Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
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Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Movie Review
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1937 animated musical fantasy film which is Disney’s first ever film as well as the very first American animated film. It’s a timeless classic.
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“Now, I’m warnin’ ya. Don’t let nobody or nothin’ in the house.
Why, Grumpy, you do care“
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Disney’s version is a simplification of the original tale, but in a fantastic manner. It was done in order to strengthen the character development. A few things from the original fairytale are not in the film, for example the wedding. But instead, we have a much, much better ending sequence and we get to actually meet the dwarfs. Not to mention that the film seems more realistic. In the fairy tale, Snow White is extremely and quite impossibly naive, thus letting the Queen trick her for three consecutive times!
This film is a rare example that achieves to top the source material. They worked hard for years and Walt at one time even had to borrow money in order to complete the film, but it paid off and America was introduced to the new and powerful medium with exquisite artwork and a masterpiece. Animation was born.
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The film has a strong fairy tale feel. You simply feel like you entered a fairy tale partly because of the opening and ending fairy tale book and with the present titles near those scenes as well. Even renaissance films find hard to match this film in that regard. That’s why I personally find this not the best fairy tale film, but the most authentic fairy tale movie which transports you to this wonderful world and never lets go.
As for the Queen sequences, they are beautifully shot, dark and even scary for younger children. They’re a terrific contrast to an otherwise lightweight mood. The presence of the scavengers in one of those scenes is a nice touch and it pays an homage to old English poetry with its beasts of battle motif.
The ending is one of the very best in the Disney canon with beautiful orchestra and a wonderful background, with castle in distance at the very end, nearly resembling the Disney logo. Extremely epic and beautiful orchestra that will only be topped by a few (‘Gone With the Wind’). It’s a masterpiece of a finale that moves me almost to tears every single time I see it.
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The movie has a plethora of wonderful characters with the highlights being the dwarfs without a doubt. They are genuinely funny and while most of them act just according to their names, Doc, Dopey and Grumpy are the exceptions. Doc is a leader of the group and Dopey is a wonderful comic relief. He proved that silent characters could be funny and it would be the formula Disney would use several times in the future. He’s such a sweetheart.
As for Grumpy, well, he is the character who is developed best. He starts from disliking and mistrusting Snow and until the end he starts to care about her. He is a superb character and honestly the heart of this entire film. The relationship between the two is the best developed in the film and beautiful in every way. And honestly, every interaction between Snow and the dwarfs is endearing and the standout aspect of the film.
In comparison to the dwarfs, Snow herself pales. However, I wouldn’t be too harsh toward her as many are as she is the very first Disney Princess and thus the filmmakers did not have enough experience. The plot needed her to be a passive heroine so I didn’t mind it. She is sweet and naive, but thankfully not too naive.
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She is wonderful with animals and of course with “the little men” and just a sweet, if underdeveloped princess. And many do not realize this, but she did not serve the dwarfs but used them for the warm house and bed. It is baffling to me how nobody seems to understand that when she so clearly says it meaning that she can take care of herself.
The Magic Mirror serves his purpose and is memorable in voice, the Huntsman is a sweet man and the Prince is the weakest of all Disney Princes as they never had the time to develop him properly, but they did not need him so I didn’t mind it all too much. He’s a plot device and that worked for me.
The Queen is one of those truly great Disney villains. The voice actress for her character is very well chosen and she suits the character perfectly, in both forms of the Queen and the witch. She’s a very competent, highly creepy and so effective a villain both in looks and in personality. She made this film much more darker and menacing and acted as its true danger.
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I find the switch between the dark and the light, comic and horror amazing. The film follows Snow White, but it follows the dwarfs and the Queen as well. For example, the scene of singing and dancing with Snow and the dwarfs is preceded by the scene with the Queen planning to kill the protagonist. The first scene is dark, serious and even creepy whereas the second one is lightweight and filled with comic relief and sheer energy. The film frequently changes tones and it works in both instances and I never felt that it was oddly put together.
Let’s talk about the animation. It is colorful and very pleasing to look at. The attention to detail is simply incredible. You could literally pause at any time in the film’s run and you can marvel at all the little details in the forest (mushrooms), the mines (diamonds), the house (supplies) etc. It is such an accomplishment for a many decades old film. In terms of details, backgrounds and of course the stunning cinematography, the film successfully achieves an enchanting aesthetic.
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I particularly like the distinction between the animation of the dwarfs and the animation of the queen, Snow White and the Prince. While dwarfs have the cartoony, honestly perfect look, the human characters have more lifelike characteristics. But, there lies a technical flaw. Snow White and even more so the Prince tend to look lifeless and it doesn’t help that Snow spends half of the film with her eyes completely closed. But this was the first animated film ever so they should be cut some slack for that.
The pacing of the film is a bit odd. While the beginning and the ending are fast-paced, the film is quite slow in the middle. The scene of the arrival of the dwarfs is way too extended and I find the washing scene somewhat of a detour, though a highly pleasant detour. So although definitely flawed in pace, I didn’t find it too problematic.
It was still great seeing some scenes prolonged as thus I could spend more time with the dwarfs and Snow and thus the emotion and characterization were heightened. Its slice of life approach is wonderful and some scenes are wonderfully cartoony and pleasantly reminding me of 1930s animated shorts.
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Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a beautiful fantasy as I said before, but it’s also one amazing musical. It has a beautiful score with its orchestra being particularly awe-inspiring, but the soundtrack itself is phenomenal as almost all songs are terrific across the board. It’s such an underrated soundtrack that ranks among Disney’s very best.
I’m Wishing is an endearing little song that perfectly introduces us to the protagonist and her dreams. It’s a great introduction to the concept of Disney’s “I Wish” number. It’s well sung and so sweet. But One Song is better as the only part of the film where the Prince’s voice can be heard and what a voice it is! So operatic and manly. The film beautifully and realistically paints the portrayal of its historic setting and particularly period and this romantic ballad is a testament to that. It is pleasingly old-fashioned, opera-like and grand. The lyrics are particularly effective and so romantic.
The only two songs I do not love in this film are With a Smile and a Song and Bluddle-Uddle-Um-Dum. The first number works in the context of the film, is well sung and charming, but forgettable overall and not particularly catchy. The latter one is the detour of the film and although I liked that fun scene, the song itself is quite weak and uninteresting. But the fact that the film has six excellent songs out of eight is to be admired.
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Silly Song is one of the most underrated songs in the Disney canon which isn’t a song per say as most of it is just music with a couple of admittedly wonderfully sung, very funny lyrics, but the music itself is remarkable as it’s infectiously catchy and hugely entertaining. The yodeling is a great nod to the German origins of the tale. This sequence where all of them had fun and bonded is the highlight of the film and whenever I see them dance and hear this catchy music, I could not resist tapping my feet and joining them.
Someday My Prince Will Come is a beautiful ballad which is too short, but still works to this day. The reprise is wonderful, but the original is beautifully sung, highly moving and with wonderful lyrics that influenced all the rest of Disney’s love ballads in its wake. It’s another great moment seeing her sing to the dwarfs about her dream.
Whistle While You Work is again an immensely catchy number which is simply perfect for cleaning the house. That entire scene is gorgeously animated with stunning detail, the song is great and the music is infectiously fun and perfectly accompanying the action on screen.
Heigh-Ho is probably the standout number here and that says a lot about its quality. It’s an amazing scene that in a very short time perfectly introduces us to the dwarfs and their mining job, the backgrounds are again lovely and the song itself has a great beginning which so well prepares us for its titular conclusion which is irresistibly catchy, wonderfully sung and simply timeless in its quality.
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The voice cast is great. Adriana Caselotti’s voice can be squeaky at times, but is mostly sweet and charming. Lucille la Verne’s amazing voice performance led to her villain being so effective. As for the film’s approach, it is family friendly but wonderfully so, at least for me. The cutesy factor, present here in form of the animal counterparts, and the overall innocence of the protagonist make the film appeal to the youngest audience members, but it will not appeal to some older viewers not young at heart. I love these kinds of innocent, pure family films so I loved every second of it.
The dialogue is wonderful as is the humor as I laughed a couple of times at all the animal shenanigans (the turtle continuous gag is old-fashioned and wonderful) as well as Grumpy’s attitude and of course Dopey who can be quite entertaining. The runtime could have been longer as it flies by how fun and beautiful it is. The emotional investment is strong as I had come to care for these wonderful characters.
Of course the horror scenes are superb and obviously influenced by great German Expressionism. The Queen’s castle is cold and striking, the transformation is one unforgettable scene and the woods becoming alive is authentic and creepy. The finale is an amazing scene as I said before and some other highlights include the chase for the villain as well as hands inspection and the dwarfs leaving the house which are both such cute, funny scenes. In the end, it’s in my top five favorite Disney films and a masterpiece by all means.
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With groundbreaking animation which still looks stunning to this day with gorgeous backgrounds and terrific character design along with one of the studio’s best soundtracks with all-time greats such as Heigh-Ho, Whistle While You Work and Someday My Prince Will Come, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs truly is remarkable in every way and a timeless classic. It is the one film which literally feels like a fairy tale and the tone shifts deftly from humorous and lightweight to darker, German Expressionism influenced scenes. It has a plethora of beautiful sequences, great characters and interactions between them and many heartwarming moments. So whereas many would praise the film on its admittedly impressive place in film history, I personally admire it for its own numerous merits and deem it as one of Disney’s finest.
