THE INTERPRETATION OF SLEEPING BEAUTY (1959) BY USING PROPP’S THEORY

A. INTRODUCTION

LOVE IS ABLE TO DEFEAT THE EVIL

Sleeping Beauty is an American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney based on The Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault and Little Briar Rose by The Brothers Grimm. The 16th Disney animated feature film. It was released to theaters on January 29, 1959, by Buena Vista Distribution. Clito Enrico "Clyde" Geronimi, was born on June 12, 1901, in Chiavenna, Italy. He was an Italian American animation director. And he is best known for his work at Walt Disney Productions. In this film, Geronimi told the story about a kingdom consisting of a king and queen who for years have not had children, but eventually, they were blessed with a daughter. And they named her, Princess Aurora. However, at the time of her christening, there is an uninvited guest at the event, she is Maleficent. Maleficent is a wicked fairy who is finally condemned Princess Aurora. Then, Maleficent stated that before sunset on the day of her sixteenth birthday, she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die. But in a fairy named Merryweather given her blessing to weaken the curse of Maleficent so that Princess Aurora will instead fall into a deep sleep which can only be awakened by true love's first kiss.

Actually, in this paper, the writer will discuss the film about The Interpretation of Sleeping Beauty (1959) by using Propp’s theory. Basically, Vladimir Propp focuses on narratology, which is the study of narrative structures, but it has achieved a certain independence from its parent, anad this justifies it being given a chapter of its own (Barry, 2009, p. 214). This topic is related to thirty-one ‘functions’ and the seven ‘spheres of action that contained in the film because based on a study of a hundred tales, Propp’s concluded that all these tales are constructed by selecting items from a basic repertoire of thirty-one ‘functions’ (Barry, 2009, p. 214). However, the writer will focus on analyzing of the interpretation in Sleeping Beauty’s film. In this paper, the writer will use narratology in Vladimir Propp’s which created by Peter Barry to analyze or to interpret the Sleeping Beauty film. Thus, it related to each other. Then, in this work the reason the writer choose this film because in the theory of Vladimir Propp’s mostly using fairy tales as material analysis, especially in thirty-one functions, and one of them, this film is very suitable to analyzed by using the Propp’s theory. I’ve chosen to focus on the Sleeping Beauty by grimms and apply his 31 functions and 7 character types to the story.

B. ANALYSIS

In this part, the writer will analyze “The Interpretation of Sleeping Beauty (1959)” using Propp’s theory that related to the thirty-one functions and character types and how the theory is applied in the literary work in the film of Sleeping Beauty.

In the film of “Sleeping Beauty” (1959) tells the story of a married couple do not have children but hope that one day, they had children. Until one day, when the queen was in the shower, then came the frog and said that she would have a daughter. Finally, what the frog said came true. Finally they have a daughter. The birth of their daughter, the king commanded to make a big party. All are invited to the party. But, there was one who was not invited, the wicked fairy named Maleficent. Maleficent was angry knowing she was not invited.

Finally, Maleficent give a gift to be cursed to their daughter that when she celebrated her sixteenth birthday, she will be exposed by needle and die. Maleficent was angry knowing she was not invited. Finally, Maleficent give a gift to be cursed to their daughter that when she celebrated her sixteenth birthday, she will be exposed by needle and die. However, the good fairy, named Merryweather, to give the prize, which is weakening the original Maleficent curses that the princess will die exposed by the needle but was changed to the princess will only fall asleep for many years and will be returning wake up when the prince kissed by her first love.

So, from the story of the film of “Sleeping Beauty” (1959) can be analyzed using Vladimir Propp’s by using the thirty-one function. Based on “Sleeping Beauty” (1959) film, here is the analysis of Propp’s seven ‘spheres of action’ and the analysis of thirty-one functions using quote in the movie:

a. The Analysis of seven ‘spheres of action’

There are seven characters in the Sleeping Beauty, which are:

The first is villain. The villain in this story is those closest to them, such as their friends. Which in this story refers to the fairy named Maleficent, which in the end she's wrath because she was not invited to the party of the birth of the daughter of the king and queen. Second, the donor (provider) in this story is the frog who told the queen when the queen was taking a shower and then give a hope for the King and Queen and then the second donor is grandfather’s Prince. Next is the helper. The helper in this story is three good fairy, named Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. Then, the princess (a sought-for-person) is a young girl who was cursed, named Briar Rose, or better known as Princess Aurora, a young girl who dubbed as Sleeping Beauty. And her (princess) father is King Stefan who is the father of Briar Rose who instructed all the guards to destroy all the spindle. After that, the dispatcher is grandfather’s Prince who told the story about Sleeping Beauty. Then, for the hero is the Prince who went into a dangerous place for the sake of to save the princess which then he kissed Briar Rose aka Sleeping Beauty. And then the last is the false hero, and for the false hero there is no false hero in the story of Sleeping Beauty.

b. The Analysis of Thirty-One ‘Functions’

From the first function, the members of a family who was absent from home is Princess Aurora. Because, at the age of fifteen and almost sixteen years, the king and queen did not stand beside the princess and the princess tends to always spend time on the outside. So that makes her finally found the spindle.

[The fairies push Briar Rose out of the house]

Flora: Now don't hurry back, dear.

Merryweather: And don't go to far.

Flora: And don't speak to strangers.

Fauna: Goodbye, dear!

Merryweather: Goodbye!

Flora: Goodbye!

Briar Rose: Goodbye!

After that, for the interdiction is addressed to the hero which is addressed to the protagonist. Which is refers to the King. Because he was trying to protect his daughter by ordering all the guards to collect all the spindle and then burn it. So since then, no one may use a spindle.

  
Then, the princess ignoring the prohibition that has been set. Whereby when the princess was playing, accidentally in finding a room in which sound like sewing, and because of the curiosity of the princess finally she approached and she had ignored a ban of his own father's to not play around too far and not to talk with strangers.

Then, for the next function was related to the previous function which is the victim submits to deception and thereby unwittingly helps his enemy. Whereby when the princess wanted to know what is being done by the grandmother witch. And when the princess is taken in by seduction grandmother witch, so the princess would try to sew. The wizard is deliberately making the hand of the princess pricked by a needle.

[Merryweather starts angrily starts to fly towards Maleficent but is held back by Flora]

Merryweather: I really felt quite distressed of not receiving an invitation.

Merryweather: You weren't wanted!

Maleficent: Not wa...? Oh dear, what an awkward situation. I had hoped it was merely due to some oversight. Well, in that event I'd best be on my way.

Queen: And you're not offended, your excellency?

Maleficent: Why no, your majesty. And to show I bear no ill will, I, too, shall bestow a gift on the child.

[The fairies protect the cradle]

Maleficent: Listen well, all of you! The princess shall indeed grow in grace and beauty, beloved by all who know her. But, before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, she shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die.

Queen: Oh no! [takes the child in her arm]

Maleficent: Ha, ha, ha, ha!

Stefan: Seize that creature!

Maleficent: Stand back you fools. [disappears in a flash of lightning, laughing]

Because the witch Maleficent was not invited by the King, finally Maleficent angry and instead, she giving her the gift of a curse for the princess.

Then, where the princess finally fell asleep. Until finally news of a beautiful princess who fell asleep, named, Briar Rose, in the palace spread to parts of the country and made many princes wanted to help but none prince who successfully to wake the princess up.

“After long, long years a King's son came again to that country, and heard an old man talking about the thorn-hedge, and that a castle was said to stand behind it in which a wonderfully beautiful princess, named Briar-rose, had been asleep for a hundred years; and that the King and Queen and the whole court were asleep likewise. He had heard, too, from his grandfather.”

Hearing that news, the prince was not afraid and instead he just want to be able to save the princess/Sleeping Beauty from her sleep length.

“Then the youth said, "I am not afraid, I will go and see the beautiful Briar-rose."”

Then, the prince was not afraid. He went for rescue the princess. Actually, the grandfather told the story of Sleeping Beauty in order to make his grandson become a brave person, so that later when he became a king, he could be a brave king someday.

Then in this function refers to an animal that can talk, the frog, who told the queen when she was taking a shower that she would have a child.

"Your wish shall be fulfilled; before a year has gone by, you shall have a daughter." Said the frog to the queen

The prince came to the Sleeping Beauty castle. And then destroy the plants that grow around the castle.

Then, when the prince tried to for wake the princess up, and the evil witch tries to thwart the efforts of the prince. However, the wizard can be defeated by the prince by his sword.

Finally, the prince was defeated witch Maleficent. And the prince went into the castle and he found Princess Aurora lying on her bed. Then, the prince kissed the princess and princess Aurora is finally waking up.

[Phillip throws the sword at the dragon, which is hit deadly and collapses] [Phillip and the fairies get inside the castle and up to the tower, where Aurora lies on her bed. Phillip slowly walks towards her and gives her a faint kiss on the lips. Aurora awakens, sees Phillip and begins to smile] [inside the throne room, everyone awakens, too]

Prince was captured by the witch Maleficent so the prince could not save Princess Aurora. But finally the prince also successfully to return to save the Princess.

After the prince kissed the princess and she woke up. It means that his mission to save or rescue the princess has been reached/succeed.

“Then they went down together, and the King awoke, and the Queen, and the whole court, and looked at each other in great astonishment.”

And finally, the prince was married to Princess Aurora and the prince ascended the throne and they live happily ever after.

C. CONCLUSION

From the discussion above, it can be concluded that from all of the 31 functions that contained in the film of Sleeping Beauty, there are only 15 functions that appear to analyzed or interpreted using the Propp's theory. “The Interpretation of Sleeping Beauty (1959)” is a film about a young girl whose life is suffering, but in the end of her life was happy when there was a prince who sacrificed himself to save her life. While based on the analysis, in this film can be analyzed using a narrative character that can be expressed in this film. In the story of Sleeping Beauty, only 15 functions from 31 functions that can be analyzed and there are seven spheres of action of the characters.

REFERENCES

Barry, Peter. (2009). Beginning Theory:  An Introduction to Literary and Cultural

Theory. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

http://www.fpx.de/fp/Disney/Scripts/SleepingBeauty/sb.html

Grimm, J., & Grimm, W. ( 2014). The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers

Grimm. Princeton: Princeton University Press.