Unless, of course, you actually think about it for more than 10 seconds. Then you realise that what’s mad is not Disney’s effort to be inclusive and modern but the fact that they are relying on fairy tales – a genre that is by definition not inclusive, not diverse, and not modern – to do it. And while I’m absolutely pro such attempts to send better messages, broaden the casting pool and encourage little girls to find their voice rather than a prince, I am also happy to admit that this particular attempt to bring an old story up to date has turned into a total PR clusterf**k.
Snow White with her ‘handsome prince’ (Photo: Disney via AP)
Not only that, but after Peter Dinklage suggested in 2022 that the very idea of a remake was ludicrous and offensive (“f**king backwards”, to be precise), Disney decided not to cast real people as the dwarves and instead to render them in slightly uncanny CGI (“To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community,” they said in a statement). This has proved not to be the cautious choice they clearly thought it was: actors with dwarfism are now railing against the perceived theft of casting opportunities and planning to protest outside Disney Studios.
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The irony is that if you’re able to put all that aside, or perhaps if you are the film’s intended audience age of circa 11 years old, Snow White is pretty anodyne. We all know the drill – perfect stepdaughter threatens evil stepmother with her beauty, gets sent to the woods to be killed, kindly huntsman takes pity on her. She finds refuge in a magical cottage and makes friends with seven dwarves, named after their personalities, before the queen finds her again and brutally murders her with an apple.
Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen (Photo: Disney via AP)square FILM
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Read MoreThough some of it has theatrical camp – Gadot as the Queen is dressed head to toe in sequins and stiletto nails with the energy of a divorced Kardashian at the Met Gala – it is largely cosy and quaint. The enchanted woods are undeniably beautiful and Zegler chats away to hedgehogs and deer and birds. As ever, Disney’s attempts to manipulate our feelings with sentimental anthropomorphism are frustratingly effective. It’s all quite magical to watch until they start bursting into song, which, when it’s live-action rather than a cartoon, quickly goes a bit CBeebies. Classics from the original – “Heigh Ho” and “Whistle While You Work” – are retained, while others are newly written, becoming uplifting ensemble numbers and a chance for Zegler to show off her enviable vocal talent.
‘Snow White’ is undeniably beautiful to watch (Photo: Disney via AP)
Is any of it worth it? Well, yes and no. The original Snow White is famous for being frightening for children. This new version – rated PG – is certainly scary in parts, even watching at the age of 31-and-a-quarter. But it remains at the surface level of a children’s fairy tale, with the darker parts (like the original poisoned comb and too-tight corset of the Brothers Grimm story, or the “cut out her heart” command) skimmed over in favour of the justifiably more important ideas like being true to yourself and not minding about being beautiful. These are good messages to send to the new generation, sure – but is Snow White really the best way to do it?
It ends with what can only be described as a woke utopia (except the aforementioned monarchy issue), in which everyone strings flower garlands in the town square and bestows acts of kindness on their neighbours, thanks to the leadership of Snow White. But there’s only so far you can get with a dated story that we know so well. There’s no way Disney could have done it any other way, and it is undoubtedly positive for little girls everywhere to see a brilliant non-white actor playing the part of a princess – but despite the all-round outrage, there is nothing radical to see here.
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