Maleficent Movie: Fresh but Deeply Meaningful Life Story
Maleficent is a 2014 American movie directed by Robert Stromberg. The screenplay was written by an American screenwriter, playwright, and novelist, Linda Woolverton. The movie is based on a dark fantasy genre and adapted from Disney's Sleeping Beauty tale (La Belle au bois dormant) by Charles Perrault. The starring of this movie is Angelina Jolie, Sharlto Copley and Elle Fanning as main characters also Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville in supporting roles. Released in the United States on May 30, 2014, the movie was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Roth Films. Overall, the movie was a successful movie since its visuals, costumes, and cast’s performance earned praise and awards.
Unlike the original one, 2014 Maleficent movie is the reimagining presents of Maleficent and the different versions of the story screenplay by Linda Woolverton. The character of Maleficent in this movie is depicted as a good-hearted but tragic fairy who had been betrayed by her loved one. The story began with a love story between Maleficent, a powerful fairy living in a magical forest called the Moors and Stefan, a peasant from the human kingdom. They were lovers until the King at that time ordered Maleficent’s death and their relationship turned sour. Stefan was blinded and being greed for the throne and willingly sacrifice Maleficent. He cut off her majestic and miraculous wings just to show the King that he has successfully killed Maleficent. Then he left for the throne and married off to the princess.
Feeling betrayed by Stefan, Maleficent turns into a dark evil fairy and turns the moor into a dark kingdom. She seeks revenge on Stefan by cursing Aurora, who was Stefan’s daughter in the day she was born. She cursed Aurora that Aurora will fall into a deep sleep in her 16th birthday by pricking her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and she will never awaken. The curse only can break with a true love kiss. On the other hand, Maleficent experiences major emotional changes and must face conflict with herself.
The movie is very attracting since it tells us about the perspective of the villain character of Sleeping Beauty story, Maleficent. First of all, we often watch a movie from the protagonist perspectives. This movie portrays the story from the perspective of the antagonist, depicting her self-conflict by showing us how the villains turn into the dark they usually are and what they really feel. It implicitly depicts that people change into a bad character for some reason. The changes of Maleficent character form a good-hearted fairy into an evil fairy is very strong shown. It supported by her appearance that so bold and powerful. For an example when Maleficent turns her long hair when she was a good-hearted fairy into a creepy one when she was devastated. The injustice that wound Maleficent so deeply makes the audience understands how she eventually ends up cursing the king’s baby.
The story plot certainly has relation to our social life; experiences and feelings because it addressed several life lessons. For example, the movie shows us the nature of person authentic-self. Stefan used to be a taker and turned to be good when he was friend with Maleficent. However, he back to his authentic-self when he was motivated by greed. The same things also happened to Maleficent. She was considered as the evil fairy, but in the end, she became good-hearted as her true personality before she was hurt. It was a good idea to choose Jolie (Maleficent) and Copley (Stefan) took the roles. They successfully had fun with their roles and got the emotion of great self-conflict.
Maleficent movie also encourages the audience about the power of true love. The characters development is so delightful. With the power of love, the characters are able to forgive and be forgiven. For instance: Maleficent forgive the king for hurting her heart, forgive herself for cursing rashly and putting someone’s life in danger, also forgive herself for the years she wasted feeling angry and living in a dark place. As for Aurora, she forgives Maleficent for putting the curse on her and also forgives her father for the vengeful and psychotic person he became. Lesson learnt, we might get hurt in life but forgiveness and love could heal your pain. One of my favourite quotes by Reinhold Niebuhr says: “Forgiveness is the final form of love.”
The message is essential and relevant in today’s society. Not only does it tells us about the power of love and authentic-self, but also the issue of social abuse. The scene that expresses the abuse is when Stefan betrayed Maleficent’s love and cut her wings using an iron chain while she sleeps. Her wings were stolen by someone she loved and trusted. The scene is symbolic of rape and we all know that rape happens frequently in our society. So generally, the story tells us the negative impacts of abuse and how the abused have a critical role in causing abuse towards others.
Nevertheless, the most enjoyable aspect of this movie is the visualization and Maleficent’s costume. The visual effects are not too surreal since the story is based on the fantasy genre. However, the tangible environment is still very impressive and breath-taking. For the costume, Maleficent's horns and facial prosthetics make up is so bold and powerful. It makes the character more alive and authentic as the original story.
2014 Maleficent movie is an outstanding movie. As a slightly different version of the tale Sleeping Beauty, the screenplay writer made the story fresh but addressed a lot of moral value for us as a human.
