Review of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938) by Luke N — 13 Nov 2013

Disney's very first animated production, and probably one of the most revolutionary films of the 1930's. Ever since this came out, proving the world wrong in thinking ninety minutes of watching cartoons wouldn't work, animated family entertainment has been one of the most popular and successful forms of cinema.

Only difference was back in those days, animated family films were generally good. There still are some good ones coming out today, but 'Snow White' laid the foundations of what would make all the early Disney movies classics.

The heroine is a kind, innocent princess at her most generic, but the evil witch is one of countless childhood nightmares, and of course the seven dwarfs are wonderfully memorable. Many other scenes from this movie - that scary forest, the dwarfs working the mines, the witch's transformation, etc - are now so deeply etched into our childhoods that it's impossible not to feel a strange, almost chilling poignancy when watching this wonderfully written, wonderfully crafted classic.

One minor criticism is that, when compared to 'Pinocchio' and 'Bambi' and some of the other classics, this one does get a tad boring at times. But for the most part, it's a solid movie that is fully justified for its unwavering legacy.