Miya Pearson
Sleeping Beauty, the 1959 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney, is based on Charles Perrault's 1697 fairy tale about Princess Aurora, who falls into a deep sleep and can only be awakened by true love's kiss. The film took nearly a decade to make and was Walt Disney's attempt at creating a masterpiece that was distinct from his previous films, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Cinderella, in terms of both animation and story. The question of how old Sleeping Beauty is in the movie arises due to the time lapse in the plot, where the character is cursed to sleep for a hundred years. However, the movie begins with Princess Aurora as a newborn, and the curse is enacted on her 16th birthday, making her a teenager when she falls into her deep sleep.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the movie | Sleeping Beauty |
| Year of release | 1959 |
| Genre | Animated musical fantasy |
| Production company | Walt Disney Productions |
| Distributor | Buena Vista Film Distribution |
| Directors | Wolfgang Reitherman, Eric Larson, and Les Clark |
| Production supervisor | Clyde Geronimi |
| Voice actors | Mary Costa, Bill Shirley, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Barbara Luddy, Barbara Jo Allen, Taylor Holmes, and Bill Thompson |
| Character cursed to fall asleep | Princess Aurora |
| Age of Princess Aurora | 16 |
| Name of the curse | Maleficent |
| Duration of the sleep | 100 years |
| Awakened by | True love's kiss |
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What You'll Learn
Princess Aurora is 16 years old in the movie
The film Sleeping Beauty took a different approach to its visual design, with Walt Disney seeking a "moving illustration". The styling sketches created by Kay Nielsen suggested an ethereal style with soft colours, which impressed the film's production designer, Ken Anderson. However, he felt that translating Nielsen's pastel paintings into animation would be challenging. Despite the challenges, the film's tapestry-like style was achieved with the help of John Hench, who interpreted Nielsen's artwork with opaque cel paint.
The production of Sleeping Beauty began in 1950, and the film was released in 1959. It is known for its beautiful and stylish animation, rich and vibrant colours, and wonderful voice acting. The Tchaikovsky music, including the song "Once Upon a Dream", also adds to the movie's charm. The film received mixed reviews upon its release, with some critics considering it slow-paced and lacking in character development. However, it has since gained a cult following, with many appreciating its magical story, wonderful romance, and bright and beautiful animation.
The character of Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty is known for her beauty and song. She is the future queen of her land and is blessed by three fairies, Flora, Merryweather, and Fauna. The live-action reference for Princess Aurora was provided by Helene Stanley, who helped bring the character to life for the animators. Despite being the main character, Aurora has very few lines in the film, and she does not speak at all in the second half after being awakened from the sleeping spell.
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The movie is based on Charles Perrault's 1697 fairy tale
The 1959 film Sleeping Beauty is based on Charles Perrault's 1697 fairy tale of the same name. The film is an American animated musical fantasy produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Film Distribution.
In the film, Princess Aurora is cursed by the evil fairy Maleficent. The curse dooms Aurora to die by pricking her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel on her 16th birthday. However, three good fairies alter the curse so that, instead of dying, Aurora will fall into a deep sleep and can only be awakened by true love's kiss.
Walt Disney first considered adapting Perrault's tale in 1938, but the project did not move forward at that time. Disney registered Sleeping Beauty as a planned production title in 1950, and the film began development that same year. It took nearly a decade and $6 million to complete, with Disney envisioning the film as the pinnacle of his studio's achievements in animation.
To distinguish Sleeping Beauty from his previous films, Disney took a different approach to its visual design. The artwork and styling sketches for the film were inspired by the Unicorn Tapestries series, resulting in a tapestry-like style with soft colours. Disney also insisted on using live-action reference versions with actors in costumes to make the characters "as real as possible, near flesh-and-blood".
The film received praise for its grandness, beautiful animation, and music. It has been described as a "lively and playful retelling of a favourite fairy tale" and a "masterpiece of the Disney Studios' postwar style". However, some critics found the animation flat and less impressive than Disney's earlier works.
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The curse is that on her 16th birthday, she will fall asleep
The 1959 Disney film Sleeping Beauty is based on the 1697 fairy tale by Charles Perrault. In the story, Princess Aurora is cursed by the evil fairy Maleficent to die from pricking her finger on a spinning wheel on her 16th birthday. The three good fairies who raised Aurora alter the curse so that instead of dying, she will fall into a deep sleep and only be awakened by true love's kiss.
Aurora's age is significant in the story. At 16, she is still very young, which emphasizes the tragedy of the curse and the fact that she has her whole life ahead of her. It also makes her more vulnerable and innocent, qualities that are often associated with youth. This may be why the filmmakers chose to make Aurora 16, as it adds an extra layer of emotion and pathos to the story.
Additionally, Aurora's youth may also be symbolic of the loss of innocence and the transition to adulthood. In the story, the curse serves as a coming-of-age moment for Aurora, forcing her to confront her own mortality and the realities of the world. This theme of losing one's innocence is also explored in other Disney films such as Snow White, where the titular character is only 14 years old when she is forced to flee her home and face the evil Queen.
The curse also serves as a plot device to drive the story forward and create conflict. By establishing a time limit, the curse creates a sense of tension and urgency. It also raises the stakes, as the characters must find a way to break the curse before it is too late. This adds a layer of complexity to the story and engages the audience in trying to unravel how the curse will be lifted.
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The three good fairies alter the curse so she can be woken by true love's kiss
In the 1959 Disney film Sleeping Beauty, Princess Aurora is cursed by the evil fairy Maleficent on her 16th birthday. The curse dooms her to die by pricking her finger on a spinning wheel. However, three good fairies—Flora, Merryweather, and Fauna—alter the curse so that, instead of dying, Aurora will fall into a deep sleep and can only be awakened by true love's kiss.
The concept of 'true love's kiss' is a common motif in fairy tales and folklore, often used to break curses and spells. In the film, Aurora is saved by her true love's kiss, though in some other stories, true love's kiss is used to revive the dead or grant transformation. The idea of a true love's kiss has been explored in various modern retellings of fairytales, including Disney's adaptations of "Snow White," "Sleeping Beauty," "The Little Mermaid," and "Beauty and the Beast."
In the original Sleeping Beauty tale by Charles Perrault, written in 1697, the princess wakes up on her own when the prince kneels before her. However, in the Brothers Grimm version, titled "Dornröschen" ("Little Briar Rose"), the princess is awakened from her 100-year slumber by a magical true love's kiss from the prince. This version inspired the 1959 Disney film, where Aurora's curse is altered by the three good fairies to be broken by true love's kiss.
The three good fairies' alteration of the curse in the 1959 film is a significant deviation from Perrault's original tale, adding a romantic element to the story. By changing the condition for breaking the curse, the fairies ensure that Aurora's sleep is not permanent and can be ended by the power of true love. This alteration also introduces the theme of true love's kiss as a magical force, which has become a beloved trope in contemporary fairytale fantasy.
The 1959 film Sleeping Beauty took nearly a decade to produce and was designed to be the pinnacle of Walt Disney's studio's achievements in animation. The intricate styling and ethereal artwork, along with the enchanting music, contributed to the film's grand feeling and timeless charm. The story's magical elements, including the three good fairies altering the curse, captured the imagination of audiences and solidified Sleeping Beauty's place in Disney's legacy.
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The movie took nearly a decade to make
The 1959 film Sleeping Beauty took nearly a decade to make. Walt Disney first considered making an animated version of Charles Perrault's 1697 fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty" in 1938. Preliminary artwork was submitted by Joe Grant, but the project did not move forward. Disney registered Sleeping Beauty as a planned production title in 1950, after a preview audience's positive response to Cinderella.
By December 1952, Kay Nielsen had created styling sketches for the film, which suggested an ethereal style with soft colours. However, the film's production designer, Ken Anderson, felt that Nielsen's pastel paintings would be difficult to translate into animation. Disney then tasked John Hench with interpreting Nielsen's artwork with opaque cel paint, but Nielsen left the studio by April 1953.
The film's tapestry-like style was inspired by Hench's visit to the Cloisters, where he saw the Unicorn Tapestries series. He brought reproductions of the tapestries back to the studio and made sketches that became the visual template for the film's design. This unique art style, devised by Eyvind Earle, was inspired by pre-Renaissance European art.
Disney wanted Sleeping Beauty to be different from his previous films, both in terms of story and visuals. He wanted the characters to be "as real as possible, near flesh-and-blood". To achieve this, a live-action reference version with actors in costumes was filmed for the animators to study.
The production of Sleeping Beauty faced challenges and delays. Animation began in 1953 and continued until 1958. The film was finally released in January 1959, nearly a decade after its development began. It is considered a landmark in animation and visual design, with its rich colours, unique art style, and serious approach to storytelling.
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Frequently asked questions
Princess Aurora, also known as Sleeping Beauty, is 16 years old in the 1959 film.
Sleeping Beauty was cursed to die on her 16th birthday by pricking her finger on a spinning wheel. However, three good fairies altered the curse so that she would only fall asleep and could be awakened by true love's kiss.
It is not explicitly stated in the film how much time has passed since Sleeping Beauty fell asleep, but it is assumed that she is still 16 years old when she is awakened by Prince Phillip.
