How sad that a mark of the overt cycnism that is so pervasive in this present moment would and could be the catalyist for derailing a story who’s aim it is to counter it.
Or perhaps its precisely what we should expect. After all, cyncism can be a powerful drug.
What might be even more sad is the fact that this cynicism is targeted at a young woman who happens to have opinions and a voice, investing herself into a role that is all about giving young woman a voice. The live action interpretation uses its license to take some of the storybeats that were already there and bring them to the surface. A story about contrasting views of physical beauty becomes a story about contrasting images of fairness and rightness. The power of true loves kiss becomes a story about reclaimed agency. A story about power rooted in magic becomes a story about power rooted in the social divide.
The latest in a series of live action reimaginings doesn’t hit the cinematic high notes of something like Beauty and the Beast, a movie that remains one of my most favorite and memorable theater experiences (back before the cynicism had taken root). There is however something refreshing about the way it stays grounded in the practicalities of the story, paring back the depths of its dark magic in favour of a boots on the ground depiction of the enslavement which comes from systematic oppression. In fact, this groundedness goes a long ways in aiding Gal Gadot’s rendition of the evil queen, which had been a real question mark for me personally. Rather than go the route of the Little Mermaid, leaning in to the over the top performance that easily would have rendered this pure camp, the storybeats and approach actively work to restrain and contiain that performance, making this something of a counter to The Little Meraids larger than life narrative.
And the dwarves. For all the ink spilled on the decision to go the route of CGI, the commentary completely missed the fact that they used this approach in service of the story. Rather than having real life characters surrounded by talking animals, the CGI drawvevs help to distinguish the world that Snow White falls into and uncovers as a kind of allegorical force that she carries back into the world governed by the powers and enslaved to its economic interests. The CGI dwarves not only help to center Snow White as a distinguihable figure parsing out the meaning she finds in this fantastical setting, they blend perfrectly with the CGI animals, even going so far as to make the later inclusion of a group of revolutionaries actually populated with real life little people that much more poignant. The CGI dwarves are effectively an image of society in all of its complexities, offering us perhaps the most distinguished and compelling portrait of what it means to be human in the scope of the film.
Its also worth stating that this film veers younger in its dynamic. The film opens with a simple, storybook approach, quickly moving through the story so as to arrive at what ultimiately becomes its simple interests. Here words like kindness and fairness emerge as simple childhood lessons that can be heard and understood by the youngest of the audience. And yet here is the mistake the cynics make- suggesting that this must then be reduced to simplicity or superficiality completely underwrites the power these words hold in their complexity. Just as Snow White describes these things as being alive and true in her childhood, its likely the grown up cynics that need this story most of all.
And here might be my most potent aim in terms of my frustration with the present cynicism of this world- it would take an extremely cold and callous heart to walk away from this thing not feeling something from its good spirited aims and good will intents. The lead gives a performance that is both invested and authentic, immersing this in the life of its songs which work effortlessly to move us towards a greater imagination for thinking and believing and acting more hopefully in the face of a cold and callous world. Its as much a celebration of childhood perspective as it is a call to remember it. As Snow White is offered in the early moment of the film, growing up is an invitation, a prayer, to grow into something more true. Into an emobied vision of the world and its goodness and its life that is truest of all.
One last thing that struck me. When Snow White is standing in front of the castle, awakening to the vision of this hoped for prayer, she calls it “her father’s house.” A house that makes room for all. A house that finds its power in a vision that opposes the allure of power. A house that remiagines power as being for the least of these. How fitting then, that she speaks, leading up to this vision, of this inheritance, the inheritance of this kingdom, being shaped by and for the least of these- the meek, the poor, the struggling, the hungry. Throwing open the doors of this kingdom, understandiing what it means to not have to walk this life alone, to take our understanding of what is not right in the world and to formulate this into action. God help me if this wasn’t the most powerful Gospel message I’ve encountered in a long time. So much so that the songs themselves started to formulate into one of its most vital components- worship of that which is true.
The Stories of my Life 