A Feminist Studies Criticism on the

Movie “Maleficent” by Jade Marie Teano

Maleficent is a 2014 American dark fantasy film directed
by Robert Stromberg from a screenplay by Linda Woolverton, and
starring Angelina Jolie as the title character with Sharlto
Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple,
and Lesley Manville in supporting roles. Loosely inspired
by Charles Perrault's original fairy tale and Walt Disney's 1959
animated film Sleeping Beauty, the film portrays the story from
the perspective of the eponymous antagonist, depicting her
conflicted relationship with the princess and king of a corrupt
kingdom.

I assumed that the movie Maleficent contain the empowerment

of women presented in several scenes and situations when
Maleficent prefer to love Aurora than to hate her cause love is
more powerful than anything and Maleficent finds a way how to
revoke the cursed that she gave to her.

Once upon a time there were two kingdoms that were the
worst of neighbors. In one kingdom live with a vain and greedy
king to rule over them. For in the other kingdom, the Moors
lived every manner of strange and wonderful creature. And they
needed neither king nor queen but trusted in one another. There
was a fairy-girl who protected the Moors her name was Maleficent
she has a friend named Steffan. As their friendship slowly
turned into something else. And on her 16th birthday. Steffan
gave Maleficent a gift. He told her it was a true love’s kiss.
After all this time, Steffan’s ambition called him away from
Maleficent and towards the temptation of the human kingdom,
while she is the strongest fairies in the Moors she become the
protector of their kingdom. The king of the other kingdom wanted
to kill Maleficent and the gift from the king was to be the next
king. Steffan was confused. He came to Maleficent and treated
her. He couldn’t kill Maleficent. So, he cut her wings. Steffan
was sure that her wings were her powers. Maleficent woke up and
she realized her wings were cut by Steffan. Steffan crowned to
be the next king after he cuts Maleficent’s wings. The Moors
became worst after Maleficent had cursed it. When Maleficent got
the news that the king had their newborn baby she planned
something for revenge to the king in their grand celebration.
All the fairies invited except Maleficent. The fairies would
give her gifts for a baby. The people was shocked when
Maleficent enters the kingdom and give the baby a gift that on
her 16th birthday she will prick her finger on the spindle of a
spinning wheel and fall into a sleep like dead. The curse will
be forever.” The king ordered his servants to seize every
spinning wheel in the kingdom and thrown in the deepest
underground in the castle. The queen died because of illness.
Secretly he entrusted the safety of the child to the magic of
the fairies. Aurora was grown up into a beautiful girl. She was
nice. The fairies couldn’t keep Aurora well. Maleficent slowly
turned into nice. She take care Aurora with Diaval (a crow that
turned into a man). Maleficent loved Aurora but her cursed to
Aurora would be forever although Maleficent tried to save
Aurora. Aurora wanted to live in the Moors with Maleficent. So,
she talked with the fairies. Aurora ran to Maleficent. But in
her way she met a beautiful prince who went to the King
Steffan’s kingdom. His name was Phillip. Phillip fel in love
with Aurora. Aurora met Maleficent and asked her about the
cursed. Maleficent was sad. Aurora left Maleficent and went to
king Steffan’s kingdom. His ambition was to kill Maleficent. So,
Aurora was placed in the secret room. Aurora was hypnotized by
the voice from her room wall and walked to the hall full of
spinning wheel. She put her finger and pricked it. She fell into
sleep like death. Phillip, the prince from the Knight entered to
the castle. Maleficent saw it and Phillip kissed Aurora. But she
didn’t wake up. Steffan got mad and sent Phillip away.
Maleficent and Diaval watched this sadly. Aurora is alone in her
room. Maleficent and Diaval stood by her bed. Maleficent
apologized to Aurora and kissed her that moment Aurora was awake
by her kiss. Aurora and Maleficent went from the castle but they
were caught by Steffan. Aurora ran to some place in the castle
and she found Maleficent’s wings. Maleficent and Steffan was
fighting. Steffan died. Aurora, Maleficent, and Diaval went to
the Moors. The Moors returned to be a wonderful kingdom. The
Fairies gave Aurora a beautiful flowers crown. As we know the
story end with happily ever after like the other fairytale. It
took one who was both a hero and a villain to make things right.
And her name was Maleficent.
 Stanton composed the “Declaration of Sentiments” for the
Seneca Falls women’s rights convention in 1848, a watershed
moment in US Feminism. Modeled in the US Constitution, the
Declaration asserts “that all men and women created equal,” and
indicts a patriarchal culture of repressing the rights of
women.” In the movie Maleficent, she has right and power to rule
the kingdom but what King Steffan did is he betrayed Maleficent
to the point they fought their rights and at the end of the
movie Maleficent killed King Steffan, Maleficent was back to
rule the Moors again. According to De Beauvoir, “one is not
born, one becomes a woman” he challenged the idea that a woman’s
essence was distinct from a man’s, that she was born with
certain inherent potentialities and qualities that define her
personal, social, and legal existence.