Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Review #14
Disney, 1937
Mov No. 3870
Genre: Animated feature
Directed by: Many; Produced by Walt Disney.
Starring: Adriana Caselotti, Pinto Colvig, Lucille La Verne, Harry Stockwell
Oscars: Honorary Award + 1 Nomination
AFI 100 years, 100 _____ tributes: Heros & Villains (#10, Villain The Queen); Songs (#19, Some Day My Prince Will Come ); Movies (#49)
Runtime: 1h 25min
Best quote: "Ask her who she is, and what she's doing here! " "Ah, yes. What are you, and who are you doing here?" - Grumpy & Doc

As early as 1934, Walt Disney had a dream: he wanted to make a a cartoon movie on the old classic Brothers Grim fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Once the word got out, people started calling him crazy! "Disney's Folly!" the media cried. "He'll go under for sure!" they roared. But come December 1937, the movie premiered. All of Hollywood showed up to view the film, and suddenly the nay-saying stopped! People cheered!

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was a landmark in cinematic history, captivating audiances around the globe. The colors, the songs, the characters, everything fit. It was a blockbuster unlike any other. The movie made millions. And at 25¢ a ticket, that's a lot of patrons to see the film!

Snow White is a lovely young girl dressed in rags and hated by her jelous step-mother, the Queen. But, when a handsome Prince comes to court Snow White, the Queen's jelousy boils over, and she promptly has her huntsman take Snow White away to be killed.

"Take her far into the forest," The Queen orders, "Find some secluded glade where she can pick wild flowers.

The Queen, not trusting the huntsman, orders him further:

"But, to make doubly sure you do not fail me, you will bring me back her heart..."

The huntsman does indeed fail the Queen. He lets Snow White go. She runs away, but after a scary ordeal in the forrest, she is able to find comfort in woodland animals who lead her to the cottage of the Seven Dwarfs. There, she lets herself into the house, and promptly figures that they are children with no mother. Snow White decides to clean up their cottage -with he animals' help, of course.

Soon Snow White finishes cleaning up. She then goes upstairs to see what's there, only to find seven beds, and silly names carved on each: Happy, Dopey, Sleepy, Grumpy, Sneezy, Bashful and Doc. Snow White lays down on a bed and falls asleep.

The Dwarfs, who work in a mine, come home to find a light on, and a woman in their beds! Snow White awakens and explains why she is there. The Dwarfs let her stay.

The Queen, thinking Snow White is dead, speaks to her magic mirror:

"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who now is the fairest one of all?"

"Over the seven jeweld hills, beyond the seventh fall, in the cottage of the Seven dwarfs, Snow White still lives,

Hearing this, the Queen is furious! So what does she do? She hatches a plan to be ride of Snow White once and for all: She is going to use a little spell called "The Sleeping Death."

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is by far the best animated feature ever made. Yes, it can be argued that others were just as good (Beauty and the Beast, Lady and the Tramp, possibly The Lion King), but nothing can compare to it. It has all the right story elements, a wonderful cast of characters, and delightful songs to acompany it. What more can be said about it?

One of the truely "magical" qulaities of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is that it has been released at least once each decade (since 1937) and has made tons of money each time. It NEVER seems to loose it's magic! People just keep on comming back for more.

Plot:
How much simpler can it get? Everyone knows of this story.

Animation:
This was Walt Disney's first full length, animated feature. Walt pioneered new technologies when making this film (such as the multi-plane camera), and used them to their full potentials. His animators did a magnificent job. Snow White has stood the test of time, all because of this.

Sound:
Sound plays an important part in animated movies. If you have the right voice actors, it will do well. Similarily, you must have belivable sound effects. Snow White has all of this in very good, equal porportions.

Character Development:
Really, the only character to go through a change is the Dwarfs, grumpy. In the beginning, he hates women, but eventually grow to like Snow White a lot.

Snow White is the most static character of them all... she doesn't change; she just stays her sweet, lovable self for the whole film, until she dies, and them after, when the prince carries her off.

Even though she did change physical form, the Queen did not change her mental form. Although, physical change is a development, isn't it?

Atmosphere:
The music certainly gets you into the film, and you want to see more and more of the Dwarfs, as they captivate you every time they are on the screen.

When Snow White dies, it is a very sad moment. As was when it was first premiered in 1937, people cried when Snow White was laid to rest in her beautiful gold coffin. The same still happens, even to day. And when Snow White awakens by the kiss of the Prince, people cheered, as they do today.

Realism:
There are no Dwarfs who live with six other men in a cottage deep in a forrest who work in a mine getting rich off gemstones.

But who cares?

How Disney is the movie?

Warren’s Rating:

Movies it was nominated with for Best Animated Feature:
This catagory did not exist in 1937.

FINAL RATING

Is the movie worth your time to watch?

17-04-03