Oh, what this movie could have been; the greatest work of recent times. But it missed the margin by that much. Now, it would be unwise to argue with the performances given by the actors in this movie. Just by their performances alone - especially Angelina Jolie's - the movie is worth the watch; and by the design of the sets and the costumes, this movie is quite magical. My point of argument is the plot. Near the end is where the movie falls for me. It is that scene when the prince's kiss fails, only to confirm to Maleficent that "true love's kiss" does not exist, and she gives those heartbroken lines... and then Aurora, the Sleeping Beauty (Elle Fanning) wakes up.
See, the movie promoted itself as a prequel to the classic Disney's Sleeping Beauty (1959), but it wasn't. It was a retelling of the entire story, and it bothered me. Not because of the advertisement, but what it meant. From the beginning I saw Maleficent as a tragic character. The movie shows that when she was young she had a kind heart; that she was open to the world. Then, she gets deceived by someone that was very close to her heart - yes, I know she was in love with him in her way, but I felt that the place where the pain came from was not because she was in love with her, but the betrayal of her trust and her people (since she represents them, and is her guardian).
So yes, I understood why she placed the curse on the child. It was the best way to hurt someone who loved himself more than anyone - to someone who took something that was an intimate part of her. At this point, the movie says that she reveled in the sorrow of the curse she had placed. But even then, she found it in her that she could still find love in this child, and she takes care of her. She then tries to remove her curse, but that doesn't work, and the curse takes place as planned - having no one else but her own anger and hatred to blame. Up to this point, how great a tragic story this is. Maleficent fights to keep her soul pure despite all the hardships her heart goes through, but fate plays her a different set of cards, and no matter what she does; she is bound for suffering.
Well, maybe it was the way I saw the movie. I knew who Maleficent is as a character in the Sleeping Beauty story, and knowing this made me assume that she would turn the villain for the 'sequel'. The way that Maleficent is portrayed in the movie made me root for her despite what I thought would be the outcome. I sincerely felt sad for her.
I understand this is a PG rated movie, and it was meant for young kids - although I find that to be arguable. But see, the magic in Disney lies in the way that the death or fall of some of the characters is portrayed beautifully. Take The Lion King (1994), or Dumbo (1941), or Bambi (1942) for example; the parent figure of the main character in all three movies pass away in some very touching scenes. So that means that kids are able to understand loss and tragedy. Why not have a movie that was about that fall, and this time it's the main character; have the movie end with Maleficent becoming the guardian she promised to become. Why did this movie have to have a happy ending, I will never know - I understand, but... Had Aurora never woken up; it would be Sleeping Beauty seen in a completely different way - granted, probably not as canon since the original green Maleficent was evil incarnate, iconic, and that cannot be changed; but at least it can be given a different interpretation.
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