‘Snow White’ is the fairest rewrite of them all
The new live-action film “Snow White” didn’t stay faithful to Disney’s 1937 animated classic—and thank goodness for that. In the rewrite of one of Disney’s most iconic (and most passive) princesses, the adaptation is trading all the prince-pining for girl power.
Some say it’s a betrayal of the source material, but it is a necessary evolution of the character, especially at a time when audiences crave more than just fairy-tale romance. Let’s all agree that the sensibilities of the ‘30s will no longer fly today.
Actress Rachel Zegler embodies that shift. She steps into the role not as a damsel in distress, but as a heroine ready to write her own story. And as shallow as it sounds, it begins with her looks.
Zegler defies even the Brothers Grimm’s description of the character. Sure, she could dye her hair darker and put on red lipstick, but there’s little that can be done about her skin color—and frankly, nothing should be. Some people can’t get past the fact that she isn’t white. Zegler is of Colombian and Polish descent. Perhaps, this is the first hint that she is going to become her own version of Snow White.
A lot of the Disney princesses we’ve seen in recent years are all about empowering women. They inspire little girls to believe they can wear pretty dresses and pursue their dreams, while also showing little boys that girls can be anything they want to be. They present the possibility of what could be achieved.
Snow White finally got with the program.
The live-action gives her a backstory, one that would make the audience understand where her values are coming from. We see her parents as rulers and she as a young princess who grows up in an idyllic village. They celebrate their harvests with the townsfolk through song and dance.
All of that is taken away from her one by one by fate and cruelty, until what is left is only the Evil Queen played by Gal Gadot. Snow White isn’t dressed in rags despite still being reduced to a scullery maid. But her isolation is emphasized to hide her strengths—“fearless, fair, brave, and true.”
Snow White stands out in her iconic yellow and blue gown. It’s highly impractical if you think about it in terms of hiding in the woodlands, where everybody else is wearing muted earth colors, but that’s something the fairest of them all has to deal with.
Standing out is something she shares with her nemesis. Gadot’s costume is bursting with colors, resplendent and sparkling against the blackness of her cape and cowl. Her clothes menacingly consume the screen with their darkness.
Fresh soundtrack
The original film was a musical and so is the live-action remake. We get a fresh soundtrack, but some of the classics such as “Heigh-Ho” and “Whistle While You Work” remain. But the latter is sung to create harmony among workers instead of just an expression to accept a role. Zegler is phenomenal in her performances of the songs. You understand what she wants to happen and you want her to succeed.
The film pays plenty of homage to the original, including details for the seven dwarfs such as the “Heigh-Ho” march, their mine work, and the chaos of their home. The way they are introduced in the film is ingenious, with Dopey getting special attention. Everyone’s jaw hit the floor during the “Dopey moment” at the advance screening at the IMAX at Mall of Asia last Sunday.
What is especially endearing about the film is that the romance is not forced. “True love’s kiss” is still a thing, but there’s character development between Snow White and Jonathan, played by Andrew Burnap. There’s more meaning to it because he actually gets to know her and what she stands for. One can even argue that his love for her goes beyond the romantic. There’s loyalty and devotion there as well.
What this film does is explain why Snow White did this and that. The storyline is very simple and predictable—you know that the Evil Queen will lose. Snow White still gets abused because of the queen’s jealousy. But the similarities with the original version end there.
This film is so enchanting because of the reimagining of Snow White herself. She does not turn into a warrior. Woodland creatures are still drawn to her, but they serve more as her “GPS” than as magical assistants. What is fascinating about her is how she stands up and rises above her trials. She taps her strength within to overcome challenges.
It’s probably not a film that will please purists. But it will be enjoyed by those who celebrate that being “the fairest of them all” is defined by heart, courage, conviction, and love.
