Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is more than just a classic. It is a movie, which was released in 1937, that changed the style of filmmaking, particularly within the world of animation. Prior, animation was just seen as a bunch of gags pushed together with talking ducks to keep the kids occupied for several minutes before the main feature. Mr. Disney himself drastically changed that notion. In addition to be the first full-length animated film in color, the film also introduced some very important technical techniques. Even with the hubbub surrounding the historical nature of the film, I feel like it is important to note the film is legitimately a good one. The story is basic and simple, but the characters are well-developed, the songs are great (and would set a standard for future Disney flicks), and the film is still great to look at-especially the sequence involving Snow White’s dash to the forest, which still manages to freak me out (something modern horror films often fail to do).

The film entered development in 1934. Prior to this project, Disney and his company focused on simple, short features such as the Mickey Mouse series. Then, Disney came up with the idea to create the first animated feature-length flick. There was lots of pushback including from his brother and business partner, Roy Disney. During pre-production and all the way until the film’s release, the unfortunate nickname was “Disney’s Folly.” The budget exceeded a million dollars, which was an incredible amount of money for the time. Disney even had to put down a mortgage on his house to help pay for the costs. I bet those people wish they could take back the negative comments now.

During production, a new technique or illusion if you will called “the multiplane camera” was invented which is the process of placing several layers of drawings and moving each layer at a different speed, which gives off the illumination that the background is moving. It gave the animation process a sense of realism and was used until computers came along. Also, the creative team, which used cels to create their cartoons, needed larger cels to fit Disney’s vision. Of course, this would add to the basic footprint for future animation films.

The story itself is based off the fairytales written by the Grimm Brothers. A very simple story in which Disney did not want to just focus on Snow White, but mainly the background and gave each character an importance to the story, which is why the dwarves are a huge standout. Of course, you know the names (Doc, Grumpy, etc), and he wanted to detail each dwarf by each of their names, almost like caricatures you see in the newspapers. And one cannot help saying “ooooohhh” and “awwww” at the very helpful animals. So, in short, the production did a great job with the visualization of the film.

As for the story goes, the treacherous and evil queen hires the huntsman to take Snow White deep into the woods and murder her. Why, you may ask? The queen is simply afraid that the beauty of Snow White (voiced by Adriana Caselotti in her only acting role) would surpass hers. Thanks to an act of kindness, the huntsman spares Snow White’s life. She stumbles upon the humble abode of the dwarves and makes herself at home. The dwarves are surprised by her visit, but they decide to take her in. When the queen gets wind of her being alive, she decides to personally pay Snow White a visit…with a poisoned apple.

The music definitely set a high standard for future Disney (or animated films for that matter). Disney’s music team created memorable hits such as the lovely “Heigh-Ho.” In fact, this is the first time that a soundtrack was ever released with a film. Prior, many studios did not really care about a musical companion for their films. The award-winning songs and their popularity did change some minds!

It is easy to see why Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a classic, but its more than a classic. It is a movie that changed the world of animation. It goes from a short, kid-friendly series of shorts to a film behemoth that inspired millions of adults and children. If you like Pixar or modern Disney films, you have Walt Disney to thank. He and his creative team took the world by surprise with this movie’s success. At its heart, it is just a beautifully-animated feature with great music, stunning visual sequences that still manages to make the heart jump, and a memorable albeit simple story. The film is not just about Snow White, but it is also about the dwarves, the wretched Queen, and the cuddly animals. The dwarves really stole the show, with Grumpy being the most-developed dwarf (and my favorite). Historical footnotes aside, I recommend the film on sole merits of the film itself.

My Grade: A-