Blanche-Neige : Le Plus Horrible des contes

A wealthy man (Sam Neill) remarries years after his first wife dies during childbirth. However, the new wife (Sigourney Weaver) despises her stepchild and the daughter (played by the lovely Monica Keena) is forced to flee into the woods where she befriends seven miners (not dwarfs). Will the stepmother get away with her wickedness? My friend Jason had been suggesting we watch this film for a while and I couldn't bring myself to do it. With the movie being based on Snow White and the silly cover photograph, this just didn't seem like a decent horror film. And I know Sam Neill makes some decent horror appearances, but Sigourney Weaver? Come on! Then when I saw Monica Keena was in it (who I know from "Dawson's Creek" but many horror fans will know her from "Freddy vs. Jason") I couldn't get the DVD in the slot fast enough.

This film comes from director Michael Cohn, whom I've never heard of and I suspect neither have you. And despite his relative obscurity (ten years later and I still haven't seen anything else he's done) he can weave a very well-visualized tale. The man has a knack for the realm of fantasy.

This really is the film's strength. We are treated to a land of fantasy with witches and magic mirrors, but there is no silliness about it. This is not a kid's tale like "Labrynth" or "The Dark Crystal", but something much more adult and terrifying. There is even a scene where -- dare I say it -- we get hints of rape.

All the acting is strong, which should come as no surprise. Keena is great, and Sam Neill really cannot do a bad job acting even if he wanted to as far as I can tell. The effects were fine, the music was alright, and there was a scene where a horse did a back-flip, which was pretty intense. Don't be discouraged like I was about the title, this is a horror film worth seeing and a nice change of pace from the usual modern-day fare.

I hated this when it was initially released, but I really appreciated it this second time around. It is no Disney flick and not intended for children. From what I understand, it is based on the original source by the Grimm Brothers. While it is never particularly scary, the effects are great, and it is darkly atmospheric (especially the scenes outside of the castle and in the surrounding woods). Sigourney Weaver is excellent as the Wicked Stepmother (who, it is suggested, isn't inherently wicked but driven insane after a miscarriage). Monica Keena does a decent job as Lily, the Snow White figure who has never been beyond the castle, and knows nothing but her privileged upbringing. The "seven dwarfs" (only one is an actual "little person") are actually a group of miners trying to strike it rich and find a better life, and they aren't exactly cordial when the princess stumbles upon their abode. They are led by the unbelievably foxy Gil Bellows (who knew a castmember of Ally MacBeal could be...sexy?!). The story is ultimately a successful tale of looking beyond social class, but it would have benefited more from focusing on the eschewing of Prince Charming as well as showing what was going on inside of the stepmother's head. She is unfortunate but never a sympathetic character. My Rating: 7/10.

This version of the what may be the Grimm's most famous fairy tale holds very true to the original story. There have been so many film adaptations of Snow White that, although unique and creative renditions, stray very far from the original. I was impressed with the minor details that they included from the Grimm's version, such as the "hair as black as ebony, skin white as snow, and lips as red as blood" and the fact that the heroine is choked by the apple and not put into a magical sleep (like Sleeping Beauty). The story is dark and ominous, which also holds true to the fairy tale, in contradiction to the popular belief that these stories were light-hearted and innocent (we have Walt Disney to blame for that). They did take some creative license with names, character traits, and certain plot elements, but I didn't find it terribly offensive. It served to make the story more realistic and deep. It kept my attention the whole way through and kept me wondering what was going to happen next despite the fact I knew the story. The thing that makes this movie good is the great attention to detail and the awareness of the material the film makers had. I was impressed. Do not be fooled though. This is not a movie for little children. Do not go into it thinking that, or you will completely miss what makes it so special. I would even suggest reading the actual fairy tale before watching it so you can truly appreciate the small but significant specific aspects the film artists obviously took so much care to preserve.

After seeing this film, I had mixed feelings. I was wondering if I was confused, excited, blown away or a combination of all three. SNOW WHITE: A TALE OF TERROR. A film based somewhat more accurately on the Grimm Brothers classic horror story, you are going to enjoy it no matter what! Sam Neill and Sigourney Weaver were very good in the film. It starts off slow, developing the characters and becoming a nice, little period piece. Until the horror begins...

I apologize, but I cannot remember a single name from the entire film, aside from Snow White, so you will just have to bear with me. I was slightly confused with what I was being given. All I knew, was that I liked it. I like old fashioned Gothic horror stories that go back a couple hundred years to give you a nice tale of terror. The real legend of Snow White is here. The Grimm Brothers' tale has been created in vibrant life and its all here. The apple and all.

All the elements of the snobby rich people, the poor, the forest, the deadness all around and the gothic atmosphere combine to create a genuinely bone-chilling tale. SNOW WHITE: A TALE OF TERROR gets 4/5.

Although I liked Disney's version of the Snow White tale (and still keep it as the classic example of fairy-tale screen- handling), still I was positively struck with this adaptation. Now here's the version no-one would have dreamed of ever seeing. The all-innocent victimised princess has been turned into a proud little brat who despises her step-mother from the very first time she sees her; the mean, scheming, mirror-gazing step-mother was changed into a lady doing her best to be accepted by her husband's intolerant daughter - only after miscarrying her son does she turn into the stereotype of evil; the adorable seven little dwarfs were metamorphosized into seven miners, some of whom really hate the girl. Best of all the Prince charming has been erased and the silly "Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" likewise. Anyway the film is a masterpiece from beginning to end - the highlights being the spells cast by the maddened step-mother. Being a gothic horror movie, it still has some spurts of really dark humour, such as Claudia saying, "Mmmm... Delicious!" when eating the supposedly cooked Lilly; and "I have brought someone to keep you company" (to the crucifix). The on-location shooting is very adequate and the superb performances from everyone make this a movie worth watching and appreciating.