Paris Opera Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty

At a royal christening a newborn princess is showered with blessings from a line of benevolent godmothers, each promising a different grace. A slighted elder, the fearsome Fairy Carabosse, appears and pronounces a dreadful punishment: the child will prick her finger on a spindle and die. Before the doom can take full hold, the kindly Lilac Fairy intervenes and alters the fate, so the princess will not die but will fall into a deep sleep that will last a century. This film presents that familiar story through the language of classical ballet, following the rituals of court, the magical confrontation, and the enchantment that hangs over the royal household without revealing how the story resolves.

Released in 2025, this cinematic staging was directed by Rudolf Nureyev and draws on the original 1890 ballet score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and the choreography traditions of Marius Petipa, with the Paris Opera Ballet providing the principal dancers and production values.

There are no widely reported major awards or nominations for this film as of now, so it has not entered the awards conversation in a significant way.

The Paris Opera Ballet staging has long been a reference point for classical dance, and this film helps preserve that repertory on screen. Lavish costumes, grand sets, and the prologue-procedure of courtly spectacle are presented with attention to historical detail, making this version a resource for fans of traditional ballet style.

Critical and audience response remains limited, with few ratings recorded so far. The film leans into themes of fate, ritual, and the passage of time, while foregrounding how discipline and ensemble work convey story without words. Viewers who appreciate formal choreography, period pageantry, and music-driven storytelling will find a faithful, stage-centered interpretation here.