Director Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer, Amazing Spider-Man films) delivers the latest Walt Disney live-action adaptation based on Erin Cressida Wilson’s (The Girl on the Train) script. Starring Rachel Zegler (West Side Story, Shazam: Fury of the Gods) as the titular Snow White, the “real people” version updates the original 1937 classic with the evil queen (Gal Gadot, Wonder Woman), the Magic Mirror, seven dwarves, and a cursed apple. But apples play much larger a role this time around – because while one is cursed, may are a blessing.
The newest version of the Brothers Grimm’ fable finds the cast periodically breaking out into song, thanks to composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Pasek and Paul wrote the music for the play Dear Evan Hansen, the television show Smash (season two), and the films, Trolls, La La Land, The Greatest Showman, life-action Aladdin, and Lyle, Lyle Crocodile. That’s some rarified air to be singing in, but it doesn’t seem to peak with Snow White. The music isn’t bad, but I don’t know that it’s the strongest aspect of the film.
Instead, I think the earnestness of Zegler’s Snow White steals the show, whether she’s homemaking with the Seven Dwarves (who are all animated), bantering with the bandit Jonathan (Andrew Barnap), standing up to the Evil Queen, or fellowshipping with the animals of the woods. She’s so good that she can’t imagine why anyone else would wish harm on others, or behave so cruelly as to keep everything for herself. Snow White was raised to see her power, her royalty, and her riches as gifts to be shared with others, and she pursues that wholeheartedly throughout the film. But the Evil Queen…
Gadot’s Evil Queen is beautiful, haughty, and vicious. She threatens harm against anyone who stands against her, and focuses herself on gaining everything that she can for herself. She’s a hoarder, creating powerlessness and a sense of scarcity to hold down everyone under her thumb (after Snow White’s father is removed from the picture). There is no Disney blurring of the lines, showing us that the Evil Queen is actually hurt and held down by others, but instead a clear narrative where Snow White is good and the Evil Queen is bad. The Evil Queen has more than she needs, but she STILL wants to keep others from having what they need to survive.
In a day and time where society seems to be divided over how to care for the least among us, this new version of Snow White shows that when we all share what we have, there’s enough for everyone. Apples are apparently the kingdom’s specialty, and they become the image for what Snow White longs to provide everyone AND the evil that the Queen unleashes against the young, naive royalty.
While the film has some scary, intense moments that may be too much for some small children, I was pleasantly encouraged by the way that the narrative resolves with Snow White as a peaceful leader. In a time when violence is bandied about as the only solution, it was incredibly powerful to see a film where another option was highlighted. Maybe life could reflect art? We could certainly use some leaders like Snow White.
Snow White is available in theatres now.
