Why Sleeping Beauty (2011) is the Dark Feminist Fairytale We Need

The Dark Feminist Fairytale We Need: Exploring Sleeping Beauty (2011)

When it comes to fairy tales, the Disney versions we all grew up with are often the most well-known and beloved. But in recent years, there’s been a trend towards retelling classic stories with a darker, more feminist twist. One such example is Sleeping Beauty (2011), a visually-stunning and thematically-rich film that explores the complexities of gender roles, power dynamics, and female agency.

The Power of Sleep

At its core, Sleeping Beauty is about the danger and allure of sleep – and the power that it can bestow. In the film, protagonist Lucy (played by Emily Browning) is a young university student struggling to make ends meet. She’s approached by a mysterious organization that offers to pay her exorbitant amounts of money to participate in a series of “sleep tests”. These tests involve being sedated and immobilized for days at a time, while rich clients are given the opportunity to do whatever they want to her body.

At first, Lucy is repulsed by the idea. But as she falls deeper into the world of these tests – and becomes closer to the enigmatic boss of the organization – she begins to see the appeal. To her, sleep becomes a form of power: a way to escape the mundane reality of her life, to transcend her physical and emotional limitations, and to gain access to a secret world of pleasure and danger.

The Female Gaze

What’s striking about Sleeping Beauty is the way it uses the female gaze to explore these themes. Director Julia Leigh – who also wrote the screenplay – is unflinching in her depiction of Lucy’s experiences, presenting them in a way that’s both visually stunning and emotionally resonant. We see Lucy’s naked body, yes – but we also see the way she moves, the way she breathes, the way she feels. We see the men who pay for her services – but we also see their vulnerability, their neediness, their desperation.

This use of the female gaze is especially powerful when it comes to the film’s themes of power and agency. Unlike many other films that purport to be “feminist” but ultimately reinforce patriarchal norms, Sleeping Beauty offers a vision of female empowerment that’s messy, complicated, and contradictory. Lucy may gain power through sleep – but she also loses control over her own body, and is forced to confront the consequences of her choices.

The Limits of Feminist Representation

Of course, Sleeping Beauty isn’t a perfect film. There are moments when its experimentation with form and content can feel self-indulgent or alienating; there are times when its attempts at social commentary can seem simplistic or underdeveloped. And there’s the ever-present question of whether a film made by a woman, about a woman, is enough to qualify as “feminist” – especially when the film is so relentlessly bleak and ambiguous.

But what Sleeping Beauty does offer is a unique and daring vision of what feminist representation can look like in contemporary film. By refusing to shy away from the uncomfortable realities of sex, power, and exploitation, and by centering its narrative on a complex and flawed female protagonist, it invites us to question our own assumptions and desires. It challenges us to see the beauty in the darkness, and to celebrate the power of sleep – even as we acknowledge its dangers.

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