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While Catherine Breillat’s “Sleeping Beauty” does stay true to the original Brother’s Grimm tale in its archetype, she does stray from the original version in many ways in order to convey a message. In comparison to her film “Bluebeard”, “Sleeping Beauty” was much more explicit, with graphic sexual scenes. Additionally, this tale is different in that the main character is not the dainty frail princess we usually see in classic fairytales, but a tomboy who wants to referred to as “Vladmir” and has sexual encounters with another woman. Breillat contrasts the lesbian sex scene where Anastasia is laughing and enjoying herself with her having sex with Peter where she cries throughout it and puts her face down in a pillow after it is done.
Anastasia begins to defy the typical female role from the beginning of the story- when she exclaims how perfect Peter is for her becasue of his ability to do math equations in his head and never once mentions his social status, financial sitaution or physicality. Breillat alludes to her possible homosexuality when as a child she is shown climbing tr...

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