If you haven’t seen the Disney animated film *Sleeping Beauty* [1959] since VHS as a kid, you owe yourself a rewatch

I recently went with my children to see a production of Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty. Watching the ballet, with its dreamy color choices for lighting and costuming, I couldn’t help but remember the soft palates yet dramatically designed layouts of the film, set to the same musical score. I decided on nostalgia alone to rewatch the film with my kids off of Disney+, if only as a conversation starter comparing how each told the same story.

The film is gorgeous. Just…..gorgeous. Every frame is saturated in color with a palate rich and deep. The use of lines and other bold design choices of the layout continues still makes it a standout film nearly 75 years after it was made. And the effects of lighting and shade, when Philip is riding his horse in the forest! The layering of movement, just in the opening scene of the people visiting the baby princess! I never noticed this as a kid, but now that I have about four decades of watching animation I can appreciate the level of detail the animation team did on this film. Props to the Disney team on this high res restoration, because it’s a work of art. Hope you check it out.