The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Collection: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Where did the House of Mouse first make its impact on the work of cinema? Animation was never the same once Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs made its’ debut back in 1937. There were feature length animated films before it (like Prince Achmed) but Walt Disney changed the game and introduced a formula that would shape animation’s future. There have been multiple eras that have dominated the world of animation. Snow White is obviously part of that Golden Era of early Disney animation with Pinocchio and Fantasia. There is the era with Cinderella in the 50s. But the Disney Renaissance from the late 80s through the late 90s shaped a whole generation with The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King, The Beauty and the Beast, and more. Even the resurgence of Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen reinvigorated things. But these all would not exist without the impact of Snow White. 

Let’s start with the obvious, shall we? The animation is so significant. There is a richness to this animation that makes it still stand out all these decades later. The colors are so rich and gorgeous that they make this fantasy world come to life and shine on screen. The dynamic colors also make the darker, eerie elements pop in contrast. The black and shadows of the evil queen and witch (including the thrilling finale) makes the visuals really standout as well. The backgrounds look like beautiful paintings (because they are) that feel so rich and beautiful. Watching a film like this makes you miss the hand-drawn animation of that era or just even those made up until the 90s. 3D animation is certainly amazing and dynamic in its own right…but there is still room for the beauty of this old school animation approach as well. Then you have all the character designs as well that still work and look good almost 90 years later. The dwarfs. The animals. The Evil Queen. The witch. Snow White herself. They all stand out all these years later. 

But the animation formula is not the only formula that Disney created with this film, right? No fairy tale or princess story in the world of cinema doesn’t have some of the fingerprints of Snow White. The Disney Princess all began with the titular character of this classic film. This idea of a Disney Princess is so iconic even though most of them were not created by Disney. But the influence redefined their presence in pop culture thanks to Disney. When you think of a Disney Princess, the unnamed Prince is right there too. “True Love’s Kiss” is highlighted in the climax of the film as well (which hasn’t aged well in this context but…this was almost 100 years ago). Many of the jokes from Shrek directly come at the tropes and cliches set up in Snow White. The idea of adorable animals being helpful and cute on screen all started here. The Magic Mirror trope has been leveraged in so many cinematic contexts and all started with this admittedly cool and iconic representation in Snow White. The Evil Queen and her wretched hag version later in the film…all these elements of this Disney classic have become influential elements in so many fantasy and fairy tale stories over the last 90 years.

What are some of the most influential and long-lasting elements of this film? This music. This is the original Disney Animation musical. Many people hate musicals…unless they are animated and made by Disney. The presence of musical numbers from Disney Animation films becoming part of the cultural zeitgeist all started with Snow White. Whenever the next Disney film comes out in theaters, there will be an almost guarantee that one of those songs is heard everywhere and obsessively played by children everywhere. Snow White offers up a few iconic songs like “I’m Wishing”, “Whistle While You Work”, “Heigh-Ho”, and “The Silly Song (The Dwarf’s Yodel Song”). Some of these songs are among the most famous Disney songs out there and have transcended this film into pop culture. I am sure you have had moments that you have sung or thought about “Whistle While You Work” when you are doing some type of work or even “Heigh-Ho”. “I’m Wishing” is the first example of the great Disney tradition of the Princess song which has become such an iconic part of the Disney Animation experience. This might not be one of the more popular ones, but it sets the standard. 

Just how important is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in the world of cinema? Disney Animation has been a part of the lives of generations of people over the last 90 years. The music from these films has become a part of pop culture with some of these songs becoming some of the most popular and prevalent in all music. So many fairy tale adaptations and Disney Princess stories have drawn upon the blueprint laid out in this first Disney Animation feature film. Snow White started it all and still stands the test of time with its influence and entertainment.