Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Composite Score: 86.17
Starring: Adriana Caselotti, Harry Stockwell, Lucille La Verne, Roy Atwell, Stuart Buchanan, Pinto Colvig, Billy Gilbert, Otis Harlan, Scotty Mattraw, and Moroni Olsen
Director: David Hand
Writers: Ted Sears, Richard Creedon, Otto Englander, Dick Rickard, Earl Hurd, Merrill De Maris, Dorothy Ann Blank, and Webb Smith
Genres: Animation, Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Musical, Romance
MPAA Rating: Approved
Box Office: $184.96 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is Walt Disney’s first animated feature film. It is an adaptation of the Grimm Brothers fairy tale about Snow White, following the titular princess as she is chased from the castle by her jealous stepmother and lives in hiding with seven little men in the forest. Additionally, the film was the first animated feature produced in the United States and the first hand-drawn animation feature film. The film’s score received an Oscar nomination, and Disney received an honorary Oscar for its “significant screen innovation which has… pioneered a great new entertainment field.” For its pioneering efforts, iconic characters, and memorable music, the film remains a classic of animated cinema.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
While the film remains a technical marvel and achievement, the story and characters of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs all feel a bit thin. If you’ve consumed any other princess story (animated or not) that’s come since, you pretty much know how it all goes. There’s a bad person (the Evil Queen) who is oppressing the young protagonist (Snow White) for a fairly uninspired reason (she’s jealous of her looks) and seeks to destroy their future (kill Snow White with a poisoned apple) while the younger person receives aid from unexpected and lower groups (the dwarfs and woodland creatures) – there’s also a man (the Prince) who’s in love with the young woman, and that’s basically his whole deal. As the ur-princess-film, it makes sense that there’s not a lot of innovation in the plot, since it didn’t have any expectations to subvert; however, on revisiting Snow White, its story ends up with this very generic and predictable bent that’s only saved by some technical aspects and solid music.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
The technical and musical aspects of Snow White allow it to stand the test of time even when its story beats have been improved upon by basically every mainstream iteration that’s come since. As the first full-length hand-drawn animated film, the visuals are incredibly impressive. The expressions of the characters – human, dwarf, and animal – do an excellent job of conveying emotion in each frame; the backgrounds and “sets” are incredibly detailed and well-thought-out with their own character; even the natural phenomena – trees, water, lightning, etc. – look just as good as they’ve ever looked in the hand-drawn medium. It’s a wonder to behold in a film made almost ninety years ago. The character designs are also iconic – from Snow White’s dresses to the Evil Queen’s whole deal to the gnomish look of the dwarfs’ outfits, they are instantly recognizable even now. Top all of that off with a strong score and soundtrack, featuring hit songs like “Some Day My Prince Will Come”, “Whistle While You Work”, and “Heigh-Ho”, and you’ve got one of the most iconic and memorable films of all time, animated or otherwise.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs earns its spot among the greats thanks to its phenomenal feats of animation, iconic character designs, and classic music that all bolster the film’s watchability. Its story certainly feels as archetypal and predictable as should be expected of one of the earliest princess films, but that almost helps it succeed because of how watchable it still is despite knowing exactly how it’s all going to go. Currently, you can stream this film on Disney+ if you’d like to check it out or revisit it in the near future.
