Maleficent (2014)

Disney's Sleeping Beauty is one of my favourite movies. The drawings are a bit different than the usual Disney style and I think Aurora, with her long golden hair, is the most beautiful among all Disney’s princesses. And why not? She’s got the gift of beauty from a fairy.

Maleficent is the same story told from the point of view of the ‘bad fairy’. King Stephan, Aurora’s father, is described here as the bad guy: greedy, selfish, and deceitful. To become a king, Stephan stole Maleficent’s wings. She had trusted him, thinking that he had loved her. For a revenge, Maleficent cursed King Stephan’s baby girl: that before the sunset on her 16th birthday, she would prick her finger on a spindle and fall into a deep slumber; and only a true love’s kiss could wake her up. Maleficent herself believed that true love’s kiss didn’t exist.

The three ‘good’ fairy who were supposed to take care of baby Aurora turned out to be incapable (and stupid), so secretly Maleficent and her raven, Diaval, took care of her. When she almost reached 16, Aurora recognized Maleficent and called her ‘Godmother’. Maleficent grew to love Aurora and tried to undo the curse but couldn’t. When Aurora fell into her deep sleep, what could wake her up but Maleficent’s true love’s kiss. Perhaps it goes to show that only a mother’s love is true.

Aurora and her Godmother in the Moors

Aurora wanted to follow Maleficent, back to the Moors (the enchanted forest kingdom). King Stephan’s army stopped them and they fought – which ended in the king’s death and Maleficent got her wings back. Thus Maleficent, the raven and Aurora lived happily ever after in the Moors.

In the movie, Maleficent was not always described as kind. She destroyed the first king’s army who was attacking the Moors; very different from young Maleficent who let the young thief go in peace. Prince Philip was described as a useless boy, who couldn't even path to the palace.

I know you. I walked with you once upon a dream.