"I'm sure I'll get along somehow. Everything's going to be alright." -Snow White (sending us positive vibes all the way from 1937)
Initial thoughts before viewing: This was one of the Golden Age films I actually watched a lot as a kid. Before the modern princesses of the Renaissance era, Snow White was definitely my favorite (probably because I identified with her very fair features). I would run around my house reciting lines from the movie, imitating all the voices of the dwarfs. Somewhere in the library of home movies buried at my parent's house, there is a video of 6 year-old me reciting the entire scene about gooseberry pie. 🤷♀️
If you've never seen Snow White or need a refresher, here is a link to the movie's Disney Wiki page where you can read the plot summary.
Highlights: The Evil Queen is and by far the most detailed, interesting character in the movie. The transformation sequence where she changes into the peddler woman disguise is captivating! She started the tradition of strong, scene stealing Disney villains, and I STAN.
Random Thoughts I had While Watching:
Snow White's frantic flee through the forest after the Huntsman fails to kill her is TERRIFYING, ya'll. Go back and watch it! This is why the dark ride at Disneyland is called SNOW WHITE'S SCARY ADVENTURES (also, never make the mistake of riding this alone like I did).
You know what else is scary? THIS. FACE.
Huh...never noticed Grumpy's casual misogyny before.
Grumpy: ‘She’s a female! And all females is poison! They’re full of wicked wiles!’
Bashful: ‘What are wicked wiles?’
Grumpy: ‘I don’t know, but I’m against ’em.’
At least he came around in the end? I did always tear up when you see Grumpy sobbing at Snow White's coffin.
Pleasantly Surprised By: The Dwarfs and their gags! I found myself genuinely laughing at a lot of their scenes and antics.
Disliked: The Prince has no name, is in like 2 scenes, and well...
Apparently they had a legit reason for The Prince's minor role; this was Disney's first animated feature film and the animators were having trouble drawing a "realistic" human male. Still, it would have been nice to have some relationship development there!
Closing Thoughts:
In defense of Snow White as a character: She gets a lot of flak for being, well, sort of lame and passive. But let's talk about the handful of proactive things she DOES do:
She flees the Huntsman and goes through that scary as heck run through the forest. After she has a breakdown, she befriends the animals, picks herself up, finds the Dwarfs cottage, and makes a new life for herself!
She makes herself indispensable so that the Dwarfs have no choice but to allow her to stay. She uses her kindness and skills from years as a scullery maid to quickly become an integral part of the household.
Snow White deserves a little more credit in the Disney princess fandom. Yes, she bit the apple, but she's not the worst princess. *cough*Ariel*cough*
This movie is 83 years old. And it STILL holds up.
This movie holds a special place in history and in people's hearts. I loved it as a child, and I was so happy to see that I still really enjoyed it as an adult. ❤️ If you haven't seen it in a while, watch it!
The historical importance of this film cannot be understated. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was America's first feature-length animated film and is considered to be one of Walt Disney's most significant achievements.
My Rating: 7.5/10
One down...57 to go! You know what they say...heigh-ho!
My Rating Scale/System:
10 - Masterpiece / Award Worthy 🤩
9 - Almost perfect / Exceptional 🥰
8 - Great / Well-crafted 😁
7 - Good / Noteworthy 😊
6 - Above average / Memorable 🙂
5 - Solidly average 😐
4 - Mixed feelings / Mediocre 😕
3 - Uninteresting / Struggle bus 🥱
2 - Barely watchable 😡
1 - Failure / Why is this a thing? 💩
