What about that older tale--the 1959 “Sleeping Beauty” which evidently is so problematic that it requires “updating”?
The older film’s story is derived from the scenario presented in the ballet “Sleeping Beauty” by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovski, whose story is derived from even older stories, distilled in the “Tales from the Brothers Grimm” as the tale of Briar Rose. The earliest renditions of the story of “Sleeping Beauty” would likely be understood in a contemporary context as being true tales of terror involving unspeakable acts of cruelty. The literal details mask the cultural memory of what might be described as “corn maiden myths”, which are narrative descriptions of the cycles of nature in general and of planting and harvest in particular. In such myths, nature is personified and the characters in the story are intended as symbolic representations of nature and humanity’s relationship to it. (It seems that Disney’s “Maleficent” is gesturing towards all this but it seems incapable of communicating clearly what the pre-cursors to the “Sleeping Beauty” story were all about).
Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty” preserves the basic plotline provided by Tchaikovski with a few variations. The sorceress Maleficent takes the place of the evil fairy Caraboose, while the number of fairies present at Princess Aurora’s christening is reduced to three. The great battle at the end of animated classic is unique to the film. Minor distinctions aside, Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty” is pretty much in sync with the staging of Tchaikovski’s ballet (which I believe was precisely what Walt Disney wanted for his film). But there is something else present in the animated classic (more so that even Tchaikovski’s ballet) that I think is worth thinking about--what I would identify as a kind of Christian meta-narrative.
By Christian meta-narrative I mean that the details of the plot, presentation of the characters, and, whether intended or not, the symbols employed to advance the story all suggest that Disney’s telling of the tale of “Sleeping Beauty” emerged from and was influenced by a distinctly Christian cultural matrix. How so? Note how the story begins in the setting of party which celebrates the “christening”, that is, the baptism of the Princess Aurora (the personification of the soul), who is attended to by three spiritual beings (personifications of faith, hope, and love). The celebration is disrupted by the appearance of Maleficent (a personification of the devil) who brings with her the curse of death- a curse that is mitigated by the power of the personifications of the spiritual virtues--the devil’s curse will not be fully effective. The three spiritual beings, serve as protectors for Aurora (the soul), and despite appearances to the contrary (they seem small and trivial, for this is how the world perceives faith, hope, and love) they will ultimately prove to be Maleficent’s (the devil) undoing.
The condition placed on Aurora’s (the soul’s) rescue is the arrival of her true love, the son of a king, a character who is a stand-in for Christ. The son of the king suffers (his passion) for the sake of his love for Aurora (the soul), even being imprisoned for a time by Maleficent’s (devil) power, and then at the right moment, and empowered by weapons imbued with supernatural grace, engages in direct combat with Maleficent (who takes the form of the dragon and promises, prior to her transformation, that the son of the king will deal with her and all the powers of hell). Also note how "the son of the king"'s access to the sleeping beauty, Aurora (the soul), is blocked by thorny plants, an evocation of the curse that falls upon humanity as a result of the original sin. Christ conquers, and does so through the sign of the cross, and so too does the prince in the animated film. The story concludes with Aurora and her prince, the soul and Christ, sharing communion with one another (represented in their dance) in a kingdom that gives way to a heavenly realm. The animated classic, whether intentionally or unintentionally yields up its meaning in what can be described as a kind of Christian meta-narrative and serves up an ending that is not just a “happily ever after”, but an evocation of the union of Christ and the Church, as described in the finality of the New Testament Book of Revelation.
Too much? Perhaps. But in regards of “Sleeping Beauty” and “Maleficent”, God and the devil may be in the details of the stories.
