1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

#116- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Starring: Adriana Caselotti, Lucille La Verne, Harry Stockwell
Directed by: David Hand, William Cottrell, Wilfred Jackson, Larry Morey, Perce Pearce, and Ben Sharpsteen


Plot Summary: When a wicked queen is no longer declared the fairest of them all, she sends a huntsman to kill the one who has surpassed her beauty, her stepdaughter Snow White. Upon learning of her stepmother's plot, Snow White flees to the woods and encounters many woodland creatures and seven dwarfs, who befriend her and invite her into their home. Hearing of Snow White's whereabouts, the queen takes it upon herself to take care of Snow White through a poisonous apple, whose spell can only be broken by true love's first kiss.


Animation is an interesting genre for me to review, because I find it difficult to describe my appreciation for the films themselves. There's just so many ways that someone can say "The animation looked very good" that it almost makes it difficult for them to stand out (and because they're on a short list of animated movies to see before you die, of course the animation will look very good). Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, however, is an animated film I had no problem looking at. The best part about this film is that it has no predecessors, it IS the first animated feature film. For animated films, fantasy films, and most importantly Disney films, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs became the standard for what all these genres of film should aspire to be.

When looking at a film that's over 75 years old, there's bound to be some things that don't hold up, and sadly for this film it's our main character, Snow White, voiced by Adriana Caselotti. Looking at most modern female characters, Snow White can be looked at as someone who has held the female stereotype of "the good housewife" in place for decades. I understand that Walt Disney was staying faithful to the source material for the film, so I'm not angry over that. My biggest problem is that she's a main character who serves as a damsel in distress, waiting for her prince, voiced by Harry Stockwell, to save her. Snow White and the Prince's romance is just kind of thrown in at the beginning and end with unrealistic development. So yes, our prince and princess haven't aged well on film, but there are still many reasons to enjoy this film.

Well, the film is called Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and we've looked at Snow White, so let's look at The Seven Dwarfs. Doc, voiced by Roy Atwell, is the leader and presumably oldest of the dwarfs and his biggest characteristics are his glasses and mixing up of words. He's probably the most toned down of dwarfs, which would make sense as to why he's usually the one in charge. Grumpy, voiced by Pinto Colvig, is by far my favorite of the dwarfs because he undergoes the biggest amount of character development amongst any of the film's characters. Dopey, performed by Eddie Collins, plays the most comedic role, as he brings an immense amount of slapstick. Other dwarfs like Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy and Bashful, voiced by Otis Harlan, Pinto Colvig, Billy Gilbert, and Scotty Mattraw respectively, serve as personality roles with no real development, but otherwise the seven of them do make a fun group of comedic relief, as they are the most fun characters in the movie.

The Queen, voiced by Lucille La Verne, is one of the more underrated Disney villains in my opinion. Like, the rest of the film, she sets the standard for how all fantasy villains, and witch characters in general. She isn't necessarily more evil than some of the better villains, but there's something so poetic and ironic about her motivations. She wants to be fairest of them all, and in order to get rid of her competition, she must disguise herself as an ugly witch, exposing her true personality, and proof that beauty can sometimes be only skin deep.

Disney has always been known for memorable music in its films, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is no exception. I know not EVERY song in the film is memorable, but I still have some favorites in there. For example, "Heigh Ho" is a popular song for most Disney fans (be honest, you've hummed that when you've been on your way to or from work). And a personal favorite of mine is "The Silly Song," played when Snow White and the dwarfs have a fun dance party in the middle of the film. There's just one thing I would've enjoyed more in the song department, why couldn't the queen have had a musical number? Other than that minor gripe, the music was very charming and didn't feel forced into the film.

Lastly, the film belongs on the list because of the legacy it left on numerous genres. Its legacy on animated films is very obvious, being the first full-length animated film. It was so successful and appreciated that Walt Disney received a special achievement award at the Academy Awards (a normal sized statue and seven miniature statues).It has left an indelible imprint on the fantasy genre, serving as inspiration for other fantasy movies, like The Wizard of Oz. And finally, it was the stepping stone for Disney, which would go on to become the most successful name in family entertainment, as well as set the standard for Disney's interpretation of classic fairy tales.


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the first animated film from Disney. If you love Disney films (or animated films in general), I cannot stress how important it is to see it. This is the predecessor for all animated films, and it still holds up well, for the most part. I highly recommend all audiences see it once, and all fans of animation should own it in their collection.
 
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Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and movie images are copyrighted by Walt Disney Pictures