Battle with the Forces of Evil: The Dragon Sequence

[TonyWDA]

When it comes to Disney films, it's no doubt the climaxes are the best portions of the film (often times the moment where the hero and villain face off for the last time). Animated or Live-Action, The Dragon Sequence from Sleeping Beauty, in my opinion, still stands as the most thrilling and artistic of the Disney pantheon. Every blends beautifully: The Animation, Backgrounds, Score, and one heck of an amazing dragon; the height of the climax being the cliff-climbing moment.

Let this be an appreciation thread to this moment; it doesn't often get the credit it deserves (and neither do Wolfgang Reitherman (Director of the scene), the animators, and Geroge Bruns (score composer). Say what you gotta say.

BTW, for those of you who have NEVER seen the dragon sequence: Watch below to see what you've been missing out on:



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[Jan<3]

You know what makes me mad about this scene?
Phillip doesn't kill the dragon... yet he gets all the glory?
if you watch the scene... it's Fauna's spell that kills Maleficent... without that spell Phillip would've lost...

... anyone agree?

[SpringHeelJack]

No, that's true... but he threw the sword!

I mean, you don't think about the guy who made the gun, you think about the shooter. That's a questionable analogy, and not entirely a pleasant one, but there you have it.

I love love love this scene, it's the great cap to a great film (apart from all the story flaws, I still like it). I credit George Bruns, but let's not forget Pyotr Tchaikovsky, who created what we hear in the first place. Bruns did some great work adapting and readapting, especially using the Puss-in-Boots music for the scene where Maleficent lures Aurora to the spinning wheel, but it'd still be nothing without the original ballet music.

[Rudy Matt]

The only thing that bugs me about the scene is that Flora or Fauna tells Phillip that "this is the last time we can help you" and then they go on to help him in almost every way conceivable.

[TonyWDA]

You know what makes me mad about this scene?
Phillip doesn't kill the dragon... yet he gets all the glory?
if you watch the scene... it's Fauna's spell that kills Maleficent... without that spell Phillip would've lost...

... anyone agree?

Wait, what glory? The entire kingdom was asleep when all of this was happening. Perhaps he didn't even tell the kingdom he himself defeated the dragon; who knows?

But still... you're right. Phillip, in terms of the general public, did somewhat get the majority of the credit. But we'll always know which 3 little fairies gave him a hand.

Anywho, back to the matter at hand: Is this an awesome climax, or what?

[TonyWDA]

The only thing that bugs me about the scene is that Flora or Fauna tells Phillip that "this is the last time we can help you" and then they go on to help him in almost every way conceivable.

I think you're thinking of Pinocchio, where the Blue Fairy warns Pinocchio she'll forgive him "this once" and that "this is the last time" she can help him. There is never a moment in this movie where the fairies say such a thing. Flora DOES, however, say that the dangers along the road, Phillip alone "will have to face", but that only applies when the Dragon shows up (you can see Flora pull Merryweather from helping Phillip, after which he almost gets killed do they truly give him help). But they never completely claim they won't give him a hand.

[Flanger-Hanger]

I believe Rudy is referring to the fact that Flora states "which you alone will have to face", and then come the bubbles, flowers, rainbow, getting his cape out of the thorns, telling him to climb the cliff, casting spell on sword etc.

But it's teamwork you guys, there's no "I" in "Beating Maleficent".

Wait...

[TonyWDA]

I believe Rudy is referring to the fact that Flora states "which you alone will have to face", and then come the bubbles, flowers, rainbow, getting his cape out of the thorns, telling him to climb the cliff, casting spell on sword etc.

But it's teamwork you guys, there's no "I" in "Beating Maleficent".

Wait...

Yeah, I know, and your right, it's teamwork.

To the last thing you wrote: LOL.

[yukitora]

What I don't like about the scene is that magic had to be used to "win". Wouldn't it be all the more impressive if 'love' was the forced that overcame evil? Instead, it's 'faeries', and 'reasonably good aim'. Disney Duster once posted something along the lines of "wouldn't it make sense that magic defeats what magic created" but really, that just undermines the whole storyline, leaving us non-magical beings nothing to take away.

That side, it is a frighteningly amazingly constructed scene (and the first use of the XeroX method if I'm not mistaken). We shouldn't be surprised though, this is from the same film have brought as that amazing sequence 8, which imo is the best animated scene in history.

My only (other) gripe is that the Prince Philip isn't the cute boyish Philip from the forest scene. He seemed to get uglier in the 3 or so hours he spent in maleficent-jail.

[Flanger-Hanger]

My only (other) gripe is that the Prince Philip isn't the cute boyish Philip from the forest scene. He seemed to get uglier in the 3 or so hours he spent in maleficent-jail.

Well, wouldn't you? It's utterly lacking in sunshine and happiness and if you thought you might never see that girl again you'd be depressed too. Plus it isn't very good for sleeping.

[ajmrowland]

Plus, as far as we're concerned, he probably spent the whole friggin' sleepless night there.

[yukitora]

well if sampson is allowed to climb cliffs, philip should be allowed to be in a continuous state of cute.

[Jan<3]

Phillip didn't throw the sword, it was Fauna's wand that guided the sword to the dragon's heart...

[SpringHeelJack]

She guided it, but he did throw the sword. I mean, he could have thrown the thing in any fool direction and presumably it still would have somehow managed to hit the dragon.

[blackcauldron85]

The scene definitely shows how brave Phillip is- I know that I'd be scared with those goons after me! And then the terror in his eyes when Maleficent turns into the dragon- but then he just charges toward her! And I love the creativity of the fairies' magic, turning harmful things into unharmful things. And when Maleficent sees that Diablo has been turned to stone, it almost seems that she has a heart, that she cares about her raven, but at the same time, she's sad (and then mad!) that the good guys are beating her.

As gruesome as it is, I like how the fairies essentially make the sword go through the dragon's heart...I don't know if one is supposed to look too much into it, but obviously part of it is because if the heart is wounded, it can be fatal, but maybe it has to do with how she's pretty heartless? I don't know.

I know that the thread is about the dragon sequence, but the scene immediately following that, when Phillip goes to Aurora- I wonder what he was feeling...I mean, I can imagine, but there he was, probably so terrified, fighting the dragon, but then it was all worth it when he sees Aurora.

(Oh, and technically her dress is pink at the end of the movie, right before the book closes. )

Wouldn't it be all the more impressive if 'love' was the forced that overcame evil? Instead, it's 'faeries', and 'reasonably good aim'.

I think it's better that the fairies helped Phillip than for him to end up dead! As TonyWDA said:

after which he almost gets killed do they truly give him help

. If the fairies didn't think that Maleficent was going to kill Phillip, then maybe they would've stepped back, but they all didn't come that far so that Aurora (and the kingdom) would stay sleeping forever!

[Rudy Matt]

I always thought Flora put a blessing on the sword -- she didn't guide the sword or throw it, she just blessed it and gave Philip a target.

[TonyWDA]

I always thought Flora put a blessing on the sword -- she didn't guide the sword or throw it, she just blessed it and gave Philip a target.

That's it exactly. If you read any synopsis/plot summary of the film (like the one on Wikipedia) it states the fairies bless the sword. It was up to Phillip to hit the target, after which the magic took over and flew right into Maleficent's heart.

[DisneyJedi]

Yes! This is the most epic scene in a Disney film!

BTW, Hey, Tony. It's darthvalor07 from YouTube.

[ajmrowland]

I always thought Flora put a blessing on the sword -- she didn't guide the sword or throw it, she just blessed it and gave Philip a target.

That's it exactly. If you read any synopsis/plot summary of the film (like the one on Wikipedia) it states the fairies bless the sword. It was up to Phillip to hit the target, after which the magic took over and flew right into Maleficent's heart.

So what would happen if phillip through the sword the other way?

[PrincePhillipFan]

So what would happen if phillip through the sword the other way?

Phillip:...I am so screwed.