Maleficent Movie Review (Essay Sample)

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Maleficent
Introduction
In the movie Maleficent, the issue of feminism has been brought out in many ways. The female character in the movie, Maleficent comes out as a very responsible and charming mother to her daughter, princess aurora. She also comes out as very vengeful at some point in the movie. The character is upright in her actions and very courageous in the undertakings of her duties. The movie depicts the female characters as very vengeful in most cases. The review will take a look at the actions undertaken by the leading female characters in the movie such as Maleficent, PrincessAurora, and Stefan. Stefan is responsible for betraying Maleficent, and this has made the fairytale develop and become more interesting (Solomon 459). Feminism is the reassurance of women's rights on the grounds of social, political and economic equality of men.The essay will focus on how the actions of women in this movie contribute to the development of feminism. It will also emphasize the strengths and weaknesses of the characters depicted in the movie.
Summary of the movie
The main character in the movie, Maleficent is labeled as vengeful in the movie. It is because at the begging of the movie, she and another character, Stefan seem to have not only respect for one another but also mutual understanding between themselves. The necessity for both parties to have equal opportunity so as to rule the kingdoms lead to betrayal. As the story continues, Stefan becomes more and more possessed with power and clips Maleficent wings. When this occurred, there were no signs to display that Maleficent was hungry with Stefan following her actions.
Maleficent later on came to realize the level of betrayal that Stefan had done to her. She resorts to revenge and liberate the people who were under Stefan’s rule. Stefan curses Maleficent’s daughter, Princess Aurora due to the actions of her mother. Maleficent depict as very loving because after what transpired; she embarks on an obligation to save her daughter from the curses of Stefan. She is a very affectionate mother and wants the best for her daughter. The betrayal by Stefan in the movie offers us with the chance to get to know the true fonts of the key players in the movie. Also, how feminism played a vital role in the actions that they showed in the movie.
Strengths of the subject
One of the main strengths of the subjects that it shows how most women possessed with feminism. Disney movies depict princesses who have a narrow view of life and marriage by promoting unrealistic ideals. However, in the movie, Princess Aurora looks up to Maleficent for guidance, and the notion of a strong woman who has an important role to play in the society is on the rise. The film has a feminist edge, and the characterization of maleficent gives voice to beauties in Disney movies. Maleficent is fostering as she takes care of Aurora, but she does not signify the image of traditional femininity.
The subject of feminist and women empowerment goes beyond domestic expectations common in the early characterization of female characters by Disney. The theme of femininity is extensive, but not deep; it is the actions of the powerful, vulnerable and loving character that best illustrate this subject. The movie experiments the gendered roles described as the feminist edge is an extension of experimentation in both culture and mass media in the 21st century. Gender equality is still a contentious issue, and although people worldwide have heard about the subject over time. There is no agreement on whether the feminist movements have been effective in the quest for their recognition (Mohanty 183). The existence of powerful women in films seeks to reignite not only debate but also interest on the influence of feminism in the society.
Another significant point to note from the movie is that true love subsists in different forms. When Aurora agrees to work together with Maleficent, it is seeing that women who cooperate and work together can overcome difficult circumstances because of their love for one another. For any form of love to flourish, there is a need for forgiveness as Aura forgave Stefan for cursing her. On the other hand, Maleficent did not forgive Stefan for his betrayal, and this shows that love does not necessarily conquer all. Greed and jealousy are factors that make it harder for true love to flourish.
Weakness of the subject
The subject of feminism depicted in Maleficent is revisionist and attempts to recast the original story without touching on queries surrounding the effect of proactive female characters. At the same time, during the time when fairies written about the society were patriarchal, and there are questions about whether the film represents the current times. In Maleficent, there is no other tale of men, where Stefan and other male varieties are shown to be greedy. In any case, Stefan is shown to be greedy till the end, showing that the film depiction of true love and men, in general, is misleading. It will not help promote feminism in the process.
From the happenings in the movie, it is likely that the seeming improvement in female status is not transformative enough. The shift from damsel to heroine in Disney films has been slow, feminism reflects the changing attitudes in the society on gender roles. The female characters exhibit masculine traits with their desire to win by all means rewriting the nature of feminism.There is camouflage in depiction of empowered women. For instance, Maleficent is vengeful and stated that she relished seeing Stefan begging for her to eliminate the curse on Aurora (Madsen).
Men are evil creatures in the society. They are the source of wickedness in Maleficent. It as if Maleficent would not be a villain if a man had not wronged her, and her vengeance sends a wrong message on the ideas that the feminist would want to portray. The film carelessly places men versus women in a situation where women are the victims, while the men are perpetrators of evil. It is such beliefs in the society that makes it harder for people to deal with some forms of gender bias.
Strengths versus the weaknesses
The subject of feminism in the film is both a strength and weakness depending on the activities of Maleficent and Aurora. At the same time, the defacement of Maleficent by a man who supposedly loved provides talking points on the different angles to feminism. On one hand, Maleficent is proactive, but, on the other hand, the film does not depart away from the notion of vulnerability faced by females.
The strengths of the subject play a noticeable role compared to the weaknesses in the movie. Maleficent is bold, given that there is a scene where Maleficent’s wings are cut by Stefan and this betrayal sets the scene for i...