From Perrault to Maleficent: Tracing the Evolution of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ in Pop Culture

Introduction

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who fell into a deep sleep and could only be awakened by true love’s kiss. The story of Sleeping Beauty has been told for centuries, from the original fairy tale written by Charles Perrault to the iconic Disney animated film. But how has this classic tale evolved over time in pop culture? Join us as we take a journey through history and explore the many adaptations of Sleeping Beauty, from the wicked fairy Maleficent to modern retellings that flip the script on traditional gender roles. Get ready to delve into a world of magic, romance, and transformation as we trace the evolution of “Sleeping Beauty” in popular media.

The Original Story: Perrault’s 1697 Fairy Tale

The original story: Perrault’s 1697 Fairy Tale

Long before Disney brought “Sleeping Beauty” to the big screen, the story of a prince who falls asleep and is kissed by a beautiful Sleeping Beauty was already a well-known classic. Credited to French author Charles Perrault, the tale has been retold and adapted countless times over the years in different media.

Perrault’s version is based on an Old Slavic fairy tale called “The Beast and the Beauty.” The original story features a prince who meets a beautiful young woman named Rusalka who lives in a swamp with alligators. The prince befriends her and eventually falls asleep while she sings for him. When he wakes up, she has disappeared. The prince goes looking for her and finds that she has married an ogre.

The Animated Film: 1959

The 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty was released to overwhelming success, and has been seen by millions of people ever since. The film is based on the fairytale of the same name by Charles Perrault, and tells the story of a prince who falls asleep while under the care of a wicked witch. While he is asleep, the witch puts a spell on him that will cause him to fall in love with a beautiful princess when he wakes up. After falling into another nap, he wakes up and finds himself surrounded by the castle’s inhabitants celebrating his upcoming marriage to Princess Aurora. Just as things are looking their best for Prince Charming, he falls asleep again and is kidnapped by an evil dragon. With help from his friends and allies, Prince Charming finally defeats the dragon and freed Princess Aurora from her tower.

The Live Action Film: 2014

The classic movie “Sleeping Beauty” has been re-made and retold countless times in both live action and animation, but how did the story come to be?

The story of “Sleeping Beauty” can be traced back to 1697’s “Perrault’s Sleeping Princess.” The story follows a young princess who is cursed by an evil fairy. In order to break the curse, the princess must be kissed by a prince who will then break the spell.

The most popular version of “Sleeping Beauty” was released in 1959. The film was directed by Terence Fisher and stars Angela Lansbury as the titular princess. The film was remade in 1997 and starred Susan Sarandon and Christopher Plummer.

In 2014, Disney released a new live action adaptation of “Sleeping Beauty.” The film was directed by Kenneth Branagh and starred Lily James as Princess Aurora.

Conclusion

In this article, we take a look at the history of Sleeping Beauty and discuss how it has been adapted and re-adapted over the years in popular culture. From Perrault’s 17th century version to Disney’s 1950 animated movie, we explore how each iteration has shaped the story and its iconic characters. We hope that our exploration of Sleeping Beauty’s cultural journey has given you a little more insight into this beloved fairy tale and why it continues to fascinate us all.