Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Rating: 9/10

"Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?"

There's not a person on this planet in which at some point in their lifetime have not heard this quote.

First review will be a somewhat of an unconventional choice; the first full-length animated film by Walt Disney.

In my opinion, albeit being an animated film, 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' it's exactly one of the best classical Disney films that never lose their filmic essence; whether that be plot or camerawork or even musical score.

A certain amount of people, look at this merely as a children's film. However, this is not the case.  A closer examination will prove that indeed, this film goes beyond the boundaries of a child's imagination; into a world of endless possibilities expressed through animation.

I admit that as a child this was the only Disney film that used to horrify me. Yes, indeed horrify me. Whether it was my instinct as a child or not, even now that I re-watch it as an adult my imagination is still frighteningly penetrated by the Evil Queen's hysterical laugh, the tremendously nightmarish forest scene and the bewildering musical score that empowers the villains in the story.

Despite that many out there will pass on such animated film, I am a firm believer of a complex subplot that lies underneath and that's what truly makes for a remarkable film.

Snow White begins with the innocent naïveté of an orphan girl, who is willing to face all the harsh challenges that may come her way just by keeping a light-hearted attitude towards all the wrongs in her life. Morality, plays a significant part in the story, as it is that theme that saves Snow White's life and let's her live. Good-will is another distinct theme that bounces through the screen; the seven adorable dwarfs offer Snow White not only a place to sleep and eat, but a place to escape her wicked step-mother.

As you may see by now, Snow White is not just a boring story of a happy princess singing all day long. Although Disney has a fair amount of that going on to keep the mood of the audience enlivened and spirited, it merely tries to employ subjectively all the clever filmic tricks to awe the spectator and leave them gushing for more.

Snow White was the first feature film of the Walt Disney productions in 1937 and for a whole year was the number one film in the USA, until it was knocked over by another great legend Gone with the Wind (1939).

AFI very well named this as the best animated film of all time. In my opinion, they did this not because it was the first of its kind or length, but because the innovative techniques Walt Disney's crew introduced into the animated field were a remarkable filmic achievement of the era. Quite whorthingly, Walt Disney received 1 Big Oscar (and 7 little ones).

I highly recommend this animated feature film to all, especially from the ages of 14+. This is because, this is not just a film for kids to do a sin-along or learn the "innocent" tale of Snow White, but for adults to explore the visual feast of an unexplored era in animation and the possibilities this opened for the specific field.

I managed to find the entire film on youtube (strangely enough it wasn't taken off by the recent copyrighted laws infused lately) for those who would like to indulge into a world of magic and dark tales. A warning at hand; since this is a Disney version and all, do bear with the singing and the bubbling and giggling. Just keep in mind of how well the film's score is intertwined with the visual imagery and then you will be able to surpass any Disney-lovey-dovey supertision you may have.

I hope you do enjoy the film. It is a worthy animated contender of all the anime-rise and the Pixar-made animated films being produced today, as this was the pioneering film that started it all.

"And they lived happily (n)ever after..."

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)