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Malefi cent
is similarly radical in its rework-
ing of ‘Sleeping Beauty’, providing a backstory that explains why the
title character curses an innocent infant (no longer simply motivated
by petulance over a party invite), and makes a power-hungry man
the undisputed villain. The same twist on ‘true love’ is presented – in
this case between the unlikeliest of fairy godmothers and her foster
daughter – and although a prince is shoe-horned in at the end, the love
story is, once again, between two females. As the opening voice-over
states, this version is designed to make us rethink how well we know
the story, and the fact that Disney revised one of their own ‘classics’
in this case is especially significant.
24
Naysayers may claim that mak-
ing Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) a nurturing figure (redeemed by love)
diminishes her in some way, yet she is rewritten as a powerful and
heroic figure, the central relationship is surprisingly touching, and such
female friendly plotting is all the more welcome because it has proved
so rare, particularly given the stated interests of some Disney executives
(keen to attract male viewers) and the rewrites that have consequently
been approved – affirming a need to judge every film on its own merit.
Indeed, while Donald Haase asserts a need to avoid repeating negative
generalisations about sexism, proclaiming that we should ‘look beyond
the works of Disney’ (2004: 31), it seems Disney offers a good means
of observing how criticisms have been creatively responded to by
the film industry. As ever, cynics will attribute mercenary intentions
behind these modifications, yet we should appreciate positive messages,
and progressive stories, where we can find them, especially given the
prominence and popularity of such films.
All rewrites are inherently ambivalent – equally capable of shoring
up hoary tropes and contestable ideas as of challenging them. In terms
Postmodern Revisions
161
of innovative retellings of fairy tales, this book has suggested a number
of examples, yet what constitutes an inspiring or progressive varia-
tion depends on who we are and how we read them, with meaning
invariably in the eye of the beholder. The aim of ‘de-Grimming’, Tatar’s
‘defamiliarization’, or even Carter’s decanting metaphor, may have orig-
inated via an interest in exploring beyond the established ‘canon’ and
interrogating the ideological assumptions behind classic tales, yet what
were once useful devices for taking tropes apart may simply be used
to refashion fairy tales for the modern market, possessing no greater
ambition than eliciting amusement, with some potentially reprehensi-
ble results. We might also question if the underlying basis for fairy tale
revisions – the assumption that they function as forms of propaganda
(used to uphold a hegemonic social order) – is an accurate assessment?
Many of the most interesting films discussed in this book rearticulate
centuries-old concerns: approving feisty heroines who seek to improve
their lot, commending kind-hearted heroes who differ from the
machismo of male counterparts, warning against greed and misplaced
ambitions, affirming the dangers and difficulties of bad marriages and
unhappy families – as well as the potential to survive such traumas.
As such, we might reconsider how much the original tales truly require
revision, or whether we need to rethink some of these assumptions also.
Fairy tales for the modern age need to navigate a difficult path, aim-
ing to please a more critical and increasingly diverse audience with
contrasting demands. We want tales to entertain and divert us, yet to
also have a degree of credibility and depth, to see characters we can
identify with, yet who are also larger than life. We like our intellects to
be flattered by recognising familiar tropes, enjoy sharing jokes about
the improbability of events and their deviation from expectation, and
seem perennially intrigued by stories bent out of shape, creatively
retold and reconfigured, while remaining recognisable and relevant.
Cinema’s promise to give us new tales for old has an obvious appeal,
yet while every new version has the potential to surprise, they also
carry the risk of diminishing returns. Shiny new versions, with all
the attractions of top stars and the latest effects, will not necessarily
guarantee a worthwhile viewing experience – much less an edifying
story with any kind of long-term resonance that many classic tales still
have – and this is an important point to note, for whatever revisions
have occurred, classics stay for a reason. Although experimental devices
have been used to question and challenge, they have also been utilised
in quite conventional ways, affirming that techniques are as open to
interpretation as fairy tales themselves. Invariably, we can be sure of
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