Walt Disney’s 1937 musical fantasy film ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves’ is a reimagining of the Brothers Grimm’s 1812 fairy tale. Now, nearly a century later, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures adapts the same tale and adds its own twist. The result is an exhausting reboot that reveals many of the prominent characteristics that made the Grimm tale and the animation a success and memorable.
Even before the movie was launched, it has been steeped in controversy. There were outraged reactions when Rachel Zegler, a Colombian and Polish descent actress-singer, was cast as the title heroine. The original Snow White was thought to be of embodying German characteristics.
Hot on the heels of this mixed ethnicity issue came some pro-Palestine remarks Zegler made along with the pro-Israel ones made by Gal Gadot, who portrays the evil stepmother in the 2025 ‘Snow White’ version. Then there were the CGI dwarves, which are magical beings rather than dwarves, but they are still referred to as Doc, Happy, Sneezy and Bashful which infuriated actors with dwarfism. But in the end, despite all the hype, this most recent version of the well-loved classic is a dull experience for all those who witnessed it at theatres all over the world.
Fierce snowfall
Grimm’s ‘Snow White’ opens with a queen pricking her finger while sewing by the window. When a drop of her blood falls on the snow, she is inspired to wish for a baby with dark ebony hair, white skin, and lips as red as blood. In this movie, the king and queen name their daughter after the fierce snowfall that greeted her at birth.
When the queen passes away from an unexplained illness, the king remarries a lovely but evil woman who sends him off to battle with some enigmatic foes. Snow White is reduced from princess to scullery maid, and the evil stepmother uses her magic mirror to kill time after transforming all the farmers into vicious warriors.
The queen loses it when Jonathan, a handsome robber, comes into the palace to steal food. When the mirror deviates from the script and declares that Snow White is more beautiful than she is, her mood deteriorates further. The queen screams in rage and gives a huntsman a box to carry Snow White’s heart in, telling him to complete the nasty task of killing her and cutting out her heart.
Unable to kill her, especially because of the kindness she exhibits, the huntsman begs Snow White to flee which she does. She gets lost in the woods, makes animal friends and then enters the cottage belonging to the dwarves and sleeps there. Once the dwarves return from work, she gets them to clean by whistling to them and singing and dancing along with them.
She runs into Jonathan once again, the queen prepares the apple, Snow White wakes up after Jonathan kisses her, there is a heated argument between her and the queen, and it all works out in the end, with Snow White emerging as a just and wise monarch, exactly like her parents. The evil queen is vanquished from the face of the earth.
Storyline modifications
One of the key letdowns of the movie is the differences it has with the original tale and animation. The movie has aimed to update the classic with drastic storyline modifications and by retaining only two original songs. Some of these changes generate positive vibes like instead of focusing on Snow White’s longing for Prince Charming, the 2025 film highlights her desire to become a fearless, just, courageous, and truthful leader. The Seven Dwarfs are presented as more kind and helpful friends who see the value of cooperation and solidarity instead of requiring Snow White to win them over.
Some of the negativities which pull down ‘Snow White’ cause damage beyond repair. In the 2025 version, Snow White bites the apple and goes into a death-defying slumber. The princess is not placed in a glass coffin, but rather on a flower-decked stone slab amid the forest, where the dwarfs maintain watch until Jonathan, who has escaped the Queen’s dungeon, appears and plants the ‘ true love’s first kiss’ on her lips. The solo song that the evil queen sings when she is faced with Jonathan bearing Snow White’s locket too is painful to hear.
While encompassing stunning visuals and a powerful performance from Gal Gadot, the movie lacks the heart, nuance, and emotional pull that made the original so classic. As a result of Disney’s attempt to modernise the plot, the film feels more like a shallow makeover than a significant reworking.
