Snow White Review

According to my parents, the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney’s 1937 cartoon that started the tradition of Disney princesses animated movies, was the first film I ever watched. Needless to say, I was beyond curious – and cautiously excited – to watch Snow White, the newest Disney remake of one of the classic cartoons I grew up with. While live actions can often disappoint, I was very much interested to see what they would make of the original stories in a 21st-century-oriented remake.

Much like the original animation, the Disney live-action is based on the 1812 “Snow White” fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. After the death of her parents, Snow White (Rachel Zegler) lives with her cruel stepmother, the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot). In her own castle, Snow White is treated like one of the servants and often dismissed, despite her wish to help her people. When her stepmother’s ambition for power puts her own safety at risk, the princess is forced to run away into the forest where she will join forces with the seven dwarfs and a group of rebels headed by Jonathan (Andrew Burnap) to liberate her kingdom from the tyranny of the Evil Queen.

Rachel Zegler proves once again that she can – and will – carry an entire film on her back. While the supporting cast is relatively strong – bar Gal Gadot whose Evil Queen is overall very forgettable and unimpressive – Zegler is undoubtedly the star that shines the brightest, so much so that her presence is incredibly missed in the few scenes she is not featured in. Between her versatile and quietly strong acting performance and incredible voice, she gives an important new dimension to Snow White as a heroine who doesn’t necessarily fight with traditional weapons but manages to get her voice heard nonetheless.

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From its very opening scene, Snow White creates the perfect atmosphere of a whimsical and magical kingdom. While the special effects on the dwarfs may not be perfect – and, of course, there is the entire question of the casting for this role – it is immediately clear that this is a fictional story set in a land with magic where animals have very cute anthropomorphic faces, colours are bright, shadows are especially dramatic, and everything might not adhere to the realism standards of our reality, nor should it. The costumes are equally as charming and spot on. Through every scene and song, the film recreates the magic of the original animation, sometimes through re-creating some of the most iconic scenes of the original, or sometimes through new elements.

For example, the story is expanded to give a bigger backstory to Snow White and to the character inspired by the Prince and the movie adds some wonderful new songs that, despite their novelty, are very much in line with the rest of the soundtrack of the original cartoon. Ultimately, this is what the film does best as it perfectly mixes the nostalgia and tradition of such a beloved Disney classic with some elements that innovate it for a 21st-century audience.

More than anything else, this film shows us that kindness and understanding can be the most powerful weapons against an evil we seemingly cannot fight against. While this was also the message of the original adaptation, it cannot hurt to be reminded of this in a world where evil seems to constantly triumph. As many of us may watch the news and wonder how can we find the strength to resist such dark times, this movie offers us an answer rooted in kindness in the face of fear and optimism in the face of despair. It may be a fairytale rather than reality, but it can give us hope, and that is ultimately what the best stories do.

Overall, Snow White is probably one of the best live-action adaptations Disney has made so far. With a fresh perspective, beautiful new songs, and a gorgeous portrayal of the very first Disney princess by Rachel Zegler, this film is going to get viewers, especially younger ones, to fall in love with Snow White all over again. While there might be a bigger discussion to be had about live actions when it comes to Disney, this movie does it right by updating the story for a modern audience while also remaining true to its original aesthetic and message.