Disney’s live-action remake of the studio’s first animated feature,Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, has beenbombarded with controversyfrom the very start. With such a legendary reputation to follow, it’s no surprise loyal fans would have lots to say about the major changes from the beloved classic. Live-action adaptations can often miss the mark and fail to recreate the magic and awe of the animated original. This is especially so forSnow White and the Seven Dwarfsas it maintains legendary status as Disney’s first-ever animated feature. When most people think ofSnow White, they picture a sweet, innocent fairy tale with merry songs, a friendly band of dwarfs, and a happily ever after. But if you peel back the layers, you’ll find that this movie isn’t for children at all. The originalGrimm’s Fairy Talesversion from 1812is actually a chilling tale of obsession and psychological terror. In fact, Disney softened many of these brutal aspects from the original story. Looking back on the 1937 movie now, it feels more like a gothic horror movie than a fairytale story aimed at children.
‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ Is Actually a Gothic Horror Movie
The classic fairy tale isn’t just about a wicked stepmother jealous of a young princess’s beauty. It’s about a queen willing to commit gruesome murder to maintain her vanity — a terrifying premise for a young audience. From the very beginning, the Evil Queen is a disturbingly sinister villain. She wants Snow White dead in the most gruesome way possible.Ordering the Huntsman to take Snow White into the forest and kill her is shocking enough, but she also demands that he cut out the girl’s heart and bring it back as proof.That’s something you’d expect from a Tarantino film, not Disney! And imagine what that must have been like for Snow White. One moment, she’s picking flowers, unaware of the surrounding danger, and the next, she’s staring down a man with a knife prepared to carve her heart from her chest.
This Twisted Folk Horror Is a Disturbing, Terrifying Gothic Fairy Tale Like No Other
This dark fairy tale is very accurate to its source material.
The Huntsman can’t go through with it, but that doesn’t mean Snow White is safe. Instead, she is thrown into an even worse situation — completely alone, lost in a terrifying forest. The forest sequence in the Disney film is pure nightmare fuel, even by today’s standards. The trees twist into monstrous shapes, their branches stretching out like skeletal fingers trying to grab her. Shadows dance in eerie patterns, and the darkness seems alive, pressing in on her from all sides. Snow White panics and collapses in sheer terror.For a children’s movie that’s often dismissed as lighthearted, this scene is one of unfiltered horror.
When Snow White finally finds the dwarfs’ cottage, it feels like a moment of respite, but the danger hasn’t passed. The Evil Queen becomes even more unhinged when things don’t go her way. The Mirror is another element that Disney turned into something eerie yet mystical. In the film, the Mirror’s ghostly voice, the swirling, smoke-like face, and the cold, emotionless way it delivers bad news all add to the sense of doom. Back to the Evil Queen,she disguises herself as a haggard old woman,an image that, by itself, is nightmare-inducing. Her transformation is one of the most terrifying moments in the film — her body twists and contorts, her hands become bony and claw-like, and her oncebeautiful face melts into something grotesque.
The Original Brothers Grimm ‘Snow White’ Was More Gruesome Than Disney’s 1937 Adaptation
Poor naive Snow White ultimately takes a bite from the poisoned apple and seemingly dies. The dwarfs’ reaction to finding her is heartbreaking. They don’t know it’s a curse — they think they’ve lost her forever, and their mourning is extremely emotional.Disney changed a hefty amount of plot points from the Brothers Grimm fairy taleas the original story was much more gruesome than the 1937 outcome.The infamous poison apple wasn’t the first method to the Evil Queen’s murder scheme; it was one of three!
Disguised as a peddler woman, the Queen first offers Snow White a woven corset. Once Snow White puts it on, the Queen pulls the laces so tight that she stops breathing. The dwarfs arrive just in time to cut the laces and revive her, In a second attempt, the Queen returns in another disguise, this time offering a hair comb. Snow White, again, accepts it. (Girl, open your eyes!) The moment it touches her scalp, she faints, poisoned. But the dwarfs happen to save her by removing the comb. After two failed attempts, the Queen creates the poisoned apple, leading to her final death.
As dark as all of that is, nothing compares to the Queen’s own fate. In the Disney film, she is chased down by the dwarfs and ends up falling off a cliff, crushed beneath a boulder.The Grimm’sSnow Whiteis much worse. The Prince never “kisses” Snow White. Instead, he creepily becomes enamored by her beauty and requests to take her casket to his castle. A servant carrying her trips, causing the dislodged piece of poison apple to come out of Snow White’s mouth. At Snow White’s wedding, they seek revenge.The Evil Queen is captured and forced to wear red-hot iron shoes, dancing in agony until she collapses and dies.
No matter which version you look at,Snow Whiteis far more than just a children’s story. It’s a gothic horror story hidden beneath the guise of a fairy tale. When you strip away the happy-go-lucky music and magical charm,Snow Whiteis more likeHow to Get Away With Murderthan a family-friendly Princess movie. Once you realize that, you’ll never see it the same way again.
