Sleeping Beauty

About This Movie

Sleeping Beauty is one of those Disney animations that leans heavily on its striking visuals. The color palette is really something—those vibrant hues, especially in the scenes with Maleficent, are striking. You can see Clyde Geronimi's attention to detail in the character designs, too; the fairies have such distinct personalities, while Aurora is almost ethereal. The pacing feels a bit languid at times, but the dreamlike atmosphere fits well with the fairy tale vibe. The voice performances, particularly Mary Costa as Aurora, add a haunting quality. It’s interesting how this film plays with themes of fate and free will, all wrapped up in that lush, hand-drawn animation. Definitely a distinct entry in the Disney canon.

Released on January 29, 1959First Disney film to use Super Technirama 70Features the classic song 'Once Upon a Dream'Maleficent was inspired by classic fairy tale villains