SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS

US, 1937, 83 minutes, Colour.
Voices of Adriana Caselotti, Harry Stockwell, Lucille LaVerne?.
Directed by Ben Sharpsteen.

It is very hard to appreciate now how pioneering a work of cinema art Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs really was. Walt Disney had been experimenting with sketches and with cartoons, developing the character of Mickey Mouse, doing shorts such as Steamboat Willie. However, during the '30s he decided to venture out on a full-length feature film. Snow White was released in 1937 to great acclaim. It has remained one of Disney's most popular films with its constant re-release in cinemas as well as to television, video and DVD. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and its success encouraged Disney to experiment further with Fantasia in 1940 and then with films like Dumbo and Bambi as well as war effort cartoons. After the war Disney diversified into mixtures of cartoon and live action, nature documentaries as well as full live action features.

Snow White takes the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale, gives it an attractive animated form, peoples it with interesting characters, especially the seven dwarfs, and also has a musical score with many memorable songs including 'Some Day My Prince Will Come' as well as the dwarfs' song, 'Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off To Work We Go'. Perennial entertainment.

1. This film is considered a classic. Why? Its appeal over many decades?

2. The technical skill in the film: the animation and the style of the 1930’s, the use of colour, music and song.

3. The Walt Disney style. The fact that he is a twentieth century storyteller and fairytale teller like those of the nineteenth century. The popularity of his style, the sentiment, the humour?

4. The impact of Grimm's fairy tales. The lightness, the sadness and gloom? The basic fairytale ingredients in this story? Audience interest, audience response to the basic ingredients? The learning through fairytale experience?

5. The book, the opening, the varying captions, the fact that they lived happily ever after?

6. The presentation of the queen and her evil, her beauty and her vanity, her encounter with the mirror, her cruelty towards Snow White?

7. The contrast with Snow White: the princess, the beautiful girl, her happiness, her tatters, her work, her song, the encounter with the prince and her shyness, her yearning for him?

8. Audience response to the sinister wish of the queen for her death? The huntsman unable to kill her and urging her to fly? Audience relief?

9. The dramatics of her flight, the expressions of her fear, the trees and the animals terrorizing her, the music? Their turning into ordinary animals in the daylight? Fears of night and darkness abating with the light?

10. How humorously and happily did the animals form a chorus for Snow White and for the film? The various personalities of the animals for example the birds, the little bird whistling, the turtle etc.?

11. The presentation of work, the varying songs of Snow White and the animals? The humorous presentation of the animals cleaning the dwarfs' house?

12. Audience response to the dwarfs? Their varying personalities, what they represented, especially Grumpy, Doc and Dopey? Their work in the mines, their song, their returning home and their discovery, their fears and their apprehensions, their joy in discovering Snow White?

13. Snow White and her relationship with the dwarfs? The effect that she had on each of them, especially Grumpy although it took so long? Their happiness with her, meals, their giving up their room for her, the humour of their sleeping?

14. The audience being lulled by the happiness of Snow white and the dwarfs? The queen and her consulting the mirror, the horror in her turning into a hag, her preparation of the apple, the raven and the vultures associated with her? Snow White's listening to her despite the warning of the dwarfs? Her wiliness in deceiving Snow White into eating the apple?

15. The drama of the animals rushing to the dwarfs to rescue Snow White? Their failure?

16. The horror of their pursuit of the hag and the queen's death? Thunder and lightning, rocks etc and the appropriateness of this?

17. The dwarfs hallowing Snow White as a saint? The audience knowing that she could be roused and hoping for the prince to return?

18. The climax with the prince kissing Snow White and it being a life-giving kiss? The romantic ending and the happy ever after?

19 The appeal of this film? The appeal of the basic truth about life, good and evil, kindness and romance?