We begin our expedition through Disney’s animated classics with the first full-length animated feature produced by the studio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Released in 1937, the film was based on a Brothers Grimm fairy tale with Walt Disney and his company implementing their own creative vision to the story. This particular movie plays an integral role for the studio because it demonstrated that animation can be utilized as an effective method for storytelling and gave the Disney company the motivation to develop more animated films in the future. With the significance of this film in mind, let us analyze the different aspects of this movie that consistently make it noteworthy to this day.
Analysis
One of the most memorable features found in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is Snow White herself. Throughout the film, it is evident that the young princess possesses an abundance of kindness which is displayed whenever she interacts with other characters on screen. Primary examples of this behavior can be seen in her efforts to show patience and understanding towards animals and her willingness to clean and cook for the seven dwarfs. It is this compassion that causes Snow White’s inner beauty to match her fair appearance, making her tender heart equal to her pretty physical attributes, drastically setting her apart from her stepmother, the Evil Queen.
The Evil Queen serves as a contrast to Snow White due to her need to focus solely on her outer attractiveness while giving no attention to anyone’s needs but her own. When the magic mirror presents the idea of Snow White being more desirable than the Queen, she immediately feels prompted to eliminate the princess. This lack of love for her stepdaughter demonstrates how self-centered the Queen can be, making her evil reputation highly warranted. Her coldhearted personality also indicates that she is prepared to do anything to benefit her status as the fairest in the land no matter how harmful her methods are, causing her to be a legitimate threat to Snow White for most of the movie.
In regards to Snow White’s attempt to hide from the Queen, I was relieved she eventually found shelter, but I did not agree with her inviting herself into the dwarfs’ house uninvited. However, I do believe that while this action evokes an air of carelessness, it also illustrates how Snow White’s naivety tends to obscure her outlook on the world. Before she was forced to run away, the princess had lived a relatively sheltered life, with her days consisting of cleaning the castle grounds. Another character trait that can sometimes be overlooked when it comes to Snow White is her childlike innocence. She is regarded as being very young, meaning she does not have a lot of life experience. With these two factors in mind, it is not surprising Snow White would not find it problematic to walk into someone else’s home without permission. Instead, she views the house as an opportunity to meet new people, and once she notices how dirty the house is she feels inclined to clean it, displaying her generous disposition, a quality the seven dwarfs deeply admire about the princess as they spend time with her.
During Snow White and the dwarfs’ inevitable first meeting, I found that I really liked the quick amicable connection they were able to form. It was touching to see how most of the dwarfs (everyone but Grumpy) felt the need to protect Snow White when they found out the Queen wanted to kill her. I also found it quite charming that the dwarfs and Snow White performed acts of kindness for each other during her stay. The princess continues to care for the dwarfs by offering to clean and cook for them while the dwarfs offer her their beds as a gesture of appreciation for her charitable deeds. These actions exhibit the high level of fondness Snow White and the dwarfs feel for one another and shows that their relationship is starting to take on familial undertones. Although the dwarfs do feel the need to defend Snow White from danger and serve as her paternal guardians, they sometimes act like children given the princess’s endeavors to act as their motherly caretaker. Even Grumpy who was suspicious of Snow White at first, feels a deep affection for her. The relationship between Snow White and Grumpy in particular is very sweet to watch because we get to witness his mistrust and hostility towards the princess but her natural innocence and compassion cause him to develop a soft spot for her like the rest of the dwarfs. By having the movie dedicate time for the princess to form meaningful friendships with all of the dwarfs, the film is able to produce a more impactful climax since the main protagonists have created such a genuine sense of closeness and the Queen selfishly strives to destroy their bond.
When the Queen is reintroduced, she decides to become more involved in Snow White’s demise by severely altering her appearance. The Queen’s transformation was one of the most memorable scenes in the movie for me due to how terrifying the process was to watch. It was fascinating to see the Queen morph into a nasty, old woman. As I was watching her body change I thought she began to resemble the ugliness that was found in her own heart, making her cold disposition a reflection of her ghastly physical presence. Not only does the Queen’s new appearance evoke the same wickedness as her personality but it also caters to Snow White’s naive nature and her desire to help the less fortunate.
A lot of suspense is added to Snow White’s final interaction with the Queen. Throughout their conversation Snow White shows she does not feel comfortable around the Queen in her elderly disguise which is shown through her nervous facial expressions, however, the princess’s desire to provide hospitality overshadows her hesitancy, leading her to unintentionally seal her deadly fate. Meanwhile, the dwarfs are rushing home once they are informed of the Queen’s plan. As you watch this scene in the movie, you can feel how desperate the dwarfs are to save Snow White, making their inability to stop the Queen exceedingly more devastating. Although the seven dwarfs try to avenge the princess and even witness the Queen’s death, nothing can alleviate the pain of losing their beloved friend. It was heartwrenching to watch all of them grieve for the princess, especially Grumpy who tried so hard to not care about her. Watching the dwarfs cry uncontrollably for Snow White reveals the immense amount of love each of them possesses for her, which makes the prince’s ability to reawaken her even more satisfying
On the subject of the Prince, the reason why I have not mentioned him until now was because he did not make a lasting impression on me. He seemed to mainly be in the film to fulfill the role of Snow White’s love interest. While I love that he was able to save Snow White, it did make me feel a little uneasy watching him kiss her when she was unconscious. I guess the kiss does coordinate with a typical happily ever after so I will concede that the film has an adequate ending with this justification.
Overall, Disney’s first animated movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is very enjoyable. The film is an entertaining watch and still holds up well decades after its release. It was fascinating to see how a young princess, an evil queen, and seven dwarfs laid the foundation for this company to develop several more animated pictures proving animation can improve the quality of storytelling in movies. Before I give my final ratings of this movie, I want to give my thoughts on each of the songs that were featured and since the soundtrack plays such a pivotal role in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, I figured it deserves to have its own section.
Music
“I’m Wishing” is a pleasant introduction to Snow White’s innocent demeanor and perfectly captures a young girl’s dreams of finding love. This song also effectively exhibits Snow White’s desire to have someone who will love her unconditionally and treat her with kindness.
The princess’s desires catch the attention of the Prince, leading him to sing the film’s next song, “One Song.” Similar to “I’m Wishing,” I believe “One Song” reflects the longing to find everlasting love and after hearing Snow White announce her wish for a nice man to love her, the Prince declares himself as the one who can make her dream a reality. Even though the romance between these two characters blossoms rather quickly, I love how these two songs encapsulate the experience of being in love for the first time.
“With a Smile and a Song” is my favorite song in the movie. The lyrics make you feel optimistic when you listen to them, reminding you that positivity can change your perception of the world. The song also demonstrates Snow White’s aspiration to maintain her happiness despite being thrown into a difficult situation which was admirable to watch.
“Whistle While You Work” is a lovely song. I love the simplicity of the number’s message and how it motivates you to be productive, like Snow White and her animal friends, just by listening to the song’s lyrics.
“Heigh-Ho” is so catchy and stays in your head for a while. The song serves as a great introduction to the seven dwarfs and the animation hints at some of their unique personalities such as Grumpy’s omnipresent scowl, Sleepy’s droopy eyelids, and Dopey’s oblivious nature.
Both “Bluddle-Uddle-Um-Dum” and “The Silly Song” are fun additions to the film. These songs do not stand out to me as much as the other numbers in the movie’s soundtrack, but they are still entertaining to watch due to the dwarfs’ antics.
Lastly, “Someday My Prince Will Come” takes on the same fanciful quality as the film’s other songs and is a nice continuation of “I’m Wishing” and “One Song” by centering around the idea of finding true love. Now that Snow White has found her significant other, she longs for the moment she will reunite with the prince so they can spend the rest of their lives together. This particular number is one of the most noteworthy songs in the movie and a great way to foreshadow the end of the film’s story.
Now, without further ado, let’s rate and rank Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Rating
Characters: 8/10 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
Most of the characters in this movie are very memorable. Snow White, the Evil Queen, and the Seven Dwarfs have distinctive personalities, and I was interested to see what would happen to them as the movie progressed. While I did not find the other characters such as the Prince and the Huntsman as entertaining to watch, they were adequate in fulfilling their intended purposes for the film.
Story: 7/10 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
Overall I found the story to be very simple but I believe that benefitted the tone of the movie. The plot of the film reflects a typical fairytale storyline where a young heroine tries to escape a great evil, gets rescued, and receives a happy ending. Since the studio intended to create a retelling of a classic fairytale, I think they did an excellent job of providing a new perspective on this popular story. However, I thought the plot tended to lag in certain scenes, hence my deduction of a few points.
Music: 8/10 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
All of the songs in this movie have a pleasant and inviting quality. Most of the numbers in the soundtrack easily get stuck in your head while also filling you with joy after listening to them. A great introduction to the timeless tunes that are commonly found in Disney movies.
Ranking
I will end this post by showing my official ranking of this movie. Since this is the first Disney animated movie I am reviewing it currently holds the number one spot. Stay tuned for Pinocchio to see if this placement will change!
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs