The long-anticipated, live-action reimagining of the beloved Disney classic, Snow White (1937), has arrived in theaters. The film promptly faced a lot of criticism, especially on the casting of Rachel Zegler, an American actress with a mixed ethnic background.
It was announced in June of 2021 that Zegler would be playing Snow White, resulting in racist backlash. Some critics didn’t like an actress of Latin descent portraying a character who in the original story had “skin as white as snow.” Zegler has since responded, stating, “Extremely appreciative of the love I feel from those defending me online, but please don’t tag me in the nonsensical discourse about my casting,” according to nbcnews.com.
Zegler’s Snow White costume closely resembles the original. The color palette remained red, white, blue, and yellow, with the same silhouette, flowy skirt, puffy sleeves, square neckline, and a white collar. The new gown is instantly recognizable but has subtle changes. As opposed to the original gown, the new one has long sleeves. Instead of a smooth bodice, it has red laces in the front resembling a corset.
The new film includes the recognizable songs “Whistle While You Work,” “Heigh-Ho,” and “The Silly Song” from the animated film. The song “Someday My Prince Will Come” is replaced with “Waiting on a Wish,” an empowering song about Snow White’s “desire to break free from the story she feels has already been written for her,” according to uDiscoverMusic.com. Other songs cut from the remake include “I’m Wishing,” “One Song,” and “With a Smile and a Song”.
Snow White’s backstory experienced some changes as well. According to USA Today, the original film begins with a short explanation of how Snow White was forced to work as a scullery maid for her stepmother, the Evil Queen, while the live-action film included more in-depth insights into Snow White’s beginnings. When she was a child, her parents ruled the kingdom with kindness and were very gracious to the villagers. Later on, Snow White’s mom dies, and the Evil Queen weasels her way into royalty and forces Snow White to be her maid. Despite her circumstances, Snow White continues advocating for the villagers.
Instead of Prince Charming, Snow White falls in love with Jonathan, the captain of a group of bandits. The pair meet while he is stealing potatoes from the castle, and he is caught by the palace guards. The Evil Queen then chains him to the gate to freeze to death, but Snow White saves him by untying him and setting him free. They later meet again in the woods. At first, Snow White thinks Jonathan is just a selfish criminal, and he thinks she’s just an out-of-touch princess, but down the line, the two are faced with danger. Snow White tricks the enemies, impressing Jonathan. When Snow White is nearly struck by an arrow, Jonathan quickly springs into action, taking the arrow for her and saving her life. Subsequently, the two gradually develop romantic feelings for each other.
One of the dwarves, Dopey, gets his character arc. In the original film, Dopey was often picked on by the other dwarves because he couldn’t talk. In the new film, Dopey is still quiet and afraid to speak, but Snow White empathizes with him and helps him find his voice. In the end, he is revealed to be the narrator.
The Evil Queen’s demise is much less gnarly than in the original. In the animated film, after trying to crush the dwarves with a boulder, she falls to her death. In the new film, after poisoning Snow White, the Queen reveals that she killed the princess’s father. Then, with the assistance of the dwarves and bandits, Snow White pledges that she will take back her parents’ home and restore the poverty-stricken kingdom. When Snow White reaches the castle gates, the Queen instructs her guards to kill her. To dodge what seemed like an inevitable death, Snow White recalls advice from her mother to always remember people’s names. Her kind nature appeals to the guards’ good graces, and they decide to join her. The queen, now lacking any support, flees to her throne room where she then destroys her magic mirror and is sucked into its vortex.
Overall, the live-action remake of Snow White has many distinctive differences in comparison to the animated film, but remains fairly true to the esteemed Disney classic. The modern adaptation reflects changing societal values through its diverse casting, empowering story changes, and a less violent resolution.
