Maleficent (2014)

ZeroDiet said:
Feminism =/= not needing a man though? That's kinda like the flawed pseudo feminism crap that gets pushed in the media: feminism = men haters, feminism = women > men.

I'm not the OP but in a way this does bug me. I'd like to think of myself as a strong female, but I can damn well need a man if I WANT to. I'm very against "feminists" telling me what I should want because fuck you, I'll do what I want, when I want, and I fully accept the consequences. But no one tells me what I "should" do. It's also kinda like saying being a feminist = not allowed to be sexy/enjoy sex/flaunt your body. Uh no. I can look good, enjoy sex, AND be pro-equality. They're not mutually exclusive. I'm completely off topic but oh well. :oops: I really want to watch this movie though. Angelina is too beautiful.
Click to expand...


I don't really feel like the movie is trying to say "I don't need a man". Or perhaps, it's the "need" part. They might not need a man, to be strong, to become who they want to be, etc. But they might want a man. Isn't there a difference? I don't feel like there's such a message in the movie, that women can't be in love and strong (Aurora does fall in love), or that they can't be beautiful and strong (sums up Maleficent). But I felt like the main focus wasn't feminism, but platonic love and friendship. That romantic love isn't the only love that can be strong, beautiful, moving, and worth something. Or that we can move past our hurt and grow as people.

I don't know if my thoughts come across. Either way, I really liked the movie. Angelina Jolie is stunning and perfect for the role.
 
ZeroDiet said:
Feminism =/= not needing a man though? That's kinda like the flawed pseudo feminism crap that gets pushed in the media: feminism = men haters, feminism = women > men.

I'm not the OP but in a way this does bug me. I'd like to think of myself as a strong female, but I can damn well need a man if I WANT to. I'm very against "feminists" telling me what I should want because fuck you, I'll do what I want, when I want, and I fully accept the consequences. But no one tells me what I "should" do. It's also kinda like saying being a feminist = not allowed to be sexy/enjoy sex/flaunt your body. Uh no. I can look good, enjoy sex, AND be pro-equality. They're not mutually exclusive. I'm completely off topic but oh well. :oops: I really want to watch this movie though. Angelina is too beautiful.
Click to expand...

I think the whole point I was trying to make is that feminism does NOT equal the rejection of men. Plenty of straight women are feminists.... And feminists are all about rejecting limitations. I don't think feminists tell people what they should want. They're kind of for exactly what you were talking about.....
 
zombiehero said:
I don't really feel like the movie is trying to say "I don't need a man". Or perhaps, it's the "need" part. They might not need a man, to be strong, to become who they want to be, etc. But they might want a man. Isn't there a difference? I don't feel like there's such a message in the movie, that women can't be in love and strong (Aurora does fall in love), or that they can't be beautiful and strong (sums up Maleficent). But I felt like the main focus wasn't feminism, but platonic love and friendship. That romantic love isn't the only love that can be strong, beautiful, moving, and worth something. Or that we can move past our hurt and grow as people.

I don't know if my thoughts come across. Either way, I really liked the movie. Angelina Jolie is stunning and perfect for the role.
Click to expand...

I think you're right! The main point of the movie was definitely platonic love- the love between a mother figure and a daughter. I thought it was really beautiful, actually. But I still think Maleficent could be considered feminist in some respects (even if it was beside the point).
 
Whilst i loved the aesthetics of the film I felt the story line falls a bit flat. Apart from Maleficent I felt they neglected the character development of the rest of the cast.

There were also some small inconsistency that increased throughout the story that bugged me such as how it was established that the two worlds had nothing to do with each other and never mixed however some how the fairies were able to rock up at the castle totally uninvited and apart from getting a dodgy look from the king had no problem to the point where the king entrusted his child to them. there were lots of little things like this that kind made it hard for me to get into the story.
 
I think it was because the king was in the Moors prior to all the "bad" events and he knew that everything and everyone there had a good nature. He also knew that Maleficent was evil only because HE made her that way.
 
I watched the movie last night.
Sleeping Beauty is my favourite Disney movie so for those who like SB, Maleficent is quite different and has changed the story (rather than simply given Maleficent's perspective) and some names.

I thought some parts of the movie were fabulous but I agree the inconsistencies were quite annoying. If they burned all the spinning wheels 16 years prior and put them in the farthest castles why were they all still in the main castle assembled?

The feminist route is also likely because SB was notorious for being anti-female. The Queen had one line, no name, Aurora's gifts were beauty and a singing voice etc etc.
http://feministdisney.tumblr.com/post/13301468172/sleeping-beauty-a-rose-with-no-thorns


PS - The wings being cut off was a metaphor for rape.
“We were very conscious, the writer [Linda Woolverton] and I, that it was a metaphor for rape,” Jolie said during an interview with BBC Woman’s Hour."

http://www.vanityfair.com/vf-hollywood/angelina-jolie-maleficent-rape
 
Last edited by a moderator:
ScorpioScorpio said:
This film was incredible. I cried during the entire thing, just because it was so beautiful and magical.
Click to expand...



I watched this a couple of weeks ago, after a very stressful month, on my own, with a bottle of wine. I cried a lot as well, and adored the film. I was drunk and emotionally exhausted, however, and I love Angelina Jolie, so I'm not sure how it would stand up if I was sober.

I have to say though, I loved the cinematography, and visually, it was beautiful (even if there are gaping plot-holes).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back