Maleficent: One Step for Villains, One Giant Leap for Fairy Tale Adaptations
In the 1959 production of Sleeping Beauty, Walt Disney redefines the stereotype of the female villain with the animation of Maleficent. By providing a detailed visual, Disney transforms the undeveloped villain in the original Brothers Grimm tale into a more concentrated, sexualized character. In addition, these characteristics of Maleficent’s appearance and behavior can be used to reflect the “do’s and don’ts” of post-war gender roles of the 1950s.
Originally called “Little Briar Rose”, Grimm’s tale of Sleeping Beauty was published at the peak of Romanticism as a source of entertainment to children. The story begins with a celebratory gathering for the birth of the King and Queen’s new daughter, Briar Rose. Out of excitement, The King invites everyone he knows including the “Wise-Women”, the individuals who were presented in front of monarchs to provide magical offerings such as beauty and wealth to the newborn. Out of revenge for not being invited to the feast like her fellow wise-women, the 13th woman, who later becomes Maleficent in the Disney version, places a curse upon Briar Rose, shouting “the King’s daughter shall on her fifteenth year prick herself with a spindle, and fall down dead” (Grimm 237) and storms out of the castle. This scene was the first sighting of the witchlike villain and introduced the plot of the tale.
By manipulating the princess into pricking her finger later in the story out of revenge for not being invited to the feast, the reader can sense how evil the woman really was. However, after completely reading the tale, one realizes that the Brothers Grimm never fully developed the villain’s character or gave details of her appearance in their work. The villain of the tale, interestingly was never called by name, and was only mentioned as “the old woman” (Grimm 238). The Brothers provided no other details besides those three words and ultimately gave the readers no insight to her personality or character at all.
This changed when Walt Disney used his animation to bring the witch’s character to life in his 1959 adaptation. By using details in her appearance to mimic her personality, he was able to illustrate the woman enough to not only intrigue the audience, but to expand her character into what CNN calls one of the most frightening villains in Disney history (Burdette). There are specific details, such as body shape, makeup, and relation to animals that contribute to her seductive character. Interestingly, these traits are used correspondingly to make her villainous.
One trait that is essential for representing Maleficent as a sex symbol and as a villain is the occurrence of hard, distinct features throughout her body. Maleficent has an extremely sleek figure and angular, sharp body parts from head-to-toe. Her face is well defined and made with diagonal lines instead of curved lines, which enhances many of her features, such as her jaw and cheekbones. In Disney’s film adaptation, Maleficent is portrayed as a much older character than Aurora, but her body shape doesn’t depict a “grandmotherly figure” like the other older characters in the story. For example, the body types of Flora, Fauna, and Merrywheather, the wise women that took Aurora and raised her in order to keep her safe from pricking her finger, are animated as rounder and petite compared to Maleficent. Since the wise women, like Aurora, are illustrated with smoother lines that create softer features, Maleficent is set apart from the other characters that represent kindness and optimism. This indicates that the angular features in Maleficent’s body exhibit the opposite - evil and negativity.
In Grimm’s story, the authors do not provide any descriptive deals of the villain’s body shape. According to Elizabeth Bell, the villain in this story is represented as an example of Grimm’s “painted ciphers – characters with no weight of influence”. By defining the woman as a “painted cipher”, Bell explained that the Grimm Brothers did not focus on the body shapes of their characters to benefit them in any way; but Disney, contrary to Grimm, used weight and body shape to add to Maleficent’s sexuality and malicious character (Bell 108-109).
Another way Disney’s animation contributes to Maleficent’s wicked persona, is by using signs of unnatural feminism to give her character sex appeal, specifically with makeup and face structure. When observing Maleficent’s face, her lipstick stands out and is in a bright red shade that is applied to create a Cupid’s bow. Furthermore, as a base, Maleficent’s skin is painted green, which actually lays a foundation for the entire story. The color green is commonly used as a skin color to portray witches in media and can also be associated with envy or jealousy. In the film, her jealousy is incorporated when she makes the rash decision of cursing the princess after not being invited to the gathering like other women. This is how Disney uses details to her appearance, such as the green color of Maleficent’s skin, to not only exhibit evil but to also foreshadow the plot of the story.
Another example of unnatural feminism used by Disney is Maleficent’s eyebrows and eye-makeup. Completely filled in black and arched to create a triangle like shape that complements her widow’s peak, Maleficent’s eyebrows are used by Disney to sexualize her character and give her an interesting look. Arched eyebrows are common for many female villains in Disney movies such as Cinderella’s Lady Tremaine and the Evil Queen in Snow White; so, this suggests arched eyebrows to be a common trait of evil in his animations. Also, on her eyes, dark purple eye shadow is blended all the way to the brow bone and her eyeliner is winged and black, which gives her pupils a threatening, yet seductive look. Maleficent’s excessive make-up, as you can see, is far from natural, and her unique appearance intrigues the audience. Disney’s use of makeup sexualizes her character and “that excess of sexuality and agency is drawn as evil.” (Bell 117)
Lastly, Maleficent’s animalistic appearance and her predatory nature can come across as sexual as well. Appearance wise, she exhibits a creature similar to a bat. Throughout the film, Maleficent is always seen in a form fitting black cloak that includes batwing sleeves. Also, her pupils are microscopic compared to her sclera – which is completely identical to a bat’s eye. Another idea to take in account is that Maleficent’s actions towards her enemies resemble the way an animal would attack their prey. For example, Maleficent’s demand for power is shown in the film by her dialogue, the way she presents herself, and the symbols that surround her, such as her throne and staff. When her power is taken away or jeopardized, her reactions are rash and normally vengeful, which indicates that she is defensive and that she attacks like that of a predator. Whether it is turning into a dragon or sending her pig-like cockroach minions to attack the prince, Maleficent’s impulsiveness is most certainly unstoppable, and her appearance portrays that as well.
But why was Maleficent so intriguing to the viewers in 1959, and why are these details of her character and appearance seen as villainous? Before World War II and the Korean War, a female’s responsibility included the traditional actions of a woman such as cooking, cleaning, bearing children, and creating a household. However during wartime, the men of the home normally served their country for several years, leaving the jobs without workers. In order to benefit the economy, the women eventually occupied these jobs. The shifts and work of the careers in which they took on during that time were completely identical to the men’s, causing the women to live a double life and maintaining the roles of both men and women.
Liberation and feminism sparked throughout this time and women began to feel independent; most importantly, they realized their roles were made for more than domestic housework and motherhood. After the wartime ended, the men returned back to their jobs and the women who obtained their jobs prior were told to return to their traditional roles. This interfered with the feminist movement in this era and women became highly politically active by rallying, protesting, and speaking of their purpose in American society.
Since these roles were reconsidered, America created commercials and advertisements as propaganda to bring the women back to where they belonged in society. For example, in an instructional film called “How to be Well Groomed”, the camera follows a female into the bedroom and films the correct way a woman should apply makeup. She matched her face powder to her skin tone and when she applied the lipstick the narrator read: “And be careful when it comes to lipstick! Yes, choose a shade of your own coloring.” (Coronet) The ideal woman in the 1950s would wear natural makeup not only to prevent her from coming across as sexual, but also to even prevent stealing the attention of the male. Maleficent’s makeup is certainly unnatural and is also seen as sexual, which reveals the reason as to why Maleficent is perceived as villainous in 1950s society.
Also, in the age of the “baby boomers”, when the birth rate skyrocketed, women were objectified as only useful for bearing children. American women were hoped to represent fertility, maternalism, and health during this time period. In films and movies, such as Coronet’s “How to Be Well Groomed”, the actress wouldn’t appear too skinny, but healthy and motherly. In Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent’s slim angular body does not exemplify a childbearing woman. In fact, older, middle-aged women that did not have children were seen as threats and were often criticized for not fulfilling their womanly duties.
Jack Zipes, a popular writer of Disney criticism, “argues that in all Disney’s early films based on fairy tales (Snow White 1937, Cinderella 1950, Sleeping Beauty 1959), … evil is always associated with female nature out of control” (Whitely, 24).
A woman whose actions and appearance display similarities to that of an animal, like Maleficent, is seen as a threat constantly. For 1950s culture, disobedience to the husband or independent thinking could exemplify female nature out of control. Any woman that would try to be seen as an individual would be seen as “wild” as well, and Maleficent definitely upholds the persona of confidence and power.
In conclusion, it is evident that Disney draws parallels between Maleficent’s character and 1950s social and gender roles. These details of her appearance, essentially, became a template for villains in future films and productions. Some examples of villains portraying these “redefined” traits were Ursula in The Little Mermaid, Yzma in Emperor’s New Groove, and the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland. Overall, Disney brought characters to life with his animation and definitely enriched the original tales into redeveloped, modern films that will be remembered for years to come.
In the 1959 production of Sleeping Beauty, Walt Disney redefines the stereotype of the female villain with the animation of Maleficent. By providing a detailed visual, Disney transforms the undeveloped villain in the original Brothers Grimm tale into a more concentrated, sexualized character. In addition, these characteristics of Maleficent’s appearance and behavior can be used to reflect the “do’s and don’ts” of post-war gender roles of the 1950s.
Originally called “Little Briar Rose”, Grimm’s tale of Sleeping Beauty was published at the peak of Romanticism as a source of entertainment to children. The story begins with a celebratory gathering for the birth of the King and Queen’s new daughter, Briar Rose. Out of excitement, The King invites everyone he knows including the “Wise-Women”, the individuals who were presented in front of monarchs to provide magical offerings such as beauty and wealth to the newborn. Out of revenge for not being invited to the feast like her fellow wise-women, the 13th woman, who later becomes Maleficent in the Disney version, places a curse upon Briar Rose, shouting “the King’s daughter shall on her fifteenth year prick herself with a spindle, and fall down dead” (Grimm 237) and storms out of the castle. This scene was the first sighting of the witchlike villain and introduced the plot of the tale.
By manipulating the princess into pricking her finger later in the story out of revenge for not being invited to the feast, the reader can sense how evil the woman really was. However, after completely reading the tale, one realizes that the Brothers Grimm never fully developed the villain’s character or gave details of her appearance in their work. The villain of the tale, interestingly was never called by name, and was only mentioned as “the old woman” (Grimm 238). The Brothers provided no other details besides those three words and ultimately gave the readers no insight to her personality or character at all.
This changed when Walt Disney used his animation to bring the witch’s character to life in his 1959 adaptation. By using details in her appearance to mimic her personality, he was able to illustrate the woman enough to not only intrigue the audience, but to expand her character into what CNN calls one of the most frightening villains in Disney history (Burdette). There are specific details, such as body shape, makeup, and relation to animals that contribute to her seductive character. Interestingly, these traits are used correspondingly to make her villainous.
One trait that is essential for representing Maleficent as a sex symbol and as a villain is the occurrence of hard, distinct features throughout her body. Maleficent has an extremely sleek figure and angular, sharp body parts from head-to-toe. Her face is well defined and made with diagonal lines instead of curved lines, which enhances many of her features, such as her jaw and cheekbones. In Disney’s film adaptation, Maleficent is portrayed as a much older character than Aurora, but her body shape doesn’t depict a “grandmotherly figure” like the other older characters in the story. For example, the body types of Flora, Fauna, and Merrywheather, the wise women that took Aurora and raised her in order to keep her safe from pricking her finger, are animated as rounder and petite compared to Maleficent. Since the wise women, like Aurora, are illustrated with smoother lines that create softer features, Maleficent is set apart from the other characters that represent kindness and optimism. This indicates that the angular features in Maleficent’s body exhibit the opposite - evil and negativity.
In Grimm’s story, the authors do not provide any descriptive deals of the villain’s body shape. According to Elizabeth Bell, the villain in this story is represented as an example of Grimm’s “painted ciphers – characters with no weight of influence”. By defining the woman as a “painted cipher”, Bell explained that the Grimm Brothers did not focus on the body shapes of their characters to benefit them in any way; but Disney, contrary to Grimm, used weight and body shape to add to Maleficent’s sexuality and malicious character (Bell 108-109).
Another way Disney’s animation contributes to Maleficent’s wicked persona, is by using signs of unnatural feminism to give her character sex appeal, specifically with makeup and face structure. When observing Maleficent’s face, her lipstick stands out and is in a bright red shade that is applied to create a Cupid’s bow. Furthermore, as a base, Maleficent’s skin is painted green, which actually lays a foundation for the entire story. The color green is commonly used as a skin color to portray witches in media and can also be associated with envy or jealousy. In the film, her jealousy is incorporated when she makes the rash decision of cursing the princess after not being invited to the gathering like other women. This is how Disney uses details to her appearance, such as the green color of Maleficent’s skin, to not only exhibit evil but to also foreshadow the plot of the story.
Another example of unnatural feminism used by Disney is Maleficent’s eyebrows and eye-makeup. Completely filled in black and arched to create a triangle like shape that complements her widow’s peak, Maleficent’s eyebrows are used by Disney to sexualize her character and give her an interesting look. Arched eyebrows are common for many female villains in Disney movies such as Cinderella’s Lady Tremaine and the Evil Queen in Snow White; so, this suggests arched eyebrows to be a common trait of evil in his animations. Also, on her eyes, dark purple eye shadow is blended all the way to the brow bone and her eyeliner is winged and black, which gives her pupils a threatening, yet seductive look. Maleficent’s excessive make-up, as you can see, is far from natural, and her unique appearance intrigues the audience. Disney’s use of makeup sexualizes her character and “that excess of sexuality and agency is drawn as evil.” (Bell 117)
Lastly, Maleficent’s animalistic appearance and her predatory nature can come across as sexual as well. Appearance wise, she exhibits a creature similar to a bat. Throughout the film, Maleficent is always seen in a form fitting black cloak that includes batwing sleeves. Also, her pupils are microscopic compared to her sclera – which is completely identical to a bat’s eye. Another idea to take in account is that Maleficent’s actions towards her enemies resemble the way an animal would attack their prey. For example, Maleficent’s demand for power is shown in the film by her dialogue, the way she presents herself, and the symbols that surround her, such as her throne and staff. When her power is taken away or jeopardized, her reactions are rash and normally vengeful, which indicates that she is defensive and that she attacks like that of a predator. Whether it is turning into a dragon or sending her pig-like cockroach minions to attack the prince, Maleficent’s impulsiveness is most certainly unstoppable, and her appearance portrays that as well.
But why was Maleficent so intriguing to the viewers in 1959, and why are these details of her character and appearance seen as villainous? Before World War II and the Korean War, a female’s responsibility included the traditional actions of a woman such as cooking, cleaning, bearing children, and creating a household. However during wartime, the men of the home normally served their country for several years, leaving the jobs without workers. In order to benefit the economy, the women eventually occupied these jobs. The shifts and work of the careers in which they took on during that time were completely identical to the men’s, causing the women to live a double life and maintaining the roles of both men and women.
Liberation and feminism sparked throughout this time and women began to feel independent; most importantly, they realized their roles were made for more than domestic housework and motherhood. After the wartime ended, the men returned back to their jobs and the women who obtained their jobs prior were told to return to their traditional roles. This interfered with the feminist movement in this era and women became highly politically active by rallying, protesting, and speaking of their purpose in American society.
Since these roles were reconsidered, America created commercials and advertisements as propaganda to bring the women back to where they belonged in society. For example, in an instructional film called “How to be Well Groomed”, the camera follows a female into the bedroom and films the correct way a woman should apply makeup. She matched her face powder to her skin tone and when she applied the lipstick the narrator read: “And be careful when it comes to lipstick! Yes, choose a shade of your own coloring.” (Coronet) The ideal woman in the 1950s would wear natural makeup not only to prevent her from coming across as sexual, but also to even prevent stealing the attention of the male. Maleficent’s makeup is certainly unnatural and is also seen as sexual, which reveals the reason as to why Maleficent is perceived as villainous in 1950s society.
Also, in the age of the “baby boomers”, when the birth rate skyrocketed, women were objectified as only useful for bearing children. American women were hoped to represent fertility, maternalism, and health during this time period. In films and movies, such as Coronet’s “How to Be Well Groomed”, the actress wouldn’t appear too skinny, but healthy and motherly. In Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent’s slim angular body does not exemplify a childbearing woman. In fact, older, middle-aged women that did not have children were seen as threats and were often criticized for not fulfilling their womanly duties.
Jack Zipes, a popular writer of Disney criticism, “argues that in all Disney’s early films based on fairy tales (Snow White 1937, Cinderella 1950, Sleeping Beauty 1959), … evil is always associated with female nature out of control” (Whitely, 24).
A woman whose actions and appearance display similarities to that of an animal, like Maleficent, is seen as a threat constantly. For 1950s culture, disobedience to the husband or independent thinking could exemplify female nature out of control. Any woman that would try to be seen as an individual would be seen as “wild” as well, and Maleficent definitely upholds the persona of confidence and power.
In conclusion, it is evident that Disney draws parallels between Maleficent’s character and 1950s social and gender roles. These details of her appearance, essentially, became a template for villains in future films and productions. Some examples of villains portraying these “redefined” traits were Ursula in The Little Mermaid, Yzma in Emperor’s New Groove, and the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland. Overall, Disney brought characters to life with his animation and definitely enriched the original tales into redeveloped, modern films that will be remembered for years to come.
Bell, Elizabeth. “Somatexts at the Disney Shop: Constructing the Pentimentos of Women’s Animated Bodies.” From Mouse to Mermaid: The Politics of Film, Gender, and Culture in Disney. Ed. Bell, Elizabeth, Lynda Hass, and Laura Sells. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1995. 107-125 Print.
Geronimi, Clyde, dir. Sleeping Beauty. Perf. Mary Costa, Bill Shirley, Eleanor Audley. Walt Disney Productions, 1959. Film.
Grimm, Wilhelm and Jacob. Grimm’s Fairy Tales. New York: Patheon Books Incorporated, 1945. Print.
Coronet Instructional Films. How to be Well Groomed. 1949. Film.
Rabison, Rebecca. Deviance in Disney Representations of Crime in Disney Films: A Qualitative Analysis. BA Honor Thesis. Wesleyan University, Middleton. 2008. Web.
Whitley, David. The Idea of Nature in Disney Animation. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing, 2008. Print.
Burdette, Kacy and Lisa Respers France. “Disney’s scariest villains.” CNN Entertainment. CNN, 16 Oct. 2013. Web. 6 May 2014.
Neilsen, David. "Baby Boomers: All You Ever Needed to Know." How Stuff Works, 01 June 2007. Web. 06 May 2014.
Geronimi, Clyde, dir. Sleeping Beauty. Perf. Mary Costa, Bill Shirley, Eleanor Audley. Walt Disney Productions, 1959. Film.
Grimm, Wilhelm and Jacob. Grimm’s Fairy Tales. New York: Patheon Books Incorporated, 1945. Print.
Coronet Instructional Films. How to be Well Groomed. 1949. Film.
Rabison, Rebecca. Deviance in Disney Representations of Crime in Disney Films: A Qualitative Analysis. BA Honor Thesis. Wesleyan University, Middleton. 2008. Web.
Whitley, David. The Idea of Nature in Disney Animation. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing, 2008. Print.
Burdette, Kacy and Lisa Respers France. “Disney’s scariest villains.” CNN Entertainment. CNN, 16 Oct. 2013. Web. 6 May 2014.
Neilsen, David. "Baby Boomers: All You Ever Needed to Know." How Stuff Works, 01 June 2007. Web. 06 May 2014.