Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

For what is supposed to be “the greatest animated film of all time,” it sure does have a lot of flaws. Many of the songs aren’t exactly toe tappers; indeed, for every “Heigh-Ho,” there are several insipid numbers with the title character singing about nonsense. And indeed, Snow herself is one of the weak spots; frankly, she’s kind of a dipshit. More problematic still are several of the dwarf sequences, which tend to run long in the service of generating a lot of slapstick but serve little to advance the story. The queen’s sequences, in contrast, are tight and move the plot along. And finally, a great deal of the story is told through onscreen exposition; we jump ahead via title cards where a simple explanatory scene would have done better. So why then does this movie merit such respect? It must be remembered that a great deal of what happens on screen here was original innovation; many of the techniques of animation and characterization may have had their debuts in earlier Disney shorts, but they came to full flower—and were viewed by the broadest audience in this, the first feature length animation. It is still a wonder to watch the artistry that went into this work—character representation and movement, rich background art, impressive visual effects—and appreciate the immense talent of those who made this creation possible. Some of this tale may seem to today’s audience to be hopelessly dated, but it is still a monumental achievement in motion picture history. One final interesting note, that also touches on the difference between today and yesteryear: unlike many of today’s oh-so-carefully ethnically balanced endeavors, in the service of (depending upon your perspective) diversity and equality or indentitarianism, this movie is squarely the product of a Eurocentric and decidedly uniform cultural viewpoint—and, from this viewer's vantage point, it’s much better for that singular frame of mind. The vision remains focused and true to itself, while not trying to serve any greater agenda. The success here strongly suggests that, instead of trying to shoehorn a DEI checklist into every production, maybe it would be better to just let particular works have their own focus, without trying to serve a societal master plan, without forcing everyone to toe a sociopolitical line. Just a thought. But this movie is now a relic from another time and place, and perhaps there really is no going back. At least we still have this work, through which we can occasionally visit that foreign land ... and witness some brilliant artistry in the process. Happily ever after indeed.