By Grace Hogsten
Copy Editor
Disney’s controversial and long-anticipated live action “Snow White” is a muddled combination of new and original elements ranging vastly in quality. Plot points often feel disconnected, and the performances of subpar actors and singers stand out painfully next to the movie’s talented lead, Rachel Zegler.
Like many of Disney’s live action adaptations, “Snow White” cannot decide whether it wants to be a recreation of the original movie or a new interpretation of the classic fairytale. As a result, new characters, songs, and plotlines do not match those pulled directly from the 1937 film.
For example, Snow White befriends two groups of seven characters: the dwarfs, depicted as horrifying CGI figures reminiscent of “The Polar Express,” and a live action band of rebels. The characters occupy slightly different but largely redundant roles in the story; Snow White only needs one found family to live with in the woods.
“This film is a hodgepodge of so many different concepts,” TikTok user @babbity.kate said in a video. “[Disney] had so many rewrites [and] so much…infighting.”
Speculation and confusion regarding the way that the dwarfs would be portrayed in the early photos from the set garnered criticism from many sources.
According to Forbes, “While Disney did acknowledge that they consulted with members of the dwarfism community…about how to approach the seven dwarfs for the live action movie, little people are actually the ones who are most vocal about their disapproval of the CGI decision.”
In this instance, as in other elements of the film, Disney chose the worst of both worlds by including the seven dwarfs but not hiring seven actors with dwarfism. The movie’s incorporation of CGI overall functions similarly: animals appear somewhat uncanny, the gems the dwarfs mine glow dully rather than sparkly, and the trees that claw at Snow White look stiff.
“I can see the debris of better movies left behind, and you can feel so palpably in this movie the passion of a lot of people who worked on it,” TikTok user @babbity.kate said in a video.
Zegler leads the film with the same beautiful voice and strong acting that captivated viewers in “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” and “West Side Story.” However, none of the other performers come close to her star power.
As the evil queen, Gal Gadot curses the silver screen with a host of emotionless line readings reminiscent of her previous performances in “Death on the Nile” and “Wonder Woman” and a lackluster singing voice showcased by her character’s newly-added song.
While other actors deliver passable performances, they cannot remedy the shortcomings of the fact that most of the movie’s songs are forgettable; only Snow White’s anthem, “Waiting on a Wish,” which is featured in many of the film’s trailers, has the lyrical quality to stay in viewers’ minds once they step out of the theater.
The film’s shortcomings were not the most widely-criticized elements in the year leading up to its release. According to previous Elm coverage, Zelger faced a barrage of racist responses to the announcement that a Latina actress would be playing the titular role, and many fans also reacted negatively to her red-carpet statements on the film’s feminist messages.
The movie’s development of Snow White’s character and expansion of the conflict between the princess and her stepmother pair well with elements of the original film.
“The choice to have Snow White take on a leadership role makes sense for her character. I know there was inane, crazy pushback at the concept of Snow White having even a smidgen of character development, but I think it emphasizes a lot of the characteristics that people say they like from the original film and makes sense narratively,” TikTok user Megan Cruz said in a video.
By building out the implications of the Evil Queen’s selfishness, Snow White’s generosity, and their power struggle as regent and heir to the throne, “Snow White” shows signs of a promising adaptation of the original story.
Nevertheless, the movie’s weaknesses undermine its strengths, and its harsh color grading, unsettling CGI, and disappointing costuming completely overshadow all the positives the film has to offer, such as Zegler’s performance.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo Caption: Snow White’s live action remake has left many wanting more in many aspects of production.