THE SLEEPING BEAUTY

Original title: Sleeping Beauty
Characters: Princess Aurora, Maleficent, Flora, Fauna, Serenella, Prince Philip, King Stephen, Queen Leah, King Uberto
Production: Walt Disney Studios
Regia: Clyde Geronimo, Eric Larson, Wolfgang Reitherman, Les Clark

Country: USA
Year: 1959
Gender: Tale
Episodes: 1
Duration: 75 minutes
Recommended age: Movies for all ages

The animated feature film "Sleeping Beauty" (Sleeping Beauty in the American original) was produced by Walt Disney in 1959 and adds to the vast list of masterpieces, made up to that point. The story is taken from the famous fairy tale by Charles Perrault, but as in all his films, Walt Disney has changed some aspects of the plot in order to make it more exciting and fun. After Snow White and Seven Dwarfs e Cinderella it was decided to bring some changes to the style of the film, in order to differentiate it from these very similar fairy tales. We therefore opted for an innovative graphic genre, which for the backgrounds resumed the sumptuousness and attention to detail typical of medieval tapestries, while for the characters a modern and essential style was sought, typical of the animated drawing of that period. The realization of the landscapes and backgrounds was entrusted to Eyvind Earle, a genius of illustration who strongly characterized the graphic impact of the film; every single frame is as if it were an author's painting. Thanks to the collaboration of his prodigious staff, Walt Disney also succeeded in this extraordinary feat, even if the production costs skyrocketed beyond all expectations, so much so that despite registering a huge success of publishing (second at the box office after "Ben Hur" ), failed to cover the expenses. The film is also innovative from a technical point of view, as it was projected with the Super Technirama 70 widescreen process, equipped with 6 stereo audio tracks that made Tchaikovsky's music more appreciated.

The story of the sleeping beauty tells that long ago in a distant land, there lived a king and his beautiful queen. For a long time they had wished for the birth of an heir, until one day a daughter was born to whom they gave the name Aurora. They called it that because from that day on, their life seemed to be illuminated by the sunlight. The king proclaimed a great feast throughout his reign, so that everyone could pay homage to the little princess. So on this great day of celebration the whole kingdom celebrated the royal birth and the good King Stephen with his queen welcomed their closest friends. King Stephen took particular care of the visit of King Robert and his young son Philip, as they already had in mind one day, to celebrate the wedding between Aurora and Philip, in order to unify their kingdoms. Bringing the gift to her in the crib, Philip did not yet know he was aiming at his future bride. The three good fairies also arrived: Flora, Fauna and Serenella. The fairy Flora gave the little one beauty as a gift, the fairy Fauna gave her the melodious voice of song. At the moment when the fairy Serenella was about to pronounce the gift for Princess Aurora, the terrible Maleficent witch burst into the castle. Offended at not being invited, she cast a curse. Before Aurora turns 16, she will prick her finger with the spindle of a spinning wheel and die. After saying these words the witch vanished. To remedy this curse, the fairy Serenella gives him a spell that limits Maleficent's. If it is stung by the spindle it will not die, but will fall into a very long sleep and can only be awakened by the kiss of true love.

King Stephen worried about the life of his daughter, ordered that every spinning wheel in his kingdom be immediately burned, however the three fairies, well aware of the power of the Maleficent witch, believed that attempt was in vain. So they thought of taking on the clothes of three peasant girls and raising little Aurora, in a remote little house in the woods for sixteen years. And so the king and queen reluctantly had to leave their only daughter to entrust her to the three fairies, who, in order not to arouse suspicion, gave up their magic. Many sad and lonely years went by for King Stephen and his people, but as the princess's 16th birthday approached, the whole kingdom began to rejoice because everyone knew, that as long as from the castle of darkness, in the enchanted mountain where she resided the Maleficent witch, were her anger and disappointment echoed, the sad prophecy would not come true. In all these years the searches of Maleficent's shabby minions have not produced any results, so the queen of darkness relies on her raven, so that she can find a blonde girl with pink lips.

Hidden in the forest, the three fairies had raised Princess Aurora in the best possible way, and now she has become beautiful and they called her Rosaspina. On her 16th birthday, the three fairies want to celebrate the princess with a cake and a new dress, but not being very practical in cooking and tailoring, as they have always made use of magic, they find many difficulties in making their gifts and thus combine a series of troubles. Meanwhile Rosaspina goes into the woods in search of berries and so, with the complicity of the forest animals, she accidentally meets Prince Philip with whom she makes the acquaintance even though she does not know his name, but then runs away remembering the recommendations of the three fairies. Inside the little house, at the suggestion of the fairy Serenella, the three fairies decide to pick up the magic wands to prepare Rosaspina's birthday party, who upon her arrival finds a beautiful dress and a splendid cake. Rosaspina confides in the fairies of the meeting with the prince, but this frightens them and in the end they reveal to her that she is Princess Aurora, who has already been betrothed to Prince Philip and therefore they forbid her to meet the boy again. Meanwhile, the raven of the Maleficent witch, who has noticed the sparkle of the magic of the three fairies, has discovered the refuge of Princess Aurora and flies to give the news to her mistress.

Prince Philip, happy and in love with Aurora, also announces to his father that he has met the girl he is to marry, whom he mistakes for a peasant woman, not knowing that she is his betrothed. The three fairies take Princess Aurora to the castle and lock her in a room, waiting for the stroke of midnight. But unbeknownst to them, the Maleficent witch arrives and stings Aurora with the spindle of a spinning wheel, causing her to fall into a deep sleep. The sun has now set and King Stephen anxiously awaits to be able to embrace his daughter again, but the three fairies, in order not to give her a displeasure and to make a last attempt, make all the inhabitants of the kingdom fall into a deep sleep and go in search of the Prince Philip, who in the meantime has been kidnapped by the Maleficent witch. Thanks to the help of Flora, Fauna and Serenella, the brave Prince Philip will be able to free himself and defeat the Maleficent witch who has turned into a monstrous dragon in a spectacular duel. Thus with his kiss nourished by the feeling of true love, Prince Philip will be able to wake up Princess Aurora and dissolve the spell.