Why Sleeping Beauty Looks So Different from Other Disney Films
- Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
- Jul 2
- 2 min read
When Disney's Sleeping Beauty premiered in 1959, it stunned audiences, and not just because of Maleficent’s transformation into a dragon. Visually, the film was unlike any Disney animated feature that had come before it. And no animated film since has shared its visual opulence (I said what I said).
While most classic Disney films have a soft, organic style (think of Cinderella or Snow White), Sleeping Beauty is sharp, stylized, and boldly geometric.
So what happened? Why did Disney move away from its earlier style?
Walt Disney wanted Sleeping Beauty to be “a moving illustration.” He meant that literally. He instructed his animators to treat the film not like a traditional cartoon. The result was an aesthetic departure that set Sleeping Beauty apart from anything Disney had done before or since.
Enter Eyvind Earle
One major reason for this shift was the influence of background artist and production designer Eyvind Earle, whose style defined the film’s visual aesthetic. His preference for elongated shapes, punchy colors, and compressed space transformed the look of Disney animation. He was also the first artist that Disney assigned to style the entire film from beginning to end so that his vision would carry through the entire movie.
Rather than following the warm, organic style of earlier films, Earle brought in something more . . . medieval(ish). And modern(ish). He looked to a wide variety of artworks from the 15th–20th centuries to create his distinct syle.
(If you want to learn more about the specific art styles that inspired Earle, I have a whole guide coming soon!)
A Visual Outlier
For some audiences, this made Sleeping Beauty feel less “Disney.” In fact, despite its visual innovations, the movie was a critical and commercial failure when it debuted, even if critics applauded its appearance. Over time, people began to feel differently about it, though. Today, it remains one of the most beloved and visually iconic entries in the Disney canon.
So, when will you be rewatching the film to focus on its distinct visual look?
Want to know MORE about Why Sleeping Beauty Looks So Different from Other Disney Films
There’s a lot more to explore about why Sleeping Beauty looks so different from other Disney films. Join my newsletter to get early access to my upcoming guidebook on the real art history behind Sleeping Beauty, where I dig into the medieval, modern, and magical inspirations that shaped this animated masterpiece.