My sisters rarely watch movies with me because we have very different tastes. Years ago they gave me a portable DVD player because me doing DVD marathons became an issue when people prefer to watch TV. Who wants to get disrupted in the middle of watching a movie?
So those rare times that they request for a movie date with me at home, I would always oblige. But man, we always end up watching mostly children's movies like Despicable Me, Tangled, and just last month, Maleficent. [I need to think of a way to encourage them to watch socially relevant films like uh... Norte? LOL They'd kill me.]
I picked the movie this time with their consent. Everybody loves Angelina Jolie. One can never go wrong.
Initially I thought that I will only get insights into an ant-heroine. Maleficent is a character that's very human, unlike the usual protagonists who shine so bright because they are just pure good. In Maleficent, we see how a sweet young girl is transformed into a terrifyingly powerful being bent on revenge, and how she regains her former goodness, redeemed by love.
Too trusting of a human boy whom she befriended even in the middle of a war against the humans who want to conquer the Moors, Maleficent wakes up one day with her wings cut off. The betrayal, she soon learns, stems from the boy's desire to be chosen as king. It was heartbreaking that scene wherein she cries for her big loss. Shortly she turns to the dark side.
What follows one knows so well already. She gate crashes on Princess Aurora's birthday celebration and curses her, that the princess shall indeed be loved by all and will grow up with grace and beauty but that she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and will fall into a great slumber. With Stefan's pleas, she offers cure, that only true love's kiss shall break the curse.
The infant princess was sent away from the palace, to be taken care of by the three fairies who were so incompetent one can only roll one's eyes. From afar, Maleficent watches them and eventually grows fond of the little girl. Aurora seems to have recollections of her, referring to her as her fairy godmother for the many instances that Maleficent saves her from danger. Maleficent tries to break the curse but to no avail, so she and her right hand man Diaval pin their hopes on the young Prince Philip for true love's kiss.
Except that, as in Tangled, true love doesn't necessarily mean romantic love, and can come in many forms. [See that??? I recall a conversation with someone months ago about having the courage to love and I argue that does it have to be romantic love?] It is Maleficent of all people who undoes the curse and wakes the Sleeping Beauty. But the fun and most exciting part doesn't end there.
As in the Disney animated film, the final battle is of course a must. In Maleficent though, the prince is just someone thrown in the plot without much agency aside from being Aurora's partner as implied in the ending. My favorite part is seeing Diaval getting transformed into a dragon. [Who doesn't love dragons? Dragons are so cute and powerful and super LOVE!] That and the much-awaited scene wherein Maleficent finally regains her wings. Apparently her wings have a life of their own and like Thor's Mjölnir, is just right on time for the ultimate battle. We three cheered endlessly when Stefan dies from a fall as befits a man who will do anything just to rise up in position at the expense of other people.
Like Maleficent, I question the existence of true love. Is there such a thing? Feelings and emotions, they fleet and pass and flow like water, sometimes rapidly, sometimes placidly, but always moving.
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Part of the reason why I chose this film was because a few months back I was intent on mastering "Once Upon a Dream" on piano but I guess I am more suited to playing handheld instruments like the violin and the flute.
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