Sleeping Beauty Review

• 23rd Feb 2012

Coming of age tale Sleeping Beauty gets a sexed up take in this intoxicating portrayal of a modern day university student called Lucy, played by bad ass Sucker Punch star Emily Browning, who enters into a hidden world of naughty desires. A naturally reckless protagonist with no family to fall back on immediately establishes her troubled soul status. Pressure from multiple low paid jobs, an alcoholic mother and lousy flat mates are a unity of catalysts designed to push her character down a dark, lonely path. Forgive me for being patronising but the Sleeping Beauty of old encompassed protective parents, a knight in shining armour and a castle fit for a princess, all counterbalanced by a crazed manipulative witch intent on causing death and destruction. This modern day Sleeping Beauty reflects the insecurities and sexual experimentation of a young girl and the ease of falling prey to unwanted desires.

From generation to generation since time began wise elders have passed down magical stories of heroes and villains, damsels in distress and mythical beings. An irrevocable common thread in each case was that the wise elders were always trusted and revered. However, this is not the case for Julian Leigh’s Sleeping Beauty in which Lucy drinks a sleeping concoction that leaves her exposed to the predatory desires of seedy old men. And this is why I found the film very symbolic for even though the primary villain was still a female i.e. the witch who puts her to sleep, the beneficiaries are the older generation; as if the warring and suppression of old men’s sexual desires had gone on far too long. A cosy fairytale hijacked, where dark suppressed urges of a haunting personality act out their revenge on a Sleeping Beauty. Helpless and angelic, a perfect outlet for these men to realise their own twisted version of a fairytale.

The mises en scene are extremely exuberant and complex, mixing modern interiors with medieval and somewhat ‘fairytale’ décor. This is particularly evident inside the home of Clara, played by Rachael Blake, who is responsible for the ‘sleeping procedure’ and old men clientele. Hand painted ornaments, gold mirrors, patterned cushions and carved out chairs enhance a fairy tale like castle with the predominant colours being earthly pastels. Coupled with the sweeping gardens it all adds to the presentation of Lucy as a damsel in distress, held against her will inside the wicked witches’ castle. However, she willingly accepts the calls by Clara and rides freely with a chauffeur to the mansion. The complexity of this story is intriguing in as much that the interior is welcoming along with the bed she sleeps in; soft pastels of pink and blue offer very innocent and virginal connotations coupled with the over use of medium wide angle shots of her sleeping peacefully in bed. It’s as if this house is a perfect form of escapism from her outside troubles but at the same it is her worst nightmare. The delusion of a fairytale ending is touched upon and subtly encoded into a hidden web of beauty and desire, for when we dream a dream what happens when the wish finally comes true?

Sleeping Beauty deserves extreme praise. An official selection for the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, first time director Julia Leigh exudes a mesmerising shooting style of effortlessness and grace. With Emily Browning’s intense performance this film is one to watch out for. The DVD hits shelves on 27^th Feb 2012 so prepare for absolute submission.  

Rachel Moore