In 1937, Disney made history with its first animated princess film, Snow White. Nearly a century later, the studio tried to update the classic with a live-action version. Unfortunately, the film has underperformed at the box office. But is the backlash justified? Is the remake a poor portrayal of women and feminism today? Let’s take a deeper look in this For Every Woman movie review of Disney’s latest attempt at the classic Snow White story.
Rachel Zegler’s Controversial Take
Controversy followed the new Snow White from the moment it was announced, largely centered around Rachel Zegler, who plays the titular character. In an early interview, Zegler shared her thoughts on the original film:
“The original cartoon came out in 1937, and very evidently so. There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird, weird. So, we didn’t do that this time. It’s an inner journey that she goes on to find her true self and she meets a lot of people along the way that make the journey really incredible.”
Zegler, who admitted she wasn’t a fan of the original movie as a child, may have misunderstood Snow White’s character. While updating a dated movie isn’t inherently wrong, criticizing a beloved classic in such a way can feel jarring. So, was Snow White just a girl falling for her creepy stalker?
The Classic Snow White
In the original Snow White, she was not in fact stalked by a man who then kisses her dead body without consent. In the movie, the prince hears her singing then climbs the castle wall to follow that voice and find her.
The Queen, obsessed with being the “fairest of them all,” orders Snow White’s death, but Snow White escapes and finds refuge with seven dwarfs. After the Queen’s repeated attempts to harm her, Snow White falls into a deep sleep from a poisoned apple. The prince, who heard her singing, finds her and, in a loving act, awakens her with a kiss. Snow White and the prince are eventually reunited, and the Queen meets her downfall.
The Updated Snow White
In the new Snow White, the prince isn’t a prince at all, rather he’s another version of the beloved Tangled movies Flynn Ryder. Snow White’s new love interest, Jonathan, is a thief and lives in the forest with his band of misfits who claim loyalty to the King, Snow White’s dad. Although there is still a beautiful love story for Snow White in this film, it takes a backseat to the major plot of overthrowing the queen.
“You think you want a flower, but a flower wilts,” says the evil queen in the new movie.
It almost feels as though the creators took the Queen’s words to heart, striving not to create a character like the original Snow White, one who is inherently innocent, delicate, and gentle. Instead, they opted for a more modern, “badass” version, seemingly overlooking the strength that can come from being kind, tender, and pure-hearted.
Despite the film’s shortcomings, the new Snow White does offer valuable themes, such as finding beauty from within, the power of bravery and kindness, and Snow White’s ability to remain compassionate in the face of adversity and cruelty from the Queen.
Perhaps the issue with modern feminism is its dismissal of traits like delicacy, kindness, and the desire for true love as weaknesses. Strength comes in many forms, and we should stop comparing one woman’s strength to another’s. Each kind of feminine strength can shine.
The Evil Queen of Comparison
The original Snow White story centers around an evil queen who cannot for the life of her stand to have another woman who is considered “fairest” or more beautiful than her. So, is it not ironic that the new Snow White movie would face the same age-old women comparing each other fate? With people saying Rachel wasn’t as pretty as Gal Gadot, with Rachel Zegler saying her Snow White would be better in comparison to the old one…? We’d love to be able to critique both old or new Snow White without degrading another woman or female character in the process.
And maybe that’s where the new Snow White went wrong.
Creating an updated Snow White isn’t a crime, but hating on the old one, suggesting being delicate is a weakness, or even hating a woman for her version of feminism in her time is the crime of comparison that sadly so many women still fall for.
Snow White Review: It Missed the Disney Magic Mark
Was the new Snow White good? Unfortunately, it lacked the magic Disney is known for, and perhaps that’s because it was pulled in different directions by public opinion before reaching its final edits. Although the addition of Dopey’s storyline finding his voice with the help of Snow White was precious. One of the biggest disappointments was that, with Rachel Zegler’s incredible voice, they removed the original iconic songs! Imagine how stunning they could’ve sounded with her caliber of talent. Additionally, the CGI dwarves felt uncanny, especially when real little people in Hollywood could have brought more authenticity to the characters. While the film had its moments, it didn’t quite hit the mark.
Hopefully, Disney learned its lesson: sometimes, the essence of a princess movie is about a kind, delicate woman with inner strength who still wants to find love—because there’s nothing wrong with that! That’s what many women are looking for when they escape into a Disney movie.
