The recent adaptation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs received an unprecedented hostile reception from critics and commentators among all Disney live-action remakes. The situation involves additional elements beyond the fatigue from Disney Princesses.
Snow White has encountered criticism from both political directions because its official title Disney Princess features a Colombian actress portraying a white-skinned heroine.
Studio executives can be relieved that their film does not cause major damage. The studio’s live-action remakes include many failures but The Walt Disney Company’s Snow White stands out as the most intriguing adaptation among them.
Disney’s Snow White production appears to contain two conflicting approaches where some producers wanted a traditional feudal fairy tale tribute and others wished to create a Marxist revisionist statement. The producers chose to create two opposing versions simultaneously resulting in a perplexing blend of two conflicting movies.
The initial few scenes present the subversive version of the material. The first prolonged sequence of the movie informs viewers that Snow White (Zegler) received her name from a blizzard that raged when she was born instead of drawing inspiration from her pale complexion.
After Snow White’s mother passes away the King chooses to marry an evil woman who transforms into the Evil Queen (Gadot). The Evil Queen warns her subjects about an unknown threat which she uses to seize the southern kingdom’s wealth for herself.
Before Snow White encounters her romantic interest Jonathan (Andrew Burnap) she finds out that he leads a band of thieves instead of being a prince.
The director Marc Webb together with writer Erin Cressida Wilson have delivered a powerful challenge to Disney’s original fairy-tale cartoons through this daring production.
When Snow White escapes her murderous stepmother to hide in the forest her narrative shifts to a mechanical yet accurate rendition of the 1937 animated film.
The forest resembles a Disneyland attraction because of its artificial flower colours and cartoonish woodland animals while Zegler portrays a Snow White theme-park employee in her signature dress and the CGI dwarfs function like creepy animatronics of the original characters.
Webb’s decision to replace human actors with digital avatars proved to be his most significant mistake yet this segment maintains sufficient quality as a tribute to the cartoon. Every Disney remake falls short of the original Disney magic while Zegler and Gadot along with their co-actors deliver adequate performances.
After a revolutionary drama segment, the story shifts back to its original revolutionary format. Snow White meets Jonathan’s rebel group in the forest where she forms a dynamic bond with him while they perform the song Princess Problems.
The revised Snow White production features two distinct groups of forest inhabitants who bring joy to the story. The screenplay went through two versions which included human outlaws followed by traditional dwarfs sharing a cottage and the studio executives decided to keep both elements.
This was a bizarre mistake. The movie introduces seven dwarfs yet fails to provide meaningful roles for them. The introduction of a magical stone mine in the story seems unnecessary because it fails to serve any plot purpose.
Webb should have maintained Jonathan’s gang instead of keeping the dwarfs because their appearance is disturbing yet this decision was not his only poor choice.
Snow White attempts a rebellious socialist revolution in the dark and dingy first portion but later leads a peaceful uprising against evil in the cheerful and colourful second portion.
Disney’s Snow White maintains a continuous shift between two different design styles and historical periods which prevents it from gaining consistent speed. The narrative becomes confusing while the narrative voice remains unclear and the story progresses at an irregular pace.
The inconsistent nature of the film does not turn it into a disaster. The identity crisis of the movie delivers value to viewers. The confused production style appeals mostly to students of film and politics rather than children who seek Disney spellbinding experiences.