Acclaimed, but under-appreciated, too

Rating: 9/10 (14 May 2004)

Disney's premiere full-length animated film is more than worth a look, even today. A movie as acclaimed and beloved as 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' shouldn't really need a defense, but some movie lovers who haven't seen it in years may assume it's a gooey, girly snorefest (à la 'Sleeping Beauty')--and many of the comments here suggest that viewers don't really get what they're looking at. Sure, Snow White herself is a complete drip, and her Prince is even worse; and yes, there is an obnoxious sexism burbling not too far below the surface. But the film is crammed with so much busy motion and freakiness that we barely even care. Every frame is as amusing and ingenious as one of Gepetto's clocks in 'Pinocchio,' whether it's inhabited by dancing dwarfs, clattering dishes, bubbly water splashes, or that incredible swarming menagerie of deer, squirrels, rabbits and birds. And the rotoscoping technique, though undeniably primitive, is remarkably effective at creating this believable fantasy world. It adds a sometimes shocking element of realism to the cartoonier characters--by God, Happy looks *real* during his dance in the 'Silly Song'--and adds a sinister theatricality to the horrible eyeless Mirror and the stooping, nightmarish witch as she shambles out of the reeds and into the fog. God, that witch! Disney is often criticized for sanitizing the original fairy tales in his adaptations, but this one, while it may stop short of having the Queen actually *eat* 'Snow White's' heart, is still pretty horrific in places. (Not to mention the macabre sense of humor she magically acquires after drinking the potion--'Thirsty? Have a drink!') The experience of the film's dark, unique fantasy world only improves on repeat viewings, too. Highly recommended, especially to those who haven't seen it in a while. 9.5 out of 10.