← Back to Reviews
in
Snow White (1937)
It has a place in cinematic history as the first feature length animated film released by Walt Disney Studios. Snow White is rich with innovation and imagination for a movie made in 1937. It might look a little creaky around the edges in 2022, but for a movie made 85 years ago, it still holds up as viable screen entertainment for the young and young at heart.
Once upon a time, there was a wicked queen who banished her stepdaughter, Snow White, to the forest because she feared that the little girl would grow up to be prettier than she. She had no problem with Snow White's existence as long as her magic mirror reassured her on a daily basis that she was the fairest in the land. One day the mirror decides the queen must face the truth and tells her that Snow White is prettier. She sends a hunter to kill her but he can't do it and tells her to run. With the help of some familiar looking forest creatures, Snow White finds sanctuary in the home of seven dwarves who work in a gold mine and agree to keep Snow White safe as long as she cooks and cleans for them. When the Queen discovers our girl is still alive, she disguises herself as an ugly hag and decides to kill Snow White with a poison apple.
Yes, this is where it all began for Disney and when you watch it now it becomes apparent pretty quickly that influence for a lot of future Disney characters started here...there is a deer and fawn who bear more than a passing resemblance to Bambi and his mom and a rabbit who looks like Thumper. You'll also see a pair of beavers who look a lot of Chip and Dale. Disney could have spent a little less time with the animals and a little more time with the conflict between between Snow and the Evil queen and the bonding of Snow with the dwarves, but I can forgive.
The creation of the dwarves as seven separate characters contains a lot of attention to detail. Harpo Marx seems to be the inspiration for silent scene stealer Dopey and I was impressed with consistency of the characters throughout...Grumpy always seemed mad no matter how cheery the situation and how everything stopped when Sneezy felt a sneeze coming on...I had a feeling this was the
inspiration for Admiral Boo
M rocking the Banks home in Mary Poppins. The dwarves' cabin also features two great animated set pieces...love that pipe organ and that cuckoo clock.
The songs were adorable...loved "I'm Wishing", "Whistle while you Work", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "Heigh Ho Heigh Ho", and "With a Smile and a Song."
For a first time full length animated feature, the colors are splashy and appealing to the eye and something that I've noticed with my recent look into Disney work, is at least one touch into true darkness not for the intended demographic: I was shocked when the Queen demanded proof of Snow White's death by bringing Snow White's heart back to her in a box...Brrrr. It's a classic though and deserves the acclaim it's received over the years.
It has a place in cinematic history as the first feature length animated film released by Walt Disney Studios. Snow White is rich with innovation and imagination for a movie made in 1937. It might look a little creaky around the edges in 2022, but for a movie made 85 years ago, it still holds up as viable screen entertainment for the young and young at heart.
Once upon a time, there was a wicked queen who banished her stepdaughter, Snow White, to the forest because she feared that the little girl would grow up to be prettier than she. She had no problem with Snow White's existence as long as her magic mirror reassured her on a daily basis that she was the fairest in the land. One day the mirror decides the queen must face the truth and tells her that Snow White is prettier. She sends a hunter to kill her but he can't do it and tells her to run. With the help of some familiar looking forest creatures, Snow White finds sanctuary in the home of seven dwarves who work in a gold mine and agree to keep Snow White safe as long as she cooks and cleans for them. When the Queen discovers our girl is still alive, she disguises herself as an ugly hag and decides to kill Snow White with a poison apple.
Yes, this is where it all began for Disney and when you watch it now it becomes apparent pretty quickly that influence for a lot of future Disney characters started here...there is a deer and fawn who bear more than a passing resemblance to Bambi and his mom and a rabbit who looks like Thumper. You'll also see a pair of beavers who look a lot of Chip and Dale. Disney could have spent a little less time with the animals and a little more time with the conflict between between Snow and the Evil queen and the bonding of Snow with the dwarves, but I can forgive.
The creation of the dwarves as seven separate characters contains a lot of attention to detail. Harpo Marx seems to be the inspiration for silent scene stealer Dopey and I was impressed with consistency of the characters throughout...Grumpy always seemed mad no matter how cheery the situation and how everything stopped when Sneezy felt a sneeze coming on...I had a feeling this was the
inspiration for Admiral Boo
M rocking the Banks home in Mary Poppins. The dwarves' cabin also features two great animated set pieces...love that pipe organ and that cuckoo clock.
The songs were adorable...loved "I'm Wishing", "Whistle while you Work", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "Heigh Ho Heigh Ho", and "With a Smile and a Song."
For a first time full length animated feature, the colors are splashy and appealing to the eye and something that I've noticed with my recent look into Disney work, is at least one touch into true darkness not for the intended demographic: I was shocked when the Queen demanded proof of Snow White's death by bringing Snow White's heart back to her in a box...Brrrr. It's a classic though and deserves the acclaim it's received over the years.