Lana Del Rey delivers a haunting tune for one of Disney’s most infamous villains.
Sensation Lana Del Rey was handpicked by Angelina Jolie, the star of Disney’s upcoming Maleficent, to cover a new version of the iconic children’s song Once Upon a Dream. The track first appeared in the second trailer for Maleficent and was subsequently made available on iTunes. In my opinion, Lana Del Rey has done a stunning job.
The original song was performed by Mary Costa and Bill Shirley, who were cast in the roles of Aurora and Philip in Disney’s 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty. The melody was playful and innocent, serving to provide a sonic representation of Aurora and Philip’s reunion in the forest. Their situation is directly reflected in the lyrics “I know you. I’ve walked with you once upon a dream.” The two have met before in their childhood, when Aurora was just an infant. They know they know each other, but they cannot understand how or why.
Aurora (Mary Costa) and Philip (Bill Shirley) 1959
Lana Del Rey’s rendition of the classic song has been repurposed for a contemporary audience, abandoning the feel good harmonious pitch and rhythm of 1950’s soundtracks. What we have is a captivatingly cold and haunting melody, a polar opposite of the feel and sound of the original. Why the change? It is more than just the times. The track has been re-invented for the movie Maleficent, and the journeys of Princess Aurora and Prince Philip are no longer taking the centre stage.
Maleficent (Jolie) 2014
As suggested by the name, the villain Maleficent is the concern of the new film. So the tune has been changed to convey new meaning through the lyrics. “I know you. I’ve walked with you once upon a dream.” Maleficent knows Princess Aurora. She has watched her from afar. She has cursed her to a sleep like death at the age of 16. In the original they had their reunion, but I suspect from the trailers that director Robert Stromberg has a deeper interaction between these iconic characters in store for audiences.
The song complements the visuals in the Maleficent trailer perfectly, and if you haven’t heard the song, or watched any of the trailers, I recommend that you do. It is well worth your time.
8/10
Check it out below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8waJ7W3QcJc]
-JoelE
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