Part of my reasoning for making a blog of movie reviews was that I was interested in rewatching movies I either grew up with or finally catching the ones I haven't seen before. Sort of a wake up call to how lapsed I have been when it comes to movies. So, what better way to start and give this blog a side-project of sorts then by watching the animated Disney films? Waffling on if I want to do it in chronological order or not, but starting with the first movie always feels like the best place to start. And what better movie to start with than the first animated feature film (From Disney. There were a few before him)? Let's talk about 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. A movie that I've watched before as a kid, but haven't watched it in decades. But now that I have I can definitely say that it certainly exists.
Not that it's a bad movie, not at all. In terms of its animation it still looks gorgeous, feeling in line with Disney's visual design at the time. Though watching it on Disney+ in the highest definition does feel a bit off. Maybe I'm just more preset to movies on VHS where the quality is a mixed bag. But that's just my head working how it works. But it is a visually pretty movie in terms of its backgrounds and character designs. Not to mention scenes like the Queen's transformation which for as brief as it is, still feels like one of the best looking scenes in any animated movie. I recall when I was younger, the transformation of her hands really freaking me out. As you'll probably get the further into these blogs I do, me being easily freaked out is a regular thing. Me and nightmare fuel are like two peas in a pod.
I will say, having not watched the movie in years, I always thought the movie was shorter. I think because it's a very thread-bare story overall that it meant the movie was under an hour. So checking the length of the film caught be off guard. That is until I remembered "Oh right. This thing is almost wall to wall songs and Dwarf comedy. That explains it." But I do like that the movie doesn't drag its feet with exposition and gets us right into the plot with the queen being jealous of Snow White, sending the huntsman to kill her, only for him to not be up to it, sending Snow White into the forest, meeting the lovable cast of cute creatures, then arriving at the dwarf household. Even when the movie stalls, it always feels like it's at least moving forward and when it's slow, at least those slower bits still have energy in them. Be it the dwarfs returning home and encountering Snow White, or the washing scene. It uses its time well.
Snow White is an interesting protagonist. Well, in terms of character, not so interesting, given her main character trait can be boiled down to as "is nice". Friendly to all and all (but the queen) are friendly to her. Not much in terms of depth, and written to mostly be devoid of flaws, aside from massive naiivitè. Literally within mere minutes of the dwarfs warning her of the queen's possible deception, she takes a creepy old woman for her word that there's no possible way that apple she's lugging around might be poisonous. I get it, without that you have no climax, but it is just so silly. The Seven Dwarfs themselves are all fun characters with lots of life and energy to them, each given enough time to display their particular gimmicks. Bashful is bashful, Happy is happy, Sneezy is sneezy, Dopey is dopey, Sleepy is sleepy. Grumpy is the curmudgeon with the heart of gold, while Doc's whole thing is saying the wrong words and being easily confused. I guess they couldn't find a cutesy name for that malady so "Doc" it is.
The queen works well in terms of a villain. Not the deepest, but I guess there's not much that needs to be said about her that the narrative given doesn't already make clear. Obsessed with being the fairest in the land and wanting Snow White dead for upstaging her. Though the more pressing issue of the magic mirror talking about how more beautiful a literal child is by comparison is more concerning, but I guess we wouldn't have a plot without it, huh? And then there's the prince. The most existent character in the film and the most problematic when you think about it. And not just the obvious issue of kissing the comatose Snow White without her consent, the sticking point to the entire fairy tale for the longest time, but even his introduction to the film with him jumping the fence and sneaking up on Snow White like the creep he is. Granted, he also becomes the only thing Snow White wants, is fine with having been kissed by while she was seemingly dead, and leaves with her for a happily ever after ending, which becomes the other longtime concern of the film's problems. And given he has less character than Snow White, I don't look at this as a happy ending and more Snow White settles with really the first non-dwarf or huntsman male that she sees. Not exactly winning me on the whimsy department like they intended.
Honestly, the best character in this movie isn't Snow White, or the Queen, or Dopey, Grumpy, Sneezy, Wheezy or Cheesy or whoever, it's the tortoise. The wonderfully slow and adorable little guy who's just trying his best. Clearly he is the glue that keeps this movie from falling deep into disarray. Songs are a big part of the movie and it's packed with them. Arguably too packed as a lot of them just feel like they're there. For every "Heigh Ho" or "Whistle While You Work", there's a "With a Smile and a Song" or a "The Silly Song" that are fine, all sound really great, but don't feel as memorable as the songs in many of the later works. I guess that's another solid example of this being a first movie. That while Snow White does everything it needs to quite well, there's always this sense that it works as the first of many productions in the future. If Snow White can be considered a pilot project for the studio, then it works as one of the best pilots there is.
There are, of course, other issues to have with the movie, most notably how it sabotaged Snow White's voice actress, Adriana Caselotti, from pursuing other roles in the industry because she was intentionally forced by Disney to not do anything else on account of not wanting to dispel the illusion of Snow White, which even for Walt that sounds lame. I get it, especially in that era where there wasn't as much of a peek behind the curtain when it comes to voice acting and all, but really? And then there's the more recent, yet always prevalent, issue regarding the use of the word dwarf itself, which has been recently amplified by Peter Dinklage. My thoughts are that I don't think he's fully in the wrong to have an issue with it, but in terms of portrayals they don't feel like the worst cases either. They work in a mine, are really good at their job, live in a decent cottage in the woods which is really only disheveled on account of their lack of effort, are portrayed in positive roles and, thankfully, aren't presented as love interests for, again, the child. Though part of me wonders if the prince never came back, I think Snow White would have settled for Grumpy.
And, like I said earlier, the implications that come with the kiss scene that haven't aged very well. Pivotal to the story it may be, it's hard not to look at it with a modern eye and wince a shade.
Overall, I'd say I really enjoyed Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In more of a way that I enjoyed it yet probably wouldn't jump back into it any time in the near future, but for a movie to kill off an hour, it does the trick quite well. Yes, it's a rather dry film in comparison to much of what's to come for the company, but in terms of being an important movie, it's definitely deserving of being looked at as an important movie. It's that kind of perfect mix of aged just well for an older movie outside of the obvious issues while also being from the golden age and the style and feel of the movie still feel incredible to experience. That old Hollywood magic that is hard to replicate now. You really couldn't ask for a stronger first step for an animation company going for feature films. So while I say "dry" I mean it it in a sense that doesn't step on the toes of it still being a great movie.
With the live action remake in the works, I'm curious what they do with it and if there's enough of a plot with it to make the new version work, but it's definitely a "we'll see" thing right now. But when it comes to the classic, it's more than worthy of some Heigh Ho regard.
RATING: ****
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