Amazon.co.uk Review
Disney's 1959 Sleeping Beauty was the studio's most ambitious effort to date, a lavish spectacle boasting a gorgeous waltz-filled score adapted from the music of Tchaikovsky. In the 14th century, the malevolent Maleficent (not dissimilar to the wicked queen in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) taunts a king that his infant Aurora will fatally prick her finger on a spinning wheel before sundown on her sixteenth birthday. This, of course, would deny her a happily-ever-after with her true love. Fortunately, some bubbly, bumbling fairies named Flora, Fauna and Merryweather are on hand to assist. It's not really all that much about the title character--how interesting can someone in the middle of a long nap be, anyway? Instead, those fairies carry the day, as well as, of course, good Prince Phillip, whose battle with the malevolent Maleficent in the guise of a dragon has been co-opted by any number of animated films since. See it in its original glory here, alongside Malificent's castle, which, filled with warthogs and demonic imps in a macabre dance celebrating their evil ways, manages a certain creepy grandeur. --David Kronke, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
A Real Visual Beauty.......2007-08-22
This is my favourite Disney movie. The backgrounds are detailed and stylised like a series of medieval tapestries. The intergration of the characters in what look like the best sets ever designed for a semi-swashbuckling musical/comedy/thriller is stunning.
I still get frightened when the fire goes out and Maleficent appears to tempt Aurora through the back of the fireplace (Maleficent being a truly evil villainess). The score is superbly used in these scenes. Brilliant stuff.
Outstanding.......2007-07-01
Like "Cinderella" and "Snow White", "Sleeping Beauty" has gained a rather negative reputation over recent years. It represents, some critics might argue, everything that is wrong with the traditional Disney film: the princess is a brainless sweetheart who requires rescuing by a dullard of a prince, who is very brave and noble but not much else. The villain - shrouded in black and bearing a deep grudge against the princess - is treated mercilessly by the story, but somehow manages to be more interesting than all the other characters put together. Scattered among this motley crew are various cutesy animals, fairies, jamjars, etc., and everyone goes home, smugly saying, "Well! There goes Disney, ruining another classic fairy tale!"
There is, of course, an element of truth in all of this. Certainly Maleficent is the most interesting character in the film, and I'd go so far as to say that she's the greatest Disney villain ever. She is incredibly creepy and reminds the viewer of the Devil with her horned costume and dancing fiends in her castle. Her death, to be quite honest, is something of a tragedy. There are also plenty of the aforementioned cute woodland animals and fairies - although the former are really one of the most entertaining elements of the entire film.
It is impossible to talk about "Sleeping Beauty" without mentioning the artwork, and I personally think that Disney here reached a peak which they have never yet managed to equal. The visuals, quite simply, are gorgeous. Every scene looks like a Medieval painting brought to life. It is literally impossible to do the overall look of the film justice in words. The art is complemented by Tchaikovsky's score, the use of which was a real stroke of genius. Together, the two work together to wonderful effect, making "Sleeping Beauty" probably the most beautiful of all Disney films. There are perhaps too few songs for my liking (I have a weakness for full-on Disney musicals), but the ones that are there are entertaining and well-placed. The DVD extras are great, to the point that I don't think that Disney has ever included better ones. All the documentaries were interesting and well-informed - I really can't speak highly enough of them.
Oh, yes, it's not perfect. Aurora, as charming as she is, is not one of the most interesting princesses - her emotional struggles are regrettably shallow and she spends half the film fast asleep. Philip, too, is slightly more interesting than other Disney princes of this era - but only slightly. But in spite of the film's title, the film isn't really about either of them - the fairies and Maleficent are the key movers here. I suppose, furthermore, that the film lacks a complex plot, and the jokes are on the gentler, more old-fashioned side - although I think that both these points are made up for by the quality of the art and music.
I'm aware that Walt Disney himself was disappointed with the finished result, feeling that it lacked the heart of "Cinderella". He does himself a huge disservice. "Sleeping Beauty" is outstanding stuff, and probably one of the best films in the Disney canon. Full marks.
Beautiful :D.......2007-02-08
As a child, this edition of sleeping beauty was my favourite film. I loved it and watched it over and over again. I especially liked the evil mallificent, her raven and the dragon. This film is a childrens classic that will live forever.
I just wish amazon were still selling this item :( I'd love to buy it on dvd.
Gorgeous artwork, lovely rendering of the classic tale.......2003-09-19
It took Disney's animators six years to create "Sleeping Beauty" and the effort really shows in this magnificent rendering of the German fairy tale "Dornroeschen" or "The Little Briar Rose." The fairy tale is variously transcribed from European folktales by Perrault and The Bros. Grimm. (My favorite part in the Grimm rendering is how the arrival of the long-desired child is announced to the Queen-- she gets the news from a talking crab that jumps out of her bathwater. Now, what kind of crab would that be?)
Disney recreates the old tale with new characters--giving the good and evil fairies much more of a role--in fact, they steal the show. The good fairies are Flora, Fauna and Merrywether, three chubby, bell-shaped sprites, who were inspired by housewives the artists observed in grocery stores. And Maleficent, the stylish, Goth baddy who is tall, slim and has a bit of a smoker's rasp in her deliciously evil voice (played by Eleanor Audley.)
The fairies, good or evil, have so much to do, in fact, that Princess Aurora only gets to sing a bit (by an exceptional operatic soprano Mary Costa) and Prince Philip is equally reticent. The Prince gets a shocker early on in the tale--he has somehow been betrothed to Aurora since early childhood, but this interesting fact wasn't communicated to him until just before the wedding is to go off.) He is understandably miffed, gee, a guy should have SOME say in the matter, even if he doesn't get to pop the question, and after a set-to with Mom and Dad, he never says another word.
The real star here is the production, with the stylish Scandinavian Sixties art by Ervind Earle. Earle looked to folk art, Medieval art and tapestries for inspiration and mixed it with a fine modern sensibility to make a stunning set. The animation owes a lot to Fantasia, which is especially noticible in the automated mops (Night on Bald Mountain) and Maleficent's domain. The artists wanted to avoid a repeat of "Snow White" and they certainly achieved a completely different look and feel. And taking the best of "Fantasia" was a good idea--as "Fantasia" itself was way ahead of its time and underappreciated until much later than its release in the Forties.
As to quality of the DVD, there was a glitch just as Philip is delivering the wakeup kiss to Aurora, the film jumps as if a few frames were cut. A glitch on this particular DVD? Strange that this happens at a critical moment. The extras are well worth looking at, especially the interview with Earle and getting a look at the exquisite detail of the background artwork, giving any parent or grandparent a reason to enjoy the film for their own reasons while it runs for the umpteenth time on the DVD player.
An Enchanting Restoration.......2003-08-28
Keyed to the style of Disney artist Ervind Earle, SLEEPING BEAUTY has long been renowned as one of Walt Disney Studio's most artistically beautiful films--and now with this meticulous restoration Earle's vision comes to the home market in a DVD package that is sure to win praise from every fan of hand-drawn animation.
The story, of course, is the time-honored fairy tale. Princess Aurora is cursed at birth by the evil Maleficent, who declares that on her sixteenth birthday the princess shall prick her finger on a spinning wheel's spindle and die--but fortunately the powers of good are able to mute the effect of the curse; the princess shall not die, but shall instead fall into a deep sleep from which she can be only awakened by love's first kiss.
Earle's vision for the story is drawn from a host of sources, some of them more immediately apparent than others. The result is a curious mixture of flat illustration and meticulous detail that imparts both a modernist edge and the quality of an ancient illuminated manuscript--a truly remarkable concept that gives the film a visual style completely unlike any other among the Disney classics. The DVD offers the option of viewing the film in either its original widescreen ratio or pan-and-scan format--but why any one would elect pan-and-scan is completely beyond me; if ever there was a film that made good and full use of the widescreen ratio, this is it, and you'll want to see every inch of Earle's remarkable work.
Earle's style aside, SLEEPING BEAUTY has been influenced by a number of films that are worth noting. In terms of plot detail, it has been very clearly influenced by Disney's earlier SNOW WHITE, and the designs for the evil Maleficent and her "goons" are very clearly influenced by FANTASIA's "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence--and to magnificent effect; Maleficent is easily among the darkest characters ever created for film. Interestingly, many visual set-ups also seem to have been influenced by MGM's THE WIZARD OF OZ, most notably in the scenes in which the three good fairies rescue Prince Philip from Maleficent's nightmarish castle.
Unlike some animated films, the voices are beautifully matched to the characters, with Mary Costa as Princess Aurora and Eleanor Audley (who also performed the Wicked Stepmother in Disney's CINDERELLA) as Maleficent standouts among the cast. The score, which is based on the brilliant Tchaikovsky ballet score, is also extremely well handled and includes the memorable "Once Upon a Dream."
All of this has been lovingly, shining restored, and quite frankly even if you saw the film in its first release the result here will no doubt surpass it. There is not a blip, a glitch, or a sound-surge to be found. And as is usual with Disney "limited release" DVD editions, the package includes a host of extras, some designed to appeal to the younger set (there are two simple games, neither of which require a CD-ROM) for children and a host of interviews and documentaries. Fortunately, many of the people involved in SLEEPING BEAUTY are still with us--including Ervind Earle and Mary Costa--and their various contributions make the bonus package truly superior.
All of this said, it should be noted that like FANTASIA, SLEEPING BEAUTY is more likely to appeal to adults who can fully appreciate the visual charms of the film than to children, who may find the film's tendency to linger over visuals a bit too much for a limited attention span. But this is indeed a Disney masterpiece, and it belongs in your collection.
Amazon.co.uk Review
When Rudolf Nureyev created a new version of The Sleeping Beauty for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1989, Tchaikovsky's richest, most gem-studded score was about to celebrate its 100th birthday. He made some modifications to the original score and stagings, but basically took Marius Petipa's choreography and polished it with the greatest of respect for what he dubbed "the ballet of ballets". Ten years later, the Opera Bastille adopted his version in a sumptuous new production, and what a sensory experience it turns out to be.
For one thing, the brilliance of the classical sets and costumes fills the huge stage of the Opera Bastille with extravagant glamour. For another, the quality of the dancing is superb at every level. Aurélie Dupont as Princess Aurore and Manuel Legris as her Prince Désiré trigger sublime romance in their ultimate pas de deux. Other highlights include Nathalie Aubin's sinuously evil Carabosse, finally managing to deliver the fateful needle in a bunch of flowers before meeting her match in the Lilac Fairy, and the parade of fairy-tale characters in Act III. This is a connoisseur's production, true. It celebrates one of the greatest classical ballets and the genius of one of the greatest dancers. But it is also a superb entertainment, certain to generate a festive thrill in the chilliest of hearts.
On the DVD: Excellent sound quality (Dolby Digital 2.0) and the 16:9 picture format do proper justice to the sweeping, theatrical scale of the production. The disc also includes printable articles on Petipa's and Nureyev's choreography and a link to NVC Arts' Web site. The comprehensive booklet includes explanations of Nureyev's alterations, a brief history of the ballet and a plot synopsis. --Piers Ford
Customer Reviews:
A Grande Production.......2007-01-15
The first thing that strikes you is this is a very lavish production. Very Glitzy. There was no little Red Riding Hood (my name sake) so I was dissapointed. A touring company came to my theatre and did that comically, great fun. I know you do not judge ballerinas by doing 32 spins in Swan Lake or the Rose Adagio in Sleeping Beauty but Ms Dupont had both arms in the air then brought down one for the 4 princes who turned her round with no wobbles. I had goose pimples wow. She has shot up the ranks for me. She does look like a mature Aurora as opposed to a young fresh Aurora. Its wide screen lavish beautiful and well filmed with close ups at appropriate times better than the Kirov with Lezhina (the filming let that down)on DVD. This is my favourite Sleeping Beauty.
A priceless gem.......2004-07-05
Enough has been said of this wonderful production and all of it is true! The costumes, the decors, the music, the corps etc'. I wish to dedicate this review to Ms. Dupont. She is a rare and priceless gem of the Paris opera. Her entrance in the first act is so exciting I always miss a beat. I have watched this production countless times and she naver fails to astonish me with her vivacity and energy. At this point she is truely a teenager flirting innocently with her suiters. Her manner is so beautiful and naive she totally captivates you. I will however point out at this stage that I forgive her not having perfect lines for her presence is hypnotic and her demeaner so captivating (please excuse any spelling errors I may have, I was not educated in English!) one cannot help but admire her authentic qualitys and marvel at the fact that such elegance exsists nowadays. But it gets better! In the second act we are witness to her falling inlove with prince Desire. Here her lyrical and emotional abilitys are of such magnitude she gives a whole new dimention to this act. She is absolutely stunning. Watch her perform four penche-passe-a l'avent in the pas de deux with the prince one after another with such poetry in her upper body and ports do bras she left me inthralled. This is in my view beauty incarnate! But the final act's pas de deux, her wedding, is perfomed with regal if modest authority. She has to be the most elegant dancer in the world today now that Ms. Elisabeth Platel has retired, The undisputed queen of elegance and the perfect french ballerina. And to add to all of this Ms. Dupont is so beautiful she totally fits the role of Beauty.
Buy this dvd asap and watch closely to fully apprediate it.
A Magnificent Production.......2004-06-26
This version of the "Sleeping Beauty" is Nureyev's re-working of the story in which greater emphasis is placed on the psychology of the characters than in some versions. That said, this is not some modern, impoverished version but a sumptuous realisation of one of the greatest ballets. The scenery, costumes and dancing all take full advantage of the Paris Opera's huge stage. Prince Desire, danced impeccably and beautifully by Manuel Legris, is given extra solos including a wonderful "soliloquy" in Act II, to give the role greater depth. Aurelie Dupond, as Princess Aurora, is a fitting partner for him. They both excel themselves in the final pas de deux which is breath-taking and thrilling, bringing the house down. The ballet ends with an exuberant finale performed by the entire company. With Tchaikovsky's matchless music this is an essential for any ballet lover's DVD library, along with the same company's "Don Quichotte" and "La Bayadere".
Excellent BUT incomplete.......2003-12-18
A marvellous production, what else would you expect from Nureyev and the Paris Opéra? However, be warned, this does not present a complete performance of the ballet...the 'finale et grande apotheosis' are cut. Pity!!!
If you want a complete performance go for the Kirov.
Simply sublime - the video all ballet lovers will adore........2001-10-12
What adjectives can I use to discribe this ballet? Amazing? Fantastic? Brilliant? Well, think of all those and more besides and it won't beging to go near this ballet.
Fantastic costumes, sublime orchestration, and of course, the dancers weren't bad either.
If I could have just one ballet video/DVD - this one would be it. I love it, and you will too.
Amazon.co.uk Review
Disney's 1959 Sleeping Beauty was the studio's most ambitious effort to date, a lavish spectacle boasting a gorgeous waltz-filled score adapted from the music of Tchaikovsky. In the 14th century, the malevolent Maleficent (not dissimilar to the wicked queen in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) taunts a king that his infant Aurora will fatally prick her finger on a spinning wheel before sundown on her sixteenth birthday. This, of course, would deny her a happily-ever-after with her true love. Fortunately, some bubbly, bumbling fairies named Flora, Fauna and Merryweather are on hand to assist. It's not really all that much about the title character--how interesting can someone in the middle of a long nap be, anyway? Instead, those fairies carry the day, as well as, of course, good Prince Phillip, whose battle with the malevolent Maleficent in the guise of a dragon has been co-opted by any number of animated films since. See it in its original glory here, alongside Malificent's castle, which, filled with warthogs and demonic imps in a macabre dance celebrating their evil ways, manages a certain creepy grandeur. --David Kronke, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
A Real Visual Beauty.......2007-08-22
This is my favourite Disney movie. The backgrounds are detailed and stylised like a series of medieval tapestries. The intergration of the characters in what look like the best sets ever designed for a semi-swashbuckling musical/comedy/thriller is stunning.
I still get frightened when the fire goes out and Maleficent appears to tempt Aurora through the back of the fireplace (Maleficent being a truly evil villainess). The score is superbly used in these scenes. Brilliant stuff.
Outstanding.......2007-07-01
Like "Cinderella" and "Snow White", "Sleeping Beauty" has gained a rather negative reputation over recent years. It represents, some critics might argue, everything that is wrong with the traditional Disney film: the princess is a brainless sweetheart who requires rescuing by a dullard of a prince, who is very brave and noble but not much else. The villain - shrouded in black and bearing a deep grudge against the princess - is treated mercilessly by the story, but somehow manages to be more interesting than all the other characters put together. Scattered among this motley crew are various cutesy animals, fairies, jamjars, etc., and everyone goes home, smugly saying, "Well! There goes Disney, ruining another classic fairy tale!"
There is, of course, an element of truth in all of this. Certainly Maleficent is the most interesting character in the film, and I'd go so far as to say that she's the greatest Disney villain ever. She is incredibly creepy and reminds the viewer of the Devil with her horned costume and dancing fiends in her castle. Her death, to be quite honest, is something of a tragedy. There are also plenty of the aforementioned cute woodland animals and fairies - although the former are really one of the most entertaining elements of the entire film.
It is impossible to talk about "Sleeping Beauty" without mentioning the artwork, and I personally think that Disney here reached a peak which they have never yet managed to equal. The visuals, quite simply, are gorgeous. Every scene looks like a Medieval painting brought to life. It is literally impossible to do the overall look of the film justice in words. The art is complemented by Tchaikovsky's score, the use of which was a real stroke of genius. Together, the two work together to wonderful effect, making "Sleeping Beauty" probably the most beautiful of all Disney films. There are perhaps too few songs for my liking (I have a weakness for full-on Disney musicals), but the ones that are there are entertaining and well-placed. The DVD extras are great, to the point that I don't think that Disney has ever included better ones. All the documentaries were interesting and well-informed - I really can't speak highly enough of them.
Oh, yes, it's not perfect. Aurora, as charming as she is, is not one of the most interesting princesses - her emotional struggles are regrettably shallow and she spends half the film fast asleep. Philip, too, is slightly more interesting than other Disney princes of this era - but only slightly. But in spite of the film's title, the film isn't really about either of them - the fairies and Maleficent are the key movers here. I suppose, furthermore, that the film lacks a complex plot, and the jokes are on the gentler, more old-fashioned side - although I think that both these points are made up for by the quality of the art and music.
I'm aware that Walt Disney himself was disappointed with the finished result, feeling that it lacked the heart of "Cinderella". He does himself a huge disservice. "Sleeping Beauty" is outstanding stuff, and probably one of the best films in the Disney canon. Full marks.
Beautiful :D.......2007-02-08
As a child, this edition of sleeping beauty was my favourite film. I loved it and watched it over and over again. I especially liked the evil mallificent, her raven and the dragon. This film is a childrens classic that will live forever.
I just wish amazon were still selling this item :( I'd love to buy it on dvd.
Gorgeous artwork, lovely rendering of the classic tale.......2003-09-19
It took Disney's animators six years to create "Sleeping Beauty" and the effort really shows in this magnificent rendering of the German fairy tale "Dornroeschen" or "The Little Briar Rose." The fairy tale is variously transcribed from European folktales by Perrault and The Bros. Grimm. (My favorite part in the Grimm rendering is how the arrival of the long-desired child is announced to the Queen-- she gets the news from a talking crab that jumps out of her bathwater. Now, what kind of crab would that be?)
Disney recreates the old tale with new characters--giving the good and evil fairies much more of a role--in fact, they steal the show. The good fairies are Flora, Fauna and Merrywether, three chubby, bell-shaped sprites, who were inspired by housewives the artists observed in grocery stores. And Maleficent, the stylish, Goth baddy who is tall, slim and has a bit of a smoker's rasp in her deliciously evil voice (played by Eleanor Audley.)
The fairies, good or evil, have so much to do, in fact, that Princess Aurora only gets to sing a bit (by an exceptional operatic soprano Mary Costa) and Prince Philip is equally reticent. The Prince gets a shocker early on in the tale--he has somehow been betrothed to Aurora since early childhood, but this interesting fact wasn't communicated to him until just before the wedding is to go off.) He is understandably miffed, gee, a guy should have SOME say in the matter, even if he doesn't get to pop the question, and after a set-to with Mom and Dad, he never says another word.
The real star here is the production, with the stylish Scandinavian Sixties art by Ervind Earle. Earle looked to folk art, Medieval art and tapestries for inspiration and mixed it with a fine modern sensibility to make a stunning set. The animation owes a lot to Fantasia, which is especially noticible in the automated mops (Night on Bald Mountain) and Maleficent's domain. The artists wanted to avoid a repeat of "Snow White" and they certainly achieved a completely different look and feel. And taking the best of "Fantasia" was a good idea--as "Fantasia" itself was way ahead of its time and underappreciated until much later than its release in the Forties.
As to quality of the DVD, there was a glitch just as Philip is delivering the wakeup kiss to Aurora, the film jumps as if a few frames were cut. A glitch on this particular DVD? Strange that this happens at a critical moment. The extras are well worth looking at, especially the interview with Earle and getting a look at the exquisite detail of the background artwork, giving any parent or grandparent a reason to enjoy the film for their own reasons while it runs for the umpteenth time on the DVD player.
An Enchanting Restoration.......2003-08-28
Keyed to the style of Disney artist Ervind Earle, SLEEPING BEAUTY has long been renowned as one of Walt Disney Studio's most artistically beautiful films--and now with this meticulous restoration Earle's vision comes to the home market in a DVD package that is sure to win praise from every fan of hand-drawn animation.
The story, of course, is the time-honored fairy tale. Princess Aurora is cursed at birth by the evil Maleficent, who declares that on her sixteenth birthday the princess shall prick her finger on a spinning wheel's spindle and die--but fortunately the powers of good are able to mute the effect of the curse; the princess shall not die, but shall instead fall into a deep sleep from which she can be only awakened by love's first kiss.
Earle's vision for the story is drawn from a host of sources, some of them more immediately apparent than others. The result is a curious mixture of flat illustration and meticulous detail that imparts both a modernist edge and the quality of an ancient illuminated manuscript--a truly remarkable concept that gives the film a visual style completely unlike any other among the Disney classics. The DVD offers the option of viewing the film in either its original widescreen ratio or pan-and-scan format--but why any one would elect pan-and-scan is completely beyond me; if ever there was a film that made good and full use of the widescreen ratio, this is it, and you'll want to see every inch of Earle's remarkable work.
Earle's style aside, SLEEPING BEAUTY has been influenced by a number of films that are worth noting. In terms of plot detail, it has been very clearly influenced by Disney's earlier SNOW WHITE, and the designs for the evil Maleficent and her "goons" are very clearly influenced by FANTASIA's "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence--and to magnificent effect; Maleficent is easily among the darkest characters ever created for film. Interestingly, many visual set-ups also seem to have been influenced by MGM's THE WIZARD OF OZ, most notably in the scenes in which the three good fairies rescue Prince Philip from Maleficent's nightmarish castle.
Unlike some animated films, the voices are beautifully matched to the characters, with Mary Costa as Princess Aurora and Eleanor Audley (who also performed the Wicked Stepmother in Disney's CINDERELLA) as Maleficent standouts among the cast. The score, which is based on the brilliant Tchaikovsky ballet score, is also extremely well handled and includes the memorable "Once Upon a Dream."
All of this has been lovingly, shining restored, and quite frankly even if you saw the film in its first release the result here will no doubt surpass it. There is not a blip, a glitch, or a sound-surge to be found. And as is usual with Disney "limited release" DVD editions, the package includes a host of extras, some designed to appeal to the younger set (there are two simple games, neither of which require a CD-ROM) for children and a host of interviews and documentaries. Fortunately, many of the people involved in SLEEPING BEAUTY are still with us--including Ervind Earle and Mary Costa--and their various contributions make the bonus package truly superior.
All of this said, it should be noted that like FANTASIA, SLEEPING BEAUTY is more likely to appeal to adults who can fully appreciate the visual charms of the film than to children, who may find the film's tendency to linger over visuals a bit too much for a limited attention span. But this is indeed a Disney masterpiece, and it belongs in your collection.
Amazon.co.uk Review
Disney's 1959 Sleeping Beauty was the studio's most ambitious effort to date, a lavish spectacle boasting a gorgeous waltz-filled score adapted from the music of Tchaikovsky. In the 14th century, the malevolent Maleficent (not dissimilar to the wicked queen in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) taunts a king that his infant Aurora will fatally prick her finger on a spinning wheel before sundown on her sixteenth birthday. This, of course, would deny her a happily-ever-after with her true love. Fortunately, some bubbly, bumbling fairies named Flora, Fauna and Merryweather are on hand to assist. It's not really all that much about the title character--how interesting can someone in the middle of a long nap be, anyway? Instead, those fairies carry the day, as well as, of course, good Prince Phillip, whose battle with the malevolent Maleficent in the guise of a dragon has been co-opted by any number of animated films since. See it in its original glory here, alongside Malificent's castle, which, filled with warthogs and demonic imps in a macabre dance celebrating their evil ways, manages a certain creepy grandeur. --David Kronke, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
A Real Visual Beauty.......2007-08-22
This is my favourite Disney movie. The backgrounds are detailed and stylised like a series of medieval tapestries. The intergration of the characters in what look like the best sets ever designed for a semi-swashbuckling musical/comedy/thriller is stunning.
I still get frightened when the fire goes out and Maleficent appears to tempt Aurora through the back of the fireplace (Maleficent being a truly evil villainess). The score is superbly used in these scenes. Brilliant stuff.
Outstanding.......2007-07-01
Like "Cinderella" and "Snow White", "Sleeping Beauty" has gained a rather negative reputation over recent years. It represents, some critics might argue, everything that is wrong with the traditional Disney film: the princess is a brainless sweetheart who requires rescuing by a dullard of a prince, who is very brave and noble but not much else. The villain - shrouded in black and bearing a deep grudge against the princess - is treated mercilessly by the story, but somehow manages to be more interesting than all the other characters put together. Scattered among this motley crew are various cutesy animals, fairies, jamjars, etc., and everyone goes home, smugly saying, "Well! There goes Disney, ruining another classic fairy tale!"
There is, of course, an element of truth in all of this. Certainly Maleficent is the most interesting character in the film, and I'd go so far as to say that she's the greatest Disney villain ever. She is incredibly creepy and reminds the viewer of the Devil with her horned costume and dancing fiends in her castle. Her death, to be quite honest, is something of a tragedy. There are also plenty of the aforementioned cute woodland animals and fairies - although the former are really one of the most entertaining elements of the entire film.
It is impossible to talk about "Sleeping Beauty" without mentioning the artwork, and I personally think that Disney here reached a peak which they have never yet managed to equal. The visuals, quite simply, are gorgeous. Every scene looks like a Medieval painting brought to life. It is literally impossible to do the overall look of the film justice in words. The art is complemented by Tchaikovsky's score, the use of which was a real stroke of genius. Together, the two work together to wonderful effect, making "Sleeping Beauty" probably the most beautiful of all Disney films. There are perhaps too few songs for my liking (I have a weakness for full-on Disney musicals), but the ones that are there are entertaining and well-placed. The DVD extras are great, to the point that I don't think that Disney has ever included better ones. All the documentaries were interesting and well-informed - I really can't speak highly enough of them.
Oh, yes, it's not perfect. Aurora, as charming as she is, is not one of the most interesting princesses - her emotional struggles are regrettably shallow and she spends half the film fast asleep. Philip, too, is slightly more interesting than other Disney princes of this era - but only slightly. But in spite of the film's title, the film isn't really about either of them - the fairies and Maleficent are the key movers here. I suppose, furthermore, that the film lacks a complex plot, and the jokes are on the gentler, more old-fashioned side - although I think that both these points are made up for by the quality of the art and music.
I'm aware that Walt Disney himself was disappointed with the finished result, feeling that it lacked the heart of "Cinderella". He does himself a huge disservice. "Sleeping Beauty" is outstanding stuff, and probably one of the best films in the Disney canon. Full marks.
Beautiful :D.......2007-02-08
As a child, this edition of sleeping beauty was my favourite film. I loved it and watched it over and over again. I especially liked the evil mallificent, her raven and the dragon. This film is a childrens classic that will live forever.
I just wish amazon were still selling this item :( I'd love to buy it on dvd.
Gorgeous artwork, lovely rendering of the classic tale.......2003-09-19
It took Disney's animators six years to create "Sleeping Beauty" and the effort really shows in this magnificent rendering of the German fairy tale "Dornroeschen" or "The Little Briar Rose." The fairy tale is variously transcribed from European folktales by Perrault and The Bros. Grimm. (My favorite part in the Grimm rendering is how the arrival of the long-desired child is announced to the Queen-- she gets the news from a talking crab that jumps out of her bathwater. Now, what kind of crab would that be?)
Disney recreates the old tale with new characters--giving the good and evil fairies much more of a role--in fact, they steal the show. The good fairies are Flora, Fauna and Merrywether, three chubby, bell-shaped sprites, who were inspired by housewives the artists observed in grocery stores. And Maleficent, the stylish, Goth baddy who is tall, slim and has a bit of a smoker's rasp in her deliciously evil voice (played by Eleanor Audley.)
The fairies, good or evil, have so much to do, in fact, that Princess Aurora only gets to sing a bit (by an exceptional operatic soprano Mary Costa) and Prince Philip is equally reticent. The Prince gets a shocker early on in the tale--he has somehow been betrothed to Aurora since early childhood, but this interesting fact wasn't communicated to him until just before the wedding is to go off.) He is understandably miffed, gee, a guy should have SOME say in the matter, even if he doesn't get to pop the question, and after a set-to with Mom and Dad, he never says another word.
The real star here is the production, with the stylish Scandinavian Sixties art by Ervind Earle. Earle looked to folk art, Medieval art and tapestries for inspiration and mixed it with a fine modern sensibility to make a stunning set. The animation owes a lot to Fantasia, which is especially noticible in the automated mops (Night on Bald Mountain) and Maleficent's domain. The artists wanted to avoid a repeat of "Snow White" and they certainly achieved a completely different look and feel. And taking the best of "Fantasia" was a good idea--as "Fantasia" itself was way ahead of its time and underappreciated until much later than its release in the Forties.
As to quality of the DVD, there was a glitch just as Philip is delivering the wakeup kiss to Aurora, the film jumps as if a few frames were cut. A glitch on this particular DVD? Strange that this happens at a critical moment. The extras are well worth looking at, especially the interview with Earle and getting a look at the exquisite detail of the background artwork, giving any parent or grandparent a reason to enjoy the film for their own reasons while it runs for the umpteenth time on the DVD player.
An Enchanting Restoration.......2003-08-28
Keyed to the style of Disney artist Ervind Earle, SLEEPING BEAUTY has long been renowned as one of Walt Disney Studio's most artistically beautiful films--and now with this meticulous restoration Earle's vision comes to the home market in a DVD package that is sure to win praise from every fan of hand-drawn animation.
The story, of course, is the time-honored fairy tale. Princess Aurora is cursed at birth by the evil Maleficent, who declares that on her sixteenth birthday the princess shall prick her finger on a spinning wheel's spindle and die--but fortunately the powers of good are able to mute the effect of the curse; the princess shall not die, but shall instead fall into a deep sleep from which she can be only awakened by love's first kiss.
Earle's vision for the story is drawn from a host of sources, some of them more immediately apparent than others. The result is a curious mixture of flat illustration and meticulous detail that imparts both a modernist edge and the quality of an ancient illuminated manuscript--a truly remarkable concept that gives the film a visual style completely unlike any other among the Disney classics. The DVD offers the option of viewing the film in either its original widescreen ratio or pan-and-scan format--but why any one would elect pan-and-scan is completely beyond me; if ever there was a film that made good and full use of the widescreen ratio, this is it, and you'll want to see every inch of Earle's remarkable work.
Earle's style aside, SLEEPING BEAUTY has been influenced by a number of films that are worth noting. In terms of plot detail, it has been very clearly influenced by Disney's earlier SNOW WHITE, and the designs for the evil Maleficent and her "goons" are very clearly influenced by FANTASIA's "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence--and to magnificent effect; Maleficent is easily among the darkest characters ever created for film. Interestingly, many visual set-ups also seem to have been influenced by MGM's THE WIZARD OF OZ, most notably in the scenes in which the three good fairies rescue Prince Philip from Maleficent's nightmarish castle.
Unlike some animated films, the voices are beautifully matched to the characters, with Mary Costa as Princess Aurora and Eleanor Audley (who also performed the Wicked Stepmother in Disney's CINDERELLA) as Maleficent standouts among the cast. The score, which is based on the brilliant Tchaikovsky ballet score, is also extremely well handled and includes the memorable "Once Upon a Dream."
All of this has been lovingly, shining restored, and quite frankly even if you saw the film in its first release the result here will no doubt surpass it. There is not a blip, a glitch, or a sound-surge to be found. And as is usual with Disney "limited release" DVD editions, the package includes a host of extras, some designed to appeal to the younger set (there are two simple games, neither of which require a CD-ROM) for children and a host of interviews and documentaries. Fortunately, many of the people involved in SLEEPING BEAUTY are still with us--including Ervind Earle and Mary Costa--and their various contributions make the bonus package truly superior.
All of this said, it should be noted that like FANTASIA, SLEEPING BEAUTY is more likely to appeal to adults who can fully appreciate the visual charms of the film than to children, who may find the film's tendency to linger over visuals a bit too much for a limited attention span. But this is indeed a Disney masterpiece, and it belongs in your collection.
Customer Reviews:
A very enjoyable version by Grigorovich.......2006-10-01
Choreography by Grigorovich is traditional and classical, and is very pleasing. However, it is rather different from the versions currently performed by various leading ballet companies such as the Kirov Ballet and the Royal Ballet.
Staging is also traditional and beautiful. Nina Semizorova (Aurora), a slim and attractive ballerina, shows delicacy and lightness required for the role. She is fleet in her footwork.
Dancing by Alexei Fadeyechev (Prince Desire), a danseur noble, has rare nobility as well as technical command. The supporting soloists, notably Nina Speranskaya (Lilac Fairy), and the corps de ballet show impeccable Russian training. The camera work is very good.
Excellent traditional Sleeping Beauty by the Bolshoi.......2006-04-15
This Sleeping Beauty was filmed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in 1989 and is a re-release of the Japan-produced "Bolshoi at the Bolshoi" series previously available on VHS. The films were shot without an audience, but are presented with overdubbed applause.
The Bolshoi dances Tchaikovsky's second and grandest ballet in the traditional staging completed in 1973 by then director Yuri Grigorovich, after Marius Petipa and with sets by Simon Virsaladze. At the time Grigorovich's staging was much closer to the original Petipa than the Kirov's own production (available on DVD with Kolpakova/Berezhnoi or Lezhnina/Ruzimatov). This production is still performed by the Bolshoi today.
The DVD features some of the foremost principal dancers of the day: Nina Semizorova as Princess Aurora, Nina Speranskaya as the Lilac Fairy, and Alexei Fadeyechev - easily one of the finest male dancers of the Moscow School from the 1980-90's and a danseur noble if ever there was one - as Prince Désiré. Yuri Vetrov appears as Carabosse, while Maria Bylova and Alexander Vetrov dance the Blue Bird pas de deux. The Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra is conducted by Alexander Kopylov.
As with all titles in this series, this disc is obviously a video transfer, leaving some of the movements blurred. The sound is offered in simple stereo.
The DVD release doesn't include any bonus material, but comes with a handsome three-language 20-page booklet, introducing and situating the work and the artists. An effort like this needs to saluted, however it will take a bit more accuracy than the Arthaus Musik writers are able to provide at this stage. For example, Kirov dancer, choreographer and artistic director Konstantin Sergeyev is not a son of Nikolai Sergeyev, as the booklet claims. Konstantin Sergeyev staged The Sleeping Beauty for the Kirov Ballet in 1952, but it is of course Nikolai, not Konstantin, who staged it for London's Sadler's Wells Theatre in 1939 and 1946.
Yet, to see the outstanding dancers of the Bolshoi, ballet enthusiasts needn't hesitate.
Stunning.......2006-01-28
The Sleeping Beauty was considered by Tchaikovsky to be one of his most important works. Both musically and theatrically it is one of his best compositions. This performance by the Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra creates a world of timeless beauty and is a masterpiece. The dancing, the choreography, the scenery, the music and entire production is superb.
Customer Reviews:
video transfers will never be perfect.......2008-02-01
Watching these DVDs gave me a headache. Both from the crackly soundtrack, which frequently made jarring screeches, and my eyes straining to focus on the full-stage shots. No matter how hard I stared at the screen, the dancers were still blurred, and it was difficult to see the subtleties of the performance. On the plus side, from what I could see, they are all well performed.
There are far better ballet DVDs out there. I think it is unfair to sell this product without making it very clear that these are old video transfers.
A wasted opportunity.......2007-06-18
This set contains excellent "5 star" performances of four of the most popular ballets but I can only award it three stars as the picture quality is far from perfect and the way in which the presentation is only worth 1 star. This is because the set is just a box containing separately packaged DVDs just as they were released previously and so there is a lot of wasted materials. Each disc comes with its own separate original booklet none of which contain a synopsis of the story of the ballet and as there no captions on the screen either the novice viewer is left entirely in the dark as to what the plot is or what the various scenes are supposed to represent. Even the not so novice viewer as myself will find that the way in which the scenes flow can be very different from that in UK versions of the ballets and there are extra (rather unfathomable) characters . To be fair there are a lot of tracks on all discs and these are listed in the booklets which also contain articles which will be of most value to those with a fair degree of prior knowledge. However, in the case of Swan Lake, the track details is just the technical name for the dance so it is in French only. As this set is NOT being released at bargain price what I would have expected would be for it to be issued in a new slim line box with one meaty booklet with full details of the stories - and something about the Bolshoi at the end of the Soviet period when the ballets were filmed.
Although filmed in 1989 the picture quality if reminiscent of something from 10 years earlier. There are many instances of blurred images (which I thought could be improved given current technologies) and a lot of difficulty in seeing what is going on in the background -presumably caused by very dark stage lighting being used but again this can be corrected now. To be fair the colours are generally good and for me the balance between close ups and the wider scene is about right - although bear in mind that the Bolshoi stage is vast so you are really going to need a big screen tv.
Another very frustrating aspect of the set is the sound - in all of these works the orchestra pulls out all the stops and in the case of Sleeping Beauty give the most passionate account of the score I have ever heard. Yet with the exception of The Nutcracker the sound is only in PCM. Other companies seem to be able to release recordings from this period and even earlier with a choice of sound formats so why not Arthaus?
It is a great shame that Arthaus has not released these recordings in a way which befits their status as important cultural artefacts. Such a collector's item showing how things were done at the end of the Soviet era could have been a best seller. As it is I can only hope that the copyright will be sold onto another firm who will make more of these treasures.
Customer Reviews:
Russian Magic........2007-08-22
I think the Russians do Tchaikovsky wonderfully well. They know just how to capture the fairy tale atmosphere without production techniques and commercial packaging ruining the magic. I enjoyed this production very much. I'm new to ballet and it really cheered me up. Kirov Nutcracker and Swanlake also recommended.
Great technique wasted.......2007-08-10
The technique of the dancers was superb but, but, but ... The costumes were dowdy and drab, the scenery likewise, the production amazingly banal and above all there was no emotion, no passion, nothing to engage me. I appreciate ballet perhaps more than any other art form but this was just an anaesthetic. Half way through I packed it in. My advice: don't bother with this DVD if there is some paint somewhere you can watch drying.
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