Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs

Release Date: December 21, 1937

Watch Date: January 7, 2023

 

    We’re starting now, officially, from the beginning.

    Snow White is the moment of transition – when Disney goes from shorts to feature films. Without Snow White and the film studio that came from it, the monolith built on her back, there would be no Marvel movies, no baby Yoda, no Frozen, no mermaid wishing for legs, no tale as old as time.

    So even if it’s boring, even if it’s bad, Snow White has created a legacy – and you have to respect that.

    But let’s be fair – Snow White is boring.

    Snow White is the blueprint from which all other Disney Princesses would forever build off of. A prince she barely knows. Small animals helping with chores and acting as sidekicks. The most beautiful singing voice. Some element of ‘good’ magic, and an element of ‘bad’. You can’t enjoy Tiana, or Jasmine, or Anna, without knowing you need to give some credit to the original.

    This movie definitely achieves the length of a feature film, but it also feels like a collection of shorts. There’s a connecting thread of story between each scene, but they could have all been aired separately before another movie over the course of a few months and it would have worked just as well.

    The dwarfs are the longest living legacy, specifically Grumpy, who is on more merchandise than I’ve ever seen Snow White on. I don’t know why so many people fell in love with this woman hater – but here we are. Even I have owned some Grumpy merchandise. It seems contrary to the current social opinion on incels, but what do I know?

    As much as Snow White became the archetype for princesses, the Evil Queen did the same for the future Disney villains. Using ‘evil’ magic. An obsession with status and beauty. Not being afraid to murder, torture or abuse a teenage girl. The only thing missing from her repertoire is a villainous song, but don’t worry – we’ll get there eventually.

    Like a said at the beginning, this movie is boring, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t respect it. It’s an important moment in film history. After Snow White, the game would be forever changed. Bob and I wouldn’t even have an adventure to embark on without it.