Disney’s Snow White has emancipated itself from the original – and that’s a good thing
Sheesh. Few films have been bad-mouthed in the run-up to their release quite as heavily as Snow White. Now that Disney’s live-action remake has hit theatres, it’s proving most of the naysayers wrong. Although Snow White has stayed very close to the original in parts, it’s refreshingly different in others.
Fear not, this review contains zero spoilers. I won’t be mentioning anything here that hasn’t already been revealed in trailers.
«And they lived happily ever after.» Famously, that’s how Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Disney’s first ever feature-length film, draws to a close. When it comes to the live-action remake, however, the word «happily» has been in short supply. Instead, fiery controversies and spite have simmered around the film. Some even took potshots at lead actress Rachel Zegler for her Colombian roots, claiming she was unfit to play the princess with «skin white as snow» described in Grimm’s fairy tale.
But that’s not all. Swiss media outlet Watson recently went as far as to say Disney might as well «bury» the film altogether, justifying the headline with the «five-act drama» surrounding the film’s release (article in German). An example of one of these acts? Rachel Zegler’s roots.
Ever thought that «snow white» might be a symbol of purity and innocence, and not necessarily refer to skin colour? In 1937, no one was bothered by the fact that Snow White was a lot older in the animated film than in the original Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Not every change has to be bad per se. Adaptations are products of their time. And every new spin on a story deserves to be judged fairly and unbiasedly.
Once upon a time
Kind-hearted princess Snow White (Rachel Zegler) grows up in her parents’ kingdom. A place where everybody’s happy and content, and people respect and uphold values such as kindness and justice. But when the queen dies and the king falls under the spell of another woman, everything changes. Behind the scenes, Snow White’s stepmother hatches an evil plan. She gets rid of the king, relegates Snow White to the role of cleaner and rules the kingdom with an iron fist from there on out.
Years pass and Snow White grows into a young woman – but she still obeys her wicked stepmother. Envious of Snow White’s beauty, the queen tries to have her killed, forcing the princess to flee. At the same time, the notion that something has to change takes root within Snow White. But she needs allies.
Source: The Walt Disney Company Switzerland
Refreshingly different, but still familiar
At first, I was sceptical too. I saw the Snow White remake as unnecessary, thinking to myself: «Surely not?! The original’s fine the way it is.» Then I took off my rose-tinted glasses and watched the 1937 cartoon again.
Welp.
Don’t get me wrong here. Yes, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is cute and charming and whatever, but it’s also almost 90 years old. The generally held notion of womanhood from that time is reflected in the fact Snow White is a good-natured homebody, dependent on a strong hero. The seven dwarves gratefully accept her into their home – but only because Snow White cleans their house, does their laundry, sings and acts like their surrogate mother. Don’t believe me? Try rewatching the original. It’ll take up 83 minutes of your time. A few moments of it left me speechless.
Disney and director Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man) have now given the story a refresh and retold it in a more contemporary way. And thank goodness for that. While the original is just a fairy story with no deeper message or moral, the 2025 version of Snow White is a subtle empowerment story featuring a strong princess, who’s a good role model. Before you start ranting about the «f*ing woke Disney agenda» in the comment section, let me just say that as the father of a six-year-old girl, I think of this as far more than just ticking the diversity box. On the contrary, I consider it a valuable criterion.
The plot of the remake may sound familiar so far, but there are a few differences. Just as the makers have departed from a literal interpretation of Snow White’s name, they’ve also overhauled the role of the prince. After all, unlike the naïve young girl portrayed in the original, Snow White has now been developed into a woman who doesn’t just wait for good things to happen to her.
Despite all this, I can assure fans of the original that Snow White hasn’t been entirely upended. Visually, the remake is based totally on the original. Some scenes have either been reproduced exactly or executed in a very similar way. This is clever, as it creates familiarity and sets reference points for parents who grew up with the 1937 version.
Source: The Walt Disney Company Switzerland
Snow White and the evil queen in La La Land
The live-action remake of Snow White is a musical in the classic Disney tradition. If there was a lot of singing in the original, it feels like even more in this version. I counted ten songs lasting several minutes, excluding the credits. That’s far too many for a musical Grinch like me, but probably just the right amount for people who’re into that type of music.
The soundtrack was composed by duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who won an Oscar in 2017 for their work on La La Land, before following up in spectacular fashion with The Greatest Showman. Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) is definitely the best vocalist, impressing with her beautiful vocal range and power. But Gal Gadot as the evil queen is responsible for my personal musical highlight in the movie.
Source: The Walt Disney Company Switzerland
The dwarves are no small matter
Zegler and Gadot’s acting performances are convincing too. Gadot in particular seems to have really enjoyed embodying the role of the evil queen. She’s callous, heartless and simply evil. The rest of the cast does a decent job, with no poor performances unpleasantly standing out from the rest. At least not as unpleasantly as the CGI dwarves, that is.
The film confirms what had already been hinted at in the trailer: the computer-generated dwarves feel out of place. Even by the end of the film, I can’t get used to them. I’ve no doubt they’ve been professionally crafted, every detail refined to look as human as possible. But I don’t warm to them. On the bright side, the dwarves don’t appear in the film as much as they do in the original. In the 1937 version, almost the entire movie plays out at their home.
Incidentally, the animals have turned out much better than the dwarves. Though also computer-generated, they look much more natural and in keeping with the rest of the film.
Source: The Walt Disney Company Switzerland
In a nutshell
A successful live-action remake with some refreshing changes
The more I think about it, the more impressed I am with the live-action adaptation of Snow White. So much so that as I was writing this review, I decided to award the film an extra star. Disney has breathed new life into an age-old story, giving it depth in a way that doesn’t seem contrived or jarring.
Visually, Snow White is very similar to the almost 90-year-old original in some parts. As far as the story is concerned, though, there are major differences. However, these plot changes and additions are both in line with the times and – especially when it comes to the portrayal of women – sorely needed. The writers have managed this with finesse. Contrary to what I’d feared, the changes haven’t been crowbarred in. I don’t want to give too much away, but don’t worry – Snow White hasn’t suddenly turned into a battle-hungry Valkyrie. Instead she’s a woman that a child could look up to and emulate.
A child like my six-year-old daughter, for example.
Snow White is now showing in Swiss cinemas. Runtime: 109 minutes. Rated 6+.
Header image: The Walt Disney Company Switzerland
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I'm a full-blooded dad and husband, part-time nerd and chicken farmer, cat tamer and animal lover. I would like to know everything and yet I know nothing. I know even less, but I learn something new every day. What I am good at is dealing with words, spoken and written. And I get to prove that here.
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