1959’s Sleeping Beauty spent nearly a decade in development, largely due to the lengthy animation process and reworking, suffering so many delays that Sleeping Beauty’s castle actually opened, with the rest of Disneyland, in 1955, four years before the film even made it to theatres. It was one of only two Disney animated films shot in the widescreen Technorama format (the other being The Black Cauldron), and the last princess film for 30 years. Though it underperformed at the box office in its initial release, it has since gone on to be recognized as one of the jewels of Disney animation.
Technically, the film is amazing. The Technorama process allowed for far more detailed backgrounds than had been used in any previous Disney feature, and the stylized look makes it a favorite among animation enthusiasts. The plot moves quickly, but still allows the characters time to breathe. The weakest point here is the music, attempting to meld lyrics to Tchaikovsky's ballet music, but not overly successfully.
As a child, there were portions of this film that terrified me, particularly the scene where Aurora follows the glowing orb up the staircase to the spinning wheel. Though I’m no longer scared by it, I still find this to be a very effective film, combining humour, action, romance, and a little horror into a cohesive whole. One of the strongest of the Golden Age films and one which will be enjoyed by all but the youngest viewers.
Up next: 101 Dalmatians (1961)
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