स्नो व्हाइट ऐंड द सेवन ड्वार्फ्स

Snow White is the fairest one of all. The queen wants to be number one, so decides to come after her. Snow White, cut loose from the castle, stumbles upon a hut where seven dwarves are living - which is where the Queen comes for her, in disguise, with a poison apple...

This has classic written all over it. Disney's first major feature, the grand debut, cements the major features of those to come. It draws from very dark but fantastic material, Grimm's Fairy Tales, and alternates scenes of evocative darkness (the Queen's castle, the man sent to cut Snow White's heart out, and the forest that's alive, are some brilliant examples) with scenes of superlative cuteness and song and dance numbers.

Drawbacks:

There are some beautiful compositions, but the movement of the animation is not as fluid as it would become, even with Pinnochio, Disney's very next feature. Plus, the singing styles are very 1930's opera-style. I can see why i always used to just think of songs during musicals as things i had to wait through till the story got going again - its because almost every song in Snow White doesn't advance the story. Great musical numbers, like the ones in West Side Story, do. They don't feel like we're just waiting around. When most of the Snow White songs come on, the story gets put on hold.

Snow White is too naive, plain and perfect a character to hold our interest these days. Contemporary audiences just don't worship "perfect" people like this. Plus, the attempts at animation of real people is not good. Snow White and the Prince in particular just don't work - whereas the cartoony dwarves really come alive. Try watching her face when she talks.

Highlights:

All of the Queen's scenes are absolute gems, actually. And the dwarves are great. Seven great characters.

One of the best things Disney ever did was the Queen's angry walk down the staircase to the dungeon, and her subsequent making of a potion to transform herself into an old witch. The way the liquid she's mixing comes alive is fantastic, and the close-ups on the crow sitting on the skull are a nice touch.

The poison flooding towards the centre of the pot, engulfing the apple, and the jack o'lantern face on it afterwards.

Some of Disney's most classic songs come from Snow White: Whistle While You Work, Heigh Ho (its off to work we go), and one of the most beautiful Disney songs ever, Some Day My Prince Will Come.

There's also a very memorable piece of theme music that plays during the climactic storm scene.

10/10. An essential, marvellous work. A thing to see.

Where would the animation world be without the humongous success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs? If the movie failed back in 1937, there would be no Disney Company today, no Lion King, and no Disneyland. Disney's Folly, as critics first called it, would probably have scared any other industry from attempting such an ambitious and innovative project. Pixar may not have ever had the chance to put out their groundbreaking features, and even the Disney- and fairy tale-bashing Shrek may never have been made if Snow White didn't set the course for the world of the animated feature.

There must have been tremendous pressure on everyone involved in the making of Snow White, but they did not disappoint. The end result includes a timeless story, classic songs, and beautiful imagery that will live on for future generations to enjoy. In fact, this was only the second movie that captured my nieces' full attention spans (The Lion King being the first).

In my opinion, the story was great but not perfect. It's not as exciting or filled with as much witty remarks as today's animated features, but as soon as the dwarfs are introduced, the movie takes on an endearing lighter side. For the record, my favorite dwarf is Doc, because I can relate to him being a strong leader with some very humanistic follies, such as always getting tongue-tied (I do that myself all too often). All the songs stand out in their own way. `Some Day My Prince Will Come' is a classic, fairy-tale ballad. `Heigh-Ho,' `Dig, Dig, Dig,' and `Whistle While You Work' are great songs to pick up your spirits when you have to go to work, do chores, or do homework. And my favorite, `The Silly Song,' is just a great, catchy, and funny song. As for the imagery, it's just breathtaking, especially considering how early it was introduced. The colors are rich and lively, and the multi-plane camera does add some great depth to the movie.

As you can tell, for an animation and Disney fan like myself, Snow White is a perfect milestone in the movie world. Even compared to the animation and storytelling styles of today, Snow White still stands the test of time. Kudos to everyone involved in this picture as their work will live on forever.

My IMDb Rating: 10/10. My Yahoo! Grade: A+ (Oscar-Worthy)

The lampoons, the snark, the mockery, the chorus of disapproval. Snow White Rebooted (not its official title) of 2025 has had such opprobrium heaped upon it, no doubt well deserved, that I found myself suddenly curious to see the 1937 original. I'd never wanted to before. Never saw it as a kid. Maybe I was just curious to see how far we have fallen as a species since those more innocent times.

Were they more innocent though? 1937. Before Pearl Harbor. Between the world wars. The dawn of Disney. The origin point. The first animated feature length movie, isn't it? But this was, basically, the same generation that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, the same US of A, right? Maybe just as Reds and Blues today regard each other as different species, maybe there was a duality of sorts even then? The human heart is a mystery, is it not?

Anyways, I was tickled by all the 1930s booty twerking going on (very innocent twerking), and it was a pleasant surprise to discover this film has operetta stylings, with coloratura trilling by Snow White, crooning by the prince, and a post-prandial party full of yodelling dwarves. All the forest creatures have the cutesy Bambi look, but I don't mind telling you, when the princess got scared in the forest so did I, and when she fell down weeping my heart ached for her. I also don't mind telling you that I did wish the movie would move along just a bit faster. Just five minutes. A bit more witchy Queen, a bit less tiptoeing dwarves, that would have suited me.

The Evil Queen is a marvellous meanie, and the princess Snow White is so adorably, queasily wholesome, so pure it makes you want to vomit (or possibly to ennoble yourself and become her protector?) that I felt some appreciation of why Alvy said he preferred Snow White's nemesis (in rom-com Annie Hall, 1979).

Seeing this chaste, landmark (birthmark!) fantasy, this jewel of cinema, one can better comprehend the shamelessness, the utter hubris of Disney's foolish decision to, ahem, 'update' the story for today. As I'm sure you know, Snow White 2025 was pilloried and lampooned, almost to oblivion, months before it even opened. What a saga it has been. A gift for social media snarks, but one can't blame them. To decide to remake an immortal classic is the kind of decision that could only come from the sort of people who are today busy crushing all the dreams in Hollywood's dream factory. Let them all be sacked and float away down river, eke out there remaining days in the wilderness; no fairytale cottage, just a one-room cave for the lot of them.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Virtue, not virtue-signalling. Pure of heart, not pure thru filters. Delight your children and the child within.

There is a reason this movie is still watched even today. It's a charming story about friendship, love, and the power in being kind. Snow White is gentle, helpful, and does whatever she can to help those around her even when she's the one suffering the most. She is called the fairest in the land because she is beautiful inside and out. She's kind, carring, and just wants to feel safe and loved; something anyone can relate to even today. Snow White is so likable and you want to see her live happily ever after. Like the original tale its a story that's build on emotion and how it makes people feel. Walt Disney was called crazy when he said he was making an entirely animated film back in the 1930's at that time animation was only done in short few minute segments so an animation the length of a film was unheard of. Walt went into debt and mortgaged his own house just to get this movie made and it went on to be a huge success and opened the door for other artists to make feature length animated films. I heard he had other ideas to add to Snow White which included the Prince being in the story more and needing to be saved by Snow White and her animal friends but at the time the animators didn't think they could draw what Walt wanted so it was cut. I wish we could see a heartfelt animated remake or continuation that utilized the ideas Walt Disney left behind for the film he loved so much.

There isn't much that hasn't already been said about "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", Walt Disney's first feature length animated film. Suffice it to say that it not only fulfilled the studio's hopes beyond their wildest dreams, it made possible the Disney films that followed it. From the famous Grimm fairy tale about a beautiful princess who flees her jealous stepmother and finds refuge with seven friendly dwarfs, Walt Disney created a cinematic milestone. At the time the film was in production until the day it was released, rival producers were supposedly referring to it as "Disney's Folly".Although this myth has been recently debunked in film historian JB. Kaufman's magnificent new book (''The Fairest One Of All:The Making Of Walt Disney's Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs''Weldon Owen/Disney Press, 2012)it's true that only after it's huge success, did fellow movie makers attempt their own full-length cartoon features. Upon it's debut, at Hollywood's Carthay Circle theater, (December 21, 1937)the film was embraced both by critics and audiences, grossing many times it's then record (for an animated film) $1.5 million budget. Eight successful reissues have kept the movie in the public consciousness now for over six decades, during which time the field of animation has grown by leaps and bounds. Still. despite the cinematic advances and the passage of time, "Snow White" stands alone. While the classic story is but a framework for the film (a fact which troubled me for years), "Snow White" can be fully enjoyed for the pioneer it truly is.

Along with a splendid cast of voices headed by Adriana Caselotti (Snow White) Harry Stockwell (father of Guy and Dean, as the Prince) and Lucille La Verne (The Queen), there are songs which can truly be called timeless: "Whistle While You Work", "Heigh Ho", "Some Day My Prince Will Come", etc.). Much time and effort went toward developing the characters of the Seven Dwarfs and giving each a distinct personality (absent in the original story) which went a long way in making audiences care for Snow White's plight. Interestingly enough, although the fairy tale was toned down considerably to make it more "family friendly", the overzealous way in which the film makers transformed the Wicked Queen into a hideous hag at the climax was the subject of an incredible amount of controversy at the time. In fact, it was under a partial ban in England which made it off-limits to children under 16 years of age! Nevertheless, it was the recipient of a special Academy Award in 1938.

To go on about the impact made by the film would be redundant. It simply must be seen to be appreciated. In 2001, it was released on DVD as the first of Disney's "Platinum Editions". And many months before it was in stores, there was great speculation about the content. All the anticipation was justified when the DVD finally arrived. Critics and consumers were overwhelmed (just like the audiences back in 1937) with both the content and the painstaking restoration (beyond that done for it's 50th anniversary reissue) and made it THE DVD for the subsequent holiday season. Without going into detail, it looks as if it were made yesterday, and sounds better than a film of this vintage could ever be expected to. But the streamlining has not diminished it's charm--only accentuated it. And when you think (before you are drawn into the story, and you ARE) that "Snow White", unlike today's computer-drawn animated features was entirely done by hand, that makes it even more of a miracle.In one scene, when Snow White is scrubbing the steps of the Castle, and pours water from a bucket on them, the effect is remarkable-and that one, near the beginning, is just one small sample of the film's artistry.Back to the DVD. Instead of listing the already well publicized bonus features, let me say that this "Platinum Edition" is like a self-contained history of the film, with hours worth of delights the most astounding being a pieced-together commentary by Walt Disney himself. Out of print for years, it is well worth the effort and expense to find. And although Disney made it a point to announce that they planned to go even further with their subsequent "Platinum Editions", they have yet to top this one. And I doubt they ever will. Incidentally, this year marks the film's 75th anniversary, and I can think of no better way to celebrate this movie milestone than picking up Professor Kaufman's beautiful new books The second volume '' Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs:The Art And Creation Of Walt Disney's Classic Animated film''is also published by Weldon Owen/Disney Press.It's a very extensive and fully detailed catalog of the ''Snow White'' exhibition,(currently at the Walt Disney museum in San Francisco,California).Here, the emphasis is more on the beautiful art as well as rough sketches and background paintings. Along with it's companion book ''The Fairest One Of All'' it will educate and enchant anyone who cares about the history of Film, Disney Animation and especially ''Snow White'' They are, without a doubt,the definitive tributes to a Timeless Classic, and together, they make perfect souveniers for both the film's 75th Anniversary and and a once in a lifetime event.