Well, if you are expecting a movie review, I should tell you upfront that this isn't one. This post is an ordinary result of me being me, thinking things over and over-thinking of things, after watching such a great movie like Maleficent.
Movies are taken from parts the world's stories which therefore we, as one of the living creatures in the planet, can relate to. They go with very basic issues like needs, greed, hatred, love, and affection. But I don't know whether the world does go crazier lately, or it is just never as simple. Our screens also no longer portray specific characters to divide evils and angels. They start to introduce us to these words called revenge as well as remorse.
I love the fact that on those big screens they start to show how the world actually plays. First, there won't be neither an complete evil nor a perfect holy-angel. There is no such thing as absolute division between bad and good guys. Being very human, each of us has a reason for being, or being called, one of both. A reason. It was like a wake up call for me when I watched this movie. We often forget those things. Those story-line behind the most essential question, "Why does somebody do it?"
Why do I love? Why do you hate? Why does he stop talking to his dad like a shameless ungrateful son? Why does she keep seeing her spoiled boyfriend like a stupid last resort? Most of the time we only hear one side of the story and overlook the other. It brings me to my second point, putting a foot on the other person's shoe. I know that we all know it very well, but the fact is only few know how to do. Or perhaps we know how, but sometimes we forget the proper way of doing it. I like it when this movie depicts the untold story of a famous fairy tale that, all this while, we always believe is an absolute truth. The witch cursed the Sleeping Beauty because of envy and she slept for hundred years. In fact it goes the other way around, upside down. For me, it is like an analogy of revelations I often get after sparing some ears listening to stories from another point of view. Revelations, epiphany. It turns down our judgement, widens our vision: that each of us has stories and they're worth to be listened to.
Yes, people have reasons. Yes, people have stories. But, it still doesn't make a criminal free of charge. Yet it also doesn't close the door of regret for that person. Basically, people can change, isn't it? We understand it well, but sometimes it's easier to deny. I personally do deny, a lot. I like the fact that this movie-makers make it clear to very young people through such story. By the time they have grown up, they should see each other from what they do today, not yesterday and not even tomorrow. They should only hate someone's wrongdoings, but not the person himself or herself. They should expect that the witch will have some remorse at the end of the day. And the king must have hurt somebody at the very beginning before getting that revenge-curse. Not like us. Not like us who was surprised of how drastic a change could happen in somebody like Maleficent. Not like us who will never see the king in the Sleeping Beauty the same way again, no more a complete wise and loving father, because he never was.
Each of us has stories, most of them are untold. And most of them are what create us to be this person today. Sometimes we, ourselves, have too many stories to catch up with until we forget that other people do too. Sometimes we love our shoes too much as they have fit our toe-line perfectly until we reject to try other people's shoes, see how comfortable or even painful they are. Sometimes our minds process each stories too much until we forget that stories continue as long as the writer still there, they could have shocking twist of plot too. Well, me being me, thinking things over and over-thinking of things; Maleficent reminds me to those, a lot.
P.S. picture is taken from http://www.hdwallpapers.in/angelina_jolie_maleficent-wallpapers.html
