Reviewed by: Shannon Hammell
CONTRIBUTOR
Moral Rating: | Better than Average |
Moviemaking Quality: |
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Primary Audience: | All Ages |
Genre: | Animation Family |
Length: | 1 hr. 23 min. |
Year of Release: | 1937 |
USA Release: |
December 21, 1937 (Los Angeles premiere) February 4, 1938 (wide release) |
The importance of INNER BEAUTY rather than transient outer beauty
Where does true, lasting beauty really exist, in the physical body or in the soul and spirit?
Sadness of living with unfair, cold-hearted stepmother
Obsessive vanity and pride versus Christian humility
The sin of great envy and jealousy leads to attempted murder
Overcoming fear, anxiety and worry— What does the Bible say?
A sweet and innocent young princess is forced to hide from her stepmother in the cottage of seven dwarfs, but makes the best of it, without complaint
Bringing love and joy to others
A good prince saves a princess from her sad fate in a hopeless situation
What is true love—a feeling, an emotion, or an action?
What does true love look like in a relationship? How do you know when you have found it?
The Grimm brothers (Wilhelm and Jacob) were reportedly raised in “strict religious training in the Reform Calvinist Church,” and were devout throughout their lives. [Jack Zipes, in preface to his modern English translation of Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm’s Children’s and Household Tales, 2014]
The Snow White story was first titled “Sneewittchen” (aka Schneewittchenand) and appeared in its final version in Grimms’ Fairy Tales (1857 edition).
Featuring |
Adriana Caselotti … Snow White (voice) Lucille La Verne … Queen / Witch (voice) Harry Stockwell … Prince (voice) Stuart Buchanan … Huntsman (voice) Roy Atwell … Doc (voice) Eddie Collins … Dopey / Chipmunk and Squirrel Sneezes (voice) Pinto Colvig … Sleepy / Grumpy / Dopey (hiccups) (voice) Marion Darlington … Birds (voice) Billy Gilbert … Sneezy (voice) Otis Harlan … Happy (voice) See all » |
Director |
William Cottrell David Hand Wilfred Jackson Larry Morey Perce Pearce Ben Sharpsteen |
Producer |
Walt Disney Animation Studios Walt Disney |
Distributor | RKO Radio Pictures |
In 2005, the American Film Institute named this film as the greatest American animated film of all.
I have loved this movie since I first saw it as a kid. It’s one of Disney’s masterpieces, made with more sheer brilliance than any other animated feature film I have ever seen. There is no sex, profanity, violence (though there is some scary stuff in the film), etc. There are mild occultic themes as Snow White’s wicked stepmother consults a magic mirror, hence the saying, “Mirror, mirror, on the wall” (the occult is portrayed as an evil force in this film).
The film is an adapted version of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale of the same name. Snow White is a fair maiden who is held captive by her wicked stepmother. She flees her stepmother and finds a small cottage in the woods inhabited by seven little men (or dwarfs) who work in a diamond mine. She befriends the dwarfs, among them the woman-hating Grumpy (who eventually grows to like Snow White).
Believe it or not, there is a Biblical reference in the story. A witch (Snow White’s stepmother incognito) comes to the door of the dwarfs’ cottage and offers Snow White a bite of a poison apple. She takes a bite and falls on the floor, “dead,” somewhat similar to the story of fall of Adam and Eve where they disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit, thus bringing sin and death to mankind.
Of course, Snow White is brought to life by love’s first kiss, which symbolizes how Christ came back from the grave after He died on the cross. I never found this out until I had actually seen the movie again and recalled that scene in my head.
Despite some minor scary scenes, “Snow White” is a fun fantasy film for people of all ages.
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.
PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.
My Ratings: [Better than Average / 4]