Over the last decade, Disney has dedicated considerable time, energy, and money toremaking its beloved films in a new format. Everything fromCinderellatoThe Lion Kinggot this treatment, but some were met with more success than others. Each new film is expanded or slightly changed, often with new music, storylines, and looks for the iconic characters. The trend itself has gotten somepushback from fans, but there have been several major successes. BothMaleficentandThe Lion Kingwere enough of a hit to warrant an additional film.The Disney Princess franchise has gotten several remakes, with seven princesses having live-action counterparts and more in the works. But the latest is a new take on Disney’s first animated feature,Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, starringRachel Zegleras the princess andGal Gadotas the Evil Queen. And almost ever since it was announced,Snow Whitehas been surrounded bycontroversy.
In particular, Zegler’s portrayal of Snow White has been under fire, in part because of comments she made aboutthe issues with the original story. In different interviews, Zegler called the 1937 film “extremely dated when it comes to the ideas of women being in roles of power” and acknowledged that the prince Snow White marries “literally stalks her.” She even addressed the jokes about the remake being “the PC Snow White” by agreeing and saying the story needs an update. While Zegler’s claims made some Disney fans angry, she isn’t wrong. Of course, a film over 85 years old is going to be dated. And it’s especiallytelling thatZegler received such a reactionwhen she is not the first live-action Disney Princess to express this sentiment.
Other Live-Action Disney Princesses Have Acknowledged Problems with the Stories
Over the years, many of the early princess films have received criticism for their portrayals of passive women and sometimes problematic love stories. AndSnow Whiteis not the first to be redone. Back in 2015,Lily Jamesstarted as Cinderella, a princesswho is often called passivebecause she does nothing to stand up to her stepmother and only finds happiness when a prince comes to take her away. When promoting her film,James addressed the issue, telling Collider,“The criticism of this girl just waiting for a prince to save her, we wanted to chuck that outand not have that dominate in our film.” AndCinderelladid, focusing on the main character’s courage and kindness and even rewriting her relationship with the prince to make it less sudden and more palatable to modern audiences.
OK, Why the Hell Do the Dwarfs Have Powers in ‘Snow White’?
As if they weren’t jarring enough.
It isn’t just Zegler and James who had the same idea about their live-action roles either. At the premiere of 2017’sBeauty and the Beast, Belle actressEmma Watsonsaid, “The biggest thing about watching Belle for the first time, compared to other Disney heroines, is that she wasn’t waiting to be saved.” In doing so, she put the earlier princesses in the category of passive characters,including Snow White. Zegler may have used different wording,but her complaints about the roles of women in power and the prince’s storyline share the same sentiment as James and Watson’sinsistence that their princess is not waiting to be saved. Like it or not, this has long been the narrative around the princesses, especially the older ones, and the women portraying these characters in the remakes are intentionally trying to change that perception.
Rachel Zegler is Right that Snow White’s Story Needed an Update
As the oldest of the Disney Princess movies,Snow Whitereally did need the update. While the originalSnow White and the Seven Dwarfsis a beautiful film and wasinstrumental in the development of animation and Dinsey, it is a product of its time. The world has changed significantly since 1937, and the story of Snow White needed to catch up for it to be remade. While Snow White has a beautiful “I want” song in “I’m Wishing,” she does little to try and accomplish her goal throughout the film. Admittedly, she is distracted by the Evil Queen trying to murder her, but rather than searching for love, she just waits.Snow White spending the film hiding would not cut it for a modern protagonist.The new film shows Snow White fighting back against the Evil Queen, which solves this issue by giving her a goal she can work towards. Though it is disappointing to see some of the original’s classic songs be omitted, it is an understandable change.
Another major and overdue change is Snow White’s love story. In the original, the prince is underdeveloped, appearing in only two scenes and never given a name on-screen.Snow White’s happy ending is her riding off with a man neither she nor the audience knows– which isn’t an ideal example for the young girls who watch the film. The live-action film solves the problems with the prince by drastically changing the romantic lead.Jonathan (Andrew Burnap) is not a prince, but he has a much larger role as a bandit who opposes the Evil Queen’s rule, just like Snow White. These changes directly impact the issues Zegler alluded to, proving that she is not the only one involved in the film who sees problems with the original story.
‘Snow White’ Isn’t the Only Live-Action Princess Film to Update the Story
Many of the Dinsey remakes have taken steps to change certain aspects of the film, some making very similar changes toSnow White, proving that Zegler is not the only one who thinks these ideas are outdated.The live-actionCinderellarewrote the love-at-first-sight story, having the prince, Kit (Richard Madden), and Cinderella meet outside of the palace first before the ball. He becomes infatuated with Cinderella because of the compassion she shows, and she is impressed by him while totally unaware that he is a prince. This is not as big a change asSnow White, but it does significantly update the love story to make it more acceptable to modern audiences.
Snow White’s added leadership story has a precedent as well. In the animated film,Jasmine (Linda Larkin) is not the lead, playing the part of the love interest who defies her father but doesn’t truly have her own storyline. Meanwhile,her live-action counterpart(Naomi Scott) wants to prove that she is capable of succeeding her father, even getting a song about it. This not only expands her role but also shows her drive to be a leader, much like Snow White. Zegler had a point about Snow White’s story needing an update, and despite being attacked for her beliefs, she is by no means the first Disney actress to have them.
Snow Whiteis now playing in theaters.
Snow White
