From Maleficent to Malevolent–to Magnificent

ANGELINA Jolie delivers a layered, prismatic portrayal.

The prologue to Angelina Jolie’s latest starrer, “Maleficent,” says that it’s “an old fairy tale told anew”—and the good news is that it’s definitely a new take on the many-times-told story of Sleeping Beauty.

For starters, its focus is on the traditional tale’s villainess, the black witch who vengefully places a deadly curse on the infant child of the king who has wronged her.

In the light of this mordant, downbeat twist, Jolie is the perfect choice to play the antiheroine, because of her unusual combination of beauty and sense of “danger”—and because, many years ago, she had a dark, gothic and sinister persona, particularly when she was married to the (then) similarly weird Billy Bob Thornton.

These days, Jolie is the very soul of loving and caring for others, but she’s eminently successful in “resurrecting” her disturbingly sinister side for the unusually dark parameters of Maleficent’s persona.

The film takes great pains to show that the title character did not start out as an evil fairy, but became vile and vengeful after her first, true love broke her vulnerable heart.

After that, however, she used her awesome powers only for evil purposes, and it looks like her redemption is hopeless—until it is unexpectedly effected by a most unlikely savior!

Unexpected goodness

Thus does the film become a depiction of the expanded parameters of love, not just of the romantic sort, but also of evil “seduced” into unexpected goodness, resulting in the film’s surprising denouement!

“Maleficent’s” appeal is further bolstered by its visual beauty and power, making the mystifying world of fairies and other elementals come breathtakingly to life onscreen.

Despite these and other treats, it’s still Jolie’s portrayal of Maleficent that holds stage center throughout the updated fairy tale’s storytelling.

With minimal dialogue, the consummate actress is able to convey a wealth of psychological and emotional information, and her costars appear to be only too happy to play second fiddle to her breathtaking “arias” and solo turns!

Even better, she doesn’t limit herself to chillingly personifying Maleficent as the epitome of evil, but more creatively and subtly goes on to effect a more layered and prismatic portrayal that presages her amazing and moving change of heart. Most other actresses would have made the “big reveal” too good or facile to be true, but Jolie makes Maleficent “earn” her redemption by making it, oh, so difficult and even “painful” to achieve!

Thus, all by her lonesome, with no need for any special and magical “effects,” Jolie is able to dig deeply into her character’s corroded and hate-devoured heart of hearts—and movingly and believably find the last, remaining sliver or crystal shard of hope and goodness to make Maleficent’s “impossible” redemption convincingly come through. Yes, this is “only” a filmed fairy tale, but what a standout thespic achievement! From Maleficent to Malevolent to Magnificent—Tres Jolie!