Redemption for a Villain: A Movie Review of "Maleficent"

In recent years, there has been an increase in new twists on classic fairy tales, as seen in films such as Hoodwinked!, Mirror Mirror, Into the Woods, Oz the Great and Powerful, Snow White and the Huntsman. The list goes on and on. One such of these more recent films is Disney's Maleficent. It is the story told in 1959's Sleeping Beauty, but now told from the witch Maleficent's point of view. What comes from this is a tale of love, betrayal, anger, and ultimately, redemption.

Maleficent was the third highest-grossing film of 2014 and the fifteenth Disney film to pass $700 million worldwide. The movie stars Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), and Sharlto Copley as King Stefan.

SUMMARY

   There once were two neighboring kingdoms that were terrible enemies: the kingdom of humans and the Moors, a kingdom of magical creatures. In the Moors lived a young fairy girl named Maleficent, who had strong, beautiful wings that she dearly treasured.

   One day, Maleficent meets a human boy named Stefan, who intruded in the Moors. The two become quite unlikely friends, and they fall in love. However, years pass and Stefan forgets Maleficent, who grows up to become the guardian of the Moors.

   And yet, Maleficent had not seen the last of Stefan. She is betrayed by him and harmed, so that he can become king of the humans. Overwhelmed by anger and grief, Maleficent becomes bitter and channels her emotions into holding her grudge. She turns the Moors into a land of darkness and becomes the self-appointed ruler (dictator may be more appropriate). 

   Time goes by, and word reaches Maleficent that Stefan and his wife have had a child. Naturally, she turns up uninvited to the christening. The baby girl had been given gifts by some kind fairies, so Maleficent decides to bestow a gift of her own. She curses the infant to prick her spindle on a spinning wheel, falling into a "sleep like death," on the baby's sixteenth birthday. After being implored, she allows that the baby can be awaken, but only by true love's kiss (which she insists does not exist).

   King Stefan sends the baby, Aurora, into hiding, to be raised by three fairies, disguised as peasant women. They are certainly not up to the task, so it is up to Maleficent and her crow assistant Diaval to ensure Aurora will survive until she turns sixteen.

   However, Maleficent begins to feel something for the little girl as she grows, and she wonders whether or not she should have cast the curse in the first place.

CONTENT

   I need to start by saying that Maleficent is too violent for its PG rating. While it could be handled by maybe an eleven-year-old (or around that age), it still is a dark film full of action and tense moments. There are a couple of battles, the biggest one being within the first half hour. While no blood is shown, human soldiers are smashed and tossed by magical creatures. However, there is only one such scene where a person is actually depicted as dying. In this part, a man falls from a castle tower and hits the stone ground below (the body is shown, but without blood or gore). One scene that shows blood is when the princess pricks her finger on the spinning wheel, as can be expected. Iron burns Maleficent, and we see a few scenes where her skin glows, accompanied by shouts. In one scene, a fairy's wings are cut (though the actual act is not depicted), and we see the stubs; this fairy lets out a great cry of anguish. Maleficent also uses her magic to spin soldiers around in the air and knock them against each other. Also, the king slaps a knight.

   Maleficent and Stefan kiss, although only their silhouettes are seen. A prince kisses Princess Aurora while she is in her deep sleep. Also, a crow is turned into a man, and it is implied that he is naked, though we only see him from the waist up (this scene is pretty brief). In another scene, Maleficent and Stefan lie on the ground next to each other, but with no inappropriate effect (I am not even sure if this was meant to be sexual in any way). 

   There is no swearing in the film.

   Maleficent is a film that is magic-heavy, as it is a fairy tale. It is not all "good magic" that is depicted. Maleficent often used dark magic for her evil purposes. However, no magic spells or incantations are actually spoken. 

   Disney's mega-hit Frozen did include romance, but in the end, it was family love that saved the day. The same is somewhat true for Maleficent in the way that a mother-like love saves the day and makes a happy ending. It is also through this family-like love that Maleficent is redeemed from her evil deeds. *SPOILER* On the opposite side of things, Aurora's father, the king, becomes a villain in the movie. This might send out some negative messages to children. *END SPOILER*

   In the film, Maleficent is a gentle fairy bearing goodwill to all. It is only when she is betrayed by her love that she takes a turn into darkness. To quote Glinda from the Broadway musical Wicked, "Are people born wicked, or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?" In today's culture, there is an undeniable view that has risen: that most people aren't actually evil, but have been forced to become evil by others. A shooter who kills many people was perhaps abused by his parents or siblings and had to find a way to release his anger. Right? Wrong! We all are responsible for our own choices. Yes, the actions of others can push us towards good or bad choices, but in the end, we decide for ourselves. God does, of course, control all things, but He has given mankind the freedom to make decisions, so wicked people have no excuse. The filmmakers intended for Maleficent to not be truly evil, but Angelina Jolie insisted that she kept her dark side, as she really was a villain. I am glad they kept this. It makes Maleficent's redemption in the end that much greater!

   Maleficent holds some interesting points of discussion. One such question that arises from the film: is true love real? And, for that matter, is love at first sight real? As the movie shows, true love is certainly an actual thing, though love at first sight may not actually be true love. True love, in a romantic sense, comes only when, I think, people have known each other. Sure, people can be attracted to each other at first sight (I know, it doesn't have the same ring to it!), but love is definitely deeper than just an attraction. Love can take time. 

   By the end of the film, Maleficent is redeemed, and this gives us an illustrative parallel to reality. As sinners, all people are spiritually ugly. When someone repents of their sins and places their trust and faith in Jesus Christ, they are still far from perfect, but they have been made beautiful by and through Christ. 

   Truth be told, although I immensely enjoyed Maleficent, it is definitely not a film for children. Yes, it is a Disney movie, but it is one of the dark ones. While not quite as dark and violent as, say, the Pirates of the Caribbean films, it still holds violent content likely too strong for children. Yet, I would encourage adults and teens to watch this rare treasure. It is not perfect, but apart from the violence, there is little to complain about. Angelina Jolie was stunning as Maleficent. Her resemblance to the original cartoon character was amazing. 

   I have not seen too many movies that make me want to applaud after seeing them, but Maleficent is one of those films. 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 97 minutes

Rating: PG (for sequences of fantasy action and violence, including frightening images)

Directors: Robert Stromberg

Producers: Joe Roth

Music: James Newton Howard

Year of release: 2014
Primary audience: Pre-teens, teens, adults