Project Disney: The plan is to tackle all of the Disney films, re-reading the classic stories and tales that inspired many of them and to look at how the changes the filmmakers made, the new elements they introduced and the essential elements they kept. We will, of course, be talking about the films as movies as well, saying why we enjoy them and what some of our favorite moments are, but our focus will be on looking at them as adaptations. For the films that are not drawn from any one work we’ll be looking at some of the possible literary influences that we see in the stories. Inspired by Project Disney by Picture Me Reading.
This week's movie and book is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs . Turns out the story Little Snow White by the Bother's Grimm which the movie is based off of is available free on the internet, and you can find it here! I am very lucky to have a husband who loves Disney as much as I do!! My bedroom is full of Disney snowglobes and other goodies. I will show pictures of those later as we get to the movies that correlate with them. I have also been to both Disneyland and Disneyworld. Super super super super super fun! I mean... I have an entire board on Pinterest dedicated just to DISNEY!
I do love the story though in the movie. Now-a-days you don't get Disney movies like this. Murder!!! Kill Snow White and get her heart! I just love it! I love how the villains in the older Disney movies are true villains and evil. Confession: one thing I love about Disney is the villains! Plus how cool is the evil queen when she has a Magic Mirror??? (Which I loved when the mirror was featured in the Shrek movie!).
Now... about the dwarfs.. yeesh they are annoying. I love their music in the film... but they are just too goofy for me. Of course the need to be the humor in the movie. In the book they really have no character at all... just apart of the story. Snow White... she is actually quite young in the original story. A child age seven! Obviously Disney would need her to be much older for the story to work, so I am happy with this change. I do actually feel bad for her... here is a girl who has done nothing wrong but exist and then is chased down because of it.
In the story Snow White's mother dies during childbirth and her father takes on a new wife. This new wife is very jealous of Snow White who is described as having skin white as snow, lips red as blood and her hair ebony. The new queen (Snow White's step mother) tries to kill Snow White in many different ways. When the story begins we are introduced to the magic mirror right away. The magic mirror declares that the queen is the fairest in the land until Snow White matures and then the mirror says that she is the fairest in the land.
The dwarves know the queen will eventually find their house so they tell Snow White to not answer the door. She of course does answer the door. So a peddler comes to the door and sells Snow White some silk. The peddler wraps her so hard that she suffocates almost and the dwarves come home and cut her out. Another peddler comes by (Snow White has not learned her lesson) this time selling combs. The peddler combs Snow Whites hair.. the comb has some sort of poison and the dwarves come home and revive Snow White. Finally Snow White sees the peddler again who this time has an apple to sell. One side of the apple is poisoned and the other side is not. The queen bites the side that isn't poisoned to show Snow White it's OK and of course Snow White poisons herself. The dwarves can't help her this time so they get a coffin that can sit on the mountain side since they think she is too beautiful to go in the ground.
Next.. a prince comes by and sees Snow White in the coffin. He asks the dwarves if he could buy it so he can see Snow White everyday. The dwarves agree to this. So odd that he wants to just stare at a glass coffin and just look at her. As they are carrying the coffin a piece of the apple falls from her mouth and she wakes up. The prince tells her they are on the way to their castle and that she is to marry him and they will live happily ever after. To punish the queen, they make her dance until her feet bleed and she dies. Which is why I like the creepy Brother's Grimm books. I just like endings like this!
Also... for you Disney fans out there... if you have not checked out Annie Leibovitz photos for the Disney campaign you must do!! I wish I could make the images larger... but the way my blog is set up they go off the sides! :(
Though this is my least favorite movie... everyone who is a Disney fan should watch it and own it.
Find Picture Me Reading's post on Snow White here .
They are the host of this little Disney adventure so that post is not to be missed!!
Also Nerdy Book Reviews has a post.
Racheal Turns Pages does a great job comparing book to movie!
Here is my
Project Disney: Cinderella
Peter Pan
Treasure Planet
Sleeping Beauty
The Great Mouse Detective
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Princess and the Frog
Pinocchio
Fantasia
Beauty and the Beast
Lady and the Tramp
Alice in Wonderland
The Rescuers
The Rescuers Down Under
Tangled
Oliver and Company
Mulan
The Little Mermaid
Bambi
101 Dalmatians
Frozen
Fantasia 2000
The Jungle Book
The Emperor's New Groove
The Sword in the Stone
Aladdin
Atlantis
The Aristocats
The Lion King
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Winnie the Pooh (2011)
Robin Hood
Hercules
Pocahontas
Dumbo
The Black Cauldron
Mary Poppins
Lilo and Stitch
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Make Mine Music
Tarzan
Fox and the Hound
Melody Time
I love your evil looking Snow White picture, it made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteI can see why this is one of your least favourite Disney films to be honest. Since Snow White is quite weak, but I suppose it was Disney's first film, so they only get better from here on out.
Great post! :)
There is actually a whole series of pictures of the Disney princesses as evil characters! They are soooo fun!
DeleteYay! This is a great post and I WANT to see your disney collection! :) I love the photos you selected..the evil queen is what I love about the film as well!
ReplyDeleteThe evil queen makes this movie! Oe thing I love is the use of the colors the animators used on her. The colors wouldn't normally be evil but on her POW!!!
DeleteGreat post - you picked out some amazing pictures. Those Annie Leibovitz photographs are awesome! Those snowglobes sound cool - I am looking forward to seeing the collection in future posts.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the magic mirror is very cool and it is done really well in the movie. And it's good to know that we're not alone in finding the villains to be the best part of many Disney movies!
The villains are especially great in the older movies. Like Malificent who is really evil and actually has demons as her minons!!!
DeleteSnow White isn't one of my faves either. Her voice when she sings sounds like nails on a chalkboard to me.
ReplyDeleteBut hey, I collect Disney snow globes too! This looks like a fun feature, since I love all things Disney as well.
You should participate! We are doing a ton of movies... Check Picture Me Reading's blog... she has the schedule on there. Next up... Cinderella!
DeleteWow, what a great post. I really enjoy the story Snow White but it is my least favorite Disney movie. I like different interpretations of it though.
ReplyDeleteYea I love how many times Snow White has been redone. I love fairy tale retellings!
DeleteHmm and I don't know if this would likely be the recent snow white and huntsmen movie lol :D
ReplyDeleteNo this is not that movie.. this is the Disney cartoon. The one you are talking about is a live action film.
DeleteI love Disney, but I really dislike this movie. Mainly because, like you said, Snow White's voice is awful! I can't stand listening to it. It's so trilly.
ReplyDeleteThe Disney Renaissance movies are more my style. :)
Yes.. the voice.. yuck!!
DeleteI love the older Disney movies, and tend to not like anything after Beauty & The Beast. I have a lot of them on DVD. I actually like Sleeping Beauty a bit better than this one, but I do like Snow White.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you have seen the Sigourney Weaver version where she plays the Evil Queen.
And I agree, the Disney villains in the earlier movies, were way cool.
I have seen the movie with Sigourney Weaver. I remember thinking it was actually decent.
DeleteI love this whole Project Disney idea! BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!11 =) Anywhooo, so I will definitely do this whole read the books thing at some point in my life. Hopefully. I really like that evil Snow White picture and then the one below it wih the long lines. Super pretty! Interesting about the original tale. The one villain in a new Disney movie who was actually creepy and evil was the Shadowman in Princess and the Frog. All of the voodoo spirits and blood and underworld and deals with the dead...at least it was a bit creepy. Just what a cool idea for a post! Can't wait to read the rest!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOH yea.. Princess and the Frog. That villain is really cool and spooky! Love him!!! I did a post on that one that you can link to in the post up above.
Deletehttp://rachaelc94.blogspot.com/2013/06/project-disney-book-and-movie-review.html
ReplyDeleteI just got my review up today. I know I'm so late. I'm going to try to catch up with Project Disney although I'm questioning whether I want to do hunchback of norte dame since I have never liked that movie. I don't truly even remember watching mouse detective so I will have to see how that goes.
I was not totally familiar with the Mouse Detective. I didn't watch it much as a child.... but it was still fun to hash out so you will have to give it a go! Checking out your post now!
DeleteI thought it was really weird how Snow White was only seven years old in the story. I wonder how long she was "asleep" or how long this all occurred in because she seems to be married quite young. A little too young, even though I know traditions were different back then, it's just really creepy. I love your thoughts on the villain and totally agree! Disney villains are always the best.
ReplyDelete