Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was Disney's First ever feature film released in 1937. The story starts with this grand old story book above, detailing the story of "a lovely little Princess", anyone else find this completely condescending? Imagine if said what a lovely little house you have hear? We haven't even met her yet and he's already being objectified. Literally, all we learn about Snow White from this is that she is forced to dress in rags and work as a Scullery Maid because the Queen is scared that one day Snow White's beauty will surpass her own. Then rather continue to tell us about Snow White, our so called protagonist of this film, we are instead invited to learn more about "the vain Queen"
Here we see, the Queen's whole life is focused around being "the fairest one of all", she is clearly the Villain of story who is a threat to the poor innocent Snow White.
Honestly, these first two scenes mixed with the actual start of the movie are slightly confusing. I thought the Queen already knew it was Snow White and that's why she forced her to dress in rags? But then she asks the mirror to reveal her name and acts like this is the first time she's been given this information. If she didn't know it was going to be Snow White why did the Queen punish her for all those years? This isn't adding up, and pray do tell, what did Snow White do differently today to magically make her the fairest of them all?
Finally, we see Snow White, the person this whole story is supposedly about but actually only appears on screen for just over twenty-two minutes of this eighty-minute film. Her objective is clear, she is singing into the well singing “I’m wishing, for the one I love, to find me today. I'm hoping, and I'm dreaming of, the nice things he'll say” all she cares about is finding romantic love.
When a prince appears she is frightened and retreats back into the castle to watch him from safety while he serenades her. Then that's it, she closes the curtains, and we go back to the Queen, where we all know the real story is anyway.
So now it's confirmed, the Queen in no longer the fairest of them all so logically she has to have Snow White killed, oh and this women isn't silly she want's her huntsman to bring back evidence and prove to her that he has done the deed by bringing back Snow White's heart in this lovely box she just happened to have lying around the castle.
Snow White is completely submissive, and seems to see nothing at all strange about the Queen's Huntsman wanting to take her on a walk into the forest to pick flowers, she's too busy loving nature and nurturing a sweet little bird. When the Huntsman reveals his knife all she does is scream and cover her eyes, even after he stops to explain why, she doesn't want to run away she is forced to by the Huntsman.
Snow White is quickly overwhelmed by her environment, and freaks out which ultimately ends with her screaming, throwing herself on the floor and sobbing. Sure not the best reaction but then she says to the animals "I'm so ashamed of all the fuss I've made." and apologises to them for scaring them, and then they all begin to sing together. Like is she okay? Why is she apologising, she just found out her stepmother is trying to kill her and has been kicked out of the castle but no it's fine lets all just a jaunty tune. So bizarre! Not the fact she can communicate with animals, I'm okay with that and them guiding her to a nearby house but her relentless optimism is so unrealistic.
Speaking of unrealistic, she just lets herself into someone else's house and proceeds to clean the entire place to surprise the owners and convince them to let her stay. Honestly, this whole scene that follows does nothing really to advance the plot, we just get to see Snow White and the animals clean the house, and it lasts way too long. I get it the house was messy, but I really don't care about her cleaning it, without the adorable animals this whole cleaning montage would be unbearable.
I'm tired just watching it, no wonder Snow White needed a nap after doing all that. I'm not so sure miss Snow White can comment on the dwarfs having funny names though, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones and all that.
The dwarfs are understandably shocked when they arrive home to find the lights are on, then even more surprised to find out everything has been cleaned, there's food cooking and the table has been set. It's not long before they venture upstairs and discover Snow White. They are instantly taken by her beauty, "she's mighty purdy. she's beautiful just like a angel." expect for grumpy who seems to think "all women are full of poison." and wants her to leave.
But of course she convinces them with her charm and domestic capabilities. " if you let me say I'll keep house for you, I'll wash and sew and sweep and cook." Suddenly she remembers the food she left to cook, then insists that the dwarfs each show her their dirty hands why she comments disapprovingly then she tells them to "March straight outside and wash or you wont get a bite to eat"
which everyone does apart from Grumpy who quite rightly doesn't like being bossed around by his unexpected house guest. When Grumpy bumps into the door on his way out Snow White laughs and says "oh did you hurt yourself?" which sounds so condescending compared to her loving approach to the hurt animal at the beginning of the film. She doesn't seem to have a lot of compassion and understanding for him, probably because she has never met anybody who doesn't like her before.
Meanwhile, back at the castle the Queen is presented with what she thinks is Snow White's heart and believes she has won but when she confronts the magic mirror she realise the Huntsman has tricked her and given her the heart of a pig instead. She then goes to her evil lair, to create a dark magic potion to transform her appearance and becomes the old hag then creates a poison apple which will leave Snow white "in the Sleeping Death"
Obviously, Snow White is oblivious and is again signing and dancing all over her worries away again. Another painfully long pointless scene, which does nothing for the plot. Then Snow White begins to tell the dwarfs all about the handsome Prince she met once for about 2 minutes at the beginning of the story and how much she is in love with him and how happy she will be when he comes for her and her dreams come true. It's not long before bedtime, and before she sleeps Snow White prays, for the dwarfs, for her dreams and for Grumpy to like her?! Honestly is that all she cares about? Not like her stepmother is out there trying to kill her or anything.
Back to the Queen's plan to kill Snow White, the dwarfs warn her she is a "sly one full of witchcraft so beware of strangers." but that doesn't mean to stick. It is not long before they are gone that the Queen turns up in her "harmless old peddler" disguise. Despite the dwarfs warnings, not only does she let the old woman into the house but she also accepts the apple. How is she tempted you might ask? The Queen tell her that "it's apple pies that make the menfolks mouths water." it doesn't take long for the Queen to tempt her into taking a bite. Just as she is about to accept, her friendly woodland creatures try and come to her rescue, now despite being able to communicate with them very well previously, she now seems to have no clue whats the matter with them and why they might be suspicious of her. I mean come on just look at her she's not screaming "harmless old peddler" to me. She know's just how to tempt Snow White, telling her that one bite of the apple "and all your dreams will come true." Of course Snow White believes her and takes a nice big bite out of the apple.
The Queen watches as Snow White falls to the ground, and leaves believing that she has won and the dwarfs will bury her alive. Little does she know the those peasky woodland animals went and told the dwarfs what she was up to so now they're on her tail. She tied to squash the dwarfs by moving a giant boulder but the cliff is struck by lightening and she falls to her death. It's then made quite clear that the vultures are gonna eat her.
Then we head back to the dwarfs house where we find the sadly mourning the Princess, the Queen thought she had the perfect plan, that Snow White would not be buried alive by the dwarfs but what she didn't count on was this.
and this is the only explanation we are given for this morbid desire to bury someone in a glass coffin so you can look at then forever?! I know she's not really dead and she's not going to decompose or anything but they don't know that! Then suddenly, when we think all hope is lost the Prince appears out of nowhere and just plants a kiss on her. When she wakes up they don't even speak! He just takes her into his arms and leads her away, then she says goodbye to the dwarfs and that is that, we are told they live happily ever after. THE END.
Overall, Snow White reflects a set of assumptions about femininity, about motherhood, that no
longer hold for the world we live in. She is often described as "innocent, naive, passive beautiful, domestic and submissive. Ultimately she is unable to find fulfilment until her prince arrives. I may have enjoyed this film when I was younger, but I find it hard to watch now, and honestly, my mind was blown to find out that the antidote to the poison apple is "Love's First Kiss" and not true loves kiss!
