The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Gems: Sleeping Beauty (1959)

How do you choose what to watch on all those streaming services you have access to? There are so many options that it is just overwhelming. These services constantly release new content and overshadow all the great films from the past that are already there and ready to watch. Now there is The Wasteland Gems! Here is a great film on streaming right now that you should check out this weekend:

Sleeping Beauty (1959)

What is the Disney film that really laid the groundwork for the pop culture representation of fantasy on film? Sleeping Beauty is one of the foundational Disney Animation features that changed the world of animation and fantasy forever. There are so many elements of the film that have set up cliches and tropes for generations of filmmakers to come. Princess Aurora is one of the premiere Disney Princesses out there and one of the key original ones in the earlier era of Disney Animation. Few films have been as beloved as this in the world of animation and because of Disney+ ripping open “The Disney Vault”, a whole new generation of movie fans can watch it.

What is one of the first things that will stand out about Sleeping Beauty? This film is gorgeous. From the opening shot of the beautiful, ornate storybook, you know that you are in for something gorgeous. The animation in this film is so vibrant and makes this whole film come to life. The colors that are leveraged throughout the film are so vibrant and just pop off the screen. The whole sequence with the coloring of Aurora’s dress is so much fun with the rich pink and blues. Even the outfits of the fairies (with their distinct colors to distinguish them) are so vibrant as well. The look of Maleficent is so iconic and distinct with her horned headwear and the deeply rich black and purple outfit stand out so well on screen. The way greenish light is leveraged to make Maleficent’s castle feels so eerie and creepy just works. The fire in the climax of the film leaps off the screen and brings some poignant tension and suspense to the equation. Sleeping Beauty is one of the best-looking animated films of its era for sure.

What about the film’s iconography? There is something so impressive watching this film and realizing just how big an impact this film has made on pop culture, animation, and the genre. Princess Aurora is one of the trendsetting princesses with her long blonde hair. The idea of “Sleeping Beauty” has been explored in so many contexts even outside of straight adaptations of Sleeping Beauty. Maleficent is one of the most iconic and influential antagonists in fantasy. The black, horned attire is just an embodiment of what viewers expect from evil on screen. Her transformation into the giant black dragon is one of the most iconic beasts in all of film history. The spindle and giant vines are some other story elements that are so tied to the story of Sleeping Beauty. There are so many fantasy elements from woodland critters, fairies, and true love’s kiss that just makes this film feel like the blueprint for so many other films to come.

But why do you really want to watch this classic tale? Because it is fun! There are certainly some basic and underdeveloped elements of its time but Sleeping Beauty has plenty of reasons to watch. The music is iconic and catchy between George Bruns’ score and iconic songs like “Once Upon a Dream”. This song is so beautiful and fits the fantasy elements of this film so well. Aurora is a charming protagonist and her dynamic with the silly fairies that raised her is great. The dynamic (and conflicts) of the three fairies delivers plenty of humor and wonderful and magical elements as well. The climax of the film that pits Prince Phillip against Maleficent is thrilling, exciting, and wondrous to see on screen. There are some solid romantic elements as well, especially with the meeting of Aurora and Phillip in the woods. This might not be the deepest and most dynamic narrative but there are so many great genre elements that stand out in this Disney Animation classic. And 75 minutes is not a big ask either in the time investment department.

Sleeping Beauty is streaming on Disney+.