“The rape of the wings”

by Daniela Uriona

740 million dollars collected and ranked second in the list of films with highest earnings in 2014 is not a surprise when talking about a Disney creation. Maleficent is one of the most popular and well-received releases for children in the current year. It is an adaptation of the extraordinary and acclaimed classic of Disney of all time: ´The sleepy beauty´. The successful film exceeded all expectations in the world of cinema. Directed by Robert Stromberg, and counting with outstanding actors and actresses such as Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley and Lesley Manville, the high-grossing film was the favourite entertainment chosen by children at box–offices around the world.

The film let us find out the reason why Maleficent goes from an innocent fairy to a villain. Certainly, her change Iet us Iearn that she is not born wicked but turns into an evildoer due to betrayals, insincerities and deceits that she, unfortunately, experiences throughout her life. This teaching seems not to be the only one that the film portrays. Maleficent is a pure-hearted young fairy who spends her days pleasantly in a nonviolent forest kingdom. Everything is calm and placid. She is deeply in love with Stefan, a boy who belongs to the humans´ kingdom and really desires to be the king. Due to his greed and ambition, he cuts away Maleficent´s adored wings, Ieaving her devastated and forceless. As we can appreciate, he not only steals her heart but also something extremely valuable of her. This allegoric episode chosen to depict the change in Maleficent´s behaviour is by no means innocent at all. Undoubtedly, Maleficent symbolizes women´s rape in order to raise awareness in our society.

Three women are raped every minute in the world. Definitely, to be a victim of a rape is a very atrocious episode that, in most cases, needs psychological treatment. Shame, hatred, guilt, depression, low self-esteem, fear and isolation are some of the feelings that women experience after the rape. These change of attitude is clearly easy to find in Maleficent. After having Iost her wings, her pure heart becomes stone. This happened because of the brutal betrayal she experienced. After the tremendous episode, she finds hard to be the same natural fairy that she used to be. She is shocked and something certainly changes in her mind. She becomes the queen of revenge and obscurity. Without doubts, Maleficent´s personality is altered as many victims´s attitude because of rape, in our society.

As if MaIeficent´s change in her behaviour isn´t enough, another coincidence between women´s rape and the scene brought into analysis, is the use of drugs.  Flunitracepan, rohypnol and XTC are common tools rapists use to carry out their objective and to reach their hideous goaIs. In most of the cases they put the drug into a drink. It can cause amnesia, tiredness or sleep. Having the victims completely sedated and in a state of unconsciousness, the abusers take advantage of the situation to attack their preys. As we can clearly appreciate in the story, the winged fairy is tricked. Stefan offers her a sleeping and unknown potion that she accepts without hesitating even for a second. Later while she reposes on the ground, Stefan executes the wings´ rape. When she wakes up the next morning, she notices what has happened to her and shrills in pain and horror.

It is no surprising that Angelina JoIie, the actress who performs Maleficent, is always present in events that deal with sexual violence and helps society focus on this subject that worries everybody. Being a well-known celebrity, her participation is really useful in those meetings which prevent and inform about the issue around the worId. One of them is “The gIobaI summit to end sexual violence in conflict” which took pIace in London on June, 13 th.  As she really cares about this humanistic matter, she is totally passionate about the controversial point. Certainly, this can be seen as a fact that encouraged her to perform the main character in the story and, through the film, to urge end to rape.  

The most relevant point when watching this movie is that a real daily fact that takes pIace in our society is being showed to children as many others means do. They only have to switch on the television or the radio to soak themselves with announcements of rapes.  Although they are aIways surrounded by examples of this problem, the film contributes in creating consciousness about the topic.   All of us agree with the fact that women´ rape has to be eradicated in our society and, clearly, Maleficent works as a tool to raise awareness about this increasing issue.