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7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Sleeping Beauty remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, it depends on if you like watching shadows play around. This isn't a Disney movie. It’s Alexander Alexeieff playing with pins and light. It’s short, odd, and oddly beautiful if you’re in the right headspace.
It was paid for by a wine company. You can almost feel the specific vibe they wanted—something classy, maybe a little surreal. It makes the whole thing feel like an artifact from a different planet.
The stop motion here isn't smooth. It’s got this grainy, scratchy quality that makes everything feel like it's buried under a century of dust. The Prince character moves in these weird, jerky loops. He’s very lithe, sure, but he looks like he’s made of wire and hope.
I found myself staring at the background more than the actual characters. There’s a specific sequence where the castle walls seem to breathe. It’s unsettling. Most animation today tries to be so clean, but this feels like you’re watching a ghost trapped in a grain of sand.
If you're looking for a clear story, you’re in the wrong place. It’s more of an impression of the Sleeping Beauty myth. It reminds me a bit of the atmosphere you get in A Daughter of the Gods, where the environment does all the heavy lifting while the human bits just drift through.
The lighting is moody. It’s almost entirely silhouette work in places. Sometimes it’s hard to tell where the prop ends and the shadow begins. That’s probably the point, right? 🍷
It’s not a film you analyze. It’s a film you just sit with. It feels like watching a dream that you can’t quite remember when you wake up. It’s definitely not for everyone, but if you like stuff that feels hand-made and slightly haunted, give it a shot.
It’s certainly better than sitting through another The Bull-Slinger kind of fluff. This has actual grit.