The DVD Dissection: Sleeping Beauty (50th Anniversary Platinum Edition)

Posted by Chad Webb on 11.03.2008

The beloved classic that almost bankrupt Disney arrives in this stacked Platinum Edition DVD!

Featuring the Voices of:
Mary Costa: Princess Aurora
Bill Shirley: Prince Phillip
Eleanor Audley: Maleficent
Verna Felton: Flora
Barbara Luddy: Merryweather
Barbara Jo Allen: Fauna
Taylor Holmes: King Stefan
Bill Thompson: King Hubert
Directed By: Clyde Geronimi
Written By: Erdman Penner, Joe Rinaldi, Winston Hibler, Bill Peet, Ted Sears, Ralph Wright, and Milt Banta
Theatrical Release Date: January 29, 1959
DVD Release Date: October 7, 2008
Running Time: 75 minutes







Rated G

The Film

Creating a true hand-drawn animated classic is not a luxury every studio achieves. Disney has made at least a dozen films in this genre that can be called great in one way or another. However, as the years have watered them down with unnecessary sequels and spin-offs, only a few of them can really be labeled perfect. One of those is Sleeping Beauty. It contains some of the most breathtaking, gorgeous, and refined animation of all-time. For five decades it has remained untouched, and still holds up as a timeless tale that all ages can enjoy. I have watched it many times since I was little, and it has not lost one ounce of its spark.

The film was incredibly successful, but that came at a price. Sleeping Beauty nearly bankrupt the studio as it took over 6 years to make and $6 million to finish. When adjusted for inflation, the domestic gross comes to $478.22 million, putting in the top 30 of adjusted films. It had been re-released four times after its premiere, and is said to have a limited run this year as well. It marked the end of an era for Walt Disney as this was the sixteenth and final film to be produced by Walt Disney and based on a fairy-tale. After his death, the studio returned to the genre with The Little Mermaid. From a studio with many "firsts" to brag about, Sleeping Beauty was the first to be filmed in Technirama and 6-channel stereophonic sound. Disney knew it would be a special experience, and it was.

The story was first published by Charles Perrault in the Tales of Mother Goose set, but the Disney film is definitely what more will be familiar with when the name is mentioned. They borrowed more heavily from the ballet that Peter Tchaikovsky generated rather than the original writings. The live-action storybook opens and the story commences with King Stefan and his Queen desperately wanting a child. That wish is granted in the form of a girl, whom they name Aurora, after the dawn. During a celebration, Prince Phillip, the man who will eventually marry Aurora attends, in addition to three Godmother fairies: Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. They each bestow a gift onto Aurora, but that ceremony is interrupted by an uninvited guest, the evil witch Maleficent.

Angered at not receiving an invitation, she places a curse onto Aurora that on her 16th birthday, she will prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die. Merryweather alters that curse so that if it does happen, Aurora would fall asleep until awakened by true love's first kiss. The only option to shield the Princess from harm is to hide her. The three fairies transform themselves into peasants and whisk her deep into the woods to raise her. All those years pass as King Stefan rules without the joy of his daughter. Meanwhile, Aurora has no idea who she really is, or that a curse is waiting for her soon.

Sleeping Beauty was met with mixed reactions from critics, but has grown into being called one of the greatest animated films ever made. The primary criticism lies with its similarities to Disney classics that had already been made like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Cinderella. It is important to note that those similarities rest only on the surface. By peering deeper, the intelligence, grace, and splendor that Sleeping Beauty affords above those efforts will become clear. For one, Princess Aurora, despite appearing in less than 18 minutes of the picture, has qualities unlike the aforementioned women. She lacks that pure innocence of Snow White, or that subdued attitude of Cinderella. Aurora, or Briar Rose, is an elegant lady even in the wood cottage. She has a noticeable spunk to her attractiveness, and acts like a Queen even when she is unaware of her fate.

Maleficent, the villain with horns, the Mistress of All Evil, and holder of a strangely effective name (translates as Evil-doer), is the epitome of all that is vile, wicked, and evil. She has a strong presence, but is not over the top or as exaggerated as other Disney baddies. She speaks more like a real person, and exposes her abilities through speech moreso than action. It is through Maleficent that many of the darker, serious, and adult themes are revealed. She mentions death and Hell in her quest for vengeance, which would not be permitted these days. Besides one scene with her goons, Maleficent only has her trusty raven to play off of. Together they are a memorable symbol of darkness over a Kingdom that wants happiness.

The relationship between King Stefan and King Hubert, father of Prince Phillip, is such an underrated treasure of a sequence. Although they are cartoons, it struck me as oddly genuine. Another adult facet, drinking bottles of wine, is one more reason of many that the Disney classics are so unforgettable. They had guts, and so did the moment I'm referring to, where the Kings discuss their children, and whether or not they are suitable for each other, while the guitar player sneaks wine and passes out. They are just about to fight, but Hubert grabs a fish instead of a sword, and then quickly realizes how silly they look. It is a heated, yet heartwarming exchange between two pompous, but loving fathers.

The core of Sleeping Beauty is without a doubt, the three fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. This trio supplies so many scenes if hilarity. In this universe of dignity and stiff subjects, these round old ladies are full of pleasant surprises. After putting the wands away when they retreat to the woods, they decide to try making a dress and baking a cake without magical aid. While the lovably clueless Fauna is destroying a cake that resembles the leaning tower of Pizza, Flora is fashioning a dress according to the measurements of the plump Merryweather. This mess prompts them to dig out the wands, but they get carried away with what color the dress should be. The title may be Sleeping Beauty, but these three act as the nucleus that etches smiles on the viewers faces.

The thrilling conclusion is where Prince Phillip finally stands out. Up until he is imprisoned, Phil is just another Royal in love, but his escape from Maleficent's dungeon, and subsequent battle with the dragon would irrefutably rank among the greatest animated sequences of all-time. It is still just as powerful as ever. Prince Phillip rises to the occasion and becomes a bonafide hero who deserves his prize. The voice work from the cast is brilliant. Walt Disney knew what he was doing when he selected these actors. He had used them numerous times in the past. Verna Felton is wonderful as the bossy Fauna. She can be heard in Dumbo and Alice in Wonderland as well. Eleanor Audley is Maleficent, whose actual facial features were incorporated into the design. She has an irreplaceable tone that was equally as lasting as the Stepmother in Cinderella. Everyone is fantastic, from Bill Shirley's excellent singing as Prince Phillip to Mary Costa's operatic supremeness as Princess Aurora.

Disney wanted a "moving tapestry" for Sleeping Beauty, and therefore hired Eyvind Earle as production designer. He was strict in his choices, and was given a lot of freedom, which the other animators did not appreciate. Nonetheless, this is an exquisitely constructed picture that flows like a painting. He completed a hefty portion of the tasks himself. Admiring the backgrounds, the meticulous costumes for the most insignificant of characters, and the gothic distinction of Maleficent's castle is a reward all of its own. Sleeping Beauty is a most unique film in its style that separates it from other classics. It is a moving form of art that could be frozen at any point and be marveled at.

The music matches this illustrative and wondrous world seamlessly. Peter Tchaikosvky’s ballet score meshed with Disney’s animation with such sophistication and class. Unlike other Disney offerings, the songs that were kept in the final cut were not selected to induce singing from kids, win awards, or top BIllboard charts. They were included because each delightful number was meant to thrive in this Kingdom with these specific characters. Having said that, “Once Upon a Dream” is impossible not to hum when you have finished watching this.

One fundamental aspect was drawing a character that fit the description of the title: Sleeping Beauty. Aurora accomplishes just that with her golden blonde hair, rosy-red lips, lilac colored eyes, and superb singing voice. The audience sees her as the "beauty" worth fighting for, worth investing in, and worth cherishing. This masterpiece soars on every conceivable level. Sleeping Beauty has warranted its position among the best animated film to date.

The Video

If only all transfers looked this spectacular. The color updates are sharp, immaculate, and vibrant. Sadly, hardly any modern cel animated movies are constructed with as much passion as this was. The original DVD had satisfactory picture, but that has certainly been augmented here. Only those that spend time examining the quality will notice the difference. For instance, the details, enthusiasm, and color effects are superior. Of course the grain, and all other common defects are nowhere in sight. The aspect ratio of the first edition was 2.35:1 widescreen and 1.33:1 pan & scan full screen. At long last the true Super Technirama 70 has been preserved and displayed with an aspect ratio of 2.55:1. This is as spotless as anyone could desire from a film five decades old.

The Audio

The sound department is fabulous as well. The scenes with Maleficent normally provide the most activity for the speakers. Specifically the conclusion which involves her whizzing across the sky and bursting into a dragon. This DVD offers Dolby Digital 5.1 Dolby Enhanced Theater Mixes in English, Spanish, and French. The restored original soundtrack is given as well in the form of a four channel English Dolby surround track. The bass has been amplified a lot more to offer unambiguous distinction and muscle. All the characters are totally lucid and understandable, and the subtitles in English, French, and Spanish are easy to read.

The Packaging

As one can anticipate from a Disney DVD, Sleeping Beauty is distributed in a standard width black keep case with an embossed cardboard slipcover. Some may notice the small spots which reflect the person holding the case. Inside the case are three items. One is a Disney Movie Rewards booklet which provides a code and information on a Sleeping Beauty-themed sweepstakes. The next is a small booklet with coupons and advertisements. The last was a real treat which is a complete layout and map of the DVD set. More DVDs should include these. The menus are simple, but effective with an image of the castle and a border accompanied by the score.

The Extras

On September 9, 2003 the first edition of Sleeping Beauty was released for DVD. It was 2 discs, and a few of the bonus features have been recycled for this release, but a handful has been scrapped as well, such as a music video by the girl group No Secrets, the entire games area, a commentary from historian Jeff Kurtti, 3 short featurettes, text-screens on the ballet, and a 1951 reading of the script. I suppose they wanted to avoid going to a third disc.

DISC 1

--Music & More---

“Once Upon a Dream” Music Video (3:39) - Under this section, we are privy to a generic pop video from Hannah Montana co-star Emily Osment (sister of Haley Joel). It is harmless, but forgettable as well.

Disney Song Selection (7:58) – While navigating through this section you can choose one or all of the songs listed and see the lyrics as they play!

--Backstage Disney—

Audio Commentary - This was shockingly not advertised on the back cover, saying that this DVD was targeted at kids more so than adults. Pixar’s John Lasseter, Animation Director Andreas Deja, and Film Historian Leonard Maltin are all on hand for this. It is riveting, and most importantly, they all love the film, plus they divulge entertaining pieces of trivia and information we did not know. This also makes use of inserting sound clips from the animators and filmmakers who worked on Sleeping Beauty. Barely any blank spots can be found. I am so thankful they included this gem.

Princess Fun Facts - This is similar to VH1’s pop-up video only it is trivia dealing with the movie, particularly princess history. You can play it alongside the film, so that makes repeated viewings more interesting.

Grand Canyon (28:54) – This is a very long, yet Oscar-winning, live-action short that preceded Sleeping Beauty which shows aerial photography of the Grand Canyon and captures the local wildlife moving about as Ferde Grofé's "The Grand Canyon Suite” in the background. This strikes me as something to have playing during a dinner party with friends.

The Peter Tchaikovsky Story (49:23) – Sleeping Beauty’s long deceased composer has his own live-action biopic introduced by Walt Disney himself. Walt connects the movie to the biopic by flaunting the stereophonic sound and Technirama technique. This was fairly intriguing. It chronicles his fascination with piano, while the Sleeping Beauty score acts as the core inspiration for him through the years. This has two versions. One starts with Walt’s instructions, and the other has Snow White clips.

Sneak Peeks - This is jam packed with more trailers and promos than any Disney DVD in recent memory. They include trailers for: the Pinocchio (Platinum Edition) DVD, Space Buddies, Tinker Bell, The Princess and the Frog, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, WALL-E, and Wizards of Waverly Place. You also receive advertisements for: Blu-Ray, Disney Movie Rewards, Disney Parks, and Disney DVD games.

DISC 2

You have signs which will guide the viewer to the Castle or the Cottage.

-- Castle—

Picture Perfect: The Making of Sleeping Beauty (43:30) – This is a terrific little documentary that expresses some truly priceless information and has mesmerizing interviews and archival clips from crew members. Many different facets of the film are touched upon here such as the characters, the voices, the unique design, the problems, the inspirations, the animators, and so forth. They even explain the history of the songs which were cut out. This was fantastic.

Eyvind Earle: The Man and His Art (7:33) – This is a suitably short featurette on the production designer for this classic. He is responsible for most of the backgrounds, and his attitude toward the job and life up until that point are very interesting and deserved to be on the disc.

Sequence 8 (5:30) – This has animators and added historians commenting on how costly and lengthy Aurora’s stroll through the forest was.

Alternate Opening (3:27) – This was one of the aforementioned deleted musical numbers called “Holiday” which has the town celebrating due to Aurora’s arrival. It shows both castles, which was nice.

Deleted Songs - They include: “It Happens I Have a Picture” (3:43), “Riddle Diddle” (2:45), and “Go To Sleep” (2:47). The first song has two versions, one with the voice actors singing, and the other where they speak the lyrics. All of these songs, in addition to “Holiday” mentioned above would have fit other Disney film styles. Sleeping Beauty was not as exaggerated as the others, so these were understandably left out, although they are pleasant.

Storyboard Sequences - Both of these sequences have the same introduction from Andreas Deja describing what storyboards are. The sequences contained are: “The Fairies Put the Castle to Sleep” (1:49) and “The Capture of the Prince” (2:15).

Live-Action Reference (2:11) – These are three extremely short live-action references which served as inspiration to the animators. Clips of these were shown in the documentary. They are: “Briar Rose Dances”, “Prince Phillip Fights the Dragon”, and “The Queen and the Good Fairy.”

Sleeping Beauty Art Galleries - A jewelry case of picture galleries is presented here with 8 different categories: Visual Development (159 stills), Character Design (163 stills), Storyboard Art (80 stills), Live Action Reference (70 stills), The Sleeping Beauty Storybook (25 stills), Layouts & Backgrounds (55 stills), Production Photos (51 stills), Publicity (34 stills). Whew, these could benefit from their own review, but they are wonderful to explore and easy to do so at your leisure.

Original Disneyland Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough Attraction - This is similar to an extra on The Nightmare Before Christmas DVD I reviewed earlier in the month, but it is still neat. This guided tour can be experienced in two ways: “Auto Mode” (7:38) takes us slowly around the CGI castle recreation from the 50’s. Also available is a “History of” (8:52) featurette with Imagineer Tony Baxter who explains the history of the attractions, and the trials and tribulations it went through, which are quite fascinating.

Publicity - The original teaser (1:42) reveals little, but is what teasers were for the time. The original trailer (3:11) is given too, and it does show a lot, but is fun to have. Finally the re-release trailer (1:26) is here to watch.

Four Artists Paint One Tree (16:07) – This is an excerpt from a 1958 Disneyland episode which has artists Marc Davis, Eyvind Earle, Josh Meador, and Walt Peregoy talking about their manner in drawing a tree. It is somewhat dry, but if you enjoy Disneyland material, this is kind of cool for nostalgic reasons.

--Cottage—

Briar Rose’s Enchanted Dance Game - This game is sure to be every readers activity for Saturday night. You receive step-by-step waltz lessons, and then must keep up with Aurora, Phillip, and the forest animals. Yay.

Sleeping Beauty Fun with Language Game - Apparently this game has appeared on numerous Disney DVD releases. I lost patience with this game after a few seconds due to the narrator speaking slower than a snail crawls. Basically you perform various tasks around the cottage and I do not foresee any kid having fun with language, but then again, what do I know?

The Film: 10.0/10.0
The Video: 10.0/10.0
The Audio: 9.0/10.0
The Packaging: 8.5/10.0
The Extras: 9.0/10.0

The 411: If you have read even a portion of this review, you can plainly see how much I adore this Disney film. What can I say? I grew up with them, but this has aged better over the years than some of the others. This is still a masterpiece in every way, and is just as hypnotizing and special with each repeated viewing. If this were a bare bones release, it would still be worth the price. But this is not bare bones at all. This double-dip easily tops the previous “Special Edition” by a mile. The technical specifications are spotless with sharp picture and sound quality. The extras are loaded with riveting documentaries for older fans and enjoyable activities for the younger generation. Every time Disney releases a “Platinum Edition” DVD, you can count on it being a contender for best DVD of the year, and this is no different. If not for the dropped bonuses from the 2003 DVD, this would be an easy 10.

Final Score:  9.5   [  Amazing ]