The beloved fairytale of Snow White that has enchanted generations was first published in 1812 in their first collection of Grimms’ Fairy Tales. At the time it was simply called Tale 53. It contains the familiar story elements of a beautiful, kind-hearted girl, a jealous queen, a magic mirror and a poisoned apple. In 1854 Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm made a final update to their tale and it was republished in their books of fairy tales in 1857.
Erin Cressida WIlson
Eighty years later, the enduring nature of the story ensured the Disney animated film of 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarves ensured it was a box office success. The timelessness of the movie spawned many remakes over the following decades with no loss enthusiasm from audiences. The latest iteration of Snow White is a modern action live action musical starring Rachel Zegler as Snow White, Andrew Burnap as Jonathan (The Huntsman), and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. The screenplay was written by Erin Cressida Wilson (Secretary, Girl On A Train).
The main original storybook elements of Snow White remain intact with ample narration depicting the land that thrived on kindness and virtue until the King disappeared and the vain Evil Queen usurped power. She asks the magic mirror if she’s the fairest of them all on a daily basis with a predictable response. Until one day, the mirror replies that Snow White is in fact the fairest in all the land – not her. Consumed with jealousy, the Evil Queen orders Snow White to be killed.
Ms White is swiftly banished into a magical forest with “woodland creatures” (formerly the dwarves) who diligently work the jewel mines. They are named Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy to describe their respective temperaments.
They sing memorable catchy tunes like Heigh-Ho and Whistle While You Work. Snow White also meets the handsomest prince only found in fairy tales – now called Jonathan.
The Evil Queen’s henchmen close in on Snow White, determined to execute her orders. The motley crew join forces in the name of kindness over cruelty to overthrow the Evil Queen so Snow White can reclaim her rightful throne in the kingdom.
The current version of Snow White infuses the spirit of producer Marc Platt who also produced Wicked. “The original ‘Snow White’ didn’t break the mold – it created the mold. Somehow Walt Disney connects to something inside of us – a kind of childlike wonder and optimism,” he states.
However, it was essential to modernize the almost two century-old tale to reflect modern times and tastes. The gentle, good nature of Snow White remains unchanged as the nucleus of the movie.
Evil Queen (Gal Gadot) Photo courtesy of Disney
The dazzling mythology of a young princes claiming her rightful throne after being unfairly banished is common fantasy fare, especially in light of the global political climate around the time the animated film was released. It’s filled with fantasy, hope, and enthusiasm no matter how bad things get.
Snow White is stepping into her power and learning to lead her kingdom through kindness and love rather than through selfishness and cruelty. In order to do so, she needs to inspire and connect with her subjects. This is the crux of Snow White’s current journey as she pursues her destiny with courage, determination, and fearlessness. It’s a story of self affirmation and self empowerment. It explores the beauty within and the beauty without.
The Evil Queen constantly mocks Snow White’s approach to ruling by comparison of a fragile wilting rose to the hardness of a diamond. (Another parallel to the current political climate). She rules by fear and terror. Kindness is a weakness. She knows that her outer beauty is the only thing that can subdue her subjects.
Jonathan is somewhere in the middle. He understands the survival instinct and kindness won’t get you far. Eventually, he too is inspired by the forces of good and joins the good fight with his group of merry bandits.
