.
The plot revolves around Aurora's christening, where an uninvited evil fairy, Maleficent, curses her to die from pricking her finger on a spinning wheel before sunset on her sixteenth birthday. However, a good fairy alters the curse, leading to Aurora falling into a deep sleep, only to be awakened by true love's kiss. The film's animation, inspired by earlier adaptations and fairy tales, received recognition over time, culminating in its preservation by the National Film Registry in 2019 due to its cultural significance. "Sleeping Beauty" remains an integral part of Disney's legacy, with its themes of love and bravery resonating across generations.
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Sleeping Beauty (film)
Sleeping Beauty is an animated film that was produced in 1959 by the Walt Disney company. It is noteworthy because it was the first animated movie to use the photography process known as Super Technirama 70 widescreen and was presented in 6-channel stereophonic sound during its movie theater release. It was in the top ten of the highest grossing films of 1959, earning nearly $6 million. However, due to the unusually high production costs, it did not make the studio any money. At a production cost of $6 million, Sleeping Beauty was the most expensive animated film ever produced up at that time.
In addition, it did not receive much favorable press at its release. This was mostly due to the storyline. Many critics, though, did agree that the artistic aspect of the film’s animation was worthy of acclaim, and the music was well liked by critics and the public alike. In 1970, when the movie was rereleased for the first time, it finally turned a profit for Disney. Because of its cultural and historical significance, in 2019, Sleeping Beauty was chosen to be preserved by the National Film Registry, which is a division of the US Library of Congress.
Background
The story of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty is based on a 1697 fairy tale by Charles Perrault, although other folktales and mythology from all over the world bear some similarities. It is thought likely that Perrault's version, which he included in his collection Tales of Mother Goose, was influenced by some of these stories. His story, which he titled “The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood,” differs slightly from the Disney film version and includes plot points not found in the movie, such as a curse that lasts a hundred years and twelve fairies that assist the maiden. The fairy tale also includes a dark plot line in which the prince’s mother, who is part ogre, tries to eat her daughter-in-law and grandchildren. The Grimm brothers, who are well known for collecting and publishing fairy tales, updated Perrault’s story in 1812 and renamed it Little Briar Rose.
In 1890, a Russian ballet called The Sleeping Beauty was produced by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Maurius Petipa, and Ivab Vesevlozhsky. The adaptation of the fairy tale was more focused on the music and stage presentation than the plot and is thought to have caught Walt Disney’s attention. In the ballet, the king and queen have named their daughter Aurora, which is the same name used in Disney’s version. Disney began development of his version of the tale in his studio in 1950. He altered some of the plot to make it uniquely his own, for example he introduced the character of Maleficent, a wicked fairy godmother. He also called the prince Phillip, which would have appealed to American audiences in the 1950s who were familiar with Britain’s Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
The development of the film took longer than expected because Disney was busy with production of multiple projects, including other films, television, and the building of Disneyland. The writers began their work in 1951 and included unused elements from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Cinderella. The dialogue was recorded in 1953 and a story reel was assembled, which allowed work on the animation to begin. However, Disney discarded the initial animated scene of Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip meeting in the forest and dancing, and the required rewriting caused the film to be delayed.
The film was intended to be released in 1955 in conjunction with the Sleeping Beauty Castle opening at the Disneyland theme park. However, production was further delayed by the animation, which took longer than expected because the characters were complex to draw and the film was being made in the widest aspect ratio, Super Technirama 70. Disney selected famed operatic soprano Mary Costa to voice Aurora, including the singing parts. It finally premiered January 29, 1959. Although not well received for its story, the film was nominated that year for an Academy Award for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture, for the work of George Bruns, and a Grammy Award for Best Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture or Television.
Overview
The plot of Sleeping Beauty centers on Princess Aurora, daughter of King Stefan and Queen Leah, and Prince Phillip, who is the son of King Hubert, Stefan’s best friend. At Aurora’s christening, the royals betroth her to Prince Phillip, who is a few years older, to unite the two kingdoms. Three good fairies are present and bless the princess with gifts. Two bestow the gifts of beauty and song before the celebration is interrupted by an unwelcome arrival. Maleficent, an evil fairy who was not invited, curses the princess for the offense. She declares that Aurora will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday. After Maleficent departs, the third fairy, who has not yet blessed the child, uses her powers to weaken the curse. When Aurora pricks her finger, she will not die, but will instead fall into a deep sleep. She can be awakened by true love’s kiss.
The royals are desperate to protect her from the curse, so they agree to let the fairies raise her in secret. Aurora grows up in the forest believing her name is Briar Rose. As her sixteenth birthday approaches, she meets Prince Phillip in the forest, but is unaware of his identity. Her fairy protectors cannot allow her to pursue romance with a young man they believe is a commoner because she is promised to the prince, so they reveal to her the truth about her heritage. Prince Phillip wants to court the mysterious maiden, but his father insists he honor his betrothal.
The royals prepare a grand celebration for Aurora’s sixteenth birthday, and the fairies deliver her to the castle. All spindles have been removed to prevent her from falling victim to the curse. However, Maleficent intervenes and tricks her into touching the spindle of a cursed spinning wheel. This causes her to fall into a deep sleep. The good fairies place her in a tower. They place a spell on the kingdom that causes everyone else to fall asleep, too. The kings are talking about their children as they fall into a magical slumber, and the good fairies realize Aurora’s love is Prince Phillip.
The fairies try to get the prince to Aurora to break the spell, but Maleficent has already found him. The fairies equip the prince with the magical Sword of Truth and Shield of Virtue. This angers Maleficent, and she transforms into a dragon. Phillip hurls the magical sword at her and it pierces her heart. Finally, Prince Phillip goes to Aurora and gives her a kiss, which breaks the spell. This also breaks the sleeping spell on the kingdom, and everyone is reunited and lives happily ever after.
Bibliography
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Epstein, Robert. “How Walt Disney Ruined Our Love Lives.” Brandeis Magazine, 2014, www.brandeis.edu/magazine/2014/summer/featured-stories/disney.html. Accessed 6 June 2022.
Gonzalez, Ed. “Review: Sleeping Beauty.” Slant, 3 Sept. 2003, www.slantmagazine.com/film/sleeping-beauty/. Accessed 6 June 2022.
Hellerman, Jason. “How Was ‘Sleeping Beauty’ the Pinnacle of Classic Disney Animation?” No Film School, 9 Dec. 2020, nofilmschool.com/sleeping-beauty-animation. Accessed 6 June 2022.
“Interview with Mary Costa.” National Association of Teachers of Singing, Inc., 2020, www.nats.org/‗Interview‗with‗Mary‗Costa.html. Accessed 17 June 2022.
MacInnes, Paul. “Mary Costa: ‘And Then Eleanor Roosevelt Said to Me—Let’s Have a Hot Dog First.” The Guardian, 4 Nov. 2008, www.theguardian.com/film/audio/2008/nov/04/animation. Accessed 17 June 2022.
Radish, Christina. “12 Things to Know About ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and the Art of Disney Animation.” Collider, 18 Oct. 2014, collider.com/sleeping-beauty-art-of-disney-animation/. Accessed 17 June 2022.
Reif, Alex. “From the Vault: The History of ‘Sleeping Beauty’.” Laughing Place, 6 Oct. 2014, www.laughingplace.com/w/articles/2014/10/06/from-the-vault-the-history-of-sleeping-beauty/. Accessed 6 June 2022.
“Sleeping Beauty.” IMDb, www.imdb.com/title/tt0053285/?ref‗=ttpl‗pl‗tt. Accessed 6 June 2022.
“Sleeping Beauty.” Walt Disney Animation Studios, disneyanimation.com/films/sleeping-beauty/. Accessed 6 June 2022.